Lecture Notes: Arts and Crafts Movement

Introduction

• Art often reacts to previous movements.
• The Arts and Crafts Movement emerged as a response to poor design during the Industrial Revolution.

The Great Exhibition (1851)

• Held in Crystal Palace, London.
• Conceptualized by Prince Albert to celebrate industry and technology.
• Did not address the negative impacts of industrialization.

Criticism of Industrialization

• Advocates criticized mass production and machine reliance.
• Belief that industry destroyed traditional craftsmanship and pride of workers.
• Formation of craft guilds based on medieval traditions to uphold design standards and supportive environments.

Influences on Arts and Crafts Style

• Gothic Revival influenced arts and crafts, appreciating medieval elements.
• A.W.M. Pugin emphasized material, structure, and function.

William Morris

• Central figure of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
• Influenced by John Ruskin's writings.
• Founded a company in 1861 producing home decor including furniture and textiles.
• Established the Kelmscott Press in 1890, producing 53 books by 1898.
• Aimed for harmony in type and illustration, inspired by medieval designs.
• Advocated for art to enhance ordinary people's lives, highlighting the degradation caused by machines.

Characteristics of Arts and Crafts Design

• Simplicity in form, function, and decoration.
• American Arts and Crafts linked to Morris's work and influenced by British designers like Charles Robert Ashby.
• Ashby known for jewelry and silverware design in the Guild of Handicraft.
• F.A. Boise recognized for wallpaper and textile designs featuring stylized nature motifs.

Inspiration Sources

• Everyday domestic traditions and vernacular styles from rural Britain.
• Focus on craftsmanship and revival of traditional techniques.
• Nature-inspired motifs from British countryside flora and fauna.

Challenges and Limitations

• Arts and Crafts products became expensive and accessible only to the wealthy.
• Guilds formed with names like Guild of St. George and Art Workers Guild.

Arthur McMurdo and the Century Guild

• Influential architect promoting craft and design.
• Published "Hobby Horse" to promote ideals of the movement.

American Arts and Crafts Movement

• Gustav Stickley aimed to create affordable furniture for the middle class.
• Used factory methods for mass production while maintaining craftsmanship.
• The American style was rectilinear and simple, referred to as mission style, influenced by Southwest architecture.

Key Figures in American Arts and Crafts

• Charles and Henry Greene combined Spanish and Native American architectural elements.
• Elbert Hubbard inspired by Morris, established Roycroft Press in New York.
• Roycroft developed a community of craftspeople.

Decline of the Arts and Crafts Movement

• Opposition to modern production methods hindered progress.
• The socialist ideal of affordable handcrafted designs for all failed due to high production costs.
• The movement's focus on the past ultimately led to its downfall.