American Art Deco movement
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| American Art Deco movement | |
|---|---|
| Name | American Art Deco movement |
| Caption | Chrysler Building, New York City |
| Period | 1920s–1940s |
| Countries | United States |
| Influences | Beaux-Arts,Art Deco,Cubism,Futurism,Egyptomania |
| Notable examples | Chrysler Building,Radio City Music Hall,Empire State Building |
American Art Deco movement The American Art Deco movement emerged in the 1920s and matured through the 1930s as a transatlantic adaptation blending Art Deco with indigenous practices in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other urban centers. It synthesized influences from Beaux-Arts, Cubism, Futurism, Ancient Egypt, and Aztec revivalism into a distinctive vocabulary across architecture, decorative arts, and mass-produced objects. Patrons such as John D. Rockefeller Jr., Walter Chrysler, and institutions like Radio Corporation of America and Metropolitan Museum of Art catalyzed commissions that translated avant-garde aesthetics into corporate identity and public works.
Origins and Influences
American Art Deco drew from the international exposition circuit, especially the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris and subsequent displays at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum. Crosscurrents included Georges-Henri Rivière-era museum practice, the dissemination of Le Corbusier’s ideas, and popular enthusiasm for Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Industrialists such as William Randolph Hearst and Henry Ford fostered visibility through commissions for corporate headquarters like Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. The movement absorbed motifs from archaeological expeditions linked to Hiram Bingham, Percy Fawcett, and collectors such as Earle P. Charlton and museums including Smithsonian Institution.
Key Characteristics and Aesthetic
Characteristic elements included streamlined profiles, stepped forms, zigzags, chevrons, sunbursts, and stylized flora and fauna adapted from Egyptian Revival, Mayan Revival, and Native American motifs. Materials ranged from chrome and stainless steel favored by firms like General Electric to exotic veneers and Bakelite used by manufacturers such as Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Sylvania Electric Products. Ornamentation frequently referenced the modernist pictorial experiments of Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, and the graphic idioms promoted by publishers like Condé Nast and the design work of A.M. Cassandre.
Architecture and Urban Design
Skyscrapers and civic buildings became canvases for American Art Deco, with icons including Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and Guardian Building in Detroit. Architects and firms like William Van Alen, Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, Raymond Hood, Cass Gilbert, and Wirt C. Rowland integrated setbacks codified by the 1923 New York zoning resolution into vertical emphasis and crown treatments. Public works under programs like the Works Progress Administration and commissions by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey produced projects such as Triborough Bridge and Radio City Music Hall that combined monumental massing, bas-reliefs, and integrated lighting by designers linked to RCA and GE.
Decorative Arts and Industrial Design
The decorative arts translated Deco into furniture, fashion, ceramics, glassware, and transportation. Makers such as RCA, Heller, Steuben Glass Works, Tiffany Studios, and Klassic produced streamlined radios, lamps, and tableware. Luxury manufacturers like Gorham Manufacturing Company and designers such as Donald Deskey and Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (through transatlantic exchange) defined interiors for venues including Radio City Music Hall and private commissions for families like the Rockefellers. Automotive styling by Chrysler Corporation, General Motors, and custom coachbuilders echoed aerodynamic forms seen on the Packard and Duesenberg marques.
Major Artists, Designers, and Firms
Leading figures spanned architects, sculptors, industrial designers, and firms: architects William Van Alen, Raymond Hood, Cass Gilbert; designers Donald Deskey, Norman Bel Geddes, Paul T. Frankl, Ruth Reeves; sculptors Lee Lawrie, Paul Manship, Malvina Hoffman; firms and institutions RCA, Radio City Music Hall Corporation, Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, Wendell D. Rockwell, and Steuben Glass Works. Corporate patrons such as Walter P. Chrysler, John D. Rockefeller Jr., and Alfred P. Sloan enabled high-profile commissions while publications like Architectural Digest, House & Garden, and The New Yorker promulgated Deco taste.
Regional Variations and Case Studies
Regional interpretations produced distinctive case studies: Miami Beach’s Ocean Drive and the Art Deco Historic District display pastel facades and neon signage influenced by Cuban and Caribbean demographics and firms like L. Murray Dixon’s practice. Los Angeles and Hollywood integrated Deco in theaters such as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre environs and studio complexes for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and 20th Century Fox. Midwestern centers—Chicago, Detroit—exhibited robust brick-and-terra-cotta applications in Chicago Board of Trade Building and Guardian Building, reflecting local materials and industrial patronage by entities like Pullman Company and Fisher Body.
Reception, Criticism, and Legacy
Initially celebrated in popular press and patronage networks, American Art Deco faced critiques from proponents of Modernism and figures aligned with International Style such as Philip Johnson and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe who favored functional austerity. New Deal commissions reframed Deco within public art debates involving the Federal Art Project and artists like Thomas Hart Benton. Postwar reassessment led to periods of neglect, followed by preservation efforts culminating in listings by National Register of Historic Places and local landmark designations such as those in Miami Beach and New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Contemporary revivals in fashion, graphic design, and architecture reference Deco through exhibitions at institutions like Museum of Modern Art and restoration projects sponsored by foundations including The Getty Foundation.