Difference between revisions of "Art Deco" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | [[Image:Chrysler building- top.jpg|thumb|The | + | [[Image:Chrysler building- top.jpg|thumb|The art-deco [[spire]] of the [[Chrysler Building]] in New York, built 1928–1930.]] |
| − | [[Image:Buffalo City Hall - 001.jpg|thumb | + | [[Image:Buffalo City Hall - 001.jpg|thumb|[[Buffalo City Hall|City Hall]] of [[Buffalo, New York]], an art-deco [[building]].]] |
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| − | '''Art Deco''' was a popular international design movement from | + | '''Art Deco''' was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939, affecting the decorative arts such as [[architecture]], [[interior design]], and [[industrial design]], as well as the [[visual arts]] such as [[fashion]], [[painting]], the [[graphic arts]] and [[film]]. This movement was, in a sense, an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century, including [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]], [[Constructivism (art)|Constructivism]], [[Cubism]], [[Modernism]], [[Bauhaus]], [[Art Nouveau]], and [[Futurism (art)|Futurism]].<ref name="Essential Art Deco" /> Its popularity peaked in Europe during the [[Roaring Twenties]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kanne-kruike.nl/Merkeninfo/Merk12E.html|title=Kanne-Kruike. ''Art Deco''}}</ref> and continued strongly in the United States through the 1930s.<ref>[http://mac10.umc.pitt.edu/u/FMPro?-db=ustory&-lay=a&-format=d.html&storyid=1754&-Find Peter Hart. ''How Art Deco Came To Be''. University Times, Volume 36, Number 4, [[October 9] 2003. University of Pittsburgh.]</ref> Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/nal/guides/art_deco/index.html|title=Art Deco Study Guide|publisher=Victoria and Albert Museum|accessdate=2008-11-01}}</ref> At the time, this style was seen as elegant, functional, and modern. |
| − | == History == | + | ==History== |
| − | After the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|Universal Exposition of 1900]], various French artists formed | + | After the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|Universal Exposition of 1900]], various French artists formed an informal collective known as, ''La Société des artistes décorateurs'' (the society of the decorator artists). Founders included [[Hector Guimard]], [[Eugène Grasset]], Raoul Lachenal, Paul Follot, Maurice Dufrene, and Emile Decour. These artists heavily influenced the principles of Art Deco as a whole. This society's purpose was to demonstrate French decorative art's leading position and evolution internationally. They organized the 1925 ''[[Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes]]'' (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Art) in Paris, which would feature French art and business interests.<ref name="Paris 1925 Exhibition">{{cite web|url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1157_art_deco/virtual/gallery1/paris1925.htm|title=The Paris 1925 Exhibition|publisher=V&A Publishers|accessdate=2008-10-30}}</ref><ref name="Encyclopedia of Art Deco" /> The terms ''Style Moderne'' and ''Art Deco'' both derive from the exposition's title, though ''Art Deco'' was not widely used until popularized by art historian Bevis Hillier's 1968 book ''Art Deco of the 20s and 30s''.<ref>Hillier Bevis ''Art Deco of the 20s and 30s'' (Studio Vista/Dutton picturebacks, 1968) ISBN: 9780289277881</ref> |
| − | + | In the summer of 1969, Hillier conceived organizing an exhibition called ''Art Deco'' at the [[Minneapolis Institute of Arts]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pheebay.com/?so-what-is-art-deco-design-472.html|title=So What Is Art Deco Design?|accessdate=2008-10-30}}</ref> which took place from July to September 1971. After this event, interest in Art Deco peaked with the publication of his 1971 book ''The World of Art Deco'', a record of the exhibition.<ref> Hillier, Bevis ''The World of Art Deco'' (E.P. Dutton & Co Inc, New York, 1971) ISBN 9780525482383 ISBN 0525482385</ref> | |
| − | == Sources and attributes == | + | ==Sources and attributes== |
| − | It was widely considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism, being influenced by a variety of sources. Among them were the | + | The structure of Art Deco is based on mathematical geometric shapes. |
