Aesthetic Movement

The Arts and Craft Movement (1850-1900) is one of the most influential periods in design history. It was against the industrial revolution because manufacturers were making a lot of stuff and only thinking about the money not how the object looked like and how it was designed. The members of the arts and crafts movements believed that the industrial revolution destroyed the skills and the pride a craftsman had in his work. People lost their security due to the industrial revolution and felt unhappy. The arts and crafts movement was a rebellion to the negative impact of the industry. This movement involved designers, architects, craftsmen and writers such as William Morris who was the leader of this movement.

William Morris was a poet and an artist, inspired by the writings of Ruskin and believed that the industrial revolution removed skill from the manufacturing process and less creativity was given to the designer/artist. Morris was a pattern-maker and a perfectionist taking nature as an important source of the arts and crafts movement, the patterns were inspired by the British countryside. His patterns were loaded with meaning and devoid of abstraction, his designs related to real natural themes derived from plants and flowers, leaves and fruits, with names like; 

Artichoke:

Lodden:

Evenlode:

He hated the mass production but he also understood its place in society. In 1861 William Morris’s influential company “Morris and Co” designed everything from wallpapers to furniture, stained glass and also carpeting. In 1890 he also became a printer and then produced books.

They liked to see craftsmanship in the things they liked and sold. They left hammer marks visible on metal works and joints exposed in furniture. Some characteristics of the designs were spiritual harmony, individualism, handmade goods rather than machine and simplicity of form, function and decoration.  Some members of the movement formed themselves into a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power. The Gothic revival also had a huge impact of the arts and crafts style, the use of strong forms and colours, straight forward use of material, structure and function were shared principles of the arts and crafts movement. Arts and crafts had global interest, it never ended. In fact it still exists in most of us who want to know what our product or design consists of, what it's made of or what manufacturer did it, we care of how and why its made till this day.

youtube. 2013. arts and craft: design in a nutshell. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBq73yxha0o&list=PL10D22388A30A8DBC. [Accessed 13 October 13].

youtube. 2011. arts and craft movement. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYjNO2Y4m6c. [Accessed 13 October 13].

Paul Clark and Julian Freeman, PC and JF, 2003. a crash course design. 1st ed. leicester: silverdale books.