Art deco was a popular movement between the two World Wars. This movement affected all types of art,it combined many different styles and movements like neoclassical, constructivism, cubism, modernism, art nouveau and futurism.
Style
- geometric and angular shapes
- chrome, glass, shiny fabrics, mirrors and mirror tiles
- stylised images of aeroplanes, cars, cruise liners, skyscrapers
- nature motifs - shells, sunrises, flowers
- theatrical contrasts - highly polished wood and glossy black lacquer mixed
with satin and furs
- 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 were experimenting with space, angles and
geometry
- early Hollywood - the glamorous world of the silver screen filtered through
to design using shiny fabrics, subdued lighting, and mirrors. Cocktail cabinets
and smoking paraphernalia became highly fashionable
- Eileen Gray - furniture
- Raymond Templier - jewellery
- Clarice Cliff - china
- René Lalique - glass and jewellery
- 1912 RMS Titanic sails
- 1922 Tutankhamun's tomb is discovered
- 1922 Ulysses by James Joyce is published
- 1931 Empire State Building is 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 the singer Josephine Baker thrills
Paris
- Furniture - choose strong, streamlined shapes for furniture
and in single pieces rather than suites.
- Fabrics - stick to 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 are
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 Bloomsbury 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 survive today.
- Colour - halls suit bold colour schemes such as silver,
black, chrome, yellow and red. Creams, greens and beige, or oyster and
eau-de-nil suit living rooms and bedrooms.
- Cupboards - cabinets, wardrobes, etc should be in pale
veneered wood and simple shapes in keeping with the light, airy feel.
- Design - the stepped profile is the epitome of the art deco
shape, found everywhere from uplighters to picture surrounds. Also look for
zigzags, chevrons and lightning bolts.
- Lighting - lights featuring female figures holding the ball
of the lamp are typical and good reproductions abound. Also look for chrome, a
brand new material at the time, and glass. Glass would have been etched,
sandblasted or enamelled rather than coloured.
- ceramics by Susie Cooper and Clarice Cliff
- original art deco rugs
- original posters featuring Bugatti cars etc
- Hoover factory, Middlesex
- The Savoy, London
- Burgh Island Hotel, Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon
- Eltham Palace, London
- Miami Beach, Florida
- Art Deco Interiors: Decoration and Design Classics of the 1920s and 1930s by
Patricia Bayer (Thames & Hudson)
- Art Deco: Flights of Fancy by Susan A Sternau (Tiger Books International)
- The Antiques Checklist: Art Deco by Eric Knowles (Mitchell Beazley)
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