Embracing an array of diverse elements, Art Deco stands as a striking design style that left its mark on various aspects.
In the early 20th century, a distinctive style known as Art Deco emerged, leaving an indelible mark on the world of art, architecture, and design.
Originally named Moderne, the style was rechristened after the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes held in Paris in 1925. This exhibition, spanning the River Seine and the Grand Palais, featured 15,000 exponents of the Art Deco movement.
One of the key figures associated with Art Deco was Albert Speer, Adolf Hitler's chief architect. Speer, who showed a love for chrome and bronze, leather and wood - common elements in Art Deco - played a significant role in shaping the style.
By the 1920s, Art Deco had already embedded itself into the US psyche. Companies like General Electric, Chrysler, and the Radio Corporation of America adopted the style, and it was applied with equal enthusiasm to silverware and skyscrapers, creating city-scale 'total works of art'.
The Bauhaus school, founded in 1919, also played a crucial role in the development of Art Deco. Walter Gropius, the school's founder, imagined a new classless guild of craftsmen at its foundation. The Bauhaus school's passion for practicality pointed to something colder and harder, as would emerge later in the 20th century. However, it also embraced Art Deco's love of geometry.
Marcel Breuer, a Bauhaus student, created the famous Wassily chair and other fine objects due to their focus on metalwork. Meanwhile, Marianne Brandt defied outmoded concepts of 'women's crafts' by working in both silver and steel, photography and sculpture at Bauhaus.
The Cubism principles were also applied to a dazzling array of objets d'art by a group of Czech-speaking artists and architects. On the other hand, the Soviets formed a new kind of social constructivism from the Art Deco style during the 1930s.
Despite its focus on clean lines, leather, glass, and chrome, which shout modernity, a parallel emphasis on artistry takes us back to the Arts-and-Crafts Movement. This emphasis on artistry can be seen in the cheaply colored glass and readily available steel used in Art Deco designs, offering a dose of luxury to the lowliest passer-by.
Notable German architects and artists involved in the development of Art Deco between the World Wars include those who worked on early modernist housing projects during the Weimar Republic, such as the 1926-1927 residential complex displaying Art Deco elements.
The roots of Art Deco reach to the years before the First World War, with a focus on luxury and progress. However, the style gradually acceded to the abstract, and the Bauhaus school's rejection of luxurious theatricality further contributed to this shift.
One of the most iconic Art Deco works is the enormous statue of Christ the Redeemer, which appeared on top of Corcovado Mountain outside Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 1931. This statue stands as a testament to the enduring influence of Art Deco.
The association of Art Deco with the 1920s and 1930s and their cast of Bright Young Things is well-deserved. Yet, the style continues to inspire designers and architects today, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of art and design.
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