Art Deco
Art Deco (
French:
Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes) was a twentieth century movement in the
decorative arts, that grew to influence
architecture,
design,
fashion and the
visual arts.
The name Art Deco derived from the
Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, a
World's Fair held in
Paris,
France in
1925, though the term was not used prior to the late
1960s. Art Deco was influenced by many different cultures, particularly pre-
World War I Europe. The movement occurred at the same time as, and as a response to, the rapid social and technological advances of the early 20th century.
Paris was at the center of the high end of Art Deco design, epitomized in furniture by
Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, the best-known of Art Deco furniture designers and perhaps the last of the traditional Parisian
ébénistes, and
Jean-Jacques Rateau, the firm of
Süe et Mare, the screens of
Eileen Gray, wrought iron of
Edgar Brandt, metalwork and lacquer of
Jean Dunand, the glass of
René Lalique and
Maurice Marinot, clocks and jewelry by
Cartier.
The term
Art Deco was coined during the Exposition of 1925 but did not receive wider usage until it was re-evaluated in the
1960s. Its practitioners were not working as a coherent community. It is considered to be an eclectic form of
decorative Modernism, being influenced by a variety of sources. Among them were the "primitive" arts of Africa, Egypt, or Aztec Mexico, as well as
machine age technology such as the
radio and
skyscraper. These were expressed in fractionated, crystalline, faceted form of decorative
Cubism and
Futurism, in
Fauvims' palette.
Corresponding to these influences, Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such as
aluminum,
stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin (
shagreen), and zebraskin. The bold use of zigzag and stepped forms, and sweeping curves (unlike the sinuous curves of the
Art nouveau),
chevron patterns, and the
sunburst motif. Some of these motifs were ubiquitous â€" for example the sunburst motif was used in such varied contexts as a lady's shoe, a radiator grille, the auditorium of the
Radio City Music Hall and the spire of the
Chrysler Building.
Art Deco was an opulent style and this lavishness is attributed to reaction of the forced austerity caused by World War I. Its rich, festive character fitted it for "modern" contexts including interiors of cinema theaters and
ocean liners such as the
Ile de France and
Normandie.A parallel movement called
Streamline Moderne or simply Streamline followed close behind. Streamline was influenced by manufacturing and streamlining techniques arising from science and the mass production shape of bullet, liners, etc., where aerodynamics are involved. Once the Chrysler Air-Flo design of
1933 was successful, "streamlined" forms began to be used even for objects such as pencil sharpeners and refrigerators.
Art Deco slowly lost patronage in the West after reaching mass production, where it began to be derided as gaudy and presenting a false image of luxury. Eventually the style was cut short by the austerities of
World War II. In colonial countries such as India, it became a gateway for Modernism and continued to be used well into the 1960s. A resurgence of interest in Art Deco came with graphic design in the 1980s, where its association with
film noir and 1930s glamour led to its use in ads for jewelry and fashion.
South Beach, Miami, FL has the largest remaining collection of Art Deco architecture remaining in North America.
Art Deco designs frequently appear in modern art, architecture, entertainment, and media when a "retro" look is sought after. Some of the more pronounced examples include:
* The Batman animated series from the early 1990's was heavily influenced by art deco. The creators of the show pushed Art Deco a step further into a form they refer to as
Dark Deco* The computer game
Sim City 4 makes heavy use of Art Deco buildings.
* The architecture and design in
Grim Fandango, a computer game from
LucasArts, are in the Art Deco style.
* The film
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow takes place in an almost entirely Art Deco environment.
* The opening and closing titles of
Peter Jackson's
King Kong are designed in an Art Deco style, as was the film's website.
* Most
Regal Entertainment Group cinemas are designed with an Art Deco theme.
* Much of the recent development in the city of
Long Beach, California has been in an Art Deco-like postmodern style.
*
Downtown Disney in
Anaheim, California has an Art Deco-themed section.
|
Pearls and Diamonds by Erté. |
*
Maurice Ascalon*
Adolphe Mouron Cassandre*
Donald Deskey*
Erté (
Romain de Tirtoff) (1892-1990)
*
Alexandra Exter*
Eileen Gray*
Georg Jensen*
René Lalique*
Jules Leleu*
Joseph Kiselewski*
Tamara de Lempicka*
Paul Manship*
Patrick Nagel*
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann*
Walter Dorwin Teague*
Carl Paul Jennewein |
Far Eastern University Campus in downtown Manila, Philippines |
*
Albert Anis*
George Coles*
Ernest Cormier*
Banister Flight Fletcher*
Oliver Hill*
Charles Holden*
Raymond Hood*
Ely Jacques Kahn*
Edwin Lutyens*
William van Alen*
Wirt C. Rowland*
Giles Gilbert Scott*
Joseph Sunlight*
Ralph Walker*
Thomas Wallis*
Owen Williams*
Moderne style*
International style*
List of Art Deco architecture*
List of Art Deco buildings in Melbourne*
List of Art Deco buildings in Tasmania*
V & A Art Deco exhibition, 2003 *
Article on Anzac Memorial with photos *
Art Deco architecture tour of Chicago landmarks *
large collection of photographic examples *
Art Deco in Ireland *
The Art Deco Trust of Napier, New Zealand *
The Art Deco Society of California 
