Archway

This design evolved from shapes prevalent in Art Deco architecture and, in particular, from a neon sign on the facade of a cinema near Oxford Circus in London. The effect of a skyscraper surrounded by a burst of light conjures up associations with the streamlined modernist look exemplified by the Chrysler Building in Manhatten. Eddie Squires (1940-1995) was among the first to re-use 1930s decorative motifs in his work and his scrapbooks, some of which have been given to the Museum, reveal his enthusiasm for the fast-paced, high-rise lifestyle of New York. This fabric is one of four produced for a range called 'Stereoscopic which was' based on opticians' charts for testing colour-blindess.

Furnishing fabric · Great Britain · 1968. Screen-printed cotton. By Eddie Squires. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.