Art DecoEl Paso Museum of Art

January 23- May 8, 2013

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rt Deco was the movement that

defined the 1920s and 1930s,

starting in 1925 and ending in

1939, before World War II. During

its time, the movement was known as modernism. It was not until

1968, that art historian Bevis Hillier coined the term Art Deco in his

publication Art Deco of the 20s and 30s. The decorative exhibits

showcased in the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs

et Industriels Modernes of 1925 first influenced the movement and

its name. It was a time when the machine age and technology

were in full swing. Art deco represents luxury and glamour and

showed this with the use of rich colors, rich materials and lavish

ornaments. It is also known for its bold and simplified geometric

shapes and patterns representing the machine age and technology.

The machinery and technology influence was opposite from its

predecessor, Art Nouveau, which identified with nature. Art Deco

A is often called an eclectic movement because it was a mixture

of different styles. The movement echoed various avant-garde

movements. From constructivism and futurism, it inherited a love of

the machine. From cubism a passion for geometric forms, and from

German expressionism, distortion. From Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets

Russes, it borrowed the sense of theatricality. Finally from Art nouveau

it adopted the sinuous lines, whiplash curves, botanical forms and

female figures.Traditional and more primitive forms also influenced Art

Deco. It embraced pharaonic imagery from ancient Egypt, recycled

the Babylonian/Assyrian ziggurat structure and pyramidal terraced

towers from the Middle East, drew upon the sun ray imagery from

Pre-Columbian Mexico, and took interest in Africa’s stylized masks

and materials. The movement also embraced the geometric patterns

of traditional Native American pottery, jewelry and basketry. The Art

Deco style imposed itself upon many aspects of American culture

including architecture, fashion and jewelry and graphic design.

“Art Deco reflected the

recent decades of rapid

technological advancement

and an aesthetic

appreciation of mechanical

production. Art Deco fostered

collaboration between

the arts and industry.”

Endpapers: Edgar Brandt, L’Oasis screen, wrought iron with gilt-copper detailing, 1925; Opposite: Erté, New Bridges for the Seven Seas, 1919.

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Art Deco architecture was considered to be decorative—its only

purpose was to make things more beautiful. Art Deco is known

for its luxurious details and ornamentation, making it appropriate

for the design of indoor spaces, such as lobbies, where the

display of metal work, colored marbles, and wood would be fully

appreciated. Although not completely appropriate, this style was

also applied to the outside of buildings and skyscrapers. The only

problem was much of the small-scale characteristics and details

were lost to the distant eye in these big, outdoor structures. Yet,

this architectural style accomplished the need for modernity.

Architecture

Buildings like hotels, cinemas and railway stations were embellished

with Deco patterns like zigzags, ziggurats, geometric shapes,

symmetrical and repetitive patterns. There was a bold use of colors

(green, yellow, turquoise and ruby) gold and copper accents and

sleek materials, such as marble, glass, and stainless steel. New York

City and Chicago are the mecca of art deco architecture. These

cities have succesfully maintained and restored the art deco

architecture legacy. Some of the most famous art Deco buildings

still in existence today are the Chrysler Building, Radio Hall Music

Hall, Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center in New York City.

William Lamb and Associates, Interior detail of Empire State Building, 1931.

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Architect Edward Durell Stone and interior designer Donald Deskey, Radio City Music Hall, c. 1930; Radio City Music Hall elevator, c.1930; Photographer Unkown, Building ornamentation, c. 1930; William Van Alen, Chrysler Building, 1931

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Clockwise, from top left: Erté, Her Secret Admirers, 1982; George Lepape, Les Chose de Paul Poiret, 1911; Georges Barbier, Éventails, 1924; Erté, The Balcony, 1989.

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Fashion & JewelryThe 1920s brought women’s right to vote. This new freedom created a shift

in how women dressed. Women wanted to distance themselves from the

traditional prudish images of the past. The Art Deco movement introduced a

period of experimentation in fashion trends. Innovative seaming, draping, rich

fabrics, beads and feathers were used to create new sophisticated details.

