History of Art Deco

Art Deco was a popular design movement from the 1920s to 1930s, a movement between the two World Wars. This movement affected all forms of art from architecture, interior design, sculpture, furniture, industrial design and visual arts such as fashion, clothing, jewelry, paintings, graphic arts and film. This movement combined many different styles and movements such as neoclassical, constructivism, cubism, modernism, art nouveau and futurism. Art Deco was very popular in Europe in the 1920s, in particular Paris represented the hub of Art Deco style, and its popularity peaked in America in the 1930s. It was not just for the elite. By the 1930s, mass production meant that everyone could live in the Art Deco style. Although Art Deco represented design movements that incorporated political and philosophical intentions, the art was very decorative. Art Deco style represents a style that is elegant, functional and modern. The Art Deco interior style is a streamlined and geometrical which often includes furniture pieces with curved fronts, mirrors, clean lines, chrome hardware, and glass. The elegant style began as a Modernist response in opposition to Art Nouveau styling which featured elaborate, flowing natural forms plus female imagery and Tiffany lamps. Art Deco experienced resurgence with the advent of graphic design in the 1980s. Later on, Art Deco had a profound influence on many artistic movements, such as Memphis and Pop Art. Source The structure of Art Deco is based on mathematical geometric shapes. It is widely considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism, being influenced by a variety of sources. Among them were also so called primitive arts of Africa, Middle East, Ancient Egypt, Aztec Mexico and Greek and Roman themes. As travel became popular, African Safaris were all in the rage and animal skins, ivory, mother of pearl, and tortoiseshell began to appear in the home. After Tutankhamens tomb was discovered, Egyptian pyramids and sphinxes adorned everything. It also drew on machine-age or streamline technology such as modern aviation, electric lighting, the radio, the ocean liner and the skyscraper for inspiration. Art Deco design influences were expressed in the crystalline and faceted forms of decorative cubism and futurism. Other popular themes in Art Deco were trapezoidal, zigzagged, geometrical and jumbled shapes which can be seen in many early pieces. Art Deco was an opulent style and its lavishness attributed to reaction to the forced austerity imposed by World War One. Its rich festive character fitted for its modern contexts. Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, lacquered and inlaid wood. The bold use of stepped forms and sweeping curves, chevron patterns and the sunburst motif are typical of Art Deco. Art Deco celebrates the Machine Age through explicit use of man made materials (in particular glass and stainless steel), symmetry and repetition, modified by Asian influences such as the uses of silk and Middle Eastern designs.

The resurgence of interest in Art Deco came in the 1960s and then again in the 1980s with the growing interest in graphic design, where its association with film noir and 1930s glamour led to its use in advertising for jewelry and fashion. Some of the finest surviving examples of Art Deco art and architecture can be found in Cuba, especially in Havana. Another country with many examples of rich Art Deco architecture is Brazil, especially in Goiania and cities like Cipo, Irai and Rio de Janeiro, especially in Copacabana. South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida has the largest collection of Art Deco architecture remaining in North America. Influence The distinctive style of Art Deco has been echoed in many similar movements since its early decline. Art Deco influenced later styles such as Memphis and the Pop Art movement. It also had an effect on post modern architecture and styles, even through to the late 1970s. Art Deco has also had a marked influence on contemporary design. Art Nouveau deco kept the nature motifs of its predecessor but discarded its flowing organic shapes and pastels for bolder materials and colours such as chrome and black. Cubism painters such as Picasso was experimenting with space, angles and geometry. Early Hollywood the glamour world of the silver screen filtered through design using shiny fabrics, subdued lighting and mirrors. Cocktail cabinets and smoking paraphernalia became highly fashionable. Renowned Art Deco Artists Eileen Gray furniture Raymond Templier jewelry Clarice Cliff china Rene Lalique glass and jewelry History in the Making during the Art Deco Period In 1912 RMS Titanic sails In 1922 Tutankhamen tomb is discovered In 1922 Ulysses by James Joyce was published In 1931 The Empire State Building was completed Film Stars Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. The Charleston and tango are the latest dance crazes, jazz is born and singer Josephine Baker thrills Paris. What makes an Art Deco Look? Furniture Strong, streamlined shapes for furniture and in single pieces rather than suites. Fabrics Plain or geometric fabrics and add highlights with cushions also in one solid block of colour. Floors Plain polished parquet is perfect for floors. Linoleum in abstract designs or black and white chequerboard vinyl tiles is also typical.

 Rugs Floors would have been overlaid with a large rug in geometric patterns. These were often handmade by artists such as Duncan Grant of the Bloombury Group fame. Fireplaces Fireplaces should be rectangular and bold. Surrounds were often tiled in pink, green or beige. They were made of concrete and not many have survived today. Colour Bold colour schemes such as silver, black, chrome, yellow, red, creams, greens, beige or oyster and eau-de-nil suite living rooms and bedrooms. Cupboards Cabinets, wardrobes should be in pale veneered wood and simple shapes in keeping with the light, airy feel. Design Stepped profile is the epitome of the Art Deco shape, found everywhere from up lighters to picture surrounds. Also look at zigzags, chevrons and lighting bolts. Lighting Light feature female figures holding the ball of the lamp are typical and good reproductions are abound. Chrome or glass lamps were typical of this era. Glass would have to be etched, sandblasted or enameled rather than coloured. Unique Materials Aluminum, inlaid wood, lacquered, stainless steel, zebra skins Design Elements Zigzagged and stepped patterns, sweeping curves and lines, chevron patterns, sunburst shapes, geometric and angular shapes, chrome, glass, shiny fabrics, mirror, mirror tiles, stylized images of aeroplanes, cars, cruiselines, skyscrapers, natural motifs shells, sunrises, flowers, theatrical contrasts highly polished wood and glossy black lacquered mixed with satin and furs.

