Art Nouveau

art nouveau

 

Art Nouveau took place around the 1800s and lasted for 20 years. This is a style which greatly influenced architecture, fashion, furniture, jewellery, household items, sculpture, painting as well as graphics.

 

In the period that this stile took palace, the industrial revolution was also taking place which gave way to mass production. Art Nouveau reacted to what was happening and went to the other side of the spectrum by creating more naturalistic designs. Art Nouveau artist also believed that to produce art you should not have to study it word by word and obey all the logical rules stated, but one should be able to translate what he sees and feels from the soul and driven from nature itself. They did away with idealisation and embraced asymmetry.

 

Designs typical of Art Nouveau incorporate the elements of fluidity, decorative, circular, floral, intricate, elegant, dainty, colourful, asymmetric, harmonious, naturalistic, two dimensional/ flat and continuous.

 

Art Nouveau furniture design

 

A very prominent designer of the time is Charles Rennie Muckintosh. He was born in Scotland on the 7^th of June 1868 and died in the UK on December the 10^th 1928. His was a designer, water colourist and artist.

Charles-Rennie Mockintosh

 

Chair design by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

 

Art nouveau had many applications in the design industry from the methodology of manufacturing repeated patterns of solid colour onto canvases and textiles and the exploitations of flat primary colours onto machinery covers with the decorative curves to decorate the object. We have a similar traditional artistic style that is normally done on large commercial vehicles, this is known as “Berfijl”.

 

Lampuka Berfijl on a truck door

 

I can apply the organic motion of the lines in art nouveau to my design in cutlery especially in their handles I can also use the style on many rod and wire structures such as stairs railings.

 

Art nouveau railings

 

 

Bibliography:

€Gabriele Fahr-Becker, 2008. Art Nouveau. 1 Edition. h. f. ullmann.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_4j2WPzSKU Art Nouveau – Overview – Goodbye-Art Academy – YouTube. 2015. Art Nouveau – Overview – Goodbye-Art Academy – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4luPnObQYo. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

Art Nouveau – Overview – Goodbye-Art Academy – YouTube. 2015. Art Nouveau – Overview – Goodbye-Art Academy – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4luPnObQYo. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/images/19th_century/mucha_job.jpg. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/16/Alfons_Mucha_LOC_3c05828u.jpg. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Tsunami_by_hokusai_19th_century.jpg. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7119/7752041708_16d415ac41.jpg. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server900/13cac/products/90/images/166/Forged_balustrade_art_nouveau_style___43359.1410162583.1280.1280.jpg?c=2. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

Art Nouveau Movement, Artists and Major Works | The Art Story. 2015. Art Nouveau Movement, Artists and Major Works | The Art Story. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-art-nouveau.htm. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

Art Deco

Art deco is not classified as an art movement, as it is considered to be more of a style in design. It is therefore considered to be an era.  It was inspired by Cubism and Fauvism as well as non-European art forms such as Egyptian art by the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb, which was a great influence for this style to develop.

 

King Tutankhamen’stomb

 

The link with Egyptian art can be seen with the luxurious materials being used. Such materials being used at the time where; ivory, enamel, shagreen and ebony. The development of new materials such as, chrome, plastic and stainless steel where also considered as luxurious materials to use. Bakelite was also used for its versatility and for its ability to be moulded made it very useful for the production of different products. Bakelite can also be translucent and marbled for different functional properties as well as for aesthetics.

In 1925 one can notice a very strong trend that was going on at the time. Art Deco was flourishing and strong. Art Deco was revived again in the 1960s. It was brought back as it was valued for its prestige and eclectic style. It also was a break from the current art scene at the time so it was regarded as being very prestigious. This style of art had a very theatrical and decorative look. The style also makes use of geometric designs especially in architecture but can also be found in house hold appliances and other products.

Furniture in the Art Deco period was very well made. Some of its characteristics is inlayed wood, scrolled ends, tussled detail, nickel bronze hardware, richly coloured marble, rose wood ( was the wood of choice) and accessories such as cobalt glass bowls.

