Art Deco was a movement which flourished from the 1920's to the 1930's. It originated in France and then spread throughout Europe and North America. The style was linear, with geometric forms. Like its forerunner Art Nouveau, it was an eclectic style. Art Deco designers created a modern style from sources such as historical European styles, the rich colours of the Ballets Russes, imagery of the machine world and distant and ancient cultures. Art Deco affected all forms of design, from the fine to decorative arts to architecture, film, photography, product design, jewellery and furniture.
Ballets Russes Costume
The archaeological discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in November 1922 by Howard Carter awakened a world wide interest in early Egyptian civilisation. The goods that came out of the tomb included the mask of the pharoah, gold jewellery, chariots and mummy cases. Generic Egyptian images and motifs such as lotus flower, scarab, pyramids, hieroglyphs were all very popular and covered from biscuit boxes to book binding and cinema facades. In the fashion world, 'The mummy wrap' was a fashionable dress which was all the rage in the 1920's.
The arts of Egypt, Asia and Africa provided rich sources of forms and materials for designers, artists and architects. Designers started exploring new materials such as sharkskin, ivory and exotic woods and experimenting with techniques such as ceramic glazing and lacquering.
In 1925, The Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes was held in Paris, France. It was an exhibition that focused on the Art Deco in France. It was sponsored by the French government to promote design. More than 20 countries were invited to participate and the works had to be modern.
The archaeological discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in November 1922 by Howard Carter awakened a world wide interest in early Egyptian civilisation. The goods that came out of the tomb included the mask of the pharoah, gold jewellery, chariots and mummy cases. Generic Egyptian images and motifs such as lotus flower, scarab, pyramids, hieroglyphs were all very popular and covered from biscuit boxes to book binding and cinema facades. In the fashion world, 'The mummy wrap' was a fashionable dress which was all the rage in the 1920's.
Tutankhamun's Mask
The arts of Egypt, Asia and Africa provided rich sources of forms and materials for designers, artists and architects. Designers started exploring new materials such as sharkskin, ivory and exotic woods and experimenting with techniques such as ceramic glazing and lacquering.
In 1925, The Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes was held in Paris, France. It was an exhibition that focused on the Art Deco in France. It was sponsored by the French government to promote design. More than 20 countries were invited to participate and the works had to be modern.
Exhibition poster
During the Art Deco period designers used and applied ideas taken from Fine Arts movememts, mainly Fauvism, Cubism and Orphism. For example designers borrrowed the abstracted shapes of Cubism for their decorative effects.
Art Deco Stained glass ceiling - Buffalo City Hall
Elevator door inside the Chrysler Building, New York.
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| Hand-beaded lurex jacket with Egyptian motifs, Paris,France 1922-25 |
Chrysler Building, New York
Influenced by the Step Pyramid in Egypt
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An Egyptian Palace
William Walcot - Etching - 1923
Bibliography
Gontar, C., 2000-2014. HEILBRUNN
TIMELINE OF ART HISTORY.. [Online]
Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm
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Anon., 2003. V&A.
[Online]
Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/art-deco/
[Accessed 19 March 2014].
Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/art-deco/
[Accessed 19 March 2014].
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