The Saratoga Sun's New Logo

Welcome back to the 20’s! Since we are in the new decade of 2020, I thought it was appropriate to pay homage to the art movement of the 1920s, Art Deco. It is an art movement that touched almost every trade in the 1920s and 30s; architecture, interior design, industrial design, fashion, painting, graphic arts and even film.

The 1920s was a time of Industrial Revolution and progress. People were becoming wealthy. The generation know at the Lost Generation wanted more from life since many had come of age during World War I and knew hardship and loss. With the war over, feelings of fear and anxiety dissipated. They were replaced with relief and joy. The Lost Generation now wanted the best in life. Art Deco represented luxury, glamor and new technological progress.

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is well known today as it captures the spirit of the Art Deco period. Old values were being thrown out and a new attitude toward life took over. Rich parties, smoky jazz clubs and speakeasies became all the rage along with a desire for elegance and extravagance.

The Art Deco style is based on geometric shapes, stylized floral and sunrise patterns. It takes inspiration from a wide variety of sources. Tuthankkamum’s tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter. Step pyramids, scarab beetles, gold collars and bright colors of Ancient Egypt were incorporated into the style. Native American artwork, Cubism and architecture also influenced the Art Deco Movement.

We still see examples of Art Deco all around us today. For instance, many movie theaters have Art Deco motifs.

Fritz Lang was inspired to create the movie “Metropolis” in 1927 after seeing the skyscrapers in New York. Two of the most famous Art Deco buildings would be the Chrysler Building and Radio City Music Hall.

The movie “Metropolis” and its posters became some of the most iconic of the period. The sleek lines and precise design characterized Art Deco and paved the way for modern science fiction.

The 2020s do parallel the 1920s in some ways. We value progress, sleek designs, fashion, technology, comfort in our everyday lives and look to the future just as they did a century ago. So it is appropriate to have a new look that captures the look of the Art Deco movement, a geometric sunset in bold colors, laced with gold. Along with a font that captures the round shapes with elongated letters and vertical decorative line details that characterize the Art Deco type style.