Germany/France/ Great Britian and USA

1920s & 1930s

Characteristics of Art Deco

• Simple geometric shapes• Lack of a political directive• More emphasis on decorative elements• Celebrates glamour• Celebrates affluent modern lifestyles

Basic Elements of Art Deco

SimplicitySymmetryPlanarity – (flat, two-dimensional)GeometryMachine aestheticReductive geometric abstraction

Streamlining

Stylistic element of Art Deco thatUses clean sweeping curves

1920s Organizations founded in US

• The Art Director’s Club• Society of Typographic Artists in Chicago• American Institute of Graphic Arts