Des Murphy 10130527

ID4812 Report

The characteristics and traits of Art Deco and its emergence in the twentieth century

Art Deco

Art Deco Design from the interior of a bakery in Rheims, France

Introduction

This report will analyse the characteristics and traits of Art Deco as well as its emergence into the influential style of the twenties and thirties. Within the art course for the leaving cert is art history which covered a wide range of styles across many periods, one of them was Art Deco. The reason I have chosen the Art Deco period is because it was one of my favourite artistic periods. When I studied it in secondary school it was easy to appreciate the popularity the movement had all over the world.

Art Deco emerged in a world of design where artists desired to combine the fine arts and applied arts. Art Nouveau was the first decorative style. In the early 20th Century it had a global influence and was most popular in Europe. The philosophy of Art Nouveau was that art should be a way of life. Art Nouveau had a very organic style and it was inspired by natural forms and structures which included many curves and round shapes. The impact of World War I, however, saw the expensive stylised nature of Art Nouveau becoming more and more abandoned. This led to the emergence of a new and cheaper design that became Art Deco.

The Art Deco movement influenced many subjects of art and design including architecture, fashion, industrial and interior design, furniture and painting.Art Deco is commonly known as an eclectic artistic and design style because it was a mixture of many different styles which included cubism, modernism, art nouveau and futurism. It was very popular in Europe during the “Roaring Twenties” and the

US up until World War II. The movement was more about decoration and luxury then a philosophical ideal.

Beginnings

The beginning of the Art Deco movement can be traced back to the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. The initial movement was called Style Moderne, it wasn’t until art historian Brevis Hillier would coin the term Art Deco in his popular book Art Deco of the 20s and 30 which he derived from the Exposition of 1925.

The exposition was organised by the founders of the Universal Exposition of 1900 who were members of a society known as La Société des artistes décorateurs (the society of decorator artists) who included popular French artists such as Raoul Lachenal, Emile Decoeur, Maurice Dufrêne, Paul Bellot, Eugène Grasset and Hector Guimard.

Art Deco rejected the naturalistic forms of Art Nouveau and was essentially based on geometric shapes. The early 20th

Century was a time of technological progress such as the automobile, aviation, radio, ocean liners, electric lighting and towering skyscrapers and so the Art Deco movement saw a partnership develop between architects, designers, craftsmen and artists.

Along with the modern influences Art Deco was also influenced by the revival of ancient styles and forms of Babylon, The Mayans, Ancient Egypt, The Aztecs and Africa. New and exciting excavations and archaeology at the time such as Pompeii, Troy and the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1923 increased the influence these ancient styles had on the time. A fascination for Ancient Egypt developed and influenced many areas of design including clothing, furniture, jewellery and architecture.

Influences and Characteristics

Art Deco was mainly based on luxurious designs and contrasted with the austerity suffered during World War I. It was adopted strongly in the United States during the Great Depression due to its practicality and simplicity, while still suggesting a reminder of better times.

Buildings were designed with floral patterns and geometric decorations including chevrons, zigzagged shapes and sunrise motifs. Sometimes ornamental treatment was often limited to the most visible parts of a building. The Art Deco design was rarely applied to individual homes but rather public and commercial buildings. It was also greatly influenced by the pioneering work of Bauhasus, a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts.

Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such as aluminium, stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin, and zebra skin. The bold use of zigzag, stepped forms and sweeping curves are typical of Art Deco.

World War II saw the decline in popularity of Art Deco after it began to be mass produced and began to be described as a false image of luxury; however it maintained its popularity in countries like India, the Philippines and Cuba right into the 60’s. It also had a number of subsequent rebirths later in the 20th Century. Graphic designs of the 80’s brought back interest in the Art Deco style particularly in jewellery and fashion.

In architecture, buildings designed in the Art Deco style always aimed to achieve a monolithic appearance with applied decorative motifs. The Art Deco style had shared similarities across an expansive range of disciplines such as architecture, jewellery to painting.

Architecture

There are many iconic buildings designed in the Art Deco style around the world and especially in the United States. The Chrysler Building is considered a leading example of Art Deco architecture. John Julius Norwich wrote in The World Atlas of Architecture that "Art Deco in France found its American equivalent in the design of the New York skyscrapers of the 1920s. The Chrysler Building ... was one of the most accomplished essays in the style."