| + | It was widely considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism, being influenced by a variety of sources. Among them were the so-called "primitive" arts of [[Africa]], [[Ancient Egypt]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vintageperiods.com/artdeco.php|title=Art Deco Design: Major Decorative Style of the Roaring Twenties}}</ref> and [[Aztec]] [[Mexico]], as well as [[Machine Age|machine-age]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/nal/guides/art_deco/index.html|title=Victoria & Albert Museum - Art Deco Study Guide}}</ref> or [[streamliner|streamline]] technology such as modern [[aviation]], electric [[lighting]], the [[radio]], the [[ocean liner]] and the [[skyscraper]]. It is in Streamline Moderne styles that this technology fully manifests itself and, although it is not antithetical to Art Deco, it is now considered to be a separate architectural style.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.decopix.com/New%20Site/Pages/Directory%20Pages/Intro.html|title=Art Deco - An Introduction}}</ref> | ||
| − | + | [[Image:Eastern Columbia Building entrance.jpg|thumb|[[Terra cotta]] [[Sunburst (design)|sunburst design]] in gold behind sky blue and deep blue above the front doors of the [[Eastern Columbia Building]] in Los Angeles]] | |
| − | + | Art Deco design influences were expressed in fractionated, crystalline, faceted forms of decorative [[Cubism]] and [[Futurism (art)|Futurism]], in [[Fauvism]]'s palette.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://char.txa.cornell.edu/art/decart/artdeco/artdeco.htm|title=Cornell University - Art, Design, and Visual Thinking - Art Deco}}</ref> Other popular themes in Art Deco were trapezoidal, zigzagged, geometric, and jumbled shapes,<ref name="The Modern Style" /> which can be seen in many early pieces. Two great examples of these themes and styles are in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]: the [[Fisher Building]] and the [[Guardian Building]].<ref> Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski (2004). ''Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America)''. Arcadia. ISBN 0-7385-3228-2.</ref> | |
| − | Art Deco | ||
| − | [[ | + | Corresponding to these influences, Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such as [[aluminium]], [[stainless steel]], lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin ([[shagreen]]), and zebraskin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mschon.com/1920307.html|title=Art Deco: 1920 - 1930|last=Kapty|first=Patrick|language=1999|accessdate=2008-10-30}}</ref><ref name="The Modern Style">{{cite web|url=http://artantiques.allinfo-about.com/weekly/features/artdeco.html|title= Art Deco - The Modern Style|last=Fisher|first=Carol|accessdate=2008-10-30}}</ref> The bold use of stepped forms and sweeping curves (unlike the sinuous, natural curves of the [[Art Nouveau]]),<ref name="Art Deco Jewelry" /><ref name="Encarta Online">{{cite web|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577794/art_deco.html|title=Art Deco|last=Hewitt|first=Mark|publisher=Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia|accessdate=2008-10-30}}</ref> [[Chevron (insigne)|chevron]] patterns, and the [[Sunburst (design)|sunburst]] motif are typical of Art Deco. Some of these motifs were ubiquitous — for example, sunburst motifs were used in such varied contexts as ladies' shoes, radiator grilles, the auditorium of the [[Radio City Music Hall]], and the spire of the [[Chrysler Building]]. |
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| − | + | Art Deco was an opulent style, and its lavishness is attributed to reaction to the forced austerity imposed by [[World War I]]. Its rich, festive character fitted it for "modern" contexts, including the [[Golden Gate Bridge]], interiors of cinema theaters (a prime example being the [[Paramount Theater (Oakland, California)|Paramount Theater]] in [[Oakland]], [[California]]) and [[ocean liner]]s such as the ''[[SS Île de France|Île de France]]'', the ''[[RMS Queen Mary|Queen Mary]]'', and ''[[SS Normandie|Normandie]]''. Art Deco was employed extensively throughout America's train stations in the 1930s,<ref>(nd) [http://www.agilitynut.com/train.html ''Art Deco Train Stations'']. Retrieved 7/16/07.</ref> designed to reflect the modernity and efficiency of the train. The first art-deco train station in the United States was the [[Union Station (Omaha)|Union Station]] in [[Omaha, Nebraska]].<ref>Johnson, C. (2001) ''[http://www.southplattepress.com/current/unionstation.html Union Pacific and Omaha Union Station:A History pf Union Pacific Railroad Passenger Station in Omaha, Nebraska 1866-1971.]'' South Platte Press. pp. 24. Retrieved 7/8/07.</ref><ref>Durham Western Heritage Museum. (nd) [http://www.dwhm.org/MuseumExterior.asp Museum Exterior Architecture.] Retrieved 7/14/07.</ref> The unveiling of streamlined trains paralleled the construction of the art deco stations. | |
