We’ve chosen 4 decades from the 20th century upon which to base the challenges for 2021, and the second challenge to all felters, spinners, weavers, stitchers, knitters, crocheters and mixed media fibre artists is …

… to make something inspired by the decade 1920 – 1930.

The ‘Roaring Twenties’ is well worth investigating for inspiration – here are a few photos to whet your appetite.

The ART DECO movement originated in the 1920’s – a style featuring clean, simple shapes – and it influenced design in arts, architecture, fashion and homewares.

Clarice Cliff was a ceramicist and is best known for her colour rich, Art Deco designs. This ‘Crocus’ cream jug was made in 1928.

photo courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/art-deco-clarice-cliff

 

The sunray, or sunburst, was a popular Deco motif, which often featured in stained glass windows.

Clarice Cliff’s ‘Sunray’ vase was made in 1929.

photo courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/art-deco-clarice-cliff

 

In the 1920’s Rene Jules Lalique made glasswork in the Art Deco style.

Lalique’s ‘Oranges’ vase.

photo courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/art-deco-ren%C3%A9-jules-lalique

 

Lalique’s glass window panels ‘Blackbirds and Grapes’, 1928, were made for the Côte d’Azur Pullman Express train carriages.

photo courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/art-deco-ren%C3%A9-jules-lalique

 

Natalia Gonchorova designed this evening dress in 1923.

photo courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/art-deco-fashion

 

The Chrysler Building in New York was designed by William Van Alen in the Art Deco style and building work started in 1929.

Chrysler Building (commons wikimedia)

Chrysler Building Lobby (commons wikimedia)

 

FLAPPERS

Quote from Wikipedia “Flappers were a generation of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (just at the knee was short for that time period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior.” Unquote

The dresses were flamboyant.

left: 1924 Charleston dress / right: Alice Joyce 1926  (commons wikimedia)

Who hasn’t tried to dance ‘The Charleston’?  This is Josephine Baker dancing at The Folies Bergere, Paris, in 1926.

Josephine Baker (commons wikimedia)

 

HATS

Cloche hats were fashionable in the twenties and today people still felt, knit, crochet and stitch them.

left to right: Actress Aileen Pringle 1926 / Actress Vilma Blanky 1927 / Actress Joan Crawford 1927 (commons wikimedia)

 

PAINTINGS

The 1920’s saw many different styles of art.

‘Wisteria (right half)’ by Claude Monet 1920 (commons wikimedia)

‘Menin Gate at Midnight’ by Will Longstaff 1927 (commons wikimedia)

‘New York, Early Twenties’ by Thomas Benton, 1920/24 (commons wikimedia)

‘The Bridge of the Tug Boat’ by Fernand Leger 1920 (public domain)

We hope you feel inspired to take part in this challenge – please post your photos in the Studio Challenges section on The Felting and Fiber Forum, we’d love to see them.