foreign
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what comes to your mind when you think
of 1920s
for most people the 1920s conjure up
images of jazz flappers old hollywood
the great gatsby and the chrysler
building in new york city it was a time
of prosperity exorbitant spending and
entertainment that gave rise to one of
the most popular decorative arts and
architecture movements known as art deco
characterized by exquisite craftsmanship
lavish decoration and rich materials the
style has become synonymous with the
roaring twenties so what was the art
deco movement all about and what
differentiates it from other major
movements
finally despite its popularity today
what makes art deco so closely
associated with the 1920s in today's
video we'll dive into the history of the
era and learn about art deco the style
that continues to inspire designers and
architects
around the world
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art deco was a decorative arts design
and architectural style that spanned the
roaring 20s and the great depression
afterward although it had already
appeared in belgium and france before
the first world war in the buildings of
joseph hoffman
and auguste beirei
the movement was officially introduced
to the world in 1925
it had its debut at the international
exhibition of modern decorative and
industrial arts in paris after which it
was named art deco after the great war
europe was left in ruins and confronted
with a depressed economy however in 1925
the french were determined to forget the
troubled past and inspire hope for a
better and prosperous future by
organizing a fair that focused on
architecture and design as crucial
players in recovering from wartime
devastation the rules of the exhibition
required that all pieces reflect aspects
of
modernity although american artists were
not present at the fair the new style
quickly became a great success in the
united states especially in the realm of
architecture
and not only in the states the movement
soon spread throughout the world
becoming mainstream in countries like
great britain portugal cuba russia
indonesia china australia india and
brazil
driven by optimism progress and
technology art deco represented all that
was new and progressive favoring modern
and opulent designs
it's no surprise that the post-war
society embraced it with open arms
especially the wealthy and upper middle
class who craved a brighter future
better entertainment and more
over-the-top luxury
art deco became a popular style for
theaters cinemas ocean liners train
stations
commercial buildings
public buildings
and the emerging skyscrapers exemplified
in the chrysler building by william van
allen in new york city
it even made an impact on the design of
jewelry silverware fine glass objects
fashion advertising theater and movie
sets cars and everyday objects such as
radios and vacuum cleaners
however compared to the modernist
movements arteco was a more decorative
and symbolic expression of modernity
marked by a mixture of different styles
and ornamentation
many different styles and art movements
influenced art deco the geometric forms
of cubism and the style had an important
influence on the style as did the
machine-like forms of futurism and
constructivism
art deco also borrowed from egyptian
mesopotamian and aztec art as well as
classical antiquity
chinese and japanese traditional art
offered artists a new source of
stylistic motifs too even the ballet
ruse notably the exotic set designs by
leon bass inspired designers and
architects of the time
aradeco did find roots
in the aran war
embracing
all kinds of art and focusing on
decoration
however it was far less ornate and
contrary to the curves and the organic
forms of arnold
are the was all about
straight lines sharp edges and geometry
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during its heyday in the 1920s the
eclectic and sophisticated art deco
style represented luxury in opulence
combining costly materials and fine
craftsmanship with the substantial
modernization of art forms seen in the
past
it was a time when the economy was
booming and nothing was cheap about this
new style
people longed for speed travel and
adventure in cars produced by gabrielle
boissa in stylish ocean lines like the
famous ss ile du france built by the
french line they indulged in fun and
alcohol which was illegal in the us at
the time at lavishly decorated
nightclubs people wore glamorous par
dresses daring bob haircuts and luxury
jewelry from cartier
chamet
boucheron
and van cleef and arpals
this glamorous lifestyle is perfectly
captured in the works of one of the most
famous art deco artists the polish
painter tamara de la pisca
her painting style was just as luxurious
as her models as she mostly painted
portraits of the elite of the era
her paintings are marked by clean
sensual lines highly stylized forms
brilliant colors and smooth textures
encapsulating the roaring twenties
elegance style and spirit
in her most famous work the 1925
self-portrait in the green bugatti she
portrayed herself as an independent
woman of beauty wealth and fashion
however when the great depression took
hold in the 1930s art deco entered a
phase marked by economic limitations and
moderation
the style became more restrained
simplified and austere at that time the
u.s replaced france as a leader of the
style a new style in architecture called
streamline modern appeared inspired by
aerodynamic design the style was focused
less on verticality and more on low
horizontal structures it was
characterized by curves long horizontal
lines smooth polished surfaces
and the use of newly arrived and more
affordable materials like chrome
stainless steel and plastic
after world war ii the popularity of art
deco weakened
giving way to the strictly functional
and minimalist modernism
nonetheless the style was lovingly
revisited by designers and architects in
later decades and still inspires as much
joy de vivre in people as it did a
hundred years ago today you can find
many buildings worldwide whose interiors
evoked a luxurious style of art deco
such as the bar american in london the
famous p1 club in munich or the
fitzgerald suite in new york city's
plaza hotel
suppose your wallet doesn't allow you to
party like the great gatsby in that case
you can still enjoy the art deco
aesthetic in movies and tv series
including the british television series
quirat
adapted from the famous novels of agatha
christie tim burton's batman and
numerous big screen and tv translations
of fitzgerald's famous novel the latest
and most extravagant of them being
lerman's the great gatsby
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hey muses what do you find most
interesting about the art deco movement
are there any important figures of the
movement that we left out can you think
of any building in your city that
resembles art deco style if so be sure
to share your thoughts and experiences
in the comments and don't forget to like
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you