The Art Deco movement occurred in the space between the end
of World War 1 (1918) and the beginning of World War 2 (1939). This movement
strived to bring a sense of celebration to the design process. However, the
functionalists were still going strong at this time, and their lack of
ornamentation did not lend itself to the celebration Art Deco designers wanted
to portray in their work, so they forged a new path.
Art Deco became popular at the 1925 World’s Fair in Paris,
and the interior design style focused on sharply angled shapes, cubistic
inspiration, used materials such as aluminum, black lacquer, and glass, and
accentuated a zig-zag design to symbolize the development of the radio. The
style further developed into the use of chevron patterns, folding screens,
furnishings with stepped profiles, large mirrors, and lighting fixtures due to
the advancements made in lighting technology. The materials used include ebony,
zebrawood, ivory, tortoise-shell, leather, polished metals, mirrors, glass, and
lacquered wood. All of these different materials and design styles give off a
mood of celebration and liberation, just as the designers wanted. They
understood how the interior furnishings and decoration really impact the mood
of the residents, and the designers wanted their moods to be uplifted through
colorful, luxurious, intricate, quality design.
This movement can also be split up into two parts: Masculine
and Feminine Art Deco. Masculine Art Deco is based on the machine, and it takes
advantage of chrome and different plastics, so it tends to be more
futuristic-looking than the feminine side. Feminine Art Deco is very elegant
and intricate because it focuses on superb craft, so it is known as being more
classical.
In general, Art Deco was designed for the people in an
effort to raise moods and increase the celebration of the bettered economy -
designers understood the psychology of the interiors and used it to their
advantage. While it began in France, it quickly spread to the United States and
had a large presence here.
Design Examples
Vase designed by Jean Dunand
Maurice Dufrene Armchair
Painting by Sonia Delauney
Current Applications
One Step Further
Maurice Dufrene was born in Paris and was interested in
design throughout his entire life. As a child, Maurice would collect wood,
cardboard, and fabric to turn them into art, and even planned to be a painter
through his studies at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs. He ended up going a
different route with his talents, though, when he received a position as a
furniture designer in the Art Nouveau style. Dufrene designed for a showroom
called La Maison Moderne and there collaborated with Henry van de Velde and
Victor Horta. During this period of his life, he was known for his metalwork,
ceramics, glass, and fabric, as well as furniture design.
While he began his career in Art Nouveau, he quickly turned
to Art Deco. Through this movement, he emphasized that his furniture was
individual through his harmonious balance of structure and decoration. He
valued craftsmanship and usually used materials such as mahogany and ebony to
create his rich designs. During this period, he designed the Maitrise exhibit
for the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts
in Paris. He specifically designed the interior to illustrate Art Deco
objectives through his use of paintings on the walls and ceiling, hanging
lights, narrow metal railing, as well as other decorative objects. He spent the
rest of his life making high-quality Art Deco metalwork.
Catie, I really enjoyed your analysis of the Art Deco movement. The way in which you described art deco as a design movement, which understood the psychology of people and the way in which design could impact that psychology, was very insightful.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I enjoyed your one step further look at Maurice Dufrene. It's so interesting to see that Dufrene was intrigued by design from a very young age and stuck with it. I guess he knew what he enjoyed and was good at, and he ran with it. That deserve some applause, don't you think?
I like how you talked about the characteristics of Art Deco and just hearing what they are it is really cool to see how it is still influential/ big part in today's world and we may not have many of the design characteristics in furniture as much but even in the little things like utensils, plates, phone cases, and ect.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your article. I find it interesting that the common motifs of Art Deco were symbolic and represented something happening in the world. For example, the zig zags in the designs were represented of new technology such as the radio.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about Dufrene. I find it interesting that he sort of began his career as a curator of art nouveau furniture, but then later became an art deco designer.
Excellent summary and illustrations! The psychology of designing interiors that produce feelings of joy and celebration is very interesting. I appreciate your focus on the symbolism of Art Deco.
ReplyDelete