Today, the art deco movement is a thing of the past, but it is not easy to discount the impact this international design movement has had on history. The art deco movement emerged around 1920 and during the two decades of its hey day, would gain great popularity as a modern and urbane style of design.
At the time, art deco was regarded as an innovative and revolutionary aesthetic. It rapidly infiltrated all areas of the decorative and industrial arts, and at its peak in the roaring twenties, the art deco movement was literally ubiquitous. Its influence spanned every art form including fashion design, architecture, film-making, sculpture and more.
Throughout history, artistic movements have commonly had political and philosophical undertones. What made art deco unique was that it was a major design movement that was purely cosmetic in nature. Art deco was purely ornamental, the sole emphasis bring on the aesthetic effect.