THE HISTORY AND
JOURNEY OF ART DECO
Holding an
exaggerated “mirror” (Eva Weber, E. W. (2003) Art Deco. JG Press) to its
times, Art Deco represented the cultural progression Paris witnessed in the
late 19th and early 20th century. Technology had begun
its worldwide journey through surges of interest and a loop of technological
evolution. However, it didn’t
just “become”, it was an influenced
manifestation and departure from other movements - Art Nouveau, Modernism and Cubism.
Carolyn Mcdowall believes “It borrowed
from virtually all the design stars of the past in order to fashion the future”
(www.youtube.com, What is Art Deco, 2010). In
other words, it was a retrospective study of the past that gave its response
with modern influence in order to lead the way - and it did. Its aims focused on “simplifying form,
streamlining it, and fitting it to suit function” (www.youtube.com, 2010) as Carolyn Mcdowall believes. Take
the two examples to the right – the 1930’s decorative, geometrical staircase
with iron bars and oak wreathed handrails, as well as the 21st
century clinical, mathematical and elegant staircase – you can see this design
philosophy flowing within these two interior staircases. They are simple, they
are streamlined - they are functional. But declared quondam, Art Deco resonated
within a cluster of art forms within the decorative arts. Such examples are the
colourfully bold stained glass window salvaged from old “residential homes from England” (www.stainedinglass.co.uk, 2004) or the iconic 1933 Chicago World's Fair poster, that
summarised Art Deco on all parts and even the glorifying female “Flapper”
fashion that revolutionised the independence of woman. This variety of examples
grounds Art Deco’s embrace as a fact of life, not just an artistic theory – it
defined a generation.
Years passed,
Art Deco hit its stride, its influence was felt and its apex finally arrived.
Its penultimate stop - central between two world wars - and thus, its eventual
wane in popularity. Why? The Great Depression. The war was less a physical,
more an economic disaster, especially in France, with ArtHistory.net stating
that “it did have to rebuild its economy
after the Great Depression of 1929” (www.arthistory.net, 2009). Money was scarce, resultant from the financial redirection
for arms and military defence. The result? Industrialisation – everything was at the bare
minimum, with no room for extravagant, elitist, biased design. Art Deco began
to lose its cultural popularity, leaving in its wake a permanent shadow of its
former self – cars, transport and architecture. Its most famous
examples being the UK’s Midlands Hotel in Morecombe and the Parade of
Progress transit van – projections of Art Deco’s artistic style (both seen above).
Art
Deco’s influential journey, from its rise to its fall, wouldn’t have been
possible but for those who drove it, developed it and solidified it – its key
Designers, Hector Guimard, Eugene Grasset and Raoul Lachenal, or to abbreviate
it, the Decorative Artists Society
ART DECO’S KEY
DESIGNERS
What is
the Decorative Artists Society? What did it do for Art Deco? Who were those
involved? What was their influence on the movement? These are the questions
that must be answered to appreciate Art Deco’s journey from an influenced idea
to a movement that influenced the future.
ArtHistory.net declares that the
“founder of the Decorative Artists Society” was “Hector Guimard” (www.arthistory.net, 2009) along
with other key influential designers. With the goal to demonstrate
internationally, the evolution of French decorative arts, the Decorative Arts
Society followed Art Nouveau and moulded Art Deco as an extension of its ornate
heritage – a influenced predecessor – a homage with its own statement.
Practicing with this goal and influence at its core, three early members used
the Decorative Arts Society as a catalyst for creative expression - Hector
Guimard, Eugene Grasset and Raoul Lachenal. However, their intrinsic talent
existed long before this milestone in Art Deco’s journey – they were each individual,
passionate, artistically craving and independent designers with their own
influences and rich portfolios.
Starting
with the most renowned founder of the Decorative Artists Society, Hector
Guimard, born in 1867, “was an important
French architect, interior designer and designer of Art nouveau objects.” (www.hector-guimard.com,
2007) Influenced heavily by the Belgian designer and architect Victor
Horta, Guimard’s most famous work was Paris’ Art Nouveau metro entrances, with
their artistic legacy surviving to this present day – 86 of them to be exact.
