by Alice Jurow, Editor of The Sophisticate

The ADSC maintained a high profile at the 5th World Congress on Art Deco in Napier, New Zealand. in February. Ours was the largest contingent from the U.S., and included Vice President Neil Nevesny, Secretary Joanna Leighton, former Director Luz Coussens and her husband Rob.

Much of Napier was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1931; so its reconstruction was accomplished in the 1930s' modern architectural style, which we nowadays call Art Deco.

The extremely well-organized Congress -- kudos to Robert McGregor of the Napier Art Deco Trust -- offered a variety of New Zealand and international perspectives. Delegates had a rare, in-depth opportunity to learn about the particular forms that Art Deco and Modernism took at the "edge of the world," where despite geographic distance, New Zealanders stayed remarkably au courant with international trends in architecture, art and fashion throughout the period, while also incorporating local elements like native flora and woods, and indigenous Maori art.

We were introduced, through lectures, tours and the opening of a major museum exhibit, to the work of architect Louis Hay, who created an outstanding body of work in the Hawke's Bay region, including a series of lovely homes rivalling those of Frank Lloyd Wright (but more comfortable and liveable!). Along with Art Deco, California-style Spanish Mission architecture was also a major influence in the region -- after all, we share the same climate and we're also on a faultline. So it was easy to feel at home.

Australian contributions to the program included a presentation on 1930s imagery of Australian beach and surfing culture, and "Gumnut Deco," on the use of indigenous flora and fauna as Deco motifs. (The "gum" tree of Australia is a eucalyptus.) From elsewhere around the world came reports on Deco expression in Capetown, South Africa, and on Polish Art Deco; Bay-Area-based photographer Randy Juster provided a taste of Deco in Shanghai, and an extensive tour of the largely intact Deco architecture of Havana.

Mitzi March Mogul, President of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, gave a rousing call to arms on behalf of preservation activism, and also sounded the death knell for two doomed L.A. Deco buildings. The keynote address was by Michael Street: about the still-endangered Art Deco cityscape of Asmara, Eritrea. He wrote about Asmara in The Sophisticate, Spring 1998 issue, and gave a slide-lecture to the ADSC last April.

I blush to admit that I created a media sensation, appearing in two local newspapers as well as on NZ National Radio. My presentation to the Congress, on "The Androgynous Dandy: an Art Deco Icon," was a slide-lecture punctuated with live fashion vignettes by local talent. Considered one of the highlights of the program, it was developed from my article, "La Garconne: the She Dandy," in The Sophisticate, Autumn 1997 issue; and I will present "The Androgynous Dandy" in San Francisco in May (date and location to be announced).

Tours, receptions, dinners and theatre filled out the program, and a special treat was the surprise appearance of a fleet of vintage cars, enough to transport all the delegates in grand style to a balmy evening event in nearby Ahuriri. Possibly the most important Deco experience was simply being in Napier itself -- especially for those who stayed on for the town's own annual Art Deco Weekend celebration, directed by John Cocking, who wrote about his home town for The Sophisticate, Autumn 1998 issue.

The very scale and pace of life in this charming seaside resort suggest another era. Much of what is now Napier was under water until the 1931 earthquake, so the town was almost literally born in the Art Deco era. And that style is deeply integral to the town's self-image and cultural life today. Napier's Gatsby Picnic, a free public event held in the "Deco Front Garden" along the Marine Parade, is a true community celebration, keeping alive the heritage of this small town's stylish triumph over adversity.