| − | + | [[Image:1934ChryslerAirflow.jpg|thumb|1934 [[Chrysler Airflow]] sedan]] | |
| − | [[Image: | + | [[Image:Nash Ambassador Slipstream 4-door sedan.jpg|thumb|1942 [[Nash Ambassador]] Slipstream sedan.]] |
| − | + | A parallel movement called [[Streamline Moderne]], or simply Streamline, followed close behind.<ref name="Encarta Online" /> Streamline was influenced by the modern aerodynamic designs emerging from advancing technologies in aviation, ballistics, and other fields requiring high velocity. The attractive shapes resulting from scientifically applied aerodynamic principles were enthusiastically adopted within Art Deco, applying streamlining techniques to other useful objects in everyday life,<ref name="Encarta Online" /> such as the [[automobile]]. Although the [[Chrysler Airflow]] design of 1933 was commercially unsuccessful, it provided the lead for more conservatively designed pseudo-streamlined vehicles. These "streamlined" forms began to be used even for mundane and static objects such as pencil sharpeners and refrigerators. | |
| − | + | Art Deco celebrates the Machine Age through explicit use of man-made materials (particularly glass and stainless steel), symmetry,<ref name="Art Deco Jewelry">{{cite web|url=http://www.studiosoft.it/AntJewelryDeco.htm|title=Art Deco Jewelry|date=2007|publisher=StudioSoft|accessdate=2008-10-30}}</ref> repetition, modified by [[Asia]]n influences such as the use of silks and [[Middle East]]ern designs. It was strongly adopted in the United States during the [[Great Depression]] for its practicality and simplicity, while still portraying a reminder of better times and the "[[American Dream]]". | |
| − | + | Art Deco made use of many distinctive styles, but one of the most significant of its features was its dependence upon a range of ornaments and [[motif]]s.<ref name="Essential Art Deco">{{cite book|last=Wood|first=Ghislaine|title=Essential Art Deco|publisher=VA&A Publications|location=London|pages=21|chapter=Traditional Motifs}}</ref><!-- what ornaments and motifs? —> The style is said to have reflected the tensions in the cultural politics of its day, with [[eclecticism]] having been one of its defining features.<ref name="Essential Art Deco" /> In the words of [[Scott Fitzgerald]], the distinctive style of Art Deco was shaped by 'all the nervous energy stored up and expended in the War'.<ref name="Essential Art Deco" /><ref name="The Jazz Age">{{cite book|last=Fitzgerald|first=F. Scott|title=The Jazz Age|location=New York|date=1996|pages=3}}</ref> Art Deco has been influenced in part by movements such as [[Cubism]], Russian [[Constructivism]] and Italian [[Futurism]], which 'are all evident in Art Deco decorative arts.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Art Deco">{{cite book|last=Duncan|first=Alastair|title=Encyclopedia of Art Deco|publisher=Grange Books|location=London|date=1998}}</ref> | |
| − | + | ==Decline and resurgence== | |
| + | Art Deco slowly lost patronage in the West after reaching mass production, when 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]] and the [[Philippines]], it became a gateway for Modernism and continued to be used well into the 1960s. Before destruction in [[World War II]], [[Manila]] possessed many art-deco buildings; a legacy of the American colonial past. Theatres and office buildings have been lost in the war or later demolished and abandoned for new development. | ||
| − | + | 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.<ref>[http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thesis/adt-NUN/uploads/approved/adt-NUN20060515.093519/public/02whole.pdf ''The Decorative in Twentieth Century Art: A Story of Decline and Resurgence''. Pamela Gaunt. Masters thesis, University of New South Wales. August 2005.]</ref> | |
| − | |||
| − | + | ==Surviving examples== | |
| − | + | Some of the finest surviving examples of art-deco art and architecture are found in [[Cuba]], especially in [[Havana]]. The Bacardi Building is the best known of these. The style is expressed in the architecture of residences, businesses, hotels, and many pieces of decorative art, furniture, and utensils in public buildings, as well as in private homes.<ref> Hillier, Bevis ''The World of Art Deco'' New York: Dutton) 1971 ISBN 9780525482383 ISBN 0525482385, ''passim''.</ref> | |