Completing main bodies of personal work, Guimard took it upon himself to accept
various commissions for projects, eventually becoming the pin-up for Art
Nouveau - and rightfully so, with HectorGuimard.com stating he was “regarded as the leading exponent of the Art
nouveau style, which is often called the "Style Guimard" in France.”
(www.hector-guimard.com, 2007). This
was a feat by all means; he became an icon and astoundingly, an influence to
his influences. His artistic legacy was an eventuality of passion and attention
to detail. “No detail was unimportant to
him” (www.hector-guimard.com, 2007) – his
work with iron, steel and colour in architecture left an influential ripple
that confidently placed the foundation of Art Deco. But he was not alone.
Eugene Grasset
was a man of many artistic trades – “carpet patterns, decorative iron,
jewellery, calendars, postage stamps, and much more.” (www.eugene-grasset.com, 2007). Born May 25th,
1841, in a French speaking Switzerland city named “Lausanne”, Grasset started his
journey studying architecture at a school in Zurich. Although not a conclusive
success, he travelled the world, ravishing and soaking up the variety of
cultures surrounding him. Egyptian, Aztec and Parisian are just a few to name
and through it, eventually came home from his sophisticated venture, “active in all areas of applied art,
including furniture design, book illustrations, and posters.” (www.eugene-grasset.com, 2007). His famous
versatile portfolio of work included the façade of the Hôtel de Dumas in Paris, mosaics in Saint Etienne in Braire and
stained glass windows in the cathedral at Orléans. Although not the cultural
icon Guimard was, the “versatility and
the trends in his works” were solely responsible for his comparisons to
reformers such as Walter Crane. In that fact, he became an invaluable tool to
the Decorative Artists Society - a bible of cultural knowledge, leaving only
one more designer to complete the comprehensive trio - Raoul Lachenal.
Working “in his father's studio until 1911, when he
established a new workshop at Boulogne-sur-Seine.” (www.jasonjacques.com, 2011), Raoul Lachenal
focused on the art of ceramics. With a heavy exertion of influence from his
father, Edmond Lachenal, organically formed influences beamed through his
glazed ceramic work. However, his work still retained a personal character - a
personal expression. After developing his accomplished portfolio, he finally
exhibited his extravagant stoneware at the Paris salons in 1904. With a “positive
reception” to such work as the Lotus Charger and Curvy Vines, he took that as a successful milestone
and began to develop upon it. He “adopted
an additional decorative mode: incising geometrical designs on stoneware and
filling the sections with vividly contrasting slips.” - Key design aspects
that eventually defined the movement, Art Deco. Whilst he was not a great
versatile, influential pioneer like Grasset or Guimard, Lachenal had developed
a precise talent for decoration, and brought his geometric character to the
Decorative Arts Society.
As a
collective, all three designers brought their palette of varied knowledge and
experience to the table to develop a unification of styles, influences and
ideas. The result? An artistic society which demonstrated the evolution of
French decorative arts. However, although each designer brought their talent to
push Art Deco to its apex between the wars, The Great War brought along with it
an industrialised world to facilitate The Great Depression – a point in history
that tortured the wealthy art style of Art Deco. Along with the biased, elitist
movement, the wealthy shapes and the vibrant colours, Art Deco and its
facilitator, the Decorative Arts Society, waned. Regardless, by this point, Art
Deco had already left its stamp of cultural and artistic history – it had an
image, an atmosphere, even a way of life.
However, years
passed before Art Deco reached its apex. It was only until the “Exposition Universelle” of 1900 that
promoted Paris’s achievements of the past century that Art Deco “really” started to naturally manifest
as its own independent movement. It was at this retrospective that the “Decorative Artists
Society was founded following the Universal Exposition of 1900”
(www.arthistory.net, 2005). This was to become the
most crucial step of Art Deco’s journey as its early members were influential designers
- Hector Guimard, Eugene Grasset and Raoul Lachenal. Coincidentally,
these designers just happened to practice Art Deco’s main influences – Art Nouveau,
Cubism and Modernism. These are the individuals that eventually set the
foundations, built upon the foundations and set the standard Art Deco is
internationally identified by today. Not years later, in 1925, did the “Exposition Internationale des Arts
Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes” take place, where John M.
