Art Deco - History And Modern Influence

Benjamin Low Teck Hui

First Media Design School

Module 2 - Design Theory Lecturer: Tim

Final Assignment – Art Deco

15 September 2008

Outline

Introduction

…3

History of Art Deco

…5

Modern influence of Art Deco

…13

Conclusion

…21

References

…22

Photocopies of references

Appendix I

Design Exploration

Appendix II

2

Introduction A study of any art movement is incomplete without first putting it into its historical context. One has to understand the social, political, economic and cultural forces of the day that helped shape and mould the art movement into what it became.

The Art Deco movement took place between the two World Wars, during the Roaring Twenties – “a world dominated by a desire for speed, luxury and opulence(i) ”. It was the Swing era, of big bands and jazz music (of which dancers and singers were often depicted as the subject matter). It was the Golden era of Hollywood where celebrities reveled in glamour (portraying an image of luxurious extravagance). On a darker note, it was also the era of the mafia who ruled the underground (film noire). Most importantly, it was the era that heralded mass communications and mass travel - by car, train, ship and plane (international outlook).

All these forces gave rise to a demand for luxury goods in every form - jewellery, ornaments, interiors, extravagant furniture and fittings. There was a desire to look towards the future and throw away the shackles of the past as Art Deco broke away from traditional styles to create a futuristic look. It was international in style and drew inspiration from the art of exotic faraway cultures.

Art Deco was considered a style of cool sophistication for the fashionable upper classes and covered every sphere of the decorative arts – architecture, interiors, furniture, ceramics, glass, graphics, sculpture, metal ware and jewellery.

Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative. It is an amalgamation of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century, including Neoclassical, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, and Futurism(ii).

3

It was at the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, that Art Deco became recognized as an art movement in its own right.

4

History of Art Deco Art Deco is comes in a multitude of forms – from monumental buildings to exquisite petite jewelry. However, despite its form, certain distinguishing characteristics can be recognized, which gave unity and coherence to this art movement. To quote Encyclopedia Britannica(iii):-

“… The distinguishing features of the style are simple, clean shapes, often with a “streamlined” look; ornament that is geometric or stylized from representational forms; and unusually varied, often expensive materials, which frequently include man-made substances (plastics, especially bakelite; vita-glass; and ferroconcrete) in addition to natural ones (jade, silver, ivory, obsidian, chrome, and rock crystal). Though Art Deco objects were rarely mass-produced, the characteristic features of the style reflected admiration for the modernity of the machine and for the inherent design qualities of machine-made objects (e.g., relative simplicity, planarity, symmetry, and unvaried repetition of elements).

Among the formative influences on Art Deco were Art Nouveau, the Bauhaus, Cubism, and Sergey Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Decorative ideas came from American Indian, Egyptian, and early classical sources as well as from nature. Characteristic motifs included nude female figures, animals, foliage, and sunrays, all in conventionalized forms. …”

5

Poster Art

‘Normadie’ poster by A M Cassandre, 1935

‘Black Revue’ poster by Paul Colin, 19251

‘Orient Express’ poster by Fix-Masseau, 1930s

Poster for the ‘Metropolis’ movie, 19262

Art Deco was when poster art became commercialized. The subject matter of art deco posters are often consumer items such as the radio, automobile, train, ocean liner, aeroplane, household appliances, or mass entertainment events such as jazz performances and Hollywood movies. The graphics often use bold colours and permeate a sense of energy and exuberance. The machine age inspired both architects and artists alike and the geometric shapes of clean arcs and shapes so characteristic of Art Deco are also evident in poster design. San serif and modern font typography is commonly used for the first time, portraying a cool and elegant sophistication. 1

Cubism painting with its distorted perspective can be seen as an influence here. This poster reflects the ‘jazz style’ of Art Deco. This poster introduced the famous jazz singer Josephine Baker to Paris.

