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Art Deco decoded
An opulent interior with Eichholtz furniture and accessories (eichholtz.com/en/)
Art Deco is almost a century old and yet its opulent, glamorous influence still holds a big design sway in modern interiors. Emma Clegg evaluates the history and asks local designers for their advice on how it works in contemporary spaces
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he Art Deco style has been a consistent and influential thread in contemporary interior design in recent years, and its signature features are those that most of us will recognise around us, in architecture, furniture and interior elements. But what are the historical roots of Art Deco and what defines the style? And why does it have such a strong presence today? Art Deco (1925–1940s) takes its name from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. This was the concept of the Société des Artistes Décorateurs (Society of Decorative Artists), a group founded by a group of artists in 1901. This established the influence of decorative artists who were designers of textiles, furniture, and other ornamentation. Previously considered as ordinary artisans, they were given a recognised status as specialists in ‘arts decoratifs’. The style, first publicly seen during the 1925 exhibition, was one that had gathered pace since the society’s formation in the early part of the century – in 1925 it was referred to as ‘New Moderne’ and it was not until later that the term Art Deco was adopted. The 1925 exhibition highlighted the new 80 TheBATHMagazine
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style of architecture, interior decoration, furniture, glass, jewellery and other decorative arts in Europe and throughout the world. The style – which grew out of the more organic, fluid and nature-based decorative designs and motifs of Art Nouveau (1890-1910) – was a backlash against the traditional designs popular at the time and against the past, seeking to embrace a new world that maintained decorative elements, but was defined by
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Burlington mirror (atkinandthyme.co.uk)
sleeker, more urban references. Art Deco is purely decorative, with no philosophical undertone, and was influenced by the geometric forms of Cubist art, the machine-style of Constructivism and Futurism, as well as Art Nouveau. It was also a response to the advances in modern technology of the 1920s, and this is expressed within its characteristic smooth lines, geometric shapes and streamlined forms. The style also has a glamorous, aspirational luxury, emanating from its typical materials of silver, crystal, ivory, jade and lacquer. The geometric shapes of Art Deco reference Greco-Roman Classicism as well as the faceted forms of Babylon, Assyria, Ancient Egypt and Aztec Mexico. The trapezoidal, zigzagged and triangular shapes, chevron patterns, stepped forms, sweeping curves and sunburst motifs can be found in every form of Art Deco, from architecture to jewellery. The work of many artists and designers defined and captured the Art Deco era, with names including René Lalique and his ornate, luxurious glass and jewellery, Jean Després and his geometric jewellery, ÉmileJacques Ruhlmann and his sleek furniture, illustrator and graphic artist René Vincent, and painter, sculptor and metal craftsman