Date of Award
6-2016
Document Type
Union College Only
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Visual Arts
First Advisor
Louisa Matthew
Language
English
Keywords
building, new, modern art, figure, modern style, art deco
Abstract
During the 1920s and 1930s America experienced great change. Internal and external factors were leading the country down a path towards modernization. Industrialization gained speed, cities grew, and citizens moved to urban areas in greater numbers in addition to traveling abroad. More visitors and immigrants came to the United States. This period was filled with highs and lows, advances and set backs, and contradictions and complexities, all part of the American desire to build a modernized nation that possessed its own identity. One way to establish a national identity is to develop a visual language that articulates ideals, characteristics and achievements. During the 1920s and 1930s, Art Deco, although originally imported from Europe, offered a visual language that described and embodied the modern America that was emerging at this time.
Recommended Citation
Frederick, Danielle, "Art Deco: A Visual Articulation of Modern Urban America in the 1920s and 1930s" (2016). Honors Theses. 149.
https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/149