City photographer Deke Erh is obviously addicted to art deco. He published a successful book “Shanghai Art Deco,” drawing attention to the city’s art-deco architecture－it was accompanied by an exhibition.
Now Erh is presenting another photo exhibition featuring the art-deco architectures in Miami Beach, Florida, in the United States at his art center. These photos were part of an exhibit in Miami Beach in January.
“Shanghai and Miami Beach have a great deal in common,” says the 47-year-old photographer. “They are both regional economic and business centers, they represent a blending of cultures and both contain a large number of art-deco structures that must coexist with growing pressure for high-rise development.”
Erh has been to Miami Beach seven times and has been amazed at how the city cherishes and protects its art-deco heritage.
One day when he was shooting a 200-square-meter building downtown area, he was told that it was worth more than US$100 million.
“You could imagine how precious the Miami Beach land is,” he says. “Yet in this environment, the government continues to give its generous support to retain these old buildings in its city’s landscape.”
At first glance, many visitors would mistake the buildings in Erh’s Miami Beach photos for buildings in Shanghai, as the art-deco style is so similar. Shanghai’s Cathay Theater and the Peace Hotel, for example, have their counterparts in Florida.
In fact, the art-deco movement grew out of art nouveau, a school popular at the turn of the 20th century, noted for its simplicity, with particular stress on geometric lines and colors.
It made its full-fledged appearance in Paris at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes. It incorporates elements of cubism, Bauhaus and futurism and soon swept the world, ultimately reaching Shanghai in the 1930s.
“I have been taking photos of old Shanghai for 20 years, and I’ve continually seen these things torn down,” says Erh. “But I still have hope. Even today, Shanghai has more art-deco buildings than any other city in the world. If I didn’t have hope, I’d have to give up.”
Erh hopes to raise the awareness of the municipal government to preserve art deco buildings, as Miami Beach as done.
“It’s time for us to learn something from other cities in treating these remaining buildings,” he says. “Shanghai has a chance to catch up.”
But Erh’s personal influence is minimal.
“Because of the city’s rich sources, I call for the establishment of an Art Deco Museum,” he says. “I believe that many local collectors would be happy to display their art deco collection including furniture and little accessories at this museum.”
Furthermore, Erh would like Shanghai to apply to host the 2011 World Art Deco Festival, which was established by the Miami Design Preservation League in 1991. The bi-annual event has been held in Australia, England, the United States, New Zealand and South Africa.
“If the event could come to Shanghai in 2011, it will be a big boost for the city’s image around the globe,” Erh adds.

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