4 Areas That Art Deco Contributed Immensely Art Deco is a design style introduced at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes, held in Paris in 1925. However, the term art deco wasn’t famous until art historian Bevis Hillier used it in her book, Art Deco of the 20’s and 30’s. Unlike its predecessor, art nouveau, art deco does not have a philosophy – it is only a decoration style. But its influence on art, architecture, and fashion was immense. Here are a few areas that were inspired by the art deco style; • Art Deco In Media: No other movie captures the essence of the art deco style more than the 1927 film, The Metropolis. The visual and thematic elements in the movie use rectilinear shapes and geometrical motifs; all inspired by art deco. Ayn Rand’s novel The Fountainhead also introduces this design approach through her protagonist Howard Roark, whose architectural style is reflective of art deco. It also influenced poster designing, for example, the poster for The Metropolis and cover posters for Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar. • Art Deco In Architecture: Art Deco was a key influence in the architecture of its time. Prime examples of this include The Chrysler Building in New York, the Los Angeles Union Station, The Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Building. And of course, the 800 odd buildings in South Beach, Miami! • Art Deco In Automobile Designing: The art deco style influenced automobile designing as much as it inspired architecture. Some of the best examples of this can be found among French car manufacturers Bugatti and Delahaye. Hispano – Suiza was another manufacturer to include art deco elements in its designs. The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California has one of the finest collections of art deco cars in the world. It is also home to the 1938 Type 57SC Atlantic Bugatti – one of the world’s most expensive cars in the world. Of the three cars manufactured, only two remain. Besides the one in the Mullin Automotive Museum, fashion designer and avid car collector Ralph Lauren owns the other, says Dave Dunlop in this article. • Art Deco in Fashion: Some of the early influences of art deco can be found in the designs of Chanel, Patou, and Poiret. They used a tubular silhouette with dresses that clung to the body. It was also around this time that actresses like Katherine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich made it acceptable for women to wear trousers. Resource Box:
The Author loves researching different design elements; art deco being his favorite. His research on this subject has taken him far and wide including the Mullin Automotive Museum.