BBC定义的Art Deco
Art deco (c.1908 to 1935)
Art deco began in Europe, particularly Paris, in the early years of the 20th century, but didn't really take hold until after World War I. It reigned until the outbreak of World War II.
It was not just for the elite. By the 1930s, mass production meant that everyone could live in the deco style. Travel became popular. African safaris were all the rage and animal skins, ivory, mother of pearl, and tortoiseshell began to appear in the home. After Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered, Egyptian pyramids and sphinxes adorned everything.
Style
geometric and angular shapes
chrome, glass, shiny fabrics, mirrors and mirror tiles
stylised images of aeroplanes, cars, cruise liners, skyscrapers
nature motifs - shells, sunrises, flowers
theatrical contrasts - highly polished wood and glossy black lacquer mixed with satin and furs
Influences
art nouveau - deco kept the nature motifs of its predecessor but discarded its flowing organic shapes and pastels for bolder materials and colours such as chrome and black
cubism -painters such as Picasso were experimenting with space, angles and geometry
early Hollywood - the glamorous world of the silver screen filtered through to design using shiny fabrics, subdued lighting, and mirrors. Cocktail cabinets and smoking paraphernalia became highly fashionable
The names
Eileen Gray - furniture
Raymond Templier - jewellery
Clarice Cliff - china
René Lalique - glass and jewellery
At the time
1912 RMS Titanic sails
1922 Tutankhamun's tomb is discovered
1922 Ulysses by James Joyce is published
1931 Empire State Building is completed
Film stars - Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire
The charleston and tango are the latest dance crazes, jazz is born and the singer Josephine Baker thrills Paris
Get the look
Furniture - choose strong, streamlined shapes for furniture and in single pieces rather than suites.
Fabrics - stick to plain or geometric fabrics and add highlights with cushions also in one solid block of colour.
Floors - plain polished parquet is perfect for floors. Linoleum in abstract designs or black and white chequerboard vinyl tiles are also typical.
Rugs - floors would have been overlaid with a large rug in geometric patterns. These were often handmade by artists such as Duncan Grant (of Bloomsbury Group fame).
Fireplaces - fireplaces should be rectangular and bold. Surrounds were often tiled in pink, green or beige. They were made of concrete and not many survive today.
Colour - halls suit bold colour schemes such as silver, black, chrome, yellow and red. Creams, greens and beige, or oyster and eau-de-nil suit living rooms and bedrooms.
Cupboards - cabinets, wardrobes, etc should be in pale veneered wood and simple shapes in keeping with the light, airy feel.
Design - the stepped profile is the epitome of the art deco shape, found everywhere from uplighters to picture surrounds. Also look for zigzags, chevrons and lightning bolts.
Lighting - lights featuring female figures holding the ball of the lamp are typical and good reproductions abound. Also look for chrome, a brand new material at the time, and glass. Glass would have been etched, sandblasted or enamelled rather than coloured.
What to invest in
ceramics by Susie Cooper and Clarice Cliff
original art deco rugs
original posters featuring Bugatti cars etc
Where to see it
Hoover factory, Middlesex
The Savoy, London
Burgh Island Hotel, Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon
Eltham Palace, London
Miami Beach, Florida
让我想起坐火车到爱丁堡也是有沿着海岸的路，看得见灯塔。