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| − | + | Another country with many examples of rich art-deco architecture is Brazil, specially in Goiânia and cities like Cipó (Bahia), Iraí (Rio Grande do Sul) and Rio de Janeiro, especially in Copacabana. Also in the Brazilian Northeast — notably in countryside cities, such as Campina Grande in Paraiba State — there is a noticeable group of Art Deco buildings, which has been called “Sertanejo Art Deco” because of its peculiar architectural features.<ref>[http://www.art-deco-sertanejo.com/english/]</ref> The reason for the style being so widespread in Brazil is its coincidence with the fast growth and radical economic changes of the country during 1930-1940. | |
| − | + | [[South Beach]] in [[Miami Beach, Florida]] has the largest collection of Art Deco architecture remaining in North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southbeachhotels.com/history-of-south-beach-miami.php|title=South Beach Information|publisher=2008|accessdate=2008-10-30}}</ref> Much of the Art Deco heritage of [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]] remains from that city's oil boom days.<ref>[http://www.tulsapreservationcommission.org/artdeco/ Tulsa Preservation Commission. ''Tulsa's Art Deco Heritage'']</ref> | |
| − | + | ===Art Deco in 1930s house design in the UK=== | |
| − | Art Deco | + | Dwelling-house design during the 1930s in the UK was also very much influenced by Art Deco. Straight, white-rendered house frontages rising to flat roofs, sharply geometric door surrounds, Egyptian motifs, tall windows as well as convex curved metal corner windows or even round bull's-eye windows (reminiscent of ocean-liner design), all were characteristic of that period<ref>http://www.london-footprints.co.uk/artdecobldgs.htm UK Art Deco Houses</ref><ref>http://www.art-deco-classics.co.uk/frinton_artdeco.php UK Art Deco Houses</ref> However, during double-glazing transformations in the late twentieth century, many of the original art deco window features were lost and replaced by less distinctive styles. |
| − | + | The 1930s was the period during which most building of homes specifically for sale took place in the UK. Despite loss of some classic art-deco features from remodelling in subsequent decades, the large number of houses remaining from the period ensures that many fine examples of art-deco housing can still be viewed. | |
| − | + | Of particular note in the typical '1930s semi' are sunrise-symbol-motif doors, garden gates and garages as well as the infamous 'suntrap' window (featuring a distinct one-sided curve) and the linear form of the famous 'critall' window. There are features such as monochrome wall and floor tiling and bakelite door-knobs in simple geometric designs, sometimes with deco-flourished fingerplates or [[escutcheon (furniture)|escutcheons]]. | |
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| − | == | + | Fine examples of luxurious art-deco homes are now vested in organisations such as [[English Heritage]] and [[The National Trust]] in the UK. Both organisations seek to maintain and restore historic homes and facilitate paid public access. A particularly beautiful example is [[Eltham Palace]], built in 1936 by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, close to the ruins of [[Henry VIII]]'s boyhood home in [[London]]. It features a large circular reception room with a glass roof, beautifully impressive bathroom, bedrooms and dining rooms and all of the original furnishings and features, including a house-wide radio system and an arterial vacuum-cleaning system. |
| + | |||
| + | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| + | {{See also|Category:Art Deco buildings in London}} | ||
*1933 Chicago World's Fair [[Century of Progress]] | *1933 Chicago World's Fair [[Century of Progress]] | ||
*[[1939 New York World's Fair]] | *[[1939 New York World's Fair]] | ||
| + | *[[Art Deco stamps]] | ||
*[[Aleksandra Ekster]] | *[[Aleksandra Ekster]] | ||
*[[Corrado Parducci]] | *[[Corrado Parducci]] | ||
| Line 88: | Line 70: | ||
*[[List of Art Deco architecture]] | *[[List of Art Deco architecture]] | ||
*[[List of Art Deco buildings in Melbourne]] | *[[List of Art Deco buildings in Melbourne]] | ||
| + | *[[List of Art Deco buildings in Perth]] | ||
*[[List of Art Deco buildings in Tasmania]] | *[[List of Art Deco buildings in Tasmania]] | ||
*[[Napier, New Zealand]] | *[[Napier, New Zealand]] | ||
| Line 93: | Line 76: | ||
*[[Streamline Moderne]] | *[[Streamline Moderne]] | ||
*[[Vadim Meller]] | *[[Vadim Meller]] | ||
| + | *[[Waylande Gregory]] | ||
*[[Wirt C. Rowland]] | *[[Wirt C. Rowland]] | ||
| + | *[[RMS Queen Mary]] | ||
| − | == | + | ==Bibliography== |
| + | *Applegate, Judith. Intro. by Elayne H. Varian, ''Art Deco'' (New York Finch College Museum Of Art). | ||
