Art nouveau
Heir to the Arts and Crafts movement initiated in England by William Morris, Art Nouveau is based on 4 major principles: the refusal of aesthetic heritage, the rejection of academicism, the abolition of the distinction between major and minor arts, and the reclamation of nature as the sole source of inspiration. His work is characterized by the repeated use of arabesque, asymmetry and curved lines combined with floral and plant elements. He renews the decorative language by bringing together form, material and function. His light, flowing forms are ideally suited to the latest industrial trends. Glass and steel are combined with traditional brick and stone in a stylized decorative élan. In the United States, Art Nouveau is known as Tiffany, literally "fine fabric". In New York City, it was not widespread, which makes its witnesses all the more astonishing. Fine examples of Art Nouveau include the Little Singer Building, dating from 1902, with its eye-catching window frames in finely wrought iron. The 1907 New York Evening Post Building offers a more moderately sinuous version, with its three bays of wave-shaped windows. The CUNY Graduate Center is largely inspired by this style, with its canopies of curved glass and metal. But Art Nouveau can also be found in many small details, such as the lampposts in Central Park, facade ornaments like this Medusa on Saint Mark's Place, and subway signs. The city's finest Art Nouveau interior, the Wisteria Dining Room, is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Art deco
In 1925, the first Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs was held in Paris, celebrating the alliance of art and industry. Heir to Art Nouveau, Art Deco can be thought of as the art of reconciliation, a sort of blend of cubism, expressionism, modernism and industrial aesthetics. It's the art of modernity, movement, speed, jazz... it's the art of the Roaring Twenties and Gatsby the Magnificent! Just as Art Nouveau abolished the distinction between major and minor arts, Art Deco gave pride of place to craftsmanship to create superb decors and furnishings in dark colors and soft materials. From marquetry and goldsmithing to ceramics, Art Deco is hidden in every detail, including door handles and bathroom fixtures! So, as soon as you enter an Art Deco building, take the time to observe all the details... Or better still, opt for a guided tour with theArt Deco Society of New York!
The first major Art Deco building is theAmerican Radiator Building, designed in 1924 by Raymond Hood. Black as a lump of coal, it is crowned by a majestic amber and gold top. In 1929, another building launched the success of Art Deco: the Chanin Building, whose most memorable features are the delicate bas-reliefs on its base created by René Chambellan and Jacques Delamarre, with friezes alternating animal and plant motifs. In 1930, William van Allen inaugurated his Chrysler Building, an architectural splendor boldly blending styles. Its Art Deco lobby combines exotic woods with marble and steel in an amber glow. The ceiling is decorated with a work by Edward Trumbull, considered one of the world's greatest frescoes. The elevator veneer features Egyptian lotus motifs inlaid with Japanese ash, Oriental walnut and Cuban plum. Mid-façade features 4 pairs of gleaming steel eagles and gigantic winged hubcaps reminiscent of Chrysler radiator caps. Finally, the 56-metre spire at the top is the most distinctive of all, with its concentric circles. A year later, the Empire State Building appeared, with its slender silhouette reminiscent of an Italian campanile, and Gothic facade decorations. The lobby, however, is a symphony of marble and geometric forms, bathed in the amber light so characteristic of Art Deco. The ornamentation of the entrance to the Brill Building, built in 1931, is a superb example of Art Deco, with its geometrically shaped gilding. The General Electric Building is striking for the originality of its spire, a sort of lacework of stone, glazed ceramic and brick enhanced with gold, whose chevrons and lightning bolts represent the radio waves transmitted by the RCA, the building's first owner. Residential buildings also bear the hallmarks of Art Deco, such as the iconic Eldorado on Central Park West... named after the ochre color of its terracotta.Dynamizing verticality through a clever play of redents, the building impresses with its twin towers as if set on top of the main building. The geometry of movement is characteristic of Art Deco, which finds its apogee in the Paquebot or Streamline Moderne style. Its smooth shapes and mix of long horizontal lines contrasting with curved vertical surfaces make it a kind of aerodynamic aesthetic... hence the liner reference. The Marine Air Terminal at La Guardia airport is a fine example of this, as are the beautiful friezes depicting flying fish. Another representative of this trend is the Mcgraw Hill Building, whose geometric facade is punctuated with blue stripes and topped with giant stylized letters... which are also found in gilding just above the entrance. The Waldorf Astoria, one of the city's most famous landmarks, is also worth a mention. Particularly noteworthy is the entrance surmounted by the hotel's name in typically Art Deco gilded lettering... The façade is listed and therefore protected... but the interior is not... Since 2017, the hotel has been undergoing a major renovation phase, and many are worried that certain Art Deco gems, such as the ballroom or the mosaic in the lobby, will disappear. The answer will come in 2024, with its long-awaited reopening.
