Art Deco

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The Art Deco spire of the Chrysler Building in New York, built 19281930

City Hall of Buffalo, New York, an Art Deco building

Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1920 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 Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Bauhaus,
Art Nouveau, and Futurism. Its popularity peaked during the Roaring Twenties.
Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions,
Art Deco was purely decorative. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, functional,
and ultra modern.

Contents
[hide]

1 History
2 Sources and attributes
3 Decorative arts

4 Decline
5 Modern applications
6 Gallery
7 References
8 See also
9 Bibliography and further reading

10 External links (alphabetical by geographic location)

[edit] History
After the Universal Exposition of 1900, various French artists formed a formal
collective. This was known as La Socit des artistes dcorateurs. Founders included
Hector Guimard, Eugne 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. Naturally, they organized the 1925 Exposition
Internationale des Arts Dcoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition
of Modern Industrial and Decorative Art), which would feature French art and
business interests. Russian artist Vadim Meller was awarded there a gold medal for his
scenic design.
The initial movement was called Style Moderne. The term Art Deco was derived from
the Exposition of 1925, though it wasn't until the late 1960s that this term was coined
by art historian Bevis Hillier, and popularized by his 1968 book Art Deco of the 20s
and 30s. In the summer of 1969, Hillier conceived organizing an exhibition called Art
Deco at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which took place from July to September
1971. After this, interest in Art Deco peaked with the publication of Hillier's 1971
book The World of Art Deco, a record of the exhibition.[1]

[edit] 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 "primitive" arts of
Africa, Egypt, and Aztec Mexico, as well as Machine Age or streamline technology
such as modern aviation, electric lighting, the radio, the ocean liner and the
skyscraper. These design influences were expressed in fractionated, crystalline,
faceted forms of decorative Cubism and Futurism, in Fauvism's palette. Other popular
themes in art deco were trapezoidal, zigzagged, geometric, and jumbled shapes, which
can be seen in many early pieces. Two brilliant examples of these themes and styles
are in Detroit, Michigan: the Fisher Building and the Guardian Building.[2]
Corresponding to these influences, Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such
as aluminium, stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin (shagreen), and
zebraskin. The bold use of stepped forms and sweeping curves (unlike the sinuous,
natural curves of the Art Nouveau), 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 le de France, the Queen Mary, and Normandie. Art Deco was employed
extensively throughout America's train stations in the 1930s[3], 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.[4] [5] The unveiling of Streamline
trains paralleled the construction of the Art Deco stations.

Nash Ambassador Slipstream sedan

A parallel movement called Streamline Moderne, or simply Streamline, followed
close behind. 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, such as the
automobile. Although the Chrysler Airflow design of 1933 was commercially
unsuccessful, it provided the lead for more conservatively designed pseudostreamlined vehicles. These "streamlined" forms began to be used even for mundane
and static objects such as pencil sharpeners and refrigerators.
The Art Deco style celebrates the Machine Age through explicit use of man-made
materials (particularly glass and stainless steel), symmetry, 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".

[edit] Decorative arts

Illustration for Vida Magazine by Santiago Martinez Delgado (1939)

Among the decorative arts during this period, architecture and sculpture are easier to
recognize than other forms of Art Deco, for they experienced the greatest popularity
and with greater longevity than others, such as lacquering, glass work, and industrial
design. Popular sculptors include (in alphetical order): Rene Paul Chambellan,
Marshall Fredericks, C. Paul Jennewein, and Joseph Kiselewski. Lee Lawrie, Paul
Manship.
Architects of this time include Albert Anis, Ernest Cormier, Banister Flight Fletcher,
Bruce Goff, Charles Holden, Raymond Hood, Ely Jacques Kahn, Edwin Lutyens,
William van Alen, Wirt C. Rowland, Giles Gilbert Scott, Joseph Sunlight, Ralph
Walker, Thomas Wallis, and Owen Williams.
Other forms of decorative art were very focused on elegance, dynamic design, and
bright colours, while expressing practical modernity. Many popular interior designers
of this period were also furniture designers. Artists like Santiago Martinez Delgado,
Tamara de Lempicka, Eileen Gray, Jules Leleu, and mile-Jacques Ruhlmann all fit
into this category.
A select few industrial designers were extremely popular, such as Walter Dorwin
Teague, Maurice Ascalon, and Donald Deskey. Other notable artists were Georg
Jensen (silversmith), Jean Dunand (lacquer), Edgar Brandt (wrought iron), Harry
Clarke (stained glass) and Cartier (clocks and jewelry).