| + | *Bayer, Patricia, ''Art Deco Architecture Design, Decoration and Detail from the Twenties and Thirties''. (London: Thames & Hudson, 1999) ISBN 0500281491, ISBN 978-0500281499. | ||
| + | *Benton, Charlotte (Author), Tim Benton (Author), Ghislaine Wood (Author), Oriana Baddeley (Collaborator). ''Art Deco: 1910-1939'' (Little Brown & Co., 2003). ISBN 9780821228340 ISBN 082122834X. | ||
| + | *Breeze, Carla, ''American Art Deco: Modernistic Architecture and Regionalism'' (Norton, WW & Co., 2003). ISBN 0500281491; ISBN 978-0500281499. | ||
| + | *Gallagher, Fiona, ''Christie's Art Deco'' (Watson Guptill Publications, 2002) ISBN 1862055092. | ||
| + | *Hillier, Bevis ''The World of Art Deco'' (New York, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1971) ISBN 9780525482383 ISBN 0525482385. | ||
| + | *Ray, Gordon N.; Tansell, G. Thomas, Ed., ''The Art Deco Book In France''. The Bibliographical Society of The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2005) ISBN 1883631122. | ||
| + | *Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski. ''Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America)''. (Arcadia, 2004). ISBN 0-7385-3228-2. | ||
| + | *Unes, Wolney. ''Identidade Art Deco de Goiânia''. (Ateliê, 2003). ISBN 85-7480090-2. | ||
| − | + | ==External links== | |
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| − | ==External links | ||
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{{Commonscat|Art Deco}} | {{Commonscat|Art Deco}} | ||
| − | *[http://www. | + | *[http://www.art-deco-sertanejo.com/ Art Deco Brazilian Northeast] |
| − | *[http://www. | + | *[http://www.geocities.com/barrybyrne.geo/deco1.htm Art Deco Ireland] |
| − | *[http:// | + | *[http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/NEWCITY/tourism/archtour/vtarchit.asp Art Deco Miami Beach] |
| − | *[http://www. | + | *[http://www.artdecomontreal.com Art Deco Montreal] |
| − | *[http://www. | + | *[http://www.artdecosydney.com/ Art Deco Sydney, Australia] |
| − | *[http://www. | + | *[http://www.artdeco.org.au/ Art Deco Society, Victoria, Australia] |
| − | *[http://etext.virginia.edu/bsuva/artdeco/ | + | *[http://www.artdecowa.org.au/ Art Deco Society of Western Australia] |
| + | *[http://www.adsw.org/ Art Deco Society of Washington] | ||
| + | *[http://www.artdecosociety.org/ Art Deco Society of California] | ||
| + | *[http://sephsgallery.fotopic.net/ Art Deco UK] | ||
| + | *[http://etext.virginia.edu/bsuva/artdeco/ Illustrations: The Art Deco Book in France] | ||
*[http://users.iafrica.com/a/an/andryn/ Durban Deco Directory: South Africa] | *[http://users.iafrica.com/a/an/andryn/ Durban Deco Directory: South Africa] | ||
| − | *[http://www. | + | *[http://www.mdpl.org/Art%20Deco/images.html Miami Beach Art Deco District] |
| − | + | *[http://www.artdeconapier.com/ Napier, New Zealand Art Deco Trust] | |
| − | *[http://www.artdeconapier.com/ Napier, New Zealand Art Deco Trust] | ||
*[http://www.capitol.org/index.html Nebraska State Capitol site] | *[http://www.capitol.org/index.html Nebraska State Capitol site] | ||
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*[http://tulsapreservationcommission.org/artdeco Tulsa, Oklahoma Art Deco Heritage] | *[http://tulsapreservationcommission.org/artdeco Tulsa, Oklahoma Art Deco Heritage] | ||
| − | + | *[http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1157_art_deco/ Victoria and Albert Museum Art Deco] | |
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| − | *[http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1157_art_deco/ | ||
{{Westernart}} | {{Westernart}} | ||
{{Modernarch}} | {{Modernarch}} | ||
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[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]] | [[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]] | ||
[[Category:Art]] | [[Category:Art]] | ||
| − | {{credits| | + | {{credits|249009415}} |
Revision as of 01:44, 3 November 2008
 The art-deco spire of the Chrysler Building in New York, built 1928–1930.  City Hall of Buffalo, New York, an art-deco building. |
Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts and film. This movement was, in a sense, an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century, including Neoclassical, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, and Futurism.[1] Its popularity peaked in Europe during the Roaring Twenties[2] and continued strongly in the United States through the 1930s.[3] Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative.[4] At the time, this style was seen as elegant, functional, and modern.
