Art Deco

Art Deco, or Deco, is an influential visual arts design style that first appeared in France after World War I and began flourishing internationally in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s before its popularity waned after World War II.[1] It is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials. The style is often characterized by rich colors, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation.

Deco emerged from the interwar period when rapid industrialization was transforming culture. One of its major attributes is an embrace of technology. This distinguishes Deco from the organic motifs favored by its predecessor Art Nouveau.

Historian Bevis Hillier defined Art Deco as "an assertively modern style [that] ran to symmetry rather than asymmetry, and to the rectilinear rather than the curvilinear; it responded to the demands of the machine and of new material [and] the requirements of mass production".[2]

During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamor, exuberance and faith in social and technological progress.

Wikipedia page on Moderne

Streamline Moderne, or Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Its architectural style emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements.

Art Deco/Moderne

Fisher Studio Houses In the 1920s and 30s, Art Deco and Moderne achieved great popularity as modern architectural styles. Although somewhat different in their overall appearance, both styles share stripped down forms and geometric-based ornament. A limited number of examples are found in Chicago, with concentrations located in the Loop, the Near North Side, and along some commercial streets.

Common Art Deco characteristics are:

vertical orientation, often with setbacks

geometric ornament, often in colorful terra cotta

Common Moderne characteristics are:

horizontal orientation

rounded edges, corner windows, and glass block walls