Cunningham states “the style
was first exhibited” (www.britannica.com, 2012). Before this, it was a developing style, attempting to find
its feet and keep its footing as the style “Style
Modern” (www.britannica.com, 2012). It was at this famed
exhibition, that the term “Art Deco” was
coined – which, as surprising as it is, was an abbreviation of the
exhibitions name which propelled it into the cultural spotlight.
THE CULTURAL
IDENTITY OF ART DECO
“Hollywood is Art Deco, Art Deco is Hollywood” (www.youtube.com, 2011) – a single quote from Dr Susan
Currell, an expert in American Studies, which summarises Art Deco as a whole.
It’s “all about glamour”, historian
Carolyn Mcdowall confidently states. The fact is, the general public didn’t see
Art Deco’s influences in homes, rather, they were exposed to it through
television and cinema. In fact, Hollywood owes its success to Art Deco, as does
Art Deco owe part of its international success to Hollywood. France had heard
of its name and seen its design, but it was only after this overexposure to the
glamorous new-age statement that it started to flood culture with its artistic
integrity – its idolised image. British designers such as Clarice Cliff
introduced Art Deco to the mass market in the 1920, but it was Hollywood’s Art
Director Frederick Gibbons that marketed the movement consciously to give
Hollywood the glamorous, modern stereotype the 1920’s to 1940’s film industry has
today. It “Represents novelty” and was
“what people looked for” for in
entertainment. Films like “Sabrina” (1954)
had Art Deco influences - the buildings, the fashions, the female independence,
the interior design and the extravagant furniture. “Our Dancing Daughters”
(1928), a classic noire film, clearly showed the fashionable “Flapper” style women were often
pictured in – it was independence, beauty and glamour. However, it was not the
sum of its parts that conjured Art Deco’s representation to the public, it was
the parts themselves.
“The characteristic features of these
pavilions included zigzag architectural setbacks, the use of unusual materials,
the incorporation of decorative wall paintings and ornate metal and glass
worked in geometric and floral patterns. Exquisite metal work by Edgar Brandt
and decorative glass by Lalique were to be found.” (Eva
Weber, E. W. (2003) Art Deco. JG Press.)
By observing
architecture such as the Chrysler Building, The Golden Gate Bridge and the
Morecombe Hotel, you can see how the quote retains validity. Famous for
its mathematical and elegant geometric shapes, Art Deco
became heavily influenced over the early 20th century. In the UK you
have the Midlands Hotel in Morecombe, inspired by the geometrical focus Art
Deco adopts. In the US you have the Chrylser Building which
was inspired by the trademark Sunburst Motif, and the
Golden Gate Bridge which focuses on mathematical shapes
to facilitate function. Art Deco’s identity even finds itself within the
interiors of cinema theatres - cinemas such as the Royal Palace Theatre.
It was this
consolidation of attributes that composed the general cultural image Hollywood
utilised and in turn, the image the world adopted. However, these parts
originated from the designers that implemented them into the mix – designers who
were influenced both individually and as a collective society.
THE INSPIRATIONS
OF ART DECO
The Art
of Babylon. Ancient Egypt. Aztec Mexico. Africa. A culmination of historical styles
that spawned the common household image of Art Deco and, without realising it,
modern society is exposed to its massive influence day by day. Now, look back
at the quote from Carolyn Mcdowall - “It borrowed from virtually all the
design stars of the past in order to fashion the future” (www.youtube.com, 2010). Now look at the aforementioned cultures
– these are the design stars so vaguely mentioned in Mcdowall’s commentary and
with them, Art Deco created a collage of these artistic inspirations to create
a whole new vision of the present, and an ambition of the future. But there was
one design style which prompted its cloud nine ambition - Art Nouveau, its
forerunner movement.
