Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau means New Art. The Art Nouveau period was during a time of the turning of the century. Belgium and France were the leaders of the movement. It is said that the movement was the first style to stop looking at the past for inspiration. Stemming as a rejection of Victorian styles, modern materials, techniques and even electrical lighting were introduced. To me, this is what makes this movement one of the most interesting. New ideas were being brought forth as economic growth in the world was making it possible for new experimentation in design. Art Nouveau took inspiration from nature and what designers experienced in their surroundings. These natural elements were reflected in fabrics and wallpapers. There was also a lot of influence on Japanese Art.   In terms of color, soft, muted colors were used often. Curvilinear forms were dominant .

One of my favorite designers of this period was Hector Guimard who was the most significant figure in Paris. His work reminds me of Sleepy Hollows. The way his style is so organic and almost has an eerie feeling, He is most famous for his work with the Paris Metro Subway Station on the entrance kiosks and detail elements. He was great with use of organic forms and incorporated this in to architecture, furniture, and other design products. I love his style, how it is so different than most other designs. I love the curves and unique decorative elements he uses. His work is truly the defintiton on Art Nouveau.

Above are some pictures of his work and the bottom is Hector Guimard himself working among some of his pieces.

Above are some modern takes on the art nouveau movement. You can see the Japanese inspiration as well as the curvlinear forms.