6

Painting

Nude with sails

Girl with gloves

Madame M

Portrait of Madame Boucard

No painter is more iconoclastic of the Art Deco style than Tamara de Lempicka. The Art Deco theme of the sophisticated modern woman is the subject matter in almost all her works. She uses strong lines and sharp angles in her stylized female figures – an influence of Cubism. The cityscape of New York is used as a backdrop in the ‘Portrait of Madame Boucard’, revealing an inspiration from architecture. The strong backgrounds of billowy fabric or lines of ships’ prows are a typical feature. Her portraits are charged with sensuality, energy and sophistication(iv).

2

Art Deco is influenced by Futurism, evident here in this poster design. The inspiration of New York in the cityscape is used as the background. This was the era of emerging modern skyscrapers which provided inspiration to the artists of that time.

7

Architecture Art Deco took off in a big way in America in the 1920s. Angular shapes, a strict symmetric style and the fin de siecle ornaments being simplified into geometric patterns were the prevalent style of the decoration of building exteriors then.

Buildings with severe, basic shapes and light, bright exteriors were embellished with cement or sandstone friezes, fascias, and figurative inserts, and their surfaces arranged in ordered and rhythmical patterns(v).

The sunburst is a common motif of building decoration and this is most famously seen at the spire of the Chrysler building.

Spire of the Chrysler Building

Elevator doors of the Chrysler Building

Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ceiling of the Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles

8

Helsinki (Finland) railway station, 1910-1914

Tanjong Pagar (Singapore) KTM railway station, 1932

These two train stations almost 90 degrees latitude apart, built around the beginning and tail-end of the Art Deco period respectively, share similar characteristics. Note the clean curves of the arches, the circular openings and cubist-like forms. They also share similar decorative motifs on their facades.

Sculpture Art Deco sculpture is easily recognizable. The bronze and ivory (chryselephantine statuary) technique was invented and widely used. And the subject matter was often dancers and stage performers from faraway cultures or Western antiquity, almost invariably female. Animals were sometimes depicted as well, in various dramatic poses. The pieces were usually handcrafted and individually unique and hence, expensive today. Exotic materials such as onyx, enamel and silver were used. Certain Art Deco motifs such as the sunburst and streamlined shapes are also evident in many sculptures.

9

‘Antinea’ by Demetre Chiparus3, c1925

‘The comet’ by Maurice Guiraud-Riviere4, c1920s

Furniture Art deco motifs such as the use of decorative sunbursts, zigzags and chevrons, usually applied as veneers to the surfaces of furniture, were prevalent. The imaginative use of bold colour in furnishings was also a characteristic feature. The materials selected for furniture projects were increasingly exotic. Timbers such as rosewood, Macassar ebony and amboyna was used and often veneered to accentuate the dramatic differences in grain and visual texture. Snakeskin, shagreen, parchment and lacquer were frequently applied to large surfaces to enhance the impression of opulence(vi). Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann was the most famous furniture designer of this time and two of his works are shown below.

3 Silver, gilt and enamel bronze figure of a beautiful revue dance in dramatic pose with elaborate costume, headdress and cape, raised on onyx and marble sunburst plinth. 4 Depicts a speeding goddess with streaming hair diving through the clouds, with the hair forming a fan of deco flame. Orginally meant as a vehicle hood mascot /ornament.

10

‘Nicolle5’ by Ruhlmann, c.1926

A Macassar ebony and silvered bronze desk by Ruhlmann, c1930

Glass, Ceramics, Silver and metalwork, Jewellery, Lighting, Tableware, Fabrics

Silvered bronze enamel clock by Jean Goulden, c.1928

Platinum and 11.50 carat diamond brooch, c.1920

Earthenware teaset by Susie Cooper, c.1934

Glass and enamel vase by Rene Lalique, c.1925

5

Macassar ebony, tortoiseshell and ivory inlaid cabinet

11

Art Deco extended across these art forms as well but an individual exposition of each is beyond the scope of this paper. What is important to remember that they do share common Art Deco characteristics, such as being influenced by exotic cultural art - African, Morrocan tribal art, Japanese and Chinese art, Oriental, Aztec, Egyptian art – often in the form of stylized figurative motifs. Geometric or linear formality and optical simplicity can also be seen. Bold colours and exotic materials are also common characteristics. All of which was aimed achieving a traditional yet innovative feel, expressing both modern simplicity and an elegant dynamism. A notable figure for glass and jewellery making then was Rene Lalique.

