Art Deco
A mix of
modern decorative art styles, largely of the 1920s and
1930s, whose main characteristics were derived from various
avant-garde painting styles of the early twentieth century.
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.
The growing impact
of the machine can be seen in repeating and overlapping images from
1925; and in the 1930s, 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.
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.
Representative
painters:
Cassandre, Lempicka,
Marfurt, Wood,