The Period of Art Deco & Industrial Design

 The Art Deco Era is a sub category of the modernist movement that originated in France but became popular in the United State after World War I. This era was a brief period between the two world wars and was a time of celebration, also known as the roaring 20s. 

With the idea of this time being celebrating and progressing economically in the United States, design masses had a luxurious style and extensive accessories. This included exotic materials, hand crafts furniture, geometric patterns, ivory flooring, shiny surfaces, and the use of dark lacquer wood. While luxurious taste was a big idea of this era, functionalism was still in play with have nonordimatrional spaces. However, functionality was becoming restfulness which is when decor became more essential to spaces whether that be in a famine or masculine way. 

This is when industrial design came into play when designers studied the interacting human had "with devices and environments" by solving design problems. This includes material such as chrome and plastic. This category is a combination of Art Deco decoration and sleek streamlining. 

FUNCTIONALIST VS DECO

The period of Art Deco was categorized into many categories, one of the categories was functionalism and decorations. While designers during this time were battling with turning away from functional design and focusing on just decor; functionalists designer focused on basing an interior space on functionalism that includes functionality, simplicity, mass production, and designing space for basic use and social gatherings. While the designers who based spaced on decorators had values of labor intensive craftsmanship, lavish design, and no concerned with social theory. 

The image to the right is an office space during the 1920s that has functionalism features due to the simplistic and is an interior space that is designed properly for a person to complete a task well. The space is very minimal with only have key features to decorate an office space. These features include desk, lighting, chairs, desk, and an extra table. 

                                            Image above is an office space during the 1920s

Although these two images of the 1920s functionalism design and modern application differs from the deco design, the designs still hold common characteristics to this period with having prominent light fixtures and large wooden furniture. 

Image above is a modern application of functionalism

Deco during this period of the jazz era and roaring 20s, it was about creating a new design of richness based on rich materials of leather, polish metals, mirrors, and glass with also incorporating chevron shapes, prominent light fixtures, and large furniture. A French interior designer who focused on these elements is Jacques- Emile Ruhlmann. He focused on glamours designs and building furniture out of unusual materials such as ebony, zebra wood, sharkskin, and ivory. 

An example of a furniture piece that focused on deco that was built by Ruhlmann is his arm chair. The arm chair is design quite differently than a typical arm chair because it is much wider and focused on extending the arm rest and back rest. Additionally, he used counter-curves in the arm chair which was a different design in styling these types of chairs. The material was also different but high end with it being macassaar ebony and white fabric. With the use of an unusual but comfortable material, it allowed the furniture to have elegance and stand out to other furniture. 

                                                                              Arm Chair designed by Jacques Emile Ruhlmann

The interior spaces were very much focused on high end design with the idea of having elaborate and expensive design. The 1920s design of Normandie interior has these characterics because of the use of glass, steel and wooden material. Additionally, the floor and lighting gives the space a more rich look. The modern application also has a rich look to it based on the geometric design that goes around the room and the gold accent color.       

                                                                                 Image below is a modern application of Art Deco

Pictured above is the Normandie Interior 

                                                                                                              

MASCULITY VS FEMINISM DECO

The masculine design was industrial design that was based on machinery and the new technology of aerodynamics. This design had less focus on aesthetic goal by emphasizes on sustainability and durability. While this focus of industrial design had been used in architecture and interior spaces, it was also used in transportation vilechal and appliances in homes. It overall portrayed the Art Deco category because of the slick forms of streamlining. 

The image to the right is a modern day application of a masculine industrial interior space. It show cases masculine features such as the color palette of black and grays, having leather furniture, and brick walls. Additionally, the industrial features are there due to the steel material in the ceiling, furniture, and lighting. 

                                                                                        Above is a Modern Day Application of Masculine and Industrial Design

A prime example of a masculinity design during Art Deco is the Chrysler building in New York built in 1924. The Chrysler building had characteristics of Art Deco with the use of geometric patterns of triangles and circles. The reason that this specific building represents the masculine look because it has a machine like appearance and based off of industrial design; it portrays the use of advanced technology on architecture. The inside entrance has a lavish look with gold being the main color with glass ceiling, and shiny flooring. There is also use of geometric shape in the door with triangles and squares then above the door is rectangular shapes. 

The main industrial focus of the building is the eagles that are connected around the exterior of the Chrysler building. They are made of a corrosion- resistant steel material which gives them a shiny industrial look. The eagles were constructed in Germany then brought to the United States. 

Exterior of the Chrysler Building        Interior of the Chrysler Building     Eagle placed outside the Chrysler Building

Aside from the masculine design, the feminine decor was more small scale design and classical. This decor still focused on luxury and geometric lines with the furniture being mass produced; but the color platte was more colorful and creamier colors. Additionally, the interior spaces has more simplistic and open concept with the idea of minimizing the space. 

The interior space pictured to the right is an example of feminine decor space during this time period. The use of wallpaper was very common and something that came out of the art decor period; it was a different way of decorating a space in an affordable way. Due to the mass production of wallpaper and the low cost, it became popular in all homes during the 1920s causing "400 millions rolls to be sold in 1920s alone." The artwork in interior spaces also became focal point in this spaces and matched the colors of the wallpaper within the space.                                                                        

                                                                                  Pictured above is a feminine decor during the 1920s

The colors in both the modern day application and the art deco period of this designs was very bright allowing the space to feel more energetic and enlightening. These colors consisted of warm and pale shades of green and blue while also having pure colors such as reds and yellows as accent colors. The bright colors during the 1920s symbolized prosperity at the time. 

Pictured above is modern application of feminine decor

ONE STEP FURTHER

Portrait of Michel Roux-Spitz-French 

Michel Roux-Spitz-French was an architect and designer during the roaring 20s who's inspiration was the roaring 20s. Instead of focusing on functionalism, his designs were high decorative with the key focus being high end luxurious furniture and design. 

                               Pictured below is Bureau de Administratuer 

designed by Michel Roux- Spritz

Michel Roux-Spitz-French based his design on cubism and African tribal art while also trying to incorporate the skyscrapers verticality in furniture by having long furniture such as the Bureau de Administratuer. 

An interior piece that Michel Roux-Spitz-French created in the Dinning Space in France of 1925. This space was created around the idea of modern electricity and lighting because of the large mirror on the back wall and having a centralized chandaler in the center of the room. This space emphasis the time period of roaring 20s with the high decorative and lavish style with glass and shinny tile floor; not to mention the accessories on the table. 

Pictured above is the Dining Room designed by Michel Roux-Spitz

EXTRA SOURCES

Art Deco During Roaring 20's- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWkovUon8ZY

Popularizing Art Deco- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHF7vnbZD8Q