ART DECO

är dākōˈ, ärt, or art moderneär môdĕnˈ, ärt, term that designates a style of design popular during the 1920s and 30s. Coined in the 1960s, the name derives from the 1925 Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts, where the style reached its apex. Art deco is characterized by long, thin forms, curving surfaces, and geometric patterning. The practitioners of the style attempted to describe the sleekness they thought expressive of the machine age. The style influenced all aspects of art and architecture, as well as the decorative, graphic, and industrial arts. Works executed in the art deco style range from skyscrapers and ocean liners to toasters and jewelry. Since the 1970s the style has undergone a resurgence of popularity. Noted U.S. monuments to the style include New York's Rockefeller Center and Chrysler Building, parts of Miami Beach, Fla., and Fair Park, in Dallas, Tex.

See B. Hillier, Art Deco (1968), Y. Brunhammer, Art Deco Style (1984); V. Arwas, Art Deco (1985); A. Duncan, ed., Encyclopedia of Art Deco (1988).

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