What is Art Deco?

Art Deco is a short abbreviation for the term, Arts Décoratifs, a term which was first used in France in 1858. Art Deco was a period in visual arts that used geometric shapes and strong colors to influence architecture, and product design. This style of design reached its height in the 1920s and 1930s in the U.S. and Europe.

Characteristics

Art Deco’s design relies on relative simplicity, planarity, symmetry and unvaried repetition of elements. It's characterised by its antitraditional characteristics, it originally represented modernism symbolising affluence and stature.

Origin

The Art Deco style emerged in France prior to World War 1. However, the public was only made aware of this trend in 1925 during the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, which was partly based on the idea of the World's Fair.

Pioneers of Art Deco

Léon Bakst (1866 – 1924)
Jean Dunand (1877 – 1942)
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879 – 1933)
Sonia Delaunay (1885 – 1979)
Le Corbusier (1887 – 1965)
Georges Lepape (1887 – 1971)
Jean Després (1889 – 1980)

Inspirations

Art Deco draws inspiration from the art and architecture of Egyptian motifs including the pyramid shapes, and decorative interiors and exteriors and the sheer size and dominating presence of the buildings themselves. Apart from Egypt, Art Deco found influence from other earlier forms of designs such as Art Nouveau, and Cubism. Inspirations in today is the simplicity in modern designs.