Art deco design: a quick guide

What is Art Deco?

Art deco – ‘Arts décoratifs’– developed in Paris in the 1910s before becoming an international design style that ended up literally everywhere from furniture to architecture, fashion, interior design and graphics. Although it spanned a relatively short time period of only 20 years, its blend of tradition, progress and eclecticism reflected the innovative atmosphere of the inter-war years and continues to grace our landscapes, homes and walls to this day.  Contemporary designers are still influenced by art deco but what exactly does this mean and how can you get the look into your work?

What are the key features of Art Deco?

Art deco was highly varied in its influences but cubism played a central role in the now highly recognisable geometric feel of much art deco design. Combined with its inherent modernism, art deco’s major features include:

• triangular, chevron and zigzag shapes
• smooth and streamlined forms
• sunburst and fan motifs
• hard lines
• low reliefs
• stylised floral imagery

Art deco as interior design: this lamp typifies art deco’s characteristic streamlined, clean form and bold geometric design.

What was Art Deco reacting against?

According to the Tate, art deco is widely seen as both a successor to, and a reaction against, the art nouveau movement of the late 19^th and early 20th centuries.  As demonstrated in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection, art deco challenged the curves and organic forms that dominated art nouveau although the more linear, geometric works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh – amongst others – offer a clear inspiration for art deco’s core motifs.

Who are some of the central figures of the Art Deco movement?

There are numerous artists and designers who have become synonymous with art deco and its various incarnations but we’ve selected just four key figures, who offer particular inspirations for creating your own art deco designs:

• Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879-1933) – a pioneer in furniture and interior design who rejected mass production, advocating for an individual, hand-crafted touch that blended luxury with functionality.
• Jean Despres (1889-1980) – inspired by both avant-garde aesthetics and the utilitarian materials and shapes of industry, this forward-thinking jeweller celebrated the technological developments of the era.
• Erté (1892-1990) –  a quintessential art deco designer of glamourous opera and film sets, costumes, jewellery and graphic arts who used tapering lines and simplified embellishments to capture his inspiration by the natural world.
• Tamara de Lempicka (1898 – 1980) –this highly recognisable portrait painter captured the glamour and elegance of the age through her bold, bright and angular post-cubist style.

How do I bring an Art Deco flavour into my designs?

As Artland Magazine notes ‘[art deco] was an experimental era in all forms of creative expression’.  To be true, therefore, to the essence of the movement you’ll need to get creative, push your work by trying out different styles, techniques, patterns and materials to bring together elegance and luxury, historical imagery and contemporary technologies to do art deco of the 2020s.

As always, the Artifex Forge is keen to support your creative endeavours, so keep an eye out for our upcoming Art Deco pack!