#6 - ART DECO
Hey! Did u like the last post? Here I continue with Art Deco, pay attention!
This unique movement is probably the best thing of the early 20s. Fist came Nouveau and then Deco, really important to know. As I said in the last post, Nouveau came to an end really fast, mostly because of World War II, but there was a renewed interest in Art Deco. The Exhibition that officially launched the movement was the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925, where the style was first exhibited. Art Deco design represented modernism and its products included both crafted luxury items and mass-produced wares, but, in either case, the intention was to create an anti-traditional elegance that symbolized wealth and sophistication.
Art Deco, similar to Art Nouveau, is a modern art style that attempts to infuse functional objects with an artistic touch. About the buildings, the trademark of this style, had unornamented exteriors, graceful curves, and horizontal emphases symbolized sturdiness, quiet dignity, and resilience.
The main visual characteristic of the movement is the repetitive use of linear and geometric shapes including triangular, zigzagged, trapezoidal, and chevron-patterned forms. Also the “streamlined” look. Similar to its predecessor, Art Nouveau, when objects such as flowers, animals, or human figures are represented, they are highly stylized and simplified to keep with the overall aesthetic of Art Deco. About the materials there was a great advance. From man-made substances such as plastics, especially Bakelite; vita-glass and ferroconcrete to natural ones like jade, silver, ivory, obsidian, chrome, and rock crystal. Really beautiful natural materials I should say.
Fashion is a really interesting point in this style, not because of the trends but because what was behind it and the women’s radical change of mind. If you know something about the WW II you’ll know about the important presence of women in the factories. Since then, many continued to work after the war and began to demand equal pay for equal work. This new sense of freedom and liberation created a radical shift in the lives of women everywhere. They no longer wanted to know about the prudish, Victorian values and did everything possible to radically distance themselves from the traditional, feminine image. It was during this period of change that the first Art Deco Fashion Icon, “The Flapper” took all the attention. Later, because we’re not going to spend more time on this, “The Silver Screen Goddess” and “The Sporty Girl” continued to be the icons of fashion during this movement.
Here some pictures:
"The Silver Screen Goddess" lookArt Deco was a direct response aesthetically and philosophically to the Art Nouveau style and to the broader cultural phenomenon of modernism. […] While the Art Nouveau movement derived its intricate, stylized forms from nature and extolled the virtues of the hand-crafted, the Art Deco aesthetic emphasized machine-age streamlining and sleek geometry.
Compiled and written by Jen Glennon. TheArtStory.org
Art Deco fell out of fashion during the years of the World War II with the austerity of wartime causing the style to seem ever gaudy and decadent... Metals were salvaged to use toward constructing armaments, as opposed to decorating buildings or interior spaces. Furniture was no longer considered a status object. Further technological advances allowed for cheaper production of basic consumer items, driving out the need and popularity of Art Deco designers. A movement that in many respects sought to break away from the past, has now become a nostalgic, warmly remembered classic.
Most of the outstanding Art Deco creators left really amazing pieces of art. Let’s have a look:
Empire state building (1931) by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
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