History
After the Universal Exposition of 1900, various French artists formed an informal collective known as, La Société des artistes décorateurs (the society of the decorator artists). Founders included Hector Guimard, Eugène Grasset, Raoul Lachenal, Paul Follot, Maurice Dufrene, and Emile Decour. These artists heavily influenced the principles of Art Deco as a whole. This society's purpose was to demonstrate French decorative art's leading position and evolution internationally. They organized the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Art) in Paris, which would feature French art and business interests.[5][6] The terms Style Moderne and Art Deco both derive from the exposition's title, though Art Deco was not widely used until popularized by art historian Bevis Hillier's 1968 book Art Deco of the 20s and 30s.[7]
In the summer of 1969, Hillier conceived organizing an exhibition called Art Deco at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts,[8] which took place from July to September 1971. After this event, interest in Art Deco peaked with the publication of his 1971 book The World of Art Deco, a record of the exhibition.[9]
Sources and attributes
The structure of Art Deco is based on mathematical geometric shapes. It was widely considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism, being influenced by a variety of sources. Among them were the so-called "primitive" arts of Africa, Ancient Egypt,[10] and Aztec Mexico, as well as machine-age[11] or streamline technology such as modern aviation, electric lighting, the radio, the ocean liner and the skyscraper. It is in Streamline Moderne styles that this technology fully manifests itself and, although it is not antithetical to Art Deco, it is now considered to be a separate architectural style.[12]
Art Deco design influences were expressed in fractionated, crystalline, faceted forms of decorative Cubism and Futurism, in Fauvism's palette.[13] Other popular themes in Art Deco were trapezoidal, zigzagged, geometric, and jumbled shapes,[14] which can be seen in many early pieces. Two great examples of these themes and styles are in Detroit, Michigan: the Fisher Building and the Guardian Building.[15]
Corresponding to these influences, Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such as aluminium, stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin (shagreen), and zebraskin.[16][14] The bold use of stepped forms and sweeping curves (unlike the sinuous, natural curves of the Art Nouveau),[17][18] chevron patterns, and the sunburst motif are typical of Art Deco. Some of these motifs were ubiquitous — for example, sunburst motifs were used in such varied contexts as ladies' shoes, radiator grilles, the auditorium of the Radio City Music Hall, and the spire of the Chrysler Building.
Art Deco was an opulent style, and its lavishness is attributed to reaction to the forced austerity imposed by World War I. Its rich, festive character fitted it for "modern" contexts, including the Golden Gate Bridge, interiors of cinema theaters (a prime example being the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California) and ocean liners such as the Île de France, the Queen Mary, and Normandie. Art Deco was employed extensively throughout America's train stations in the 1930s,[19] designed to reflect the modernity and efficiency of the train. The first art-deco train station in the United States was the Union Station in Omaha, Nebraska.[20][21] The unveiling of streamlined trains paralleled the construction of the art deco stations.
A parallel movement called Streamline Moderne, or simply Streamline, followed close behind.[18] Streamline was influenced by the modern aerodynamic designs emerging from advancing technologies in aviation, ballistics, and other fields requiring high velocity. The attractive shapes resulting from scientifically applied aerodynamic principles were enthusiastically adopted within Art Deco, applying streamlining techniques to other useful objects in everyday life,[18] such as the automobile. Although the Chrysler Airflow design of 1933 was commercially unsuccessful, it provided the lead for more conservatively designed pseudo-streamlined vehicles. These "streamlined" forms began to be used even for mundane and static objects such as pencil sharpeners and refrigerators.
Art Deco celebrates the Machine Age through explicit use of man-made materials (particularly glass and stainless steel), symmetry,[17] repetition, modified by Asian influences such as the use of silks and Middle Eastern designs. It was strongly adopted in the United States during the Great Depression for its practicality and simplicity, while still portraying a reminder of better times and the "American Dream".
