The term 'Art Deco' is taken from the name of the 1925 Paris exhibition titled Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. The most popular and respected French artists of the day showcased their work at this exhibition.
Jewellery makers, graphic artists, painters, architects, fashion designers and all other manner of craftsmen and women displayed their pieces at the exhibition. All of the works had a commonality - they were not only functional, but also very beautiful and decorative.
The exhibition in Paris was meant to be a display of nouveau design from around the world, but U.S. Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover declared Americans off limits from entering, as he felt no contemporary architecture was "new" enough. Instead, Hoover sent experts to learn and adapt the exhibition's designs to American architectural expression. The ensemble included members of the American Institute of Architecture, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The New York Times. Their reports along with the attendance of many American architects to the exposition address the swell of decorative treatments in American design between 1925 and 1941.
Art Deco was not labelled as a separate category from Modernism until a 1966 retrospective on the 1925 exposition. Patricia Bayer describes Art Deco as “an architecture of ornament, geometry, energy, retrospection, optimism, colour, texture, light and at times even symbolism."
Art Deco Style is the definition of eclecticism. Drawing inspiration from a wide variety of sources, Art Deco Style has its own unique look that is difficult to define. Its range of characteristics makes it an extremely versatile style, and an enjoyable one to work with, since Art Deco is easily integrated into a wide variety of personal styles. This makes Art Deco admired by many and a favourite among collectors.
The structure of Art Deco style is based on mathematical geometric shapes. It was considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism, being influenced by a variety of sources. The ability to travel and excavations during this time influenced artists and designers, integrating several elements from countries not their own. Among them were the so-called "primitive" arts of Africa, as well as historical styles such as Greco-Roman Classicism, and the art of Babylon, Assyria, Ancient Egypt and Aztec Mexico.
Much of this could be attributed to the popular interest in archaeology in the 1920s.
The tomb of Tutankhamun discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter and received worldwide press coverage.
Art Deco also drew on Machine Age and streamline technologies such as modern aviation, electric lighting, the radio, the ocean liner and the skyscraper for inspiration.
