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Theory Of Decoration

Modern Decoration

Modern Art

The rather sudden appearance in the American Art World of "Modern" or "Modernistic" Art, claiming title to be the sole art-style worthy of our modern age, creates an interesting situation for decorators. If the claim is made good, it means that the next few years will witness one of those profound changes in art which occur at rare intervals in history. For that reason, professional artists will do well to understand the modern movement and to follow its development carefully.

The movement has come in answer to a demand for a new art style that should suitably express the modern age as the historic styles expressed their contemporary times. Only within this century has study of the history of art brought any agreement on the complex problem of style in art. Authoritative opinion now believes that all art, in all ages and countries, follows a fundamental set of principles of design. This fundamental theory is called Pure Design.

The abstract principles of Pure Design, which is the nearest practical formulation we have of the mysterious ideal of Beauty, are expressed in a different character, or personality, or spirit, according to time and place. This special character or personality is known as Style. It has much in common with the idea of taste and is typical of literature, music and the drama, as well as the plastic arts and the industrial arts.

Beauty, in the industrial arts, may be expressed in five elements: (a) form or mass, (b) line, (c) the addition or elimination of surface ornament, (d) color and (e) texture. If we eliminate all tradition by forgetting or avoiding the characteristic manners in which these lements have been handed down to us from Classic Art, modern designers may then produce a style of beauty by applying the principles of Pure Design alone.