Modernism - Art Deco and Streamline Moderne

Art Deco is a movement in the decorative arts and architecture that originated in the 1920's and developed into a major style in western Europe and the United States during the 1930's. The style took cues and inspiration from the various avant-garde painting styles of the early 20th- century: Cubism, Russian Constructivism, and Italian Futurism. But 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.

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

Art Deco Style’s Identifying Features

~ Vertical emphasis ~ Towers and other vertical projections above roof lines ~ Setbacks (step like recessions in a wall) ~ Smooth wall surfaces in stone, brick, or stucco

~ Geometric ornament: parallel straight lines, zig-zags, chevrons, lozenges ~ Stylized (abstracted) floral motifs ~ Stylized figurative sculpture, especially bas relief ~ Sunrise and floral patterns in ornamentation ~ Intense colors in terra cotta, glass, colored glazed bricks, mosaic tiles

Nebraska State Capitol Building, Bertrand Goodhue, 1919.

Art Deco is Modernism, an aspect of it. Modernism covers a very broad range of work covering the period from the late 1800s, and provided influence well into the 1950s and 60s. What made Art Deco unique were strong geometric shapes, rounded edges against hard straight lines, bold strong colors used abundantly, striking ornamentation. Lean and sleek where elements of Art Deco, it was a derivation from Cubism with rounded edges.

So, as a child of Modernism, it had a clear and distinct identity separate from Modernism, but a part of it as well.

Streamline Moderne

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. These designers began to favor simpler, aerodynamic lines and forms in the modeling of ships, airplanes, and automobiles. In the modern machine age smooth surfaces, curved corners, and an emphasis on horizontal lines give the feeling that airstreams could move smoothly over and under them.

Art Moderne or Streamline Moderne’s Identifying Features

~ One-story buildings

~ Horizontal emphasis and orientation ~ Anchored to the ground ~ Asymmetrical facades ~ White is predominant color ~ Rounded edges ~ Corner windows ~ Glass block walls ~ Mirrored panels ~ Ribbon band of windows with metal frames ~ Stringcourse along coping of wall ~ Flat roofs ~ Curved canopies

Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Florida, 2008.

One famous cluster of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings in a extraordinary combination of designs among various architects can be found in the hotel and apartment district of Miami Beach, Florida, which developed between 1930 and 1942.

"Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast."

- Jonna Amato-Ocampo, Author

Hope you liked the reading. Stay tuned for more!