The 1920s was a remarkable period of creativity that brought forth new, bold movements that changed the way the world looked at itself, both externally and internally. In design and architecture, Art Deco originated in Europe and spread throughout the continent before its influence moved across the Atlantic to North America. In art, the movements known as Expressionism, Dada and Surrealism all played major roles in reconfiguring the focus and perception not only of visual arts, but also literature, drama and design.
Art Deco
Art Deco was a dominant style in design and architecture of the 1920s. Originating in Europe, it spread throughout Western Europe and North America in the mid-1920s and remained popular through the 1930s and early 1940s, waning only after World War II. The name Art Deco is short for Arts Décoratifs, which came from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) held in Paris in 1925. The first use of the term is attributed to architect Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, known as Le Corbusier, who wrote a series of articles titled, “1925 Expo: Arts Déco”, in his journal, L’Esprit Nouveau.
The eclectic style emerged from the years between World War I and World War II, often referred to as the interwar period, and combined traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials and an embrace of technology. Visually it is characterized by rich colors, lavish ornamentation and geometric shapes. Artists employing the Art Deco style often drew inspiration from nature and initially favored curved lines, though rectilinear designs became increasingly popular.
The Chrysler Building
Art Deco architectural style in the United States was epitomized by the Chrysler Building in New York City.
In the United States, New York City's Chrysler Building typified the Art Deco style. Other American examples can be found in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Hoover Dam, constructed between 1931 and 1936 on the border between Nevada and Arizona, includes Art Deco motifs throughout the structure including its water intake towers and brass elevator doors.
Expressionism, Dada and Surrealism
German Expressionism began before World War I and exerted a strong influence on artists who followed throughout the 1920s. Initially focused on poetry and painting, a typical trait of Expressionism was to present the world from a solely subject perspective, radically distorting it for emotional effect that evokes moods or ideas rather than physical reality. Many artists, however, began to oppose Expressionist tendencies as the decade advanced.
The work of Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch’s famous 1893 painting, The Scream, are thought to have influenced Expressionists, who counted among their numbers painters such as Wassily Kandinsky, Erich Heckel and Franz Marc, as well as dancer Mary Wigman.
The Scream
Edvard Munch's 1893 painting, The Scream, influenced 20th century Expressionist artists.
Dada began in Zurich during World War I and became an international phenomenon, although it was initially an informal movement intended to protest the outbreak of World War I and the bourgeois, nationalist and colonialist interest that Dadaists believed were root causes of the conflict. The movement opposed cultural and intellectual conformity in art and in society in general, usually displaying political affinities with the radical left. The reason and logic of the capitalist system had led to the war, they believed, and their rejection of that ideology led to an embrace of chaos and irrationality in their art. Machines, technology and Cubist elements were features of their work.
Dada artists met and formed groups of like-minded peers in Paris, Berlin, Cologne, and New York City who engaged in activities such as public gatherings, demonstrations and publication of art and literary journals. Notable Dadaists included Richard Huelsenbeck, who established the Berlin group, and George Grosz, who called his work a protest “against this world of mutual destruction.”
Republican Automatons
The 1920 painting, Republican Automatons, by George Grosz was an example of Dadaist protest art.
Arising from Dada activities during World War I and centered in Paris, Surrealism was a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s. Surrealism spread around the globe and impacted the visual arts, literature, theater and film, and music. The movement also informed political thought and practice, philosophy, and social theory.
The Elephant Celebes
Max Ernst's 1921 oil painting, The Elephant Celebes, was an example of European Surrealism, which profoundly influenced the artistic culture of the United States.
Surrealist works featured elements of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, and non sequitur. Many Surrealist artists and writers regarded their work as the material expression of the movement's philosophy. The movement's leader, French anarchist and anti-fascist writer André Breton, emphasized that Surrealism was, above all, a revolutionary movement. In 1924 he published the Surrealist Manifesto, which called the movement “pure psychic automatism.” Spanish painter Salvador Dali, best known for his 1931 work, The Persistence of Memory, was one of the most famous practitioners of Surrealism.
The Persistence of Memory
Salvador Dali's 1931 painting, The Persistence of Memory, is one of the most well known examples of Surrealism.