Art Deco Complete: The Definitive Guide to the Decorative Arts of the 1920s and 1930s

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As a modern style of creation, Art Deco attempted to blend functional objects with artistic touches. This is one of the aspects that made Art Deco so different from other fine art styles like painting and sculpture, as artworks had no other real purpose or use beyond functioning as something intriguing for viewers to look at.

The modernists established their own organization in 1929, which was called the French Union of Modern Artists. Creatives within this group included Pierre Chateau, Francis Jourdain, Le Corbusier, and Sonia Delaunay. Another prominent feature of Art Deco art was the furniture that was produced during the movement’s era. It was not until the late 1920s that the concept of furniture was even explored, with the avant-garde Art Nouveau furniture designs going on to inspire the up-and-coming Art Deco creatives. The types of furniture that were then created under the new Art Deco style proved to be more basic and less arched in design, with modernity existing as the main message. Completed in less than two years, it was said that approximately four floors were built each week, which was a surprisingly rapid fast for the types of machinery that was available at the time. The polished and streamlined style that was Art Deco grew out of a longing and assertive desire to be free of the past and to welcome the future in all of its manufactured and machine-driven brilliance.

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This was because the Art Deco style was treated as the “Cinderella” of the art world – supposedly inadequate in comparison to the other forms of art that existed. Based on this, the purpose of the exposition was to introduce the new type of decorative art that had formed but was postponed for several reasons until 1925. However, one of Lalique’s most well-known glass sculptures was “Victoire”, which he created in 1928. Isabella studied at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English Literature & Language and Psychology. Throughout her undergraduate years, she took Art History as an additional subject and absolutely loved it. Building on from her art history knowledge that began in high school, art has always been a particular area of fascination for her. From learning about artworks previously unknown to her, or sharpening her existing understanding of specific works, the ability to continue learning within this interesting sphere excites her greatly. Art Deco-style Japan travel poster, Ontake Shosenkyo Valley (Nagoya Train Agency, 1930s); Nagoya Train Agency, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ruhlmann’s lavish style produced different reactions from a number of different Art Deco designers and architects. Le Corbusier, in particular, responded to the types of artworks produced by Ruhlmann by calling for the creation of uncomplicated and more practical furniture pieces instead. However, Ruhlmann strongly believed that the preservation of art relied entirely on the upper class, with his designs going on to perfectly capture the sensational and magnificent spirit of the time. What made the Chrysler Building so symbolic was its style of decoration. Triangles around the curved tiers adorned the peak of the building, with these shapes being placed in a way that copied the sun gleaming towards a peak. Art Deco gargoyles were also featured as ornamentation that closely imitated the hood ornament of a car. Sometimes referred to as simply “Deco”, Art Deco was an art style that was characterized by vivid colors and daring geometry that led to extremely luxurious and detailed artworks. As a visual arts style that incorporated both elements of architecture and design, Art Deco first appeared in France just before the start of World War One. However, this movement was only announced to the public in 1925 at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, which was loosely based around the concept of the World’s Fair.Despite that, the Art Deco period was an incredibly influential one, with its decorative manner going on to inspire a variety of other artistic styles. One of the most prominent furniture and interior designers within the Art Deco movement was French artist Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. His furniture designs appeared to be incredibly streamlined, as he made use of very extravagant and outlandish materials that he worked with using his exceptionally delicate craftsmanship. During the movement’s height of popularity, Ruhlmann became a symbol of the opulence and contemporaneity associated with the Art Deco style.

Postcard of the general or principal view of the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Paris, 1925; Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons In America, the Art Deco movement was met with a completely different approach. Herbert Hoover, who was the Secretary of Commerce then, stated that no American artists and designers were allowed to display their work at the Exposition International in France. This was because Hoover believed that they were yet to come up with an explicitly American style of art that was sufficiently “new enough”.Due to this, the greatest achievement of Ruhlmann’s career was said to have been his ability to merge the classical style of the past with the more advanced style of the modern world. These buildings emphasized neat lines and stability at an often-dizzying level. New York’s skyline was drastically altered by the Chrysler Buildingin 1930, which stood as the pinnacle of success when it came to Art Deco building. At 77 floors, it was known as the world’s tallest building for 11 months until construction on the Empire State Building began. The Chrysler Building existed as a large commercial for Chrysler cars. Art Deco-style Hall of the Mirrors inside the Carew Tower, Ohio; EEJCC, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Art Deco-style glassware, c. 1899-1930; National Library of Norway, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Perhaps the most important artist to come from the Art Deco period was American architect William Van Alen, who designed the iconic Chrysler Building in New York City. Born in Brooklyn, Van Alen went on to study architecture in both the United States and Paris before settling on a specific architectural style. In 1910, after returning from Paris, Van Alen displayed his keen interest in the style of modernism, which was said to have been inspired by the early stages of the still-developing Art Deco movement.

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Delaunay’s bold color and textile combinations led to her title of “designer of modern fashion” during the 1925 Exposition in Paris. Art Deco, which emerged onto the art scene in the early 1920s, was an art style defined by its fascination with modernity. This idea could be seen through the elements of vibrant colors and bold geometric patterns that were used, as the aim was to create lavish and truly opulent artworks. Art Deco is also most famously known for its contribution to architecture. Some of the most recognizable buildings in America today represent the Art Deco style and patterns in its architecture. After World War One, Art Deco buildings that made use of steel and reinforced concrete began to appear all over large cities in America and Europe. In America, these buildings were typically used for offices, movie theatres, railroad stations, and government buildings. The modernist Art Deco group criticized the traditional Art Deco style, which they formed was only created to serve the wealthy. A decorative style of bold geometric shapes and bright colours, it encompassed furniture, textiles, ceramics, sculpture and architecture. The term ‘Arts Decoratifs’ (later shortened to Art Deco in the 1960s) was coined after the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriel Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern and Industrial Decorative Arts) held in Paris in 1925.