AND Part Three: Art Deco
 |
| Classic 1930s Deco Living Room |
Art Deco:
1920s-1940s
Disclaimer
number 3: this 3 part series is to help folks who want to know what exactly is
the difference between the big 3, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. It
is by no means a deep scholarly dissertation. You can hit the internet and dive
down any part of that rabbit hole you fancy. This is my overview.
 |
| Max La Vernier cast bronze 1930, classic Deco style |
Art Deco
design exploded on the scene in a big way Paris at the 1925 Exposition
Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels. Art Deco is much easier to remember and pronounce
but no matter how you say it, that was the beginning of the modern age of
design. It was celebrating a new age of posh for all, post-World War I, taking
full advantage of materials and mass produced high end goods and handmade
luxury goods. Marketing could be tied to advertising on the new medium of radio
and in magazines and print; mass marketing was now a thing.
 |
| New buildings were constructed in the deco style |
The basic
premise was to make everything sleek and nontraditional, still embracing the
hard edges remaining from the war. Rejection of any heavy dark Victorian wood, romantic flowery wall papers and the ornate curvy décor of Art Nouveau was complete
with the advent of Art Deco. Some of the greats like Rene Lalique spanned both Nouveau and Deco and changed as the world did.
 |
| This is a car mascot, all the posh car owners had Lalique glass 'mascots' for their upscale automobiles |
The war was
over, a new age was dawning and new money meant wealth and the search for sophistication.
The era lasted clear through World War II, until midcentury modern and the
atomic age banished it to the ranks of nostalgia in the early 1950s.
What were the
hallmarks of Art Deco? Everything was sleek and contained geometric figures
like chevrons, zig zags, sunbursts and trapezoids which made hard angles. What
was being used to decorate surfaces? Lots of leaves, branches, feathers, nudes,
stylized animals, geometric patterns, a lot of mirrors and that sexy new
material: chrome.
https://www.pooky.com/inspiration/light-and-shade/industrial-meets-art-deco-how-metropolis-helped-design-the-future Fritz Lang gets some inspirational credit too for the hard edged design of Metropolis, the cult classic movie.
 |
| The poster from Fritz Lang's creepy masterpiece |
https://www.pooky.com/inspiration/light-and-shade/industrial-meets-art-deco-how-metropolis-helped-design-the-future Fritz Lang gets some inspirational credit too for the hard edged design of Metropolis, the cult classic movie.
Furniture
pieces were larger but very simple in design, no frills or romance allowed. It
was all about celebrating the golden age of industry. Luxe leathers, geometric fabrics and a lot of
black lacquer. Lots of cream whites and beiges and blacks prevailed with the
new aesthetic.
HIgh fashion was exotic but a lot more frill free and flowy by the 1920s. Lots of beading in abstract patterns trimmed exotic evening dresses. Beaded 1920s handbags and evening bags are a fun and usually affordable find if you are willing to hunt them down.
Artists associated with this movement were many but a few of note you should look up if you want to know more are:
Artists associated with this movement were many but a few of note you should look up if you want to know more are:
René Lalique, French glass designer
whose work is highly sought
after and bridged Nouveau into Deco, and Tamara de Lempicka,
Polish painter, possibly the most polished in the art deco pantheon.
https://www.veniceclayartists.com/tag/poirot-art-deco/ for a Poirot peek at Art Deco inspired set design,
https://www.veniceclayartists.com/tag/poirot-art-deco/ for a Poirot peek at Art Deco inspired set design,
Deco can be spotted in set design
for movies from the 30s and 40s and my own favorite droolworthy Deco set was
Hercule Poirot’s digs in the mystery series starring David Suchet a few years ago.
Comments
Post a Comment