Art Deco made use of many distinctive styles, but one of the most significant of its features was its dependence upon a range of ornaments and motifs.[1] The style is said to have reflected the tensions in the cultural politics of its day, with eclecticism having been one of its defining features.[1] In the words of Scott Fitzgerald, the distinctive style of Art Deco was shaped by 'all the nervous energy stored up and expended in the War'.[1][22] Art Deco has been influenced in part by movements such as Cubism, Russian Constructivism and Italian Futurism, which 'are all evident in Art Deco decorative arts.[6]
Decline and resurgence
Art Deco slowly lost patronage in the West after reaching mass production, when 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 and the Philippines, it became a gateway for Modernism and continued to be used well into the 1960s. Before destruction in World War II, Manila possessed many art-deco buildings; a legacy of the American colonial past. Theatres and office buildings have been lost in the war or later demolished and abandoned for new development.
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.[23]
Surviving examples
Some of the finest surviving examples of art-deco art and architecture are found in Cuba, especially in Havana. The Bacardi Building is the best known of these. The style is expressed in the architecture of residences, businesses, hotels, and many pieces of decorative art, furniture, and utensils in public buildings, as well as in private homes.[24]
Another country with many examples of rich art-deco architecture is Brazil, specially in Goiânia and cities like Cipó (Bahia), Iraí (Rio Grande do Sul) and Rio de Janeiro, especially in Copacabana. Also in the Brazilian Northeast — notably in countryside cities, such as Campina Grande in Paraiba State — there is a noticeable group of Art Deco buildings, which has been called “Sertanejo Art Deco” because of its peculiar architectural features.[25] The reason for the style being so widespread in Brazil is its coincidence with the fast growth and radical economic changes of the country during 1930-1940.
South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida has the largest collection of Art Deco architecture remaining in North America.[26] Much of the Art Deco heritage of Tulsa, Oklahoma remains from that city's oil boom days.[27]
Art Deco in 1930s house design in the UK
Dwelling-house design during the 1930s in the UK was also very much influenced by Art Deco. Straight, white-rendered house frontages rising to flat roofs, sharply geometric door surrounds, Egyptian motifs, tall windows as well as convex curved metal corner windows or even round bull's-eye windows (reminiscent of ocean-liner design), all were characteristic of that period[28][29] However, during double-glazing transformations in the late twentieth century, many of the original art deco window features were lost and replaced by less distinctive styles.
The 1930s was the period during which most building of homes specifically for sale took place in the UK. Despite loss of some classic art-deco features from remodelling in subsequent decades, the large number of houses remaining from the period ensures that many fine examples of art-deco housing can still be viewed.
Of particular note in the typical '1930s semi' are sunrise-symbol-motif doors, garden gates and garages as well as the infamous 'suntrap' window (featuring a distinct one-sided curve) and the linear form of the famous 'critall' window. There are features such as monochrome wall and floor tiling and bakelite door-knobs in simple geometric designs, sometimes with deco-flourished fingerplates or escutcheons.
Fine examples of luxurious art-deco homes are now vested in organisations such as English Heritage and The National Trust in the UK. Both organisations seek to maintain and restore historic homes and facilitate paid public access. A particularly beautiful example is Eltham Palace, built in 1936 by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, close to the ruins of Henry VIII's boyhood home in London. It features a large circular reception room with a glass roof, beautifully impressive bathroom, bedrooms and dining rooms and all of the original furnishings and features, including a house-wide radio system and an arterial vacuum-cleaning system.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wood, Ghislaine. "Traditional Motifs", Essential Art Deco. London: VA&A Publications, 21.
- ↑ Kanne-Kruike. Art Deco.
- ↑ Peter Hart. How Art Deco Came To Be. University Times, Volume 36, Number 4, [[October 9 2003. University of Pittsburgh.]
- ↑ Art Deco Study Guide. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ The Paris 1925 Exhibition. V&A Publishers. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Duncan, Alastair (1998). Encyclopedia of Art Deco. London: Grange Books.
- ↑ Hillier Bevis Art Deco of the 20s and 30s (Studio Vista/Dutton picturebacks, 1968) ISBN: 9780289277881
- ↑ So What Is Art Deco Design?. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ↑ Hillier, Bevis The World of Art Deco (E.P. Dutton & Co Inc, New York, 1971) ISBN 9780525482383 ISBN 0525482385
- ↑ Art Deco Design: Major Decorative Style of the Roaring Twenties.