[edit] Decline
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 demonstrated
many Art Deco buildings; a symbol of the American colonial past. Theatres and
Office Buildings have been lost in the war and recently 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. South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida has the largest
collection of Art Deco architecture remaining in North America, as well as a section
of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Napier, New Zealand has an almost entirely Art Deco town
centre, rebuilt after a devastating earthquake, and mostly left unchanged since then.
Appropriate to the rich diversity of sources, some of the finest surviving examples of
Art Deco art and architecture are found in Cuba, especially in Havana. Just as the
1950s automobiles from the U.S. have been preserved and restored, so has the Office
of the Historian of Havana has been restoring these buildings for the past ten years.
The Bacardi Building is the best known of these; however, the style is found
throughout all the districts of the city of Havana and in all the cities of Cuba. The
style is expressed in the architecture of residences, businesses, hotels, and many
pieces of decorative art, furniture, and utensils in these public buildings, as well as in
private homes.[6]

[edit] Modern applications

Marlin Hotel - Art Deco architecture on Collins Ave. - Miami Beach

Although Art Deco fell out of vogue in the 1940s, it has had small rebirths over
subsequent decades. Its designs frequently appear in modern architecture,
entertainment, and media when a "classic retro" look is sought. In media, such
examples are obvious in Batman: The Animated Series from the early 1990s in which
the show's creators used Art Deco styling fused with a deliberate darkness to create an
Art Deco variant style often referred to as Dark Deco. Films such as Sky Captain and
the World of Tomorrow, Dick Tracy, and King Kong have various Art Deco elements
as well. In Marilyn Manson's The Golden Age of Grotesque, he demonstrates an Art
Deco style mixed with his Gothic trademark.
In Long Beach, California, much of the recent city development has been presented in
an Art Deco-like, postmodern style. Similarly, Downtown Disney in Anaheim,
California has an Art Deco-themed section. A section of the planned community of
Ladera Ranch, California, has a shopping center themed to Art Deco.
Similarly in Santa Ana, California, new development has looked to replicate and
complement the historical Art Deco structures already there.
Art Deco can also be seen in the graphic design of various video games, such as
BioShock and the Fallout series, which use it to give their high tech settings a retrofuturistic feel. The film noir-type adventure game Grim Fandango largely takes place
in a very pronounced Art Deco environment, and the strategy game Sim City 4 has
similar influences as well.
Shanghai had a distinct Art Deco style. Today, some Shanghainese are attempting to
save that architecture.

[edit] Gallery

Interior drawing,

Buffalo Central
Buffalo City Hall in
Terminal in Buffalo,
Buffalo, NY, which
NY, which was built
was built in 1931.
in 1929.

The Supreme Court

Eaton's College Street
of Canada in Ottawa,
department store,
which was built in
Toronto, Canada.
1946.

Walter Dorwin
The disused
Mural for the 1933
Teague's "Beau
Snowdon theatre in
Chicago
Brownie" camera for
Montreal, Canada
International Fair.
Eastman Kodak.

Phul Cinema in
Patiala, India.

Kansas City Power

and Light Building,
in Kansas City,
Missouri.

The grand staircase

aboard the SS Paris.

The Griffith
Observatory in Los Coit Tower in San
Angeles, California, Francisco, California
April 2007

Tower Theater in
Delano, National
Town hall in Coronel
Sacramento,
Union Terminal in hotel fronts on
Pringles, Argentina
California, built in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Collins Ave. - Miami by Francisco
1938. Tower Theater
Beach
Salamone.
Homepage

The Nebraska State Interior of Shaw's

Capitol.
Oyster Bar, Chicago.

[edit] References
1. ^ Hillier, Bevis The World of Art Deco New York:1971--E.P. Dutton & Co.,
Inc. ISBN 9780525482383 ISBN 0525482385
2. ^ Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski (2004). Art Deco in Detroit
(Images of America). Arcadia. ISBN 0-7385-3228-2.
3. ^ (nd) "Art Deco Train Stations". Retrieved 7/16/07.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ Durham Western Heritage Museum. (nd) Museum Exterior Architecture.
Retrieved 7/14/07.
6. ^ Hillier, Bevis The World of Art Deco New York: Dutton) 1971 ISBN
9780525482383 ISBN 0525482385, passim.

[edit] See also

1933 Chicago World's Fair Century of Progress

1939 New York World's Fair
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 Tasmania
Napier, New Zealand
Oliver Percy Bernard
Streamline Moderne
Vadim Meller
Wirt C. Rowland

[edit] Bibliography and further reading

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.

[edit] External links (alphabetical by geographic

location)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Art Deco
Anzac Memorial article with photos
Art Deco Resource
Art deco websites list
California Art Deco Society
Chicago landmarks, Art Deco architecture tour
France -- The Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia presents
Illustrations for The Art Deco Book in France, by Gordon N. Ray, Edited by
G. Thomas Tanselle
Durban Deco Directory: South Africa
Israel -- Maurice Ascalon's Pal-Bell, The Art Deco industrial design of
large collection of photographic examples
Napier, New Zealand Art Deco Trust
Nebraska State Capitol site

Sydney Australia, Website with pictures and history of Art Deco Buildings
Tulsa, Oklahoma Art Deco Heritage
USA -- Posters from the Works Projects Administration (WPA), Library of
Congress
Western Australia Art Deco Society
Art Deco objects in detail. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved on 200706-07.