During this period “The Flapper” was born. Some characteristics of this new

image were more masculine forms, shorter hemlines, streamlined shapes, tube

silhouettes, fringe and beaded dresses, geometric and angular shapes

and designs. Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes stage costumes first served as

inspiration for the famous designers Romain de Tirtoff, also known as Erté, and

Paul Poiret, two designers who helped capture the essence and fashion

style of the Art Deco Movement. Another prominent designer that is linked

with Art Deco fashion is Coco Chanel. She brought luxury to her designs, but

also comfort, which made her popular among the newly liberated women. To

accompany these fashions, Art Deco Jewelry was influenced by cubism

and African art and it made use of bold colors and

geometric shapes such as triangles, rectangles,

squares and circles. Jewelry often used metals such

as silver, brass and copper to lend a contemporary

and modern look. Cartier and Tiffany’s are two jewelry

firms that rose to new heights during the Art Deco era.

Top left to bottom right: Raymond Templier, Brooch in platinum, 1929; Cartier, Bracelet in platinum, Diana Vreeland Collection, bracelet in white metal, 1934; Erté, Zizi, silver and diamond necklace, c.1930.

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Graphic DesignThe importance of beauty that the movement brought into architecture and

fashion also affected the field of graphic design. Yet, graphic design did not

have the same lavish ornamentation or details as the other fields in Art Deco.

Instead the new imagery of Art Deco posters consisted of simple, but beautiful

and clever ways to transmit the message. The common characteristics were

straight lines, angular shapes and an airbrush painting gradient effect. Faces

and bodies were not detailed. Instead, they had a futuristic, one-dimensional

look. New typography was created in order to fit the Art Deco era. Typefaces

looked industrial, futuristic, and elegant. Broadway, Bifur and Peignot are

some examples of typefaces designed at this time. A famous artist that first

influenced the Art Deco style was A.M. Cassandre. He revolutionized poster

design by taking the less obvious route. Many of the Art Deco designers like

Erté and George Lepape were commissioned to do covers for magazines.

The top rival magazines from the era were Harper ’s Bazaar and Vogue, which

displayed many Art Deco illustrations, spreading the movement’s popularity.

Top left to bottom right: A.M Cassandre, Normandie, 1935; Joseph Binder, Fortune Magazine, 1937; George Lepape, Vogue, 1927; Joseph Binder, Poster for the New York World’s Fair, 1939. Opposite: Erté, Cover of Harper’s Bazaar, 1933.

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Above and Opposite: Photographer Unkown, Ralph Lauren Fall Runway, 2011.

Right: Unknown,The Great Gatsby, 2012.

Below: Halle Berry wearing an Art Deco-inspired dress by Marchesa on the red carpet of the 2013 Academy Awards.”

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Deco TODAYArt Deco faded away with the arrival of World War II, but it first experienced

a resurgence after Bevis Hillier published his book on the subject in 1968. Just

like the 1920s, the 1960s was a period of optimism and hope. Two decades

later, the 1980s was also reminiscent of the previous eras, when luxury and

technology were once again at their peak. In the 2000s Art Deco is still

remembered. In 2011, the fashion designer Ralph Lauren created a fall fashion

line inspired by Art Deco. The music band, Florence and the Machine, released

their album Ceremonials in 2011, the album’s booklet and the promotional

posters were inspired by Art Deco. Celebrities often make an homage to art

deco fashion on the red carpet. Movies like Woody Allen’s 2011 Midnight in

Paris brought back interest the roaring twenties. And Baz Luhrmann’s remake of

the movie The Great Gatsby is also recapturing the spirit of the Art Deco era

in 2013. Today, the elegant forms of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings

in New York still stand and will serve as a reminder of the movement that

perfectly combined the arts with the machine age for the purpose of beauty.

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