When youre thinking about decorating in the Art Deco style, the best thing I can recommend is to look at the best of the original ideas that ultimately inspired the many knock off ideas you will see when doing an internet search on the subject. I am illustrating some beautiful original (albeit idealized) interiors to study, all of them French and photographed at the pivotal 1925 Paris exposition. In these you

will see so many of the details that inspired much of the architecture, interior and furniture design that we have come to recognize decades later as being Art Deco. Hopefully these photographs will help you to find some of the key ingredients you can use to spin off of in creating your fantasy Jazz Age interior.

Clean lines, reflective surfaces, and some bold design elements like the rug here are often found in these original Art Deco-styled settings. Sconce lighting, wall mirrors and elegant sculptural figures are also frequent elements.

Again, these rooms were meant to inspire and to present the latest ideas when it came to Modern interior design, so dont feel bad if you dont have a grand entry way like this one But there is some good inspiration here. The mirrored wall, the console table against it, and that coved and stepped ceiling might all be incorporated in an Art Deco room design. Note Edgar Brandts iron masterpiece LOasisfolding screen there on the right so why not incorporate an ornamental folding screen in your room also?

You almost expect Claudette Colbert to walk into this room at any moment. Light and graceful furniture, rich wall treatments and lots of filtered light in this room. Maybe youre noticing too that not all Art Deco rooms were devoid of pattern or ornament. That is where designers in the Art Deco style in many applications parted company with some of those in the Modern movement who believed that Ornament is crime, (its not, by the way). Oh, and speaking of ornament,

Bam! How about this grand stair hall designed by mile-Jacques Ruhlmann. Fluted walls, delicate iron railings and a playing of dark and light contrasts, (even on the piano keys). And that amazing ceiling treatment! Heres a detail of the wall treatment hard to see in that last photo:

This wall treatment incidentally was the inspiration for our Cycloswallpaper. Notice too the sandblasted pattern above the window(?) So there are just a few sources for Art Deco inspiration. I will be posting more, along with some contemporary takes on the style, so please stay tuned. If you have any great Art Deco rooms youve seen please send a snap of them along to info@bradbury.com and well share them.

Eckart Muthesius designs drew inspiration from various influences, which included his father Hermann Muthesius, an architect, diplomat, writer and deep admirer of the English house as an architectural genre. Secondly, Muthesius godparent and one of the principal propagators of the

English Arts and Crafts movement, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who also was an early stimulus for the young Muthesius.

This is evidenced by the Maharaja's sleek cool bedroom seen above. The contents were disbursed in a celebrated sale at Sotheby's Monaco in 1980, therefore items do turn up at auction and their provenance is a major factor in the estimates and prices realized.

The Maharaja's bed was last at auction at Sotheby's in 2003 and achieved $209,600. An example of Eileen Gray's "Transat" chair is also seen in the period image of the bedroom. It surfaced again at Sotheby's Paris in 2011 but failed to sell on an estimate of 700,000 -1,000,000.

He succeeded his father as Maharaja of Indore in 1926 and in 1930 commissioned German architect Eckart Muthesius to design a refined art deco palace. The young architect worked in cooperation with the premier art deco and avant guard designers of the day including Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Alix and Louis Sognot, Eileen Gray and Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann. The result was a late art deco masterwork moving toward the international style.

Eckart Muthesius was responsible for the general design of the room. He also designed the lighting fixtures above the bed and the floor lamp; the bed was designed by Louis Sognot and Charlotte Alix, the round glass and metal table by Djo-Bougeois and the rugs by Ivan da Silva Bruhns.

The new palace with its clean, functional and unimaginative appearance belongs in inspiration firmly to the age of pre-stressed concrete rather than to the age of distressed stone, even though it is in fact constructed of the local granite. Inside however, the princely India is having its last fling. Six drawing rooms, six dining rooms and fourteen bedrooms jostle for space with swimming pool, card room, billiard room and bar. The rooms decorated and designed in art deco style, even down to such details as tubularframed furniture are pure European in taste. Lifts descend to a subterranean bedroom decorated with erotic murals, and a bathroom made of seashells.-(The Palaces of India By the Maharaja Of Baroda.)The Indianness in the deco tradition is restricted only to the artworks with manipulated Indian themes. (pics from the book Palaces of India by maharaja of baroda)

Another stylish Art Deco royal residence was Manik Bagh, commissioned by Yeshwant Rao Holgar, the Maharaja of Indore in 1930. This new palace in Indore, stands besides the old, in the centre of the city. It is said to be synonymous with the Maharani, whom a British officer once described as, very much the type of modern English public -school girl, a good tennis player and very up-to-date in fashions of dress Society painter Bernard boutet de monvels portraits of the prince in traditional Maratha and western evening dress captures his elegant and self assured style in both worlds.

rt Deco Streamline Modern Bath at the

Umaid Bhawan Pala

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I was leafing through my copy of Elle Decor's 'The Grand Book of French Style' last night and came across these images. How glam is this bathroom! It says it was designed by the Compagnie des Arts

Franais in 1930 at the French Foreign Ministry buiding, for the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain.

The roman bathtub is covered in silver mosaics, and surrounded by a shattered-glass panel by Labour. The white leather stools were designed by Adnet, and the white swan (barely visible in the left niche) is by Lalique. The walls feature a shattered-glass stud inset.

I love this mirror, how fabulous it would be to have something this size in your bathroom when you're getting reading for a night out. The first thing I thought of after seeing this (other than how fabulous it is!) was that it reminded me of a bathroom by Andre Putman that I saw recently (see earlier post)...I wonder if she was inspired by

this vintage French bathroom?