Art Deco was arguably the most glamorous and exciting design movement of the 20th century.
Loosely spanning the period 1920 to 1940, the name Art Deco was not
applied until the 1960s, when the movement was aligned with the Paris
Exhibition of 1925 or Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes.
It’s a testament to its enduring appeal that many people with little
interest in either art or design can identify an Art Deco inspired
object or building today, even though they may not be clear what makes
it so.
The movement was certainly sensational. Refreshing, different and
beautiful in its own right, its roots were embedded in early twentieth
century avant-garde painting styles, then moved into a global design
aesthetic embraced by disciplines such as architecture, automotive
design, marketing, ceramics and furniture making.
Art Deco embraced the cultural enthusiasm of the moment, employing
futuristic crystallised motifs referencing Greek classicism and recently
discovered Egyptian relics mixed with the dynamic of the age of the
machine and streamlined automotive liberation.
Art Deco could be likened to light out of darkness, complementing an
epoch characterised by the rapid development of technology and
innovative use of new materials. Geometric shapes, recurring motifs and
stylised images featured heavily across Art Deco design. Simplicity in
form, sweeping lines and streamlining gave the movement an appeal that
shocked convention, but delighted high society to the soundtrack of Cole
Porter’s Anything Goes.
But while the 1920s and 30s are held to embrace the Art Deco era,
there was no definitive starting point, nor end. Art Deco influences
were to be found well before this period and today Art Deco colours
contemporary design.
Art Deco and Rolls-Royce
The famous Rolls-Royce mascot ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ is one example that
might be described as a prequel to the movement. Born in 1911, the
graceful little Goddess has now adorned the prow of Rolls-Royce motor
cars for more than a century.
The influence of this genuine icon can be seen in famous Art Deco
designs several decades later. Marcel Bouraine’s (1928) Papillion, a
winged-figurine in translucent green glass created in the powered glass
pâte-de-cristal technique, hints at the original Rolls-Royce design.
The Spirit’s influence can also be seen in the glassware of Rene
Lalique, creator of 29 car mascots of the period, such as the Spirit of
the Wind in 1928. Also, his beautiful statuette Suzanne au Bain (1930), a
nude revelling in fluttering draperies, a pose not dissimilar to that
adopted by the muse said to have inspired the Spirit of Ecstasy’s
designer Charles Sykes twenty years earlier.
The Spirit of Ecstasy’s flowing lines pre-empted the Art Deco
movement. And the beautiful Phantom I, II and III models of the
1920s/1930s, wearing fine bespoke coachwork, certainly embody some of
the high points in Rolls-Royce design of the last century.
Art Deco inspired those with the courage and conviction not to merely
follow. It introduced a sense of flow and dynamism. In the movement’s
most opulent creations, Art Deco complemented the reputation Rolls-Royce
had already established at the pinnacle of the burgeoning automotive
sector, embracing the finest designs and revelling in the most glamorous
of objects.
High Art Deco (as it was sometimes described) also embraced the sheer
luxury of natural materials, the use of the exotic and experimental and
celebrated the march of technology. The clean lines of aluminium – a
material used to such success in bringing to life the original
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost – cool stainless steel and the luxurious feel
of lacquer; all were to feature prominently in Art Deco design.
Bespoke Rolls-Royce luxury for the 21st century
Though Rolls-Royce cars hold a timeless quality, the visual history
of the marque illustrates that something can always be traced of the era
in which the cars were designed. In creating a Rolls-Royce for the 21st
Century, designers rose to the challenge of expressing the marque’s
heritage and language of one of the most celebrated aesthetics in
automotive history without straying into pastiche.
This balance was achieved by elegantly incorporating Rolls-Royce
design and engineering tenets, that have stood for nearly a century,
into a contemporary motor car that quickly established a pinnacle
position in the modern automotive era.
Features referencing the marque’s heritage such as the Pantheon
grille adorned with Spirit of Ecstasy, wheels proportionally half the
height of the car and interior furnished with classic detailing
including eyeball vents operated by organ-stop controls, found their
home in a thoroughly modern masterpiece.
The spirit of movements such as Art Deco can be seen in every modern
Rolls-Royce. The evolutionary updates to the pinnacle Phantom Series II
family are an elegant example. It is a car built in the context of the
world we live in today that retains the true essence of what has gone
before.
Detailed interior touches in Phantom include quarter mirrors behind
the c-pillar that reflect ambient light. Finished in green-frosted
glass, these are reminiscent of the pâte-de-cristal pieces so prevalent
in Art Deco glassware classics.
Today, echoes of Art Deco can be found in Ghost too. Its overarching
design theme – the power of simplicity – reveals clean sweeping lines
and proportions evoking the understated grandeur of the period.
The employment of only the finest materials and handcraftsmanship
pays homage to the design and manufacturing excellence that typified the
best of the Art Deco era. Cashmere and luxurious leather interiors give
an air of sumptuous indulgence.
The form and section of hand-crafted, lacquered and highly polished
wood veneers for example evoke the structure of fine furniture.
Rolls-Royce veneers are chosen for their richness, iridescence and
complexity of grain, often enhanced by inlays adorned with silver or
mother of pearl and cross banding, so reminiscent of fine cabinet making
in the Art Deco era.
In celebration of the Art Deco period and the relevance of the Paris
Exhibition to the movement, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has created a series
of highly bespoke Art Deco inspired Phantom and Ghost models which will
debut at the Paris Motor Show 2012. The Phantom Saloon, Phantom Drophead
Coupé and Ghost models feature a suite of design detailing inspired by
the period.
The Phantom Saloon for example includes a black and arctic white
interior featuring a stainless steel inlay in the telephone drawer, door
cappings and in rear picnic table backs. These feature a geometric
pattern first used by Rolls-Royce in early 20th century motor show stand designs.