Glamour's Golden Age

Art Deco is actually the age of decoration of the 1920s and 1930s, which got its name from a poster, like Art Nouveau, this time for the world fair in Paris. It is actually a simplified version of Art Nouveau, without the excessive whiplash curves. It is the time for glamour! It is characterised by the precise and boldly geometric shapes as well as bold colours. Art Deco was mostly used for architecture and household goods. Its products included both individually crafted luxury items and mass-produced objects. The main intention was to create a sleek and non-traditional elegance that symbolized wealth and sophistication, thus the creation of stream lining. 

An important exposition that characterises Art Deco was The Grand Salon of the Hôtel d'un Collectionneur by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, 1925. This was Ruhlmann’s stand at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. This stand was luxurious ans fascinated the visitors with its elegance and exuberant style. Ruhlmann made use of mass produced materials such as Bakelite to replace the precious materials like ebony. The room still look luxurious but at a more affordable price for anyone to have in his home. Other materials which were discovered at the time and used were ivory, enamel, ebony and mother of pearl.

American Art Deco that followed the Paris exposition included all the decorative arts including furniture, flatware and interior design. With regards to the American Art Deco, what they did was to take “the best of European nationalistic styles and updated them, using new techniques and styles." - Barbara Capitman. The idea of adopting other cultures’ patterns continued also through this period. Artists were intrigued by the exotic discoveries and wanted to incorporate them in their creations. Such examples could be seen in:

Edgar Brandt, wrought iron standing lamp with glass bowl by Daum – 1925. This could have been an interpretation of the Indian snake charmers which would have been a novelty brought from the East back home to Europe and America.

During this time occurred other discoveries in foreign lands such as the discovery of Tutankhamen in 1922 which brought back the  fascination to Egyptian art by making use of the sun rays pattern as is shown in both these examples of: Parker Duofol desk set, ca. 1930 and Cochise County Courthouse doors, Bisbee, Arizona, 1931. Architect: Roy W. Place.

 

Another similarity is the famous Chrysler building to the Aztec, Inca and Mayan civilization by interpreting the ziggurats as well as the Egyptians in terms of the eagles.

Farlex. The Free Dictionary: Art Deco. [online] Available at: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/art+deco [Accessed on 1^st November 2013]

Brynmawr. History of American Art Deco. [online] Available at: http://www.brynmawr.edu/cities/archx/05-600/proj/p2/npk/historydeco.htm [Accessed on 1^st November 2013]

UN. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Art Deco. [online] Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/36505/Art-Deco [Accessed on 1^st November 2013]

Katja Anderson, August 2013. Pinterest: The Grand Salon of the Hôtel d'un Collectionneur [online] Available at: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/77405687318558999/ [Accessed on 1^st November 2013]

Seiji Yamauchi. 2009. Naturalistic spoon: Daum Freres. [online] Available at: http://naturalisticspoon.com/Daum_Freres.html [Accessed on 1^st November 2013]

UN. 2012. Ancient civilisations: ziggurats.[online] Available at: http://www.crystalinks.com/ziggurat.html [Accessed on 1^st November 2013]

Adam Underhill. Feb 2012. The Chrysler Building: New York’s Art-Deco Masterpiece.  [online] Available at: http://adamunderhill.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/the-chrysler-building-new-yorks-art-deco-masterpiece/ [Accessed on 1^st November 2013]

Egyptian God Horus. [online] Available at: http://www.sculpturegallery.com/sculpture/egyptian_god_horus.html

[Accessed on 1^st November 2013]