Importance of Art Deco

Within the different schools or artistic styles, Art Deco is perhaps one of the most important and representative of the time. Emerged in the 20th century, it is considered by many to be one of the greatest samples of human modernity.

Time of emergence and reason for the name

As with many of the artistic schools, Art Deco received its name after its emergence. Some point out that this name was established in the 1960s by looking back on all that artists of the style had built and achieved. It refers to the idea of ​​decorative arts, a branch of the arts that occupied a very important space in the abundant production of Art Deco authors and artists.

To better understand this phenomenon, we must frame it properly. Dates vary by each historian but in general terms it is located in the 20th century, in the 1930s, when it reached its peak. Many also even add the previous decade. This era was characterized by being the period between the wars, which led to the emergence of different styles from those of previous years. As most European and Western societies found themselves in a context of well-being, luxury and a new mentality characterized the arts.

Distinctive elements of this artistic school

Unlike what happened decades earlier with the Art nouveau, Art Deco was mainly interested in and specialized in the development of straight lines and geometric figures. His search went much more for the austerity of the designs than the abundance of elements. Also inspired by some of the artistic vanguards of the time such as cubism or futurism, the artists of this style sought to represent their ideas with elastic, hard, straight, geometric.

Also characteristic of this type of art was the elaboration of repetitive patterns that soon became very common in upholstery, textile and clothing design. These patterns used to be built with geometric figures, in the shape of scales, with straight and oblique lines that endlessly repeat themselves in the same space.

At the same time, in terms of construction and architecture, Art Deco preferred the use of austere and austere materials such as aluminum or concrete, while gray, gold and silver color palettes abounded in painting. Many buildings in the cities that began to grow at this time, such as New York, show a clear Art Deco style and are taken as architectural references for that school.

The presence in the minor arts

The structure and ideology of Art Deco was so particular but at the same time so simple that its characteristics could easily be transferred from what is known as fine arts to the minor arts: upholstery, textile design, furniture, porcelain, interior decoration, graphics and the advertising. In all these cases we observe art options in which the same characteristics abound: geometric shapes and lines. lines, silver and gold colors, repetitive design patterns, organic shapes simplified or transformed into geometries, etc

Images: Fotolia. Csák István – Yury Gubin