Saturday, February 21, 2009

Arts and Crafts Movement




I chose the Arts and Crafts movement for the next assignment. I had no idea until I did the research of this historical design that it was my favorite since the décor of my house contains materials described below. I am happy with this choice.

The Arts and Crafts movement initially developed in England during the latter half of the 19th century and lasted well into the 20th century. Eventually, this style was adopted by American designers, with different result. In the United States, the Arts and Crafts style was also known as Mission style.
These terms are often used interchangeably, especially in reference to furniture, but the arts and crafts movement includes light fixtures, stained glass, pottery, wall coverings and textiles.

This movement challenged the tastes of the Victorian era and was inspired by social reform concerns. The support of this movement came from progressive artists, architects and designers, philanthropists, amateurs and middle-class women seeking work in the home. They set up small workshops separate from the world of industry, revived old techniques and revered the humble household objects of pre-industrial times.

Their notions of good design were linked to their notions of a good society. This was a vision of a society in which the worker was not brutalized by the working conditions found in factories, but rather could take pride in his/her craftsmanship and skill. The rise of a consumer class coincided with the rise of manufactured consumer goods. In this period, manufactured goods were often poor in design and quality. Many proposed that it would be better for all if individual craftsmanship could be revived. The worker could then produce beautiful objects the showed the results of fine craftsmanship, as opposed to the shoddy products of mass production.

The goal was to create design that was “for the people, and a source of pleasure to the maker and the user.” Workers could produce beautiful objects that would enhance the lives of ordinary people, and at the same time provide decent employment for the craftsman.
The Mission style, as it was known in the United States, was a blending of arts and crafts rectilinear forms with Hispanic and Native American architecture, furnishings and accessories of the American Southwest. The collecting of Southwestern artifacts became very popular in the first quarter of the twentieth century.
Common design includes items made of natural materials and earthy organic colors. The design incorporates clean simple lines. The use of earthy organic colors—mossy greens, mustard, terra cotta, warm brown and amber reflect the warm, earthy feel of the period. The forms were typically rectilinear and angular, with stylized decorative motifs reminiscent of medieval and Islamic design.

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