Arts & Crafts

The Arts and Crafts design movement was created in opposition to the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Design. It was inspired by the medieval period, with much of its principles and production methods based off of that time. Quality craftsmanship and humble objects were admired in this movement. Arts and Crafts quickly become popular thanks to its ability to have both an urban and down-to-earth feel. People of any socioeconomic status were able to appreciate this style. It originated in England and eventually made its way through the United States and other countries in Western Europe.

Arts & Crafts Design Examples

 

Politics of the Movement

John Ruskin, a major contributor to the Arts and Crafts movement, deeply cared about beauty, more specially, the beauty of the things that humans make. Beauty often has a reputation of being apolitical, however Ruskin firmly believed that the process of making a beautiful world is inseparable from the need to remake it politically, economically and socially. So, the Arts and Crafts movement did not become implemented without the changing of the way that we think and act as humans.

William Morris, another major contributor to the Arts and Crafts movements, also paid a lot of attention to the way that objects in our lives were being constructed. Morris focused on two main concepts including the role of pleasure in work and the nature of consumer demand. He believed that in order to get maximum satisfaction from a purchase, you must appreciate the craftsmanship that has been put into it. In addition to this, he believed that the accumulation of unnecessary and unused objects should be avoided in our lives. 

Ruskin and Morris, along with many other designers from the time, paved the way to the way of thinking that lead to the Arts and Crafts movement. Without their intentional questioning of the way that they interacted with their surroundings at the time and their intense motivation to change it, the Arts and Crafts movement would not have existed. 

I personally find it very interesting to learn about not only the specific characteristics of a design style, but also its background and why it is the way that it is. 

Current Applications

 

Super Great Videos That You Should Watch

Arts and Crafts: Design in a Nutshell | https://youtu.be/CBq73yxha0o
Political Theory: William Morris | https://youtu.be/QiNFoJqOJhs?list=PLVTXf_aKvNN1OM3GQOaOIvoMpavy85Ekd
Political Theory: John Ruskin | https://youtu.be/x40l1ov8hfA?list=PLwxNMb28XmpeuwUhM0OT338_T5XTtJJok

Peer Reviews

Alex | I enjoyed the part of Alex's post where she discussed wallpaper from the Arts and Crafts movement. The images were really helpful and it was easy to see the connection between the three of them and how they fit in with this time period.

Erin Kurecki | I liked how Erin posted pictures of the exterior of buildings that Morris and Webb designed. I hadn't paid much attention to the architectural style used during the Arts and Crafts movement yet, so it was really interested to see some examples and notice the features that clearly make them from this time period.