12

Modern influence One example of Art Deco poster design’s influence today is the use of sans serif and modern typefaces. Apart from typeface, many present day advertising posters also use similarly strong mathematical and geometric lines and layout so reminiscent of the Art Deco era.

6 7

‘Timeless’ album cover for Diane Schuur6, c.1986

Stephane Kardos’s poster ideas for ‘Ratatouille’ film, c.2007

‘X-men’ poster art by Eric Tan 7, c.2007

Album cover for “Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age”, c.1997

American blind jazz singer, b.1953Employee of Disney, Florida

13

Star Wars celebration poster, c.2007

Poster for Ann Arbor, Michigan 2007 summer art fair by Carolyn Smith

The Diane Schuur album cover evokes the nostalgia of the 1930s Jazz Age with its Art Deco design – bold colours and clean geometric lines. Similarly, the “Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age” reproduces the look of the 1930s – Hollywood’s Golden Age. The subject matter is a female depicted in a sensuous and sophisticated way. The black and white colours add to the “old” feel. The Ratatouille posters with its clean lines and curves and vibrant colours evoke a retro-futuristic feel which is perhaps meant to convey a sense of classic timelessness for the restaurant. The X-Men poster’s dark colours and intersecting lines, and the background of luminated eyes gives the poster a sinister and menacing look, which recalls the mafia-related violence of 1930s Chicago. The Star Wars celebration Art Deco poster recalls the influence of the machine age on artists, designers and architects in the 1930s, and this suits the futuristic look of the Star Wars universe. The subject matter in the Ann Arbor art fair poster is a cinema façade which is itself Art Deco. The clean geometric cube shapes of the buildings and signboard accentuate the poster’s Art Deco look.

14

Commercial art posters by K C Sanders Art Studio commissioned by Disney, c.2008

The series of posters above are clearly influenced by the Art Deco style. Notice the clean geometric lines and use of bold colours. The empowered female figure, a performer figure of sorts in a dramatic pose, a typical Art Deco subject matter, is captured powerfully in the form of Jessica Rabbit and Tinkerbell above. Notice how the female is depicted as sultry, sensuous and sophisticated, reflecting the mood of 1920s Art Deco movement – when women started becoming a credible force in the economy, and sipped wine at jazz bars. Notice the typical Art Deco style use of the skyscraper cityscape outline in the background for the Jessica Rabbit poster. Even the taxi itself is Art Deco in design – recalling the retrofuturistic sedan design of the 1930s by Chrysler Airflow sedan and Nash Ambassador Slipstream sedan.

The ‘male’ version in the form of Mickey Mouse, is captured in a state of motion, reflecting a typical Art Deco obsession with speed and power, by his transfiguration into a race car driver and a superhero in

15

flight. The common Art Deco poster theme of travel – featuring ocean liners, trains, aeroplanes, automobiles – is also somewhat reminiscent in the Mickey Mouse posters. The straight lines, zigzags and chevrons can clearly be seen (common Art Deco motifs), and add to the exuberant and dynamic feel of the posters. Notice that there are few curves in the Mickey Mouse posters, and that the curves in the ‘female’ posters belong to the figure of women. The former is about power and speed whereas the latter provides an interesting juxtaposition of sensuality and power.

Lamp Berger diffuser bottles

Chanel perfume bottles

Notice how the above luxury bottles (containing scent products) are influenced by Art Deco’s use of rectilinear forms and simple clean curves. This conveys a sense of elegant sophistication appealing to the tastes of the rich clientele. For the Lamp Berger bottles, note the use of different materials – perhaps gold or silver – which is characteristic of Art Deco ornaments. However, the design elements inscribed on the

16

Lamp Berger bottles are influenced by Art Nouveau. Note the typography for the Chanel bottles – clean and simple sans serif.

Trump Super Premiere Vodka by Drinks Americas

Note the use of extravagant materials – the use of real gold, and the clean rectilinear form of the bottle. The box cover design is a typical Art Deco style.