Many find it hard to differentiate
between these two. Simply because Art Deco is the spiritual younger brother of
Art Nouveau and in turn, share many similar ideologies and visual qualities. So
what is Art Nouveau? It’s “Fluidness, curvy,
intricate, decorative, flowery.” (www.youtube.com, 2011) says Spencer Thompson. There were a
lot of natural elements incorporated into Art Nouveau pieces – it was a
decorative statement - a protest against the mass producing, industrial
revolution. In this movement ‘decorative’ is the operative adjective. Art Deco
had similar aims and visual aspects – decoration through elegance, shapes and
imagery. However, the difference here is that Art Nouveau was a reaction. Art
Deco was an observation and glorification, borrowing mainly from its design
hero Art Nouveau, twisting it with its own character for a literal but
exaggerated representation of modern society. But there was one more design
style culprit that created the shadow that Art Deco could light – Avant Garde.
Vam.co.uk states that Avant Garde was “The new visual language, colour and iconography” (www.vam.co.uk, 2003). Its geometric
abstract and visually fragmented vocabulary placed the foundation for Art Deco
to colour. As a design style that was also a combination of forerunner styles,
Avant Garde was a statement of dynamic modernism. It was this statement and
this ideology alone that inspired the young Art Deco. Think of Avant Garde as
the dotted lines that Art Deco could connect, followed by colouring in between
those influenced lines with Nouveau’s colourful, decorative palette – the
result is Art Deco, a movement which took from the past, to create the new.
So, Art Deco
was a natural evolution of various styles and cultures. It progressed with a
little artistic and social assistance to define a generation. It then witnessed
another milestone – The Great Depression - forcing Art Deco into hiding. But in
this wane, it left Art Nouveau’s and Avant Garde’s influential shadows to stand
its own spotlight. It placed the stamp at the end of its story, leaving behind
its legacy - a legacy that influenced others. Now, in the present day, Art Deco
has come full circle. It “is enjoying a
substantial revival of interest” (Eva Weber,
E. W. (2003) Art Deco. JG Press.)
ART DECO
TODAY
Mass production in the mid-20th
century forced Art Deco into the industrial revolution’s aftermath, to be left
in the dark with only threads of light to highlight its parts. Now, in the 21st
century, its legacy remains as a whole, but its book seemingly remains closed,
waiting for a new chapter. These threads of light remain within the various
examples of lasting architecture, fashion and furniture. However, there are
still enthusiasts out there that believe Art Deco’s heritage and legacy are as
important now, as they were in the early 20th century. Art
Deco Society of Boston is one of such governments. The society’s goal “is the preservation of our Art Deco and
Modern architectural heritage.” (www.bostonartdeco.com, 2009). And with Art
Deco’s remnants aging every day, the society aims to preserve key locations and
works that symbolise its legacy. But even within this desperate grasp on Art
Deco’s legacy, it still makes itself known around the world. The Midlands Hotel
and the Chrysler Building are examples already discussed, but Art Deco hides
within the cracks today’s influences forget to polish over with its ignorance.
It was said that Art Deco featured heavily in theatres, this has not changed.
The Cineworld Cinema is the most popular cinema in the UK. The photo to the
right, taken in Didsbury, is one of the many identical screens around the in
the UK. Look closely and instantly seen,
is the sunburst motif created by the
use of light and shadow - in this case it is actually used to present
light rather than to represent an ideology or symbol like
the Chrysler Building succeeded in doing, with its sunburst peak as
if to say "Look at this, look at
what our country has accomplished". This Cineworld in
Didsbury, like many others around the country, simply used it for
effect - understandable considering its magnificent effect.
CONCLUSION
Art Deco
started as a conceptual vision, inspired by what came before it, adopting
various aspects of various ideologies, directions and historical designs. It
took its journey, blossoming with a little help from exhibitions, influential
designers, ambitious societies and pop culture. In the end, it reached its apex
during the wars, lost its relevant energy, and waned through time and events.
However, in its partial demise, remained legacy – a legacy that influenced the
future, leaving a lasting impression to artistically cherish. Replacing, were
new interpretations of modern society and new visions of the future - movements
such as Futurism and Memphis, which were more relatable. However, without Art Nouveau, Avant Garde, Cubism
and Modernism, today’s predecessor movements wouldn’t exist, nailing Art Deco’s
legacy to our history. Satisfying and approving its goal – to borrow “from virtually all the design stars of the past in order to fashion the
future” (www.youtube.com, What is Art Deco?, 2010). This
remained core to the movement Art Deco, proving that although flawed in its bias
towards the elite, Art Deco was a milestone in the arts.
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