THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ART NOUVEAU AND ART DÉCO
The research conducted for this process comes from art styles that have been in my mind for a while, which were the styles of Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Art Nouveau and Art Deco are cousins in that they both responded to the shifting culture of the world around them.
Art Nouveau:
Popularized in the 1890s-1910s, Art Nouveau responded to the turn of the century. Art Nouveau was prominent in countries like the USA, Spain, Britain, and especially France. After a century of devastation and war, like the Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War, people looked in directions where progress felt real. Art Nouveau is associated with the term "belle epoch", or beautiful era, and after the world suffered countless wars of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution would come into frame, corroding nature itself. The demand for sanctuary was greater than ever, and Art Nouveau became the sense of utopia to fill that gap. Art Nouveau directly translates to "New Art", a reflection of the need for hope and a rejection of Academic art in the 1800s. It would celebrate the new age of industrialization, electricity, automobiles, and cinema. At the same time, it would critique mass production, seeing it as dehumanizing and seeing it as killing imagination in art. However, the intentions would contradict themselves. Without mass production and the new technology for printing, Art Nouveau would not have been able to flourish as it did globally.
Characterized by insectoid and floral patterns--known as whiplash curves--decorative halos, elegant drapery, the ethereal whimsy, and the portrayal of femininity, Art Nouveau would blend humanity with nature, massively influencing graphic illustration, fashion, jewelry, architecture, interior design, ceramics, and furniture. Taking inspiration from historical styles like medieval art, folk art, Rococo art, and Japanese art.
After the First World War, the feelings of hope that Art Nouveau had once promised had died, and the style had fizzled away. Surprisingly, it made a comeback in the 1960s, being a massive influence in hippy culture, where the psychedelic movement would incorporate floral imagery and motifs seen in Art Nouveau (I am a fan of a psychedelic rock album called "Gandalf" by Gandalf, and I hadn't realized the album cover would be so Art Nouveau until researching about the style!!). They would call this "Art Nouveau on Acid". The psychedelic movement would carry Art Nouveau's legacy, where war would only let the desire for an escape be chased after again.
"Poster for 'Gismonda'", Alphonse Mucha (1894)
Art Deco:
The 'Roaring 20s' was a period of economic boom and radical cultural reform after WWI. It was a time of individuality and glamour. It was the Jazz Era, flappers dancing the night away, the time of old Hollywood, and the setting for The Great Gatsby. The 20s marked a cultural shift from a reserved society to an unrestrained one, and Art Deco was the design movement to display that.
Art Deco would begin in 1925 in France, where they hosted a fair that responded to the aftermath of the Great War and was themed around modernity. They believed a crucial aspect of the recovery of a post-war society was art and design. The Americas would not be involved until after the fair, as it was a big success, especially in architecture. Art Deco rose to fame as it spread globally, popular in India, China, Russia, Brazil, and many other countries. It was a movement that reflected the era's innovation and prosperity, and was regarded as luxurious, owned by the high-class ultra-wealthy. Art Deco would be popular for theatres, cinemas, ocean liners, train stations, commercial buildings, public buildings, and skyscrapers, like the image below of the Chrysler Building in New York City. Art Deco would also influence design in illustration, jewelry, silverware, fine-glass objects, fashion, advertising, theatre and movie sets, cars, and everyday appliances. Art Deco would be the successor and antonym of Art Nouveau. Both the result of turmoil: one responding by reflourishing human connection with nature, the other responding by advancing with the economic boom of society, and both creating beauty after chaos.
Whereas Art Nouveau simplified the natural world, Art Deco would completely flatten it. Strong, geometrical, sharp, symmetrical lines, zigzag patterns, contrasting subjects, elegantly unnatural anatomy, boldly graphic, and exuberantly opulent. Taking artistic inspirations from Cubism, abstract art, Constructivism, and Futurism. It was heavily influenced by the historical and international aspects of Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Aztec art, and Ancient Antiquity. Chinese, Japanese and the Ballets Russes were also influential.
When the Great Depression hit worldwide, Art Deco would follow suit and lose its rich charm, becoming restrained and simplified. New styles would emerge, such as the Streamline Moderne, characterized by horizontal, smooth and sleek architecture. After WWII, Art Deco would further weaken and be followed by the Minimalist Movement. However, Art Deco would be a movement that would have a lasting legacy and would be revived in the 80s.
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| The Chrysler Building, New York City (1928-1930) |
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