Art Deco style lighting

Note the clean geometric circles and rectilinear forms. The rightmost two pictures clearly reveal architecture-drawn inspiration.

17

Swarovski grand piano and coffee machine

Note the lavish decorative feature of the Swarovski crystals, the piano having 9000 hand polished crystals alone. The coffee machine is Machine Age-inspired.

Tokyo Motor Show 2007, various car manufacturers

Note the retro-futuristic look of the cars and the clean, bold geometric shapes and outline. This “look” complements the nature of the products themselves, which use futuristic technology such as hybrid fuel. Note how the first car’s shape reminds one of a carriage drawn by horses. The second car’s shape looks like the Volkswagen Type I car in the 1930s and the third car’s streamline shape brings to mind the 1937 Chrysler Airflow Club Coupe.

18

Disney MGM Studios - Florida

Disney is a big fan of Art deco it seems. An entire section of the Downtown Disney in Anaheim California and also their MGM Studios across the Northern Continental America in Florida consist of Art Deco buildings. Note the rectilinear forms, clean curves and bold geometric cubist shapes. Perhaps the Art Deco look was chosen to recall the glamour and luxury of the Jazz era in the 1930s, which was also Hollywood’s Golden Age. From a marketing perspective, the retro-futuristic look enhances the feeling of being in a fantasy setting, which complements Disney’s business of entertainment. The Disney Hollywood Hotel in Hong Kong, which opened in 1995, is Art Deco right down to its signage, interiors and lighting as seen below. Another notable Art Deco building in the international scene is right here in Singapore in the form of the Parkview Square building. Much of pre-war Shanghai also had a distinct Art Deco style.

19

Disney Hollywood hotel, Hong Kong

Art Deco also exerted its influence in modern day electronic media design such as games and films. To quote from Wikipedia(vii):-

“ In media, such (Art Deco) examples are obvious in Batman: The Animated Series from the early 1990s in which the show's creators used art-deco styling fused with a deliberate darkness to create an art-deco variant style often referred to as Dark Deco. Films such as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Dick Tracy, and King Kong have various art-deco elements as well. …

Art Deco can also be seen in the graphic design of various video games, such as BioShock and the Fallout series, which use it to give their high-tech settings a retro-futuristic feel. The film-noir-type adventure game Grim Fandango largely takes place in a very pronounced art-deco environment, and the strategy game Sim City 4 has similar influences as well. ”

20

Conclusion I find the Art Deco movement intriguing because it was the movement that gave prominence to the graphic artist whose role was to popularize a commercial product by producing images to reach as wide an audience as possible(viii). This is also the reason why I chose to concentrate more on Art Deco graphic art - painting and poster design - in this paper although Art Deco spans a wide spectrum of the decorative arts.

Another reason why I chose Art Deco was because when I visited my first American City of Chicago in 2000, I was and still am fascinated by the architecture of some of the Art Deco buildings I saw, including the Chicago Board of Trade Building, 333 North Michigan Building and the Field Building, all designated Chicago landmarks. Thus, I wanted to find out more about the art movement that inspired these buildings.

I think that Art Deco is probably the art style most synonymous with modernization and elegance/ sophistication/ class, which will ensure its timeless and classic status. The influence of the energy, exuberance, dynamism and modern simplicity of Art Deco design can still be felt today, and the movement as a whole, is as relevant now as it was then.

21

References No. i

Source

Author

Christie's Art Deco. Great Britain: Pavilion Books Ltd.,

Page no.

Gallagher, Fiona.

10-15

2000. ii

“Art Deco”. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org

Various

-

iii

“Art Deco”. Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Various

-

Various

28

Various

-

Gallagher, Fiona.

40

http://www.britannica.com iv

Art Deco - Painting and Design. London: Quantum Books Ltd., 1998.

v

“Arts of the 20th Century”. History of Art. http://www.allart.org


vi

Christie's Art Deco. Great Britain: Pavilion Books Ltd., 2000.

vii

“Art Deco”. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org

Various

-

viii

Art Deco - Painting and Design. London: Quantum Books

Various

34

Ltd., 1998.

22

Appendix I - Photocopies of references

23

Appendix II - Design Exploration

24