Deco Through the Decades: Exploring the Legacy of Art Deco through New York’s Architecture:
It was a dark and cloudy day in New York City as a young man roamed the streets. Everything was gray: the sidewalk beneath his feet, the suit on his shoulders, the hat atop his head, and the building before him. A golden ray of light from a break in the clouds hit the building. The beam of light solidified into a golden panel of sunbeams above the door frame, while the cheerful cyan tone of the sky reflected off the glass door. The man reached for the door handle and entered into a new and hopeful dimension infused with inspirational architectural styles.
Artistic movements, which inspire architectural styles, capture the mood of people from the time period they were designed. During the early 20th century, two styles prominent in New York City architecture were Art Nouveau & the Beaux Arts. However, in the 1920’s the Art Deco movement came upon the scene, adopting aspects of these two styles, and many others that came before it. Due to its colorful vividness, luxuriousness, and symbolic hopefulness, the Art Deco style became one of the most famous and influential of its time and continues to prove itself quite relevant to the world of today. Its relevance is most clearly seen through the architecture of the bustling metropolis of New York City.
The term Art Deco refers to a global artistic movement lasting from 1910 to 1940, which influenced a variety of visual art forms ranging from jewelry to poster art to architecture. In order to appreciate the scope and influence of the Art Deco movement, one needs to understand how it came to be. Art Deco, sometimes simply called Deco, was influenced by visual aspects from the artwork of various ancient cultures. These cultures include that of the Greeks and Romans, the Egyptians, the Mayans, and the Aztecs; Art Deco was also inspired by German Expressionism, Dutch de Stijl and, as Hänsel Hernández-Navarro points out, “The style [also] took cues and inspiration from the various avant-garde painting styles of the early 20th- century: Cubism, Russian Constructivism, and Italian Futurism.” Three dominant shapers of Art Deco are Art Nouveau, the French decorative arts, and World War I, at least in its early stages. Hernández-Navarro notes about Art Deco that “… it also represented a marked reaction to the sensuousness and flowing lines (at times heavy) of the previous of Beaux-Arts and Art Nouveau styles.” The Art Nouveau movement which was most prominent from 1890 to 1905, paved the way for the rise of the Art Deco Movement, which began in the 1910’s in Europe and rose to the world stage thanks to the International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, France in 1925. The role World War I played in the birth of Art Deco is well described through the following quote from the article “Exotic Fashions and Style: Art Deco in the 1920s” on the website titled 1920’s Style & Fashion, “Many historians give credit to the war for inspiring artists to infuse their work with both the fragmented nature of Cubist designs with the luxurious trappings of Orientalism, and the cutting-edge of the avant-garde.” Art Deco was the manifestation of opulence, luxury, and glamour, traits that rose as a defensive reaction to the gloom of reality that the war had brought. Post-war society yearned for the promise of a better future, which they found in the style of Art Deco.
The Art Deco movement is a patchwork made up of various quilt squares, which themselves were sewn by the many styles that came before as well as the atmosphere of the time. For example, Deco got its colorful vividness from Italian Futurism, its linear, geometric-like aspect from Cubism and German Expressionism, its crispness from Greco-roman architectural design, its early decorative floral and sunbeam accents from both Aztec and Egyptian art. The modern Art Deco style was also influenced by the materials that became available at the time. Due to the mass-production of new materials, specifically steel, during the 1930’s, Streamline Moderne, or Art Moderne, came to be. Hernandez-Navarro once again enlightens us on the history of Art Deco in saying:
In stylistic terms, Streamline Moderne represents the last phase of Art Deco. Whereas Art Deco is concerned with surface ornament, color and abstractions of natural forms applied as decoration on buildings, Streamline Moderne is essentially a machine aesthetic focused on mass production, functional efficiency, and a more abstract aesthetic coming from the Bauhaus in Germany and the “white architecture” of Europe: The International Style. As the world was transitioning from the exuberance and richness of the “Roaring Twenties” and into the grips of austerity and self-discipline of Depression-era 1930s, the high-style architects were pushed aside in favor of industrial designers.
Deco designers desired simplicity and functionality, which they sculpted into the later stages of Art Deco. This was a drastic shift from the former paradigm of intense visual glamour.
