'Metropolis' Poster Sells At Record $690,000
One of four known copies of an Art Deco poster for the classic German 1920s film "Metropolis" has been sold for a world record $690,000 to a California-based private collector, the London gallery which arranged the sale reported.
The sale beat the previous record for a movie poster of $453,500, setin 1997 by a poster for the 1932 film "The Mummy," the Reel PosterGallery said.
Graphic artist Heinz Schulz-Neudamm designed the Art Deco-style sepia-colored poster featuring the futuristic skyline that helped make Fritz Lang's film famous.
The three other known copies of the Art Deco poster are at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Berlin's Film Museum, and another is in a private collection.
The California-based purchaser was identified as collector Ken Schacter, who purchased it from British businessman Andrew Cohen, chairman of mail order firm Betterware, the gallery reported.
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Art Deco Inspirations:
Multi-color dichroic perfume bottle, left, by Ponzini, has half-ounce capacity and rubber o-ring seal. Candlestick is about 12 inches tall and has 3.5-inch diameter mirrored base.
Art Deco Inspires Glass Artist's Creations
George Ponzini, a New Hampshire artist, creates a complete series of stemware, candlesticks, perfume bottles, mirrors, shelves, bowls and even chess sets in a style he refers to as architecturally influenced. The architectural style that dominates many of the artist’s original pieces is clearly Art Deco.
"Architecture is one of my interests, which has had a major influence on my work,” Ponzini, 48, says. “Though I had at one time considered becoming an architect, I enjoy glass as a medium and have directed my architectural energies into my glass works.”
The Art Deco lines, curves and textures of his creations come from his roots. "I grew up in New York City and was exposed to it. The inspiration definitely came from being born and living in New York until I was 18," Ponzini told Art Deco News.Com.
Ponzini started his glass career creating stained glass windows. His current style of work originated while experimenting with stained glass box containers.
These containers were inspired by the lines and curves of Art Deco architecture, but without using the free-form lead came typically used in stained glass windows.  Instead, his creations are composed of fabricated glass parts that are glued together. A piece is typically started using glass parts from Ponzini’s inventory rather than from drawings. He works with a variety of glass rods, textured glass, structural glass, borosilicate rods and tubes, wire safety glass, black glass, marbles and glass and metal beads. The glass is either cut on a saw or with a carbide tip glass cutter. Then the components are ground on a diamond impregnated grinding wheel or on discs of varying grit. The etched patterns are sandblasted. The parts are then glued with ultraviolet sensitive glue or with silicone adhesive, completing the piece.
Ponzini has been working in his current style since the mid 1980s. His glass career has spanned 3 decades. The various Art Deco-inspired creations are sold mostly through some 80 active retail accounts in the U.S. and abroad.
Though Ponzini works alone, he can produce from three to 20 handmade pieces a day. "I'm busy all the time," the artist said, recalling purchase orders he has received from as far away as England, Japan, Demark, Germany, Spain and Canada.
"I do my designs spontaneously, starting with parts and mixing the designs and sometimes redesigning some. It's kind of nice doing it spontaneously rather than on paper," he said.
Ponzini's first expressions of Art Deco in his glassworks involved the use of black, white and clear glass, resulting in bold, clean, uncluttered designs that he still uses today, most notably in candlestick shown above.
His creations can be found at the NJM Gallery, 8 Bow St., Portsmouth, NH 03801. 1-888-221-0311 or 603-433-4120. To see the artist's full line, visit the NJM Galley web site at:
http://www.njmgallery.com
Menorah, left, and shelf are architecturally influenced, Art Deco-inspired glass sculptures by Ponzini. Shelf top has mirrored glass as well as back. Ultra-violet and silicone adhesives are used in assembly. The 8.5x14x7-inch shelf mounts to wall with a single anchor.
All photos above copyright by Not Just Mud!, NJM Gallery, all rights reserved.
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