'Art Deco' was a mainstream international design movement, spreading over a span of fourteen years, from 1925 to 1939. It played a crucial role in the development and the progression of Modern Art. The Deco Movement embodied a blend of the different modern decorative art styles, largely from 1920s and 1930s. These styles were the derivatives of several state-of-the-art painting philosophies of the twentieth century, including 'Neoclassical,' 'Constructivism,' 'Cubism,' 'Modernism,' 'Art Nouveau,' and 'Futurism.' The Deco movement influenced various decorative arts, such as architecture, interior designing, industrial designing, and visual art forms like fashion, painting, graphic arts, and cinema.
The term 'Art Deco' was coined in an exhibition, 'Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes,' held in Paris, in the year 1925. The exhibition was organized by some French artists to promote the creation of a new genre of art, adapted to the contemporary lifestyle, a distinct sense of individuality, and fine workmanship. The organizers of this exhibition were the members of the society, 'La Societe des artistes decorateurs,' including, Hector Guinmard, Eugene Grasset, Raoul Lachenal, Paul Follot, Maurice Dufrene, and Emily Decour. The term 'Art Deco' however, gained widespread recognition only in the year 1968, when art historian Bevis Hiller, came out with his popular book, 'Art Deco of the 20s and 30s,' and organized an exhibition, 'Art Deco,' at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
This movement was distinguished for its abstraction, manipulation, and simplification of defined geometric shapes, and a vivid use of colors. The bold color schemes and blending curves were the focal points of the true 'Deco' creations. The so-called 'ancient arts' of Africa, Ancient Egypt, and Aztec Mexico, prominently inspired this movement. In the age of machines and streamline technology, the use of materials, such as plastics, enamels, harden concrete, and an unusual type of glass, 'vita-glass,' greatly affected the movement. There is sufficient evidence to indicate the employment of materials, like aluminum, stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood, along with exotic materials, like zebra and sharkskin.
The Empire State Building, famous for its pyramid-like structure, and the Chrysler Building, known for its multi-arched dome, are the living examples of the 'Deco' style. The movement even outlined the fashion industry of Paris in the 1920s. The dresses sported large chromium buttons, head-hugging cloche hats worn with huge fur collars, dangling earrings, and so called 'bobbed hairstyles,' all amounting to completely new and revolutionary look. The BBC Building in Portland Place and the basement of the Strand Palace Hotel, London are the examples of the pure 'Art Deco' style. The popularity of this movement took a beating during late 30s and 40s, but regained its lost sheen with the surge in the following of 'graphic designing' in the 1980s.
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Travel in Flight
13 years ago
The story of Modern Art Deco begins with this fact;Le Corbusier was proved right. The lasting legacy of 1925 is almost entirely derived from his small and controversial pavilion, which at the event received little recognition or critical praise. Le Corbusier could not have predicted the Depression, which gave inexpensive, mass-produced furnishings a new relevance in society, or the modern respect given to progressive designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) or his Bauhaus colleagues Walter Gropius (1883-1969) and Marcel Breuer (1902-81).However, he did accurately predict the longevity of the style we now call Modernism, once included under the umbrella of Art Deco.
ReplyDeleteModernism did not begin in 1925. Early trends toward simplicity in for, design for industrial manufacture, and the influence of architects can be traced to the pre-World War I years, notably the Dutch De Stijl movement led by Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964). An overwhelming influence, however, stemmed from the German Bauhaus, a school of architecture and design founded in Weimar in 1919. Tubular-steel furniture, the bread and butter of the Modern movement, was introduced at the Bauhaus about 1925.
From classical Art Deco to Modern Art Deco designs, the desire was to create a stylish, modern look to suit the new era. A revival in the mid-1960s contributed to the style’s enduring popularity.