With the abundance of steel as a major building material came the possibility of reaching new architectural heights. Anthony W. Robins, a founding member and past Vice President of the Art Deco Society of New York who created the Society’s first tour program in 1981 declares, “In the case of architecture in New York City, Art Deco evolved first as a style for skyscrapers… [and later] spread out and down across the city to all kinds of other building types: apartment buildings, hotels, diners, nightclubs, department stores, bus terminals, airports, even churches and synagogues”. However, two of the most well-known buildings in New York that exemplify characteristics associated with the Art Deco style are the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building—completed in 1930, at the height of the Art Deco movement, by architect William Van Alen—is well known for being an impressive architectural feat, having once held the world record as the tallest building ever created, until being surpassed by the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building is an iconic element of the New York skyline. It was designed by lead architect William F. Lamb from the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, along with Gregory Johnson, and Yasuo Matsui, who were inspired by two other Art Deco buildings, the Carew Tower in Cincinnati and the Reynolds Building in Winston-Salem (Christianson). Upon its completion in 1931 it became the tallest building ever built, until 1970. The bases of both buildings are reminiscent of Aztec temple architecture, which, as we know, is also an Art Deco feature. The skyscrapers also use steel and glass, the frames and tall spires of both buildings use the former material. The Chrysler Building also shows off Egyptian inspired Deco detailing in the sunshade-like design of its upperfloor windows and Streamline Moderne’s staple rounded edges. In their race towards the heavens, the two skyscrapers helped Art Deco reach unparalleled fame.
The artists and architects living during the 1920’s drew on both the artistic aspects of ancient cultures and the discoveries of new materials for inspiration when creating Art Deco themed works. Despite having worked during The Great Depression, a time of social unrest and economic crisis, visionaries ranging from engineers to artists worked together to make their dreams a reality and in doing so, redefined human ingenuity and provided their city with enduring symbols of hope.
Artistic movements, which inspire architectural styles, capture the mood of people from the time period they were designed. During the early 20th century, two styles prominent in New York City architecture were Art Nouveau & the Beaux Arts. However, in the 1920’s the Art Deco movement came upon the scene, adopting aspects of these two styles, and many others that came before it. Due to its colorful vividness, luxuriousness, and symbolic hopefulness, the Art Deco style became one of the most famous and influential of its time and continues to prove itself quite relevant to the world of today. Its relevance is most clearly seen through the architecture of the bustling metropolis of New York City.
The term Art Deco refers to a global artistic movement lasting from 1910 to 1940, which influenced a variety of visual art forms ranging from jewelry to poster art to architecture. In order to appreciate the scope and influence of the Art Deco movement, one needs to understand how it came to be. Art Deco, sometimes simply called Deco, was influenced by visual aspects from the artwork of various ancient cultures. These cultures include that of the Greeks and Romans, the Egyptians, the Mayans, and the Aztecs; Art Deco was also inspired by German Expressionism, Dutch de Stijl and, as Hänsel Hernández-Navarro points out, “The style [also] took cues and inspiration from the various avant-garde painting styles of the early 20th- century: Cubism, Russian Constructivism, and Italian Futurism.” Three dominant shapers of Art Deco are Art Nouveau, the French decorative arts, and World War I, at least in its early stages. Hernández-Navarro notes about Art Deco that “… it also represented a marked reaction to the sensuousness and flowing lines (at times heavy) of the previous of Beaux-Arts and Art Nouveau styles.” The Art Nouveau movement which was most prominent from 1890 to 1905, paved the way for the rise of the Art Deco Movement, which began in the 1910’s in Europe and rose to the world stage thanks to the International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, France in 1925. The role World War I played in the birth of Art Deco is well described through the following quote from the article “Exotic Fashions and Style: Art Deco in the 1920s” on the website titled 1920’s Style & Fashion, “Many historians give credit to the war for inspiring artists to infuse their work with both the fragmented nature of Cubist designs with the luxurious trappings of Orientalism, and the cutting-edge of the avant-garde.” Art Deco was the manifestation of opulence, luxury, and glamour, traits that rose as a defensive reaction to the gloom of reality that the war had brought. Post-war society yearned for the promise of a better future, which they found in the style of Art Deco.
The Art Deco movement is a patchwork made up of various quilt squares, which themselves were sewn by the many styles that came before as well as the atmosphere of the time. For example, Deco got its colorful vividness from Italian Futurism, its linear, geometric-like aspect from Cubism and German Expressionism, its crispness from Greco-roman architectural design, its early decorative floral and sunbeam accents from both Aztec and Egyptian art. The modern Art Deco style was also influenced by the materials that became available at the time. Due to the mass-production of new materials, specifically steel, during the 1930’s, Streamline Moderne, or Art Moderne, came to be. Hernandez-Navarro once again enlightens us on the history of Art Deco in saying:
In stylistic terms, Streamline Moderne represents the last phase of Art Deco. Whereas Art Deco is concerned with surface ornament, color and abstractions of natural forms applied as decoration on buildings, Streamline Moderne is essentially a machine aesthetic focused on mass production, functional efficiency, and a more abstract aesthetic coming from the Bauhaus in Germany and the “white architecture” of Europe: The International Style. As the world was transitioning from the exuberance and richness of the “Roaring Twenties” and into the grips of austerity and self-discipline of Depression-era 1930s, the high-style architects were pushed aside in favor of industrial designers.
