Modernism in America

The founding fathers of modernism all eventually moved to the US. Even though modernism was not very accepted in the US at the time, now we look at their designs as monumental. At the time it was almost a futuristic look and people didn't really go for it. In Illinois though we see a lot of work from Frank Lloyd Wright because he worked out of the Chicago Suburbs. By the 1920s and 1930s though, he was so known around the world that he started branching out and building houses elsewhere. 

Interior of the Hollyhock House

The Hollyhock house was built right when he returned from Japan in the 20s. You can tell in the stylign of the home that Japan had a huge impact on how he designed. This home was built in Los Angeles, California. This is different form his normal work, but still ties in well.

The Millard House

The Millard House was built in Pasadena, California. Just like with the Hollyhock house, Wright was moving away from the Prairie Style homes and moving more into the Textile Block homes. He used concrete as his new building material.

This is a current modern Japanese inspired home. I'm comparing it to the Hollyhock house. Even though a lot of the shapes and things they use are different, you can see a similarity in colors. 

This is a current modern concrete house that we might see today. Concrete houses are becoming more popular because not only are they more durable, but they are actually cheaper to build. Even though concrete homes were introduced long ago, they still are "modern" and therefore, most people are refusing the accept the style and sticking with wood framed housing. Modern nowadays is know as "cold".

Peer Discussions: 

I reviewed Nicole's blog. I really liked how she showed furniture that she felt looked modern, and not just furniture we were shown in class.

I also viewed Flor's blog and I liked how she added what she liked about each of the spaces.

Art Deco

Art Deco became a very popular style after WWI in France. You can spot Art Deco by noticing it's rich colors and different diagonal patterns. By WWII Art Deco was becoming popular in other countries. It was influenced by Art Nouveau, and like Art Nouveau, people were very hesitant to become accepting of this particular design because of how different it was. 

Salon des Artistes Decorateurs

Salon des Artistes Decorateurs was built in Paris in 1928. It is the essence of Art Deco design showing all types of it. Most Art Deco pieces included chevron shapes, zig-zags, folding screens, skyscraper furniture, large mirrors, and prominent light fixtures using modern materials. The space was designed by architect Michel Roux-Spitz.

Senna Chair 1925

One major step that designers thought about during Art Deco was the body and what is comfortable. You will see more chair with a slope to them to support the body better. This chair was designed by Gunnar Asplund, a Scandinavian designer. In this chair you can see the curved seat, a high back, and stubby arms. All of these characteristics were big parts of the Art Deco Movement.

In the above pictures you will see a modern Art Deco living room, and a modern Art Deco bathroom. Certain characteristics that make this Art Deco would be the large mirrors and skyscraper furniture in the living room, and in the bathroom, the tiles and mirror on the wall are big indicators. Most modern Art Deco is also black and white.

I had mentioned earlier that Art Deco was based off of Art Nouveau. If you would like more information on the big differences between them, check out this video!

Art Nouveau vs. Art Deco