Art Deco

Art Deco is short for the French Art Décorafits(which translates to "decorative arts"), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in Paris in the 1910s.

Art Deco architecture is the decorative design in exterior and interior of everything from large objects like bridges, skyscrapers, cinemas, ships, ocean liners, trains, trucks, buses, cars etc, to small objects like clothes, jewelry, furniture etc.

it is characterised by clean lines geometric shapes and stylised elements such as zigzag and chevrons

Art Deco design represented modernism turned into fashion. it's products included both individually crafted luxury items and mass- produced wares, but in either case, the intention was to create a sleek and anti-traditional elegance that symbolized wealth and sophistication.

History

Designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann is considered to be the pioneer of the Art Deco movement. Together with Pierre Laurent, he was the founder of a company specialising in the production of luxury home items and interior design.

The emergence of Art Deco was closely connected with the rise in status of decorative artists, who until late in the 19th century were considered simply artisans. The term arts décoratifs had been invented in 1875, giving the designers of furniture, textiles, and other decoration official status. The Société des artistes décorateurs (Society of Decorative Artists), or SAD, was founded in 1901, and decorative artists were given the same rights of authorship as painters and sculptors. A similar movement developed in Italy. The first international exhibition devoted entirely to the decorative arts, the Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Decorativa Moderna, was held in Turin in 1902. Several new magazines devoted to decorative arts were founded in Paris, including Arts et décoration and L'Art décoratif moderne. Decorative arts sections were introduced into the annual salons of the Sociéte des artistes français, and later in the Salon d'Automne. French nationalism also played a part in the resurgence of decorative arts, as French designers felt challenged by the increasing exports of less expensive German furnishings. In 1911, SAD proposed a major new international exposition of decorative arts in 1912. No copies of old styles would be permitted, only modern works. The exhibit was postponed until 1914; and then, because of the war, until 1925, when it gave its name to the whole family of styles known as "Déco".

Color

Rich reds, bold blues and vibrant greens are all commonly encountered in art deco interiors. These daring shades tend to be punctuated with metallics like chrome and silver, while classic contrasts like black and gold are also popular.

Famous buildings

-Chrysler Building in New York

-Eastern Columbia Lofts in Los Angeles

-Empire State Building in New York

-Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles

-Chicago Board of Trade Building in Chicago

-National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Ganshoren etc.

Famous artists

-George Barbiers by his illustration from 1920s

-Fashion designer and master couturier Paul Poiret

-Erté known for his theatrical costumes, jewelry, and graphic design work

-Geoges Lepape by his paintings, illustration, and designing clothes

-Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann by his furniture design