Art Deco in Graphic Design

Art Deco in Graphic Design

Art Deco, a term first coined in Paris in 1925. This style was associated with the Exposition des Art Decoratifs et Industriels of 1925 in Paris. Also known as Jazz Moderne or just Moderne style which spread in all design aspects and architecture. Art Deco has its typical attributes like geometric shapes, bold curves, strong vertical lines, aerodynamic forms, motion lines, air brushing and sunbursts galore. We can see Art Deco in typography like the A.M. Cassandre’s bifur typeface, composed of thick base forms ornamented with thin filler lines, is nothing short of brilliant. Broadway and Peignot are two other Deco types we see all the time. Art Deco is used in fashion, advertising and retail design.

A softened and luxurious version of modernisme simplified, elegant and influence of Japanese prints. Art Deco had formative influences include the geometric forms of Cubism, Art Deco was also called “Cubism Tamed”, the machine – style forms of constructivism and Futurism, and the unifying approach of Art Nouveau. It’s highly intense colours may have stemmed from Parasian Fauvism. Art Deco borrowed also from Aztec and Egyptian Art, as well as from Classical Antiquity. Unlike its earlier counterpart Art Nouveau, however, Art Deco had no philosophical basis-it was purely decorative.

The Art Deco style was mostly popular around the world in the early 1930’s, and the years leading up to the Second World War. It suffered a decline in popularity during the late 30’s and early 40’s, when it began to be seen as too gaudy and ostentatious for wartime austerity, after which it quickly fell out of fashion. Art Deco appeared again in the 1960’s coincident with the movements effect on Pop Art and then again in 1980’s. The Art Deco style we are seeing it now like the poster of the movie “The great Gatsby”.

 A.M. Cassandre

Cassandre is the most considered to be one of the greatest and the most influential poster designers of the 20^th Century. At the age of 22, he started designing posters under the pseudonym ‘Cassandre’. His images were designed with a combination of Art Nouveau stylised curves and with the geometric abstraction of ‘Cubism’ and ‘Futurism’.

References:

·       

•        Art Deco: A strong, striking style for graphic design - Designer Blog. 2014. Art Deco: A strong, striking style for graphic design - Designer Blog. [ONLINE] Available at: http://99designs.com/designer-blog/2012/06/05/art-deco-a-strong-striking-style-for-graphic-design/. [Accessed 29 December 2014].

•        Deco | Graphic Design History. 2014. Deco | Graphic Design History. [ONLINE] Available at: http://visualartsdepartment.wordpress.com/deco/. [Accessed 29 December 2014].