Blog Seven - Art Deco

 Art Deco

The Art Deco Period began in the 1920s. There was tension between the Functionalists and the Decorators. Functionalists valued simplicity and mass production while Decorators valued labor-intensive craftsmanship and the elite market. In 1925 there was the World’s Fair in Paris. It was a showcase for interior design. It showed furniture, lamps, textiles, and accessories. It featured sharp angles and cube forms. It also used aluminum and glass. Zigzag designs became very popular along with the jazz movement. The Art Deco Period began in France but spread to the US and Europe at the beginning of World War II. The Art Deco Period was a very fashion-oriented style. It was strongly decorated and largely influenced by the Art Nouveau period. 

There were many artists and designers that helped create the Art Deco period. One was Michel Roux-Spitz, a French architect. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. He was the chief architect of Civil Buildings. He had a highly decorative and fashion-oriented style. His designs were largely influenced by Cubism and African tribal art. He used stair-stepping designs in his furniture to reflect the popularity of skyscrapers at that time. He had very unique furniture designs.

Jean Michel Frank was a French interior designer known for his minimalist designs. His furniture was also well-known for using non-colors. Jean believed that the materials themselves were the colors. The furniture was usually made of leather, shagreen, and mica. He also usually used plain white walls in his designs.

Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann was a French furniture and interior designer. He was known for having glamorous designs and using exotic materials such as ebony, zebrawood, and sharkskin. 

Eileen Gray studied at Slade School of Fine Art, Academy Julian, and Academy Colarossi. She focused on luxury and geometric lines. She applied this to her furniture designs which were mass-produced. She also used lacquered techniques on her furniture. Her most iconic chair was the Bibendum arm chair. 

Art Deco in America

The invention of the radio helped bring the Art Deco period into American homes. Designers like Joseph Urban and Donald Deskey helped lead the way for the Art Deco period in the US. Joseph Urban was an Australian immigrant and a great architect. He was most known for his dramatic color use and creative use of line. Donald Deskey was an American architect and designer. He studied at the University of California. He was known for incorporating geometric patterns and using luxurious materials. 

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Sonia Delaunay was a very famous French artist. She was born November 14, 1885, to Jewish parents. She was born in the Russian Empire before moving to France to expand her practice. She spent most of her working life in Paris. She’s most known for her use of strong colors and geometric shapes. She was the first living female artist to have an exhibition at the Louvre. Her modern design included geometric abstraction. She also incorporated these design concepts into fabrics, furniture, wall coverings, and even clothing. Her designs are still being seen today.