Popular Culture Review Vol. 4, No. 1, January 1993 | Page 90

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Popular Culture Review

the ingenious creative process that catalyzed their absorption into
the mainstream of Postmodernism. These rediscovered architectonic
forms were often defined with rich colors and textures.
As the activists of Postmodernism continued their search for
meaningful images and cultural validity in design in an effort to
please a public disillusioned with Modernism, one strong identifiable
vein in their works was that of Art Deco. Still within the design
problem solving approaches of Modernist functionalism, in addition
to the distillation of designs of classical Greek or Roman palaces,
villas, and temple facades, the presence of Streamline Modeme,
Egyptian motifs, and Aztec forms in various interpretations were
unmistakably reminiscent of Art Deco themes and moc^s.
An Historical Perspective
Art Deco is a term generally applied to the architectural and
artistic productions of the 1920s and 1930s. The term was coined after
the great 1925 Paris exhibition, "L 'Exposition Internationale Des
Arts Decoratifs Et Industries Modemes."^ Inspired by a sense of social
responsibility to make the world better through a fashionable
cosmopolitan aesthetic trend, in reference to architecture, interiors
and manufactured products, it is a style that may be best
characterized as a creative and collaborative endeavor between the
arts and industry. As in Romantic painting or sculpture, the primary
objective of design efforts was to establish moods by engaging and
titillating the senses.
The elements unique, and to some extent innovative, to this style,
were the prismatic geometric shapes articulated by opulent colors
that were enhanced by the juxtap>osed textures of exotic materials.
The visual themes that evolved from the orchestration of these
elements resonated a dynamically pulsating new tempo of modem
life, just as the Charleston of the times. Most Art Deco buildings and
artifacts still remaining today stylistically recall the public's light
hearted fascination with new technology, radio, streamlined
aerodynamically designed vehicles, ships, and airplanes. Public
works of art, especially those adorning large building facades and
their interiors, were even more cathartic, as their imageries
momentarily transposed emotions of citizens fatigued by the Great
Depression into an imaginary world of promise and optimism.'^