art-i-fax
movements: Art Deco
Art Deco was not just about the way things were designed.
It was a way of life.
The time was the late 1920's and the 1930's. The Great War was over and the world was going mad with hedonistic pleasure. It was a period that came to be known as the 'Roaring Twenties'. The pace of life was fast and furious, and people were out to enjoy themselves.
Speed and machines brought exciting new prospects to society, and the designs of the time reflect this. Geometric patterns were very much in vogue, because they echoed the machine aestheitc. Bright colours were used to convey the spirit of the new 'Jazz' music of the period.
Howard Carter had discovered Tutankhamun's tomb, and Egyptian motifs were popular, especially in architecture.
A constantly recurring theme throughout Art Deco designs are Egyptian motifs. these are the sorts of images that inspired the designers of the 20's and 30's to use the bold geometric shapes that they did.
Egyptian art used many decorative themes. Often large fan shaped leaves from the papyrus plants growing besides the Nile were used to make patterns. Other natural sources were the animals which were also used in Egyptian Hieroglyphic writings, such as eagles and jackles. Zig-zag stripes and circles provided a framework for the designs.
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