The Roaring Twenties – Art Movements

The 1920s was a time of great change and influence. Many art movements were explored and experimented with, it was in this decade that there was a real shift into modern viewpoints and societies.

Art deco, the style I will be exploring further in this project, originated in Europe. It was a dominant style in the 1920s and very influential. It spread to Western Europe and North America, in the US the Chrysler Building was built in New York which typified the Art Deco style. Tamara de Lempicka was one of the most famous artists of the art deco period. Art deco style was characterized by rich colours, luxurious ornamentation and geometric shapes. Celebrated for its pattern designs and poster art, the movement drew inspiration from nature and curved lines for its work. “, Art Deco is analyzed through its innovations in painting, fashion, architecture, interiors, jewellery, crafts, and furniture. Taking us far back to the time of the movement’s birth, Cubism, Constructivism, Futurism, and Modernism are also reflected”.

As well as art deco, there were a few other key art movements in the 1920s. Expressionism originated in Germany and was used to present the world through the creator's subjective perspective through both poetry and painting. Created highly through emotion, this artistic period saw the creation of many film masterpieces such as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari“, by Robert Wiene. Mostly inspired by the symbolism movement and as a response to Impressionist art and the growing social anxiety and spirituality, expressionism explored modern currents and progress. Many famous artists from this time include Edvard Munch, Wassily Kandinsky, Erich Heckel and Franz Marc. They brought new standards to art and later introduced Expressionism and the Neo-Expressionism movement.

The Dada movement was one of the most important avant-garde movements. After developing in Zurich, it quickly became an international phenomenon and spread to America and Europe. The movement worked with political views and the radical left, with artists attending public gatherings and demonstrations and the publication of art and literary journals. Marcel Duchamp was the father figure of Dada, his experimental nature inspired new ideas like ready-mades. These went on to influence assemblage, found object pieces and junk art and recycled art. As well as this, in the Dada movement, new machines and technologies began to be used. Surrealism arose from Dadaist activities during the War. Quickly becoming a cultural movement instead of just artistic, the movement explored the philosophy behind the period and psychoanalysis was born. Such ideas were explored by Andre Breton. Artists used elements of surprise, juxtapositions, the notion of subconscious and dream-like worlds to influence their art. Salvador Dali is also known for some of the most thought provoking and erotic imagery of the time.