- ↑ Victoria & Albert Museum - Art Deco Study Guide.
- ↑ Art Deco - An Introduction.
- ↑ Cornell University - Art, Design, and Visual Thinking - Art Deco.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Fisher, Carol. Art Deco - The Modern Style. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ↑ Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski (2004). Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America). Arcadia. ISBN 0-7385-3228-2.
- ↑ Kapty, Patrick. Art Deco: 1920 - 1930 (in 1999). Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Art Deco Jewelry. StudioSoft (2007). Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Hewitt, Mark. Art Deco. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ↑ (nd) Art Deco Train Stations. Retrieved 7/16/07.
- ↑ Johnson, C. (2001) Union Pacific and Omaha Union Station:A History pf Union Pacific Railroad Passenger Station in Omaha, Nebraska 1866-1971. South Platte Press. pp. 24. Retrieved 7/8/07.
- ↑ Durham Western Heritage Museum. (nd) Museum Exterior Architecture. Retrieved 7/14/07.
- ↑ Fitzgerald, F. Scott (1996). The Jazz Age, 3.
- ↑ The Decorative in Twentieth Century Art: A Story of Decline and Resurgence. Pamela Gaunt. Masters thesis, University of New South Wales. August 2005.
- ↑ Hillier, Bevis The World of Art Deco New York: Dutton) 1971 ISBN 9780525482383 ISBN 0525482385, passim.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ South Beach Information. 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ↑ Tulsa Preservation Commission. Tulsa's Art Deco Heritage
- ↑ http://www.london-footprints.co.uk/artdecobldgs.htm UK Art Deco Houses
- ↑ http://www.art-deco-classics.co.uk/frinton_artdeco.php UK Art Deco Houses
See also
- 1933 Chicago World's Fair Century of Progress
- 1939 New York World's Fair
- Art Deco stamps
- Aleksandra Ekster
- Corrado Parducci
- Durban Art Deco
- Fisher Building
- Francisco Salamone
- Guardian Building
- International style
- List of Art Deco architecture
- List of Art Deco buildings in Melbourne
- List of Art Deco buildings in Perth
- List of Art Deco buildings in Tasmania
- Napier, New Zealand
- Oliver Percy Bernard
- Streamline Moderne
- Vadim Meller
- Waylande Gregory
- Wirt C. Rowland
- RMS Queen Mary
Bibliography
- Applegate, Judith. Intro. by Elayne H. Varian, Art Deco (New York Finch College Museum Of Art).
- Bayer, Patricia, Art Deco Architecture Design, Decoration and Detail from the Twenties and Thirties. (London: Thames & Hudson, 1999) ISBN 0500281491, ISBN 978-0500281499.
- Benton, Charlotte (Author), Tim Benton (Author), Ghislaine Wood (Author), Oriana Baddeley (Collaborator). Art Deco: 1910-1939 (Little Brown & Co., 2003). ISBN 9780821228340 ISBN 082122834X.
- Breeze, Carla, American Art Deco: Modernistic Architecture and Regionalism (Norton, WW & Co., 2003). ISBN 0500281491; ISBN 978-0500281499.
- Gallagher, Fiona, Christie's Art Deco (Watson Guptill Publications, 2002) ISBN 1862055092.
- Hillier, Bevis The World of Art Deco (New York, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1971) ISBN 9780525482383 ISBN 0525482385.
- Ray, Gordon N.; Tansell, G. Thomas, Ed., The Art Deco Book In France. The Bibliographical Society of The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2005) ISBN 1883631122.
- Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski. Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America). (Arcadia, 2004). ISBN 0-7385-3228-2.
- Unes, Wolney. Identidade Art Deco de Goiânia. (Ateliê, 2003). ISBN 85-7480090-2.
External links
- Art Deco Brazilian Northeast
- Art Deco Ireland
- Art Deco Miami Beach
- Art Deco Montreal
- Art Deco Sydney, Australia
- Art Deco Society, Victoria, Australia
- Art Deco Society of Western Australia
- Art Deco Society of Washington
- Art Deco Society of California
- Art Deco UK
- Illustrations: The Art Deco Book in France
- Durban Deco Directory: South Africa
- Miami Beach Art Deco District
- Napier, New Zealand Art Deco Trust
- Nebraska State Capitol site
- Tulsa, Oklahoma Art Deco Heritage
- Victoria and Albert Museum Art Deco
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