Abstract This paper provides an account of the of Art Deco design and the development of skyscrapers. The paper looks at the cultural and artistic context of art deco, design motifs and metal construction and its impact. The paper provides examples of some buildings.
From the Paper The purpose of this research is to examine the Art Deco architecture style and the development of the skyscraper, chiefly in the United States. The plan of the research will be to set forth the cultural and artistic context in which Art Deco was defined as well as the discourse of skyscraper architecture and then to discuss not only the architectural theories and theorist practitioners whose ideas informed debate over skyscraper construction but also the popular and professional reaction to the buildings at the time they were constructed.
Abstract The paper explains the importance of the human resource department for a business by detailing the role that is performed by the department and showing how these activities benefit the company. The paper then presents the strategic planning of the human resource department in the company DECO detailing how it should operate in order to maximize the human resources of the company.
From the Paper "Strategic Human Resource Management provides for strong planning that works with employee careers from the first interview to the day of retirement. The employment relations are important during this process because without solid relations with employees the company will endure a higher rate of turnover which costs the company money by way of training and retraining."
Abstract This paper will be a discussion of the two very important schools of design which were started after World War I. They are: The Bauhaus school which was a German perspective on design and Art Deco. Both of these designs or ways of thinking and doing design were very important and very influential in this 20th century.
Abstract This paper explains how the triumph of art over nature, as exhibited in Egyptian art and design, influenced American art in the 1920s. The paper explains how this influence manifested itself in the form of Art Deco and continues to influence art today.
From the Paper "If Greek sculpture attempted to create a realistic portrait of the human body during the Classical and Hellenistic periods of sculpture, Egyptian portraiture is reflected in the contrasting hieroglyphic-like portrayal of the human body in a stylized, rather than a naturalistic way. Rather than seeing what is natural as good and what is unnatural as less artistic, however, it is important instead to consider the function and purpose of this style of Egyptian design, as well as merely compare its lack of naturalness to other forms of art of the period. Egyptian art's unnatural pairing of human and animal parts was reflective of its religious system. Its highly rigid interior home design structures reflected the focus of the Egyptian world upon the life of the dead, rather than the relatively transient existence of humans on earth. (Pile, 2004) Just as in Egyptian cosmology, God in the form of the sun died and was constantly reborn again and so were humans within their homes and tombs. The sharp lines of human depiction and sharp lines of furniture and spatial design mirrored the sharp lines of the pyramids and tombs."
Tags: greek, sculpture, hellenistic, contrasting, hieroglyphic-like, portrayal, human, body
Abstract The paper describes the Chrysler Building and its art deco architectural style. The paper describes the architect William Van Alen, the building's principles of design and the histroical context of the style. The paper concludes that the building is an unforgettable sight in America.
Outline:
Introduction
The Architect
Historical Context and Description of the Design
Composition and Organizational Principles of Design
Formal Elements of Form
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Chrysler Building in New York City was the tallest building in the world between the years 1930 and 1931, a time when the city was witnessing tight competition to build the tallest skyscraper in the world. Constructed from 1928 to 1930, this building is an architectural marvel designed by William Van Alen (1883-1954) and commonly recognized as the best example of Art Deco style skyscrapers as well as an ideal monument to American capitalism (Matthews and Artifice Inc., 1994). The most fantastic Art Deco feature of the Chrysler Building happens to be its 185 foot needle-thin chrome spire weighing 27 tons, "a series of sunburst punctuated by triangular windows," which Van Alen had secretly built inside the building before the entire structure could be seen to rise higher than the Bank of Manhattan and the Eiffel Tower ("Daniel's Manhattan")."
Abstract This paper looks at how posters have always carried with them the ability to communicate in a unique way. When combining art with other interests, posters can become powerful tools of communication. The paper gives examples of how posters can promote a cause, sway peoples opinions, and be used as art. It concludes with proof that posters can capture the mood and culture of an era and represent effective uses of design elements.
From the Paper "This new art movement became known as Art Nouveau, which was the leading international decorative style of the early nineteenth century. Art Nouveau posters featured a flowing line which was inspired from nature. The style of this movement was all-encompassing, gathering influence from architecture, graphics, and furniture. Art Deco became the leading international decorative style after World War I and maintained popularity until World War II. Art Deco is best described as a machine age aesthetic, replacing the flowing line of Art Nouveau with streamlined, geometric designs with designs that represented speed and power. Other poster movements that created trends were Capiello, Object Posters, International Typographic Style and the Poster Style."
Abstract When considering the variables that influence the outcome of a major construction project, it is important to recognize that a project is nothing more or nothing less than a one-time job that has definite starting and ending points, clearly defined objectives, scope and a budget. In order to determine what distinguishes a successful major construction project from one which fails, two projects are compared in this paper. The first is the Golden Gate Bridge, completed in 1937, under conditions which would try the patience and test the competencies of its designers, builders, and sponsors. The second construction project is the Eurotunnel, also known as the Chunnel, the underwater tunnel linking England and France. Completed in the early 1990s, the Chunnel stands as an excellent example of a major construction project which was ultimately successful in the sense of structural integrity and to an extent, customer satisfaction, but a miserable failure in terms of scheduling and massive budgetary or cost overruns.
