Art Deco – The Birthplace Of Modern Art

Art Deco is an abbreviation for the term Decorative Arts and includes a variety of styles and designs which have flourished in the United States since the First World War. Art Deco, occasionally called Deco or Dado, is an entirely different style of architectural, art and interior design which first appeared on French soil only before World War I. Art Deco influenced the construction of skyscrapers, buildings, furniture and even jewelry. It introduced the concept of linear and symmetrical design to architectural practice. The style was born at the same time as the movement toward rationalistic and artistic design, and it was also responsible for laying the basis for the decorative arts which followed.

The birth of Art Deco can be traced back to the French Revolution of 1794 when the aristocratic society in the Paris region started to display paintings in the Houses of Parliament and palaces. This new trend represented an attempt to bring functionalism into the process of governing, and it sparked off the growth of decorative art deco that had a strong effect on the architectural style of the city. Although the actual roots of Art Deco can be traced to the Studios of Verona, where cubists, painters and illustrators used new mediums to make new works, the movement as a whole can be traced back to the Salon des Beaux-Arts. Here artists and experts experimented with new materials and mediums which resulted in a break from the traditional models of the past.

Art Deco can be said to represent the avant-garde movements of the late nineteenth century in architecture and other fields. It represented a rejection of traditionalism and a celebration of fluidity, creativity and new forms which were being practiced in architecture. One such breakthrough was the use of the new decorative glass and ceramics which gave the modernist artists a palette of colours and textures to work with. As a result many buildings of the period can be seen to have a decorative theme which is common amongst many Art Deco landmarks. One example is the Chrysler Building, which for a short period of time was home to one of the most prestigious art deco organisations in the world.

The first Art Deco style movement began in Barcelona after World War I, when artists and craftsmen rediscovered the classical styles and patterns that had been forgotten during the war. These new geometric patterns and the flat brilliant style of decoration which was being practiced at the time made the new decorative styles look like they had lifted directly from the works of Vermeer and Sienain. The term ‘Art Deco’ actually derived from a committee which decided to standardise the name, and it stuck. It wasn’t long before every major city in Europe had its own version of the Art Deco movement, with the number of individual Art Deco style districts increasing as time went on. For example, London’s South Kensington became known as the ‘Dramatic district’ due to the number of high quality buildings which had been constructed in this region during the early part of the decade.

Art Deco paintings which are popular amongst collectors include the famous Barcelona suites which featured at the Exposition of Barcelona in the 1920s, or the Seville Suite which was installed in the same exhibition as the Barcelona suites. Also popular is the Viennese Baroque which features some fantastic examples of Art Deco nouveau architecture. From early Art Deco paintings to the Baroque movement, there has been a lot of Art Deco artwork which has been created throughout the ages, and this trend will continue as more art nouveau style buildings are constructed.

Art Deco should not be seen as merely a decorative style, but as a stylistic development which came about because of the world war ii, and which still continues to influence the styles of many buildings today. Many people view Art Deco as a decorative style which has been taken over by modern decorative traditions, and this is true in some respects. But Art Deco has always been influenced by the new art nouveau style and many of its techniques were later adopted by the Viennese.