Art Deco

Art Deco

Art Deco was a style which was known as modernistic and style moderne before 1925. Art Deco is an international ornamental style which developed in France during the 1920s. It was first inspired from the costume designs Diaghilecv's Ballet Russes. Art Deco was also inspired by the abstract and simplified shapes that one can certainly notice in the paintings of the futurists, constructivists and fauvists. 

Ducharmebronz', a Rosewood and Gilt Bronze Day Bed by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann (1879-1933)

This movement was greatly influenced by the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, in 1922. He inspired the Egyptian style which became a huge part of the Art Deco style. The esthetic changed everything. Skylines and cities from New York to Shanghai were transformed, and everything was influenced, from fashion to furniture, and from Hollywood films to luxury liners. 

Slim Art Deco Inlay Chest Drawers Tall Boy 1920s Furniture

Art Deco was given the name after the 1925 Paris Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes. It was and international exhibition for the best in contemporary design. The USA was absent from this event, because it has been said that at that time there wasn't Art Deco to share.
If Art Deco was absent at that time, it did not remain the same way for a long time. The Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building are two great pieces of Art Deco architecture, which resulted in the dominance of the New York skyline in 1930.

The first Bakelite radio made in Australia by General Electric, 1932.

Meanwhile in interiors and furnishings, major change happened in two distinct styles. The two with their own established esthetic values. One of the styles was the Boudoir style of the 1920s, which used luxury elements to create an exotic and oriental style for the Jacques Emile Ruhlmann's furniture designs, and also took a modernist and sleek approach which influenced Le Corbusier's work, aswell as the work of his associates.

1930s Art Deco Club Armchair

Designers of that time started using overlapping geometric shapes, colourfull rectilinear images, chevron and lighting bolts and the allover zigzag designs. The style progressed from its highly decorative beginnings to the elegant functionalism.


The two pictures below show the influence of Art Deco on now a days. The first picture can be noticed from the designs and typography while the second image reminds me of when the Art Deco designers wanted every thing to be elegant and functional. One can see the difference between these two images compared with the images above. The second and third picture show the excessively decoration on the objects produced.

References;

The History of Art Deco Bakelite Radios. 2015. The History of Art Deco Bakelite Radios. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.decolish.com/BakeliteRadios.html#axzz3Pkue8GtU. [Accessed 24 January 2015].

1930s Art Deco Club Armchair. - Antiques Atlas. 2015. 1930s Art Deco Club Armchair. - Antiques Atlas. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/1930s_art_deco_club_armchair/as285a678. [Accessed 24 January 2015].

Slim Art Deco Inlay Chest Drawers Tall Boy 1920s Furniture . 2015. Slim Art Deco Inlay Chest Drawers Tall Boy 1920s Furniture . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.canonburyantiques.com/p/slim-art-deco-inlay-chest-drawers-tall-boy-1920s-furniture-1328977926/. [Accessed 24 January 2015].

Bhaskaran, L. (2005). Designs of the times. Mies: RotoVision.

Kile Brekke . 2015. Kile Brekke . [ONLINE] Available at:http://luc.devroye.org/fonts-54371.html. [Accessed 24 January 2015].

Modern Home Furniture Design Walnut Armchairs With Art Deco Style - carsmach. 2015. Modern Home Furniture Design Walnut Armchairs With Art Deco Style - carsmach. [ONLINE] Available at:http://carsmach.com/modern-home-furniture-design-walnut-armchairs-with-art-deco-style/. [Accessed 24 January 2015].