From the Paper "In 1989, Andrew Phillips (1989) reported on major problems which were seriously disrupting the completion of the project. Initially, the engineers and managers faced technical obstacles that delayed start-up and construction of the project. Though these obstacles were overcome, soaring costs had added approximately $1.9 billion to the cost of the tunnel itself. To make matters worse, Phillips (1989) maintains that the estimated costs of a planned high-speed rail link between London and the Chunnel's English terminal near Folkestone, more than doubled. In 1987, the company building the tunnel put the total cost of the project at $9.1 billion - this was raised to $10.2 billion in 1988, and in 1989, analysts predicted that the cost of the Chunnel would ultimately reach $11 billion."
Abstract This paper will discuss the concept of strategic human resource management (SHRM) and will explain its relationship with human resource planning, employment relations, recruitment and selection, and diversity management. The DECO case study will then be evaluated in the light of SHRM principles and recommendations will be made for any necessary changes.
Abstract A modern monolith among many in Chicago, the Merchandise Mart was the world's largest building in the 1930s at four million square feet. This paper examines this sprightly combination of commerce and transportation, which makes the Merchandise Mart a dynamic, energetic example of functional architecture. The paper traces the history of this building from the 1930s until the present day, focusing on its unique Art Deco architectural features.
From the Paper "Just as the terrazzo floors flow through the interior of the Merchandise Mart, adding softness and color to what could be an imposing, cold structure, the Chicago River offers a similar sense of softness to the building's exterior. The Merchandise Mart transforms its immediate surroundings into an aesthetically appealing industrial and commercial hub. One of the most striking visual features of the Chicago Merchandise Mart is its proximity to the Chicago River, which often reflects the edifice in its rugged cool waters. A strategic location for an industrial-commercial building that is not only serviced by railroad but river transport, the Merchandise Mart stands as testimony to Chicago's rich financial and architectural history, blending into the environment and skyline seamlessly."
Abstract This paper explores the impact that the Industrial Revolution and the information revolution had on society. The paper considers not only how the Industrial Revolution affected the amount of work people do and the amount of goods produced, but also the type of goods produced and how the machine age virtually eliminated the uniqueness and aesthetic qualities of the products. The paper looks at how the Industrial Revolution eventually led to the Arts and Crafts Movement, modernism, rationalism, and other aesthetic philosophies. The paper then examines the impact that the information revolution has had on society. How the information revolution affected democracy, power, the concentration of wealth, production, and new postmodernist philosophies is discussed as well.
From the Paper "It is difficult for anyone now alive to appreciate the radical changes that the Industrial Revolution brought to humanity. We imagine that we know what it was like before this shift in economics, in culture, in society: We think of farmers tilling fields and of their children piling hay into stacks for winter forage, or of trappers setting their snares for the soft-pelted animals of the forests, or of fishers casting their hand-woven and hand-knotted nets into the seas from the hand-sewn decks of ships. We imagine the hard physical work that nearly every person in society once had to do in the era before machines substituted their labor for ours ? and this exchange of human (and animal) labor for machine-driven labor is indeed one of the key elements of the Industrial Revolution."
Abstract Born at Akhetaton in 1343 BC, Tutankhamen was an Egyptian Pharoah of the 18th dynasty. The paper examines the state of Egypt at the time that Tutankhamen was born and ruled. It examines the important discovery of King Tut's tomb and shows how it influenced the fields of archaeology and history, the study of forensics and the culture of the modern world.
From the Paper "The primary significance of King Tutankhamen is the discovery of his tomb in the Valley of the Kings by English archaeologists Howard Carter and the Earl of Carnarvon in 1922. For years archaeologists had been routinely excavating and documenting the burials in the Valley of the Kings. But the tombs, while nonetheless containing valuable information, had been plundered by grave robbers throughout the centuries. The tomb of Tutankhamen was a spectacular find, having escaped the ravages of time and the plundering of grave robbers. Carter was the first to lay eyes on the riches of the burial chamber in more than two thousand years."
Tags: Thebes, Delta, Nile, Howard, Carter, Art, Deco
Abstract This paper studies the painting "In an African Setting", by Aaron Douglas. As the paper explains, through the Public Works Act, African-American artist Aaron Douglas was commissioned by the Harlem Branch of the New York Public Library to compose works on African-American history. The paper studies the piece's form, technique and symbolic significance.
From the Paper "In this particular work, Douglas' use of sharp edges and repetitive designs was greatly influenced by African sculptures, jazz music, dance and geometric forms. "In An African Setting", was in fact part of a larger collection. The work was a four panel series that was used to communicate the distance that the African American had traveled, from freedom in Africa, to slavery in the United States, to the challenges of freedom after the Civil War. The first panel, and most famous, depicts an African man and woman dancing to the beat of drums."
Abstract This paper explains the Michael Graves' drawings and buildings are notable for their manipulation of archetypal form into highly abstract, figurative compositions. The paper then points out that Graves gave up the neutral glass curtain wall of late modernism and instead uses a colorful cloak of cladding by which he reintroduces the hierarchical composition of classical buildings more characteristic of postmodernism. The paper also reports that Michael Grave's Public Service Building in Portland, Oregon has at least four distinct historical styles embedded in its design: egyptian, italian, art deco and modern.
From the Paper "Levin agrees as well that postmodernism has derived from the ability of artists to produce works in a mass quantity, so to speak, because of new processes and products involving mass production: "By the time men were traveling to the moon, art was being assembled in factories from blueprints." While the postmodernist may see the modernist era as more scientifically oriented, it is clear that postmodernism is also influenced by scientific developments and possibilities. Levin says that modernism was highly optimistic, while postmodernism is more cynical."
