What is the significance of Art Deco?
Art Deco as we know it today was derived from two sources. The first source was born during the first two decades of the 1900’s in Europe, primarily in Paris, France. It was a reflection of refined taste as illustrated in the drama and design of Diahilev’s “Ballet Russe”, in the exoticism of African and Oriental arts, and by a love of sensuous textures using rare and expensive materials such as ivory, ebony, mother of pearl, semi-precious stones, exotic woods, crystal and marble. It also capitalized on images of mystical and romantic animals such as peacock, greyhounds and borzois. It also symbolized the fluidity of nature through fountains, gladiolas, shells and other organic motifs. Concurrent with the development of Art Deco was the Futurists in Italy who were enamored with speed and motion, and challenged the space-time restrictions of the picture plane. The Cubists further energized that plane with suggestions of a new dimension and geometry, and the artists Dali and Cocteau creat