It was constructed of masonry with a steel frame and metal cladding. The building is recognised by its beautifully designed terraced crown, designed by William van Allen, which was made using silvery "Enduro KA-2" metal, an austenitic stainless steel developed in Germany. The Art Deco characteristic of a sunburst pattern can be seen on the crown. Triangular windows make up the rays which shoot upwards a series of radiating arches which is a common trait in the geometric architecture of Art Deco.

The buildings of South Beach, Miami represent two distinct art deco periods. The first period (1926-1938), inspired by ancient architecture, is characterized by sharp, angular geometric forms and stylized natural designs. The second period came during the Great Depression, in the late 30s to early 40s. Known as the "streamline period," it was characterized by buildings with more modest ornamentation, curved corners, and a simple mechanical appearance.

The colourful facades were made with masonry and stucco and adorned with ocean liner style motifs. The buildings are painted with a bright array of vibrant pastel colours. The streamlined influence can be seen in the curving nature of the hotels. Currently, the Art Deco area of South Beach is home to the largest number of historical Art Deco condo buildings in the world.

Interior and Furniture

The end of the First World War signalled great social change. Furniture was sought after based on well-designed decorative style and functionality. From these emphasises there were two different movements amongst Art Deco designers. One concentrated on individual pieces made by highly skilled craftsmen to be sold to the very wealthy. The other focused on geometric styles that could be mass produced on a large scale thanks to the developing technologies at the time.

Early in the Art Deco movement opulence was the foremost trait of furniture. Objects were designed as pieces of art as well as being functional. By the mid-1920s however the designs became more geometric and streamlined as the popularity of elegant and flamboyant furniture was declining. The Art Deco furniture started using new materials like chrome, aluminium, metals and glass.

One of Europes most influential and outstanding Art Deco designers was Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann who created incredibly glamorous furniture pieces and interiors in the 20s and 30s. In 2009, he was called the "Art Deco's greatest artist" by the New York Times. Ruhlmann’s furniture was lavish and luxurious. He used materials such as amboyna, violetwood, mahogany, macassar ebony and ivory in his wide range of designes which included lamps, beds, dining chairs and arm chairs, desks, dining tables and cabinets.

Eileen Gray is now regarded as one of the most important furniture designers of the 20th Century. Eileen Gray inspired Art Deco in her designs which are characterised by opulent geometric forms. She was celebrated for her exotic use of lacquer, an oriental technique of decorating furnishings and accessories with thin coats of shining lacquer, that she learned from Sougaware, a Japanese master. One of her most famous

works is the E-1027 table which was constructed with chrome plated tubular steel and hardened glass top.

Jewellery

The characteristics of circles, arcs, squares, rectangles and triangles can be seen in Art Deco jewellery. Cartier of Paris and Tiffany and Co of New York are some of the most popular names in fine jewellery that created beautiful wearable works of fine art such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and brooches.

The geometric forms that can be seen in other areas like architecture and interior design can also be admired in jewellery. Materials included platinum, silver, gold and other white metals. Diamonds were central to many pieces of Art Deco Jewellery as were sapphires, rubies, emeralds and jade. As in furniture, bold coloured lacquer was often used as contrast in Art Deco jewellery. Another trend of the time was including faux stones to replicate the precious stones in costume design.

Conclusion

The designs and architecture of the Art Deco movement were very influential on the following decades of the 20th Century. The Art Deco movement has stood the test of

time. It has a number of revivals, especially during the 60s and 80s with the resurgence of interest in graphic design and particularly in architecture when the classic retro look is sought. In countries like the Philippians and India it held its popularity right through to the 1960s. Jewellery created in the Style Moderne is still very popular and is the most instantly recognisable and desired.

The Chrysler Building, The Empire State Building and The Golden Gate Bridge amongst others are some of the most iconic monuments in the world and of the Art Deco style ever built. I have enjoyed writing this report because I have learned more about the movement then I had known in school. It has also made me remember the time I was lucky enough to visit Miami myself and see the

beautiful district of South Beach in person. Art Deco remains my favourite design style of the 20th Century.

References

Images:

http://dispatchfrommetz.blogspot.com/2010/06/art-deco-details-in-rheims.html

http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Art_Deco_Era_Jewelry

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http://www.jamesalfredson.com/ImageBank/products/RTP-1044-_0338_01.jpg

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