Artspedia
france
Disillusioned by the commercial failure of Art Nouveau, French artists sought to regain their position as the masters in the luxury capital of the world. Decorative artists banded together to form the Société des Artistes Décorateurs (the Society of Artist-Decorators), which in addition to providing security, also gave artists a opportunity to exhibit their work. Sponsored by the French government in 1912, Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris was a international seven month long art show that displayed works of architecture, jewelry, and interior design. Later, this fair was shortened to Art Deco, the term used today for the ornamental style that is largely attributed to this event.
French Art Deco
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Cubism
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Fauvism
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Avante-guarde styles that influenced Art Deco artists include Cubism (founded by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque), and Fauvism (practiced by artists Andre Derain and Henry Matisse). Cubism rejected traditional styles of painting, and embraced a abstract geometric style that can be seen in Art Deco artists' artwork (such as Tamara de Lempicka). Fauvism (french for "wild beasts") used bright, bright, colors, simplified abstractions, and image distortions to convey emotion.