Transcript Art Deco (1920's-1930's) - Toronto District School Board

Art Deco
(1920's-1930's)
Art Deco - An art
movement involving
a mix of modern
decorative art styles,
largely of the 1920's
and 1930's, whose
main characteristics
were derived from
various avant-garde
painting styles of the
early twentieth
century.
Geometry &
Brilliant Colours
Art deco works exhibit
aspects of Cubism,
Russian Constructivism
and Italian Futurism-- with
abstraction, distortion,
and simplification,
particularly geometric
shapes and highly intense
colors--celebrating the
rise of commerce,
technology, and speed.
Modernity
The growing impact of the
machine can be seen in
repeating and overlapping
images from 1925; and in the
1930's, in streamlined forms
derived from the principles of
aerodynamics.
The name came from the
1925 Exposition Internationale
des Arts Decoratifs Industriels
et Modernes, held in Paris,
which celebrated living in
the modern world.
To Right - Tamara de
Lempicka - Self Portrait in the
Green Bugatti - 1925 -
Style, Elegance, &
Sophistication
It was popularly considered
to be an elegant style of cool
sophistication in architecture
and applied arts which
range from luxurious objects
made from exotic material to
mass produced, streamlined
items available to a growing
middle class.
To Right Erte
Furniture:
Chairs
Simple and clean lines
Geometric shapes
Cheap and Accessible compared to
previous styles
Architecture
William Van Alen
(American, 18821954), Chrysler
Building, 1930, New
York City. An
archetypal
American Art Deco
skyscraper, the
exterior of the
building reflects the
Chrysler
automobile.
Gargoyles &
Design Art
The building was faced with
Nirosta stainless steel,
because of its lowmaintenance, and the
beauty of its color. Part of the
surface decorations include
sculptural ornaments
comparable to gargoyles and
hood ornaments. The radiating
curves on the building's dome
mimic giant sunbeams, a
popular Art Deco theme.
Style & Decor
Culture