A Brief Insight & History of Art: Art Deco

As we approach the second decade of the century, we likewise approach the milestone of one art classification which has both historically and presently contributed to our cultural arrival at this niche in time. Art deco -an art influenced initially by French origin- began in the 1920’s. Its title is abbreviated for “art decoration” and derived after the “International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Art”. Art deco is also known as “style moderne”.

Art deco was become of simultaneously to the thoughts and ideas of modernism. With new technology impacting the design of architecture and structure of the early 1900’s, art deco was founded upon the inspiration from which -combining elegance and streamline appeal multifariously. This at first, revolutionary aspect of combination art design eventually produced the more exclusive sect of abstract art, but not until the mid-1900’s. Even later, art deco had an influence on well-known pop art.

Art deco includes some baroque style and eclecticism. Often time’s exotic animal skins were used in the earlier form of art deco as well as a great abundance of more basic materials such as chrome and inlaid wood. Patterns most specific to art deco include those with straight lines and proportional shapes. Sunbursts, chevrons, and retrospects are often utilized as well. All of these factors were done usually in a repetition which created a unified, amalgamated whole appearing precise and tidy.

The ambiance of the art deco style could be captured through all forms of art whether painting, photography, or sculpture. Because it was based off of concrete, structural forms, art deco could also be articulated in a more functional format such as through furniture or buildings. Because art deco was inspired by these it was likely occasionally considered to be a cliché when utilized in this sense, yet was in no way unacceptable during even its early emergence because art deco is certainly not limited to “art” alone per say, but it is rather a general style. In fact, art deco was also exemplified in the design of automobiles at the time of its emergence.

Although art deco became less-popularized in the 1940’s, it had a descent reoccurrence into the culture of the 1960’s and 1970’s where it begin its later effectuations on other styles.

Art deco is still implemented in current-day art, but its well-known historical remnants are what we know best of it today. Particularly, this includes the buildings and architecture which had the first influence on art deco and that were also vital to the evolutionary effect on the development of the art. Buildings of this style can be found in a varitey of develope countries. In America, some of the most famous art deco buildings are the Rockefeller Center, the Chrystler, General Electric, Waldorf Astoria, and Empire State Buildings.