WEEK 1 - The Arts and Crafts Movement

I learned that the Arts and Crafts Movement was a reaction to two prevailing trends; the Industrial Revolution and its effects, and the Victorian design. The Industrial Revolution allowed for the mass production of goods. This had both positive and negative effects on the economy and people's lifestyle. One advantage of industrialism is that it made it possible to produce items quickly and cheaply. Because of this, furniture was also available to the average people of the society, and not just to the elite like it used to be. 

 However, during the process craftsmanship and artistic uniqueness diminished. The cheap furniture were poorly made, with low-quality material. Another negative effect of the industrial revolution is that it created a culture of consumerism and materialism. Because the average person could afford furniture and decorative arts cheaply, people began to collect so much, cluttering the interiors. In this article "9 Historical Rooms You Probably Don’t Have In Your Home," I found an interesting evidence of the materialism of the Victorian period. Houses had what was called a "Lumber Room." This was a space where people who had too many things would keep all the furniture and items that did not fit in their other rooms. Eventually, as a result of the Arts and Crafts movement, people did not need this, but I think it is interesting how similarly, today people have garages and attics for the same purpose. 
Lumber Room for storing excess furniture
The aim of Arts and Crafts movement was to bring back good quality, handmade designs. It also sought to do away with the Victorian design, which was know as "the battle of styles." Furniture from the Movement is characterized by simple honest designs; large exposed hinges; visible wood joints; and the use of oak wood.

Historical Examples:

Living room of Red House, designed by William Morris,
Addition by Philip Webb.

Linen Press, made by Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony, ca.1904.
Materials: oak, tulip poplar, brass 

Library Table, made by Gustav Stickley, ca. 1906.
Materials: oak, leather

Current Applications:

Arts and Crafts living room, by Countryside Amish Furniture

Oak coffee table

One Step Further...

Philip Speakman Webb was born in 1831 in Oxford, England. He was an architect and a designer, who was known for his unconventional country houses. He was also a reformist concerned about the effects of manufacturing. He completed his training in G.E. Street's Oxford office. This is where he met William Morris, and they became friends and were both involved with the pre-Raphaelites (group of English painters, poets, and critics). 

Webb and Morris founded Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Company in 1861, and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1877. Webb started his practice in 1859, and his first commission was the Red House in Kent, Morris's house. Webb did most of the detailing for the exterior, using contrasting materials. He valued functionalism in his designs, and exposure of structural elements. 

Webb also designed household furniture and decorative accessories, made of metal, glass, wood. He also did embroidery for Morris's firm. When designing furniture or architecture, he demanded a high level of precision, insisting on good workmanship, and on smooth but not highly polished finishes. 

Some of his works:

"Kelmscott," a table by Webb

Sideboard by Webb






Comments

  1. Martha BandaJanuary 21, 2018 at 9:07 PM

    Eunice, it was a very good summary. I like the fact that you did not completely bash the two prevailing trends ( Industrial revolution and Victorian design) that led to the creation of th Arts and crafts movement. You recognized positive facts about the Industrial revolution which is that people of lower classes could afford design. I think these two phases were necessary, even though they provided poor designs. At the end of the day, we as designers, need to understand that GOOD design is for EVERYONE.

    ReplyDelete
  2. amberbuieJanuary 26, 2018 at 11:32 AM

    Hey Eunice,
    It was really interesting that you researched other articles and findings about the Victorian era. I definitely do not have a "Lumber Room" in my house. I also really liked the example of Webb's design of the Drawing Room of the Red House. It wholly embodies the ideas of Art and Crafts homey and hand crafted quality.

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