VOA文化艺术2025--What Is Art Deco and Why Is It Popular Again?

Art Deco is an international artistic¹ style that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

Now, interest in the style and its qualities is growing. A new generation is enjoying the style's roots and turning it into something new.

A public showing, or exhibition, at the Museum of the City of New York provides a look at the style that helped define the city 100 years ago.

Famous Art Deco buildings include the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall.

The public showing, called "Art Deco City: New York Postcards from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection," also has clothing and film clips from the time.

In London, the Victoria and Albert Museum has a collection of day and evening clothing, jewelry² and more. The collection comes from Les Ballets Russes, a dance company that had a major effect on fashion.

And in Paris, organizers of the 2024 Olympics created Art Deco posters last year to celebrate the games and mark the one hundred years since the 1924 Olympics, which Paris also hosted.

A style of the 1920s and 30s

Experts have different opinions about Art Deco. Design writer Arricca Elin Sansone, for example, said last year in Elle Décor magazine: "Ask three historians to define the term Art Deco, and you'll likely get three varying answers."

Appearing after World War I, the first Art Deco era had a spirit of creativity and freedom. With the aim of appearing modern, the style became one of the most important forms of design in the 1920s and early 1930s.

The Art Deco style is believed to have first appeared at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative³ and Industrial Arts, in Paris.

The early 1930s saw the development of the style in Miami where South Beach's Art Deco District is popular with visitors and a center for design.

In some large cities, low-rise buildings of two or three floors turned into landscapes of high-rise skyscrapers⁴. Public and private spaces showed themes involving geometrical designs and luxurious⁵ materials.

In transportation, faster cars and better trains suggested a new age while jazz music urged people to celebrate.

"A fashionable renaissance⁶"

The same energy can be found in today's fashion shows and red-carpet events for stars. Some of today's colorful clothing suggests the Jazz Age, another name for the period when Art Deco was popular. Stars like Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, Beyoncé and Demi Lovato have used elements of the Deco era in new ways.

"The aesthetic⁷ of the 1920s is enjoying a fashionable renaissance," said Kirsty Thatcher⁸ of the Australian fashion magazine Russh. A "renaissance" represents a rebirth of something from the past.

New York-based interior designer Vanessa DeLeon told the Associated Press, "The boldness and elegance⁹ of Art Deco are what appeals to me."

Jamie Watkins and Tom Kennedy of the London design company Divine Savages¹⁰ include Art Deco elements in their collections of products for the home. Watkins suggested: "It's no wonder we're drawn¹¹ to it again."

Lynda Klich is the co-organizer or curator of the exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York. Klich noted¹² that postcards were the social media of their day. Travelers at the time busily wrote messages to friends and family. New York's famous Art Deco buildings appear in over 250 postcards. There is also a selection of clothing from the 1920s, shoes and other objects.

"Art Deco was the look that sold the city to the world," said co-curator Lilly Tuttle.

The exhibition in New York City runs through February 17.

I'm John Russell.

Kim Cook reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

style -n. a particular form of design that is repeated through a period because it is popular

fashion - n. the popular or dominant¹³ style (as in clothing or dress) during a particular time

poster -n. a large picture that is often used to advertise for a show or movie

vary - v. to have or show differences between items or things

theme - n. a special quality or characteristic; a subject or topic of artistical representation

1 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

2 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

3 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

4 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。

5 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

6 renaissance   

n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴

参考例句：

• The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
• The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。

7 aesthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的，有美感

参考例句：

• My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
• The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。

8 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

9 elegance   

n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙

参考例句：

• The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛。
• John has been known for his sartorial elegance.约翰因为衣着讲究而出名。

10 savages   

未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There're some savages living in the forest. 森林里居住着一些野人。
• That's an island inhabited by savages. 那是一个野蛮人居住的岛屿。

11 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。