Deco designers desired simplicity and functionality, which they sculpted into the later stages of Art Deco. This was a drastic shift from the former paradigm of intense visual glamour.
With the abundance of steel as a major building material came the possibility of reaching new architectural heights. Anthony W. Robins, a founding member and past Vice President of the Art Deco Society of New York who created the Society’s first tour program in 1981 declares, “In the case of architecture in New York City, Art Deco evolved first as a style for skyscrapers… [and later] spread out and down across the city to all kinds of other building types: apartment buildings, hotels, diners, nightclubs, department stores, bus terminals, airports, even churches and synagogues”. However, two of the most well-known buildings in New York that exemplify characteristics associated with the Art Deco style are the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building—completed in 1930, at the height of the Art Deco movement, by architect William Van Alen—is well known for being an impressive architectural feat, having once held the world record as the tallest building ever created, until being surpassed by the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building is an iconic element of the New York skyline. It was designed by lead architect William F. Lamb from the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, along with Gregory Johnson, and Yasuo Matsui, who were inspired by two other Art Deco buildings, the Carew Tower in Cincinnati and the Reynolds Building in Winston-Salem (Christianson). Upon its completion in 1931 it became the tallest building ever built, until 1970. The bases of both buildings are reminiscent of Aztec temple architecture, which, as we know, is also an Art Deco feature. The skyscrapers also use steel and glass, the frames and tall spires of both buildings use the former material. The Chrysler Building also shows off Egyptian inspired Deco detailing in the sunshade-like design of its upperfloor windows and Streamline Moderne’s staple rounded edges. In their race towards the heavens, the two skyscrapers helped Art Deco reach unparalleled fame.
The artists and architects living during the 1920’s drew on both the artistic aspects of ancient cultures and the discoveries of new materials for inspiration when creating Art Deco themed works. Despite having worked during The Great Depression, a time of social unrest and economic crisis, visionaries ranging from engineers to artists worked together to make their dreams a reality and in doing so, redefined human ingenuity and provided their city with enduring symbols of hope.
Works Cited
Anthony W. Robins. High School NYC Architecture Assignment. Message to Giovanna Alvarez. 2 Mar.
2017. E-mail.
"Art Deco Art Moderne (Streamline Moderne): 1920 – 1945." CIRCA Old Houses. 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 4
Apr. 2017.
Glennon, Jen. "Art Deco Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. The Art Story Contributors,
2017. Web. 5 Apr. 2017.
Heller, Chris. "When the Empire State Building Was Just an Architect’s Sketch." Smithsonian.com.
Smithsonian Institution, 10 Nov. 2015. Web. 8 Apr. 2017.
Justin Wolf "Art Nouveau Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. The Art Story Contributors,
2017. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.
Klara, Loni. "An Art Deco Architecture Tour of New York City." The Culture Trip. Ltd. 26 Jan. 2017. Web.
01 Mar. 2017
"What is Art Deco by Pascal Laurent." Art Deco Society of New York. Web. Tempera & Wordpress 10 Apr.
2017.
Anthony W. Robins. High School NYC Architecture Assignment. Message to Giovanna Alvarez. 2 Mar.
2017. E-mail.
"Art Deco Art Moderne (Streamline Moderne): 1920 – 1945." CIRCA Old Houses. 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 4
Apr. 2017.
Glennon, Jen. "Art Deco Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. The Art Story Contributors,
2017. Web. 5 Apr. 2017.
Heller, Chris. "When the Empire State Building Was Just an Architect’s Sketch." Smithsonian.com.
Smithsonian Institution, 10 Nov. 2015. Web. 8 Apr. 2017.
Justin Wolf "Art Nouveau Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. The Art Story Contributors,
2017. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.
Klara, Loni. "An Art Deco Architecture Tour of New York City." The Culture Trip. Ltd. 26 Jan. 2017. Web.
01 Mar. 2017
"What is Art Deco by Pascal Laurent." Art Deco Society of New York. Web. Tempera & Wordpress 10 Apr.
2017.