Week 9- Industrial Design and Art Deco

 This week in History of Interiors II we learned about Industrial Design and Art Deco.  

Industrial Design 

Industrial Design was essentially the study of human interaction with devices and environments. This helped to solve problems of design, usage and production to create a memorable and positive experience for users.  

This was a time of economic depression, looking to make things fast and efficient, blending Art Deco with straight line and forms. Zeppelins were made, along with technological achievements in flying, such as Amelia Earhart's famous record.  

One well known designer from this era was Raymond Loewy, a French immigrant, who worked on everything from furniture to cars.  

 

(Raymond Loewy Vacuum Cleaner)          (Modern Day Application)  

Another designer is Gilbert Rhode was a furniture and industrial designer, who introduced modernism to Herman Miller in the 1930s!  

Russel Wright was another designer, who believed that the table was the center of residential design. He designed from the center outwards (inside, then exterior, then landscaping), his style was considered informal.  

And Carnegie Institute was the first university to have an industrial design program, being very art oriented, they promoted architects, interior designers, and industrial designers to work together. They even introduced a style of bridging Art Deco and Modernism!  

Art Deco 

Art Deco began in the 1920’s, when Functionalists valued simplistic design that could be massed produced and Decorators strived to make elite, labor intensive craftsmanship. In 1925 at the World’s Fair in Paris a there was a showcase for the exhibition of interior design! This was post-WWI and sharp furniture, textiles, and accessories were all the rage. While Art Deco began in 1920’s, it made its way to the US at the beginning of WWII.  

This era was very fashion oriented and strongly decorated, highly influenced by Art Nouveau, with the use of chevron and zigzags, skyscraper features, and prominent lighting fixtures. Furniture was made of unique rich materials such as ebony, leather, mirrors, and glass.  

A prominent artist during this time was Tamara de Lempicka, known as the “Baroness of the Brush”, who was a Polish painter, for wealthy aristocrats.  

Michel Roux-Spitz was a French architect known for his civil buildings. He was also a furniture designer, inspired by African tribe art and cubism, his pieces were fun and highly decorative.  

Jean Dunand was a French lacquer, sculptor, furniture maker, and interior designer, who had an original style that was inspired by both geometric and cubist. Maurice Dufrene was a very influential French Designer who made simple hand-crafted furniture.  

 

(Jean Michel Frank Chair)       (Modern Day Application) 

Jean Michel Frank was also a French interior designer, known for minimalist designs, he used natural colors and materials. Jacques- Emile Ruhlmann ran the family decorating business, using unusual materials such as sharkskin to make glamourous works of art.  

Eileen Gray was highly educated, compared to many of the other artist mentioned, using geometric lines, she created mass produced luxury. Sonia Delauney was a Ukranian born French artist, also educated, she created geometric and colorful designs, using cubists themselves with fun patterns.  

A Swedish architect is best known for his Senna Chair while Danish architect and furniture designer, Kaare Klint took ergonomics into account when creating his furniture. Paul Frankl was an Austrian immigrant who worked in the US to create skyscraper styled furniture, using plywood, rattan, and bamboo.  

Joseph Urban was an Austrian architect and set design, who used lines in a creative way with the use of dramatic color. Donald Deskey, an American architect, interior, and industrial designer, used strong geometric patterns with luxurious materials. One of his most famous buildings created is the Radio City Music Hall, which took 9 years to fully complete.  

(Radio City Music Hall- Donald Deskey)         (Modern Day Application)  

During this time the radio was invented, which helped to carry Art Deco all across the US, using its sleek design. The Rockefeller Center was built as well as the Crysler Building. This era was a time of large influence in both commercial and residential design. Art Deco was most streamlined in kitchen and bathrooms, with the use of electronic appliances and built in showers and tubs (with the famous bright colors people are still trying to get rid of today). Lighting was converting from oil and gas to electric, using many indirect lightings made of tubular shapes.  

 

One Step Further:  

A movie/book that immediately reminded me of the Art Deco movement is The Great Gatsby. The story is set in the 1920’s and emphasizes the movement strongly throughout most of its sets. From the stair railings, the intricate rugs, and the grand light fixtures, this movie is the definition of this movement!