Art Deco

The movement known as art deco was a geometric style influenced by cubism and De Stijl, among a list of others, and was popular between the 1920s and 30s. It was mainly the type of look a lot of graphics, mostly posters, architecture and the design of other products between world wars. The two most important designers to this particular style were Edward McKnight Kauffer and A.M. Cassandre from America and Ukraine, respectively.zeKauffer was born in America and started his art education there, but left to continue in Europe where he felt the movement was more modern. He designed mostly posters there and a series of travel posters for the Underground that had a much simpler design and utilized flat interlocking, representational shapes. Cassadre studied and worked in Paris where he designed posters that were geometrically symbolic, natural and used bold colors. He also worked with typefaces. He designed the Peignot, Bifur, and Acier Noir typefaces. Others like Jean Carlu, Paul Colin and Joseph Binder also made great contributions to the art deco movement with their poster designs, geometric with bright colors and basic forms.
When we read this chapter, chapter 14, I felt that Jean Carlu was the most interesting person to read about. I still feel this way and I respect his ideas concerning design. He wanted to make his designs the most simple he could, using the fewest number of lines he could or expressing his message the best with only one idea.
If Kauffer's famous "Daily Herald" poster was flawed in the type choice and placement, why did it become so famous?