 

Art Deco Furniture

 

The automotive design was also struck by this era. One can see elongation, curvy, big, flowing, elegant, streamlined and chromed elements to the cars of the time.

 

Chrysler Airflow

Triumph Flowfree

 

Singer Airstream

 

When talking about architecture one can say that the buildings have an old-fashioned look to them. This can clearly be seen in the movie theatres of the time.

Art Deco also travelled to other parts of the world, such as England and the United States but with their own unique additions to the style. Now this stile of design is widely sought over by collectors for its prestigious qualities. Vintage pieces bring a lot of money nowadays as people have learnt to appreciate the workmanship that has gone into them more than ever.

 

Contemporary Art Deco styled chair

 

Art deco is one of the recognised and appreciated styles of all time and products are still manufactured in this style. I look towards this style when I intend to create a highly ornate and decorative item that is planned to be admired more than used.

 

Bibliography:

Charlotte & Peter Fiell, 2012. Design of the 20th Century (25). Edition. Taschen.

Guy Julier, 1993. The Thames and Hudson Encyclopedia of 20th Century Design and Designers (World of Art). Edition. Thames & Hudson.

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/1/220300_d5df215f70.jpg. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

Art Nouveau vs. Art Deco – YouTube. 2015. Art Nouveau vs. Art Deco – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_4j2WPzSKU. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

Barrie Down at Florida University 2010 – Art Deco and British car design – YouTube. 2015. Barrie Down at Florida University 2010 – Art Deco and British car design – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhop614aGOc. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

5 – Art Deco – The Architecture Tour – YouTube. 2015. 5 – Art Deco – The Architecture Tour – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPEfNQD56MM. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

Art Deco Interior Decorating Ideas From the 1920s : Interior Design Tips – YouTube. 2015. Art Deco Interior Decorating Ideas From the 1920s : Interior Design Tips – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o-rpT6RlZ0. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRzgqOJgbq6VL6Tmzj_ojJMfodaTkvEwBlzp3HdmV4c7pACmWr_yw. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.carstyling.ru/resources/classic/large/1937_Chrysler_Airflow_Sedan.jpg. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://st.houzz.com/simgs/ddd1a8db00201d33_4-4250/modern-armchairs-and-accent-chairs.jpg. [Accessed 16 January 2015].

 

 

 

 

 

Steampunk

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Bauhaus

 

Bauhaus

 

 

There was a movement in Germany in 1919 after WWI, where there was a free movement, no censorship, new ideas could be created and eight years after, the Bauhaus came to be as it saw potential for its development and it was also a major source of hope.

Bauhaus found a clean slate and could create an innovative school. Walter Gropius (1883-1969) was the founder for this school.

Walter Gropius

 

He built his building in the outskirts of Berlin in Germany. The building was in complete contrast with its surrounding architecture, it was innovative and daring.

 

Bauhaus building (1925-1926)

 

Gropius wanted to be able to teach Fine arts and Crafts as a whole not on separate terms, he also wanted to create a new form of aesthetic, where form follows function and this came to be known as design. When the school opened many women applied more than men so after a while he separated them into more ‘stereotypical women’s friendly’ workshops as other workshops where considered to be too hard for female students. This was not the initial set plan as the vision was to let all the student work in all the workshops with any discrimination. To do so the school offered many classes/ workshops. Many of the workshops consisted of ceramics , painting, weaving, carpentry, metal, graphic printing, printing and advertising photography, glass and wall-painting, stone, wood, plastic and theatre workshops. In comparison to the Bauhaus in Malta we find the institute of Art and Design that also offers similar workshops and studies.

In 1925 the school had to move to a new area called Dessau. The area that was offered was on the outskirts, close to the industrial area. The industrial site gave way to more industrialized works that where produced at the school. Some of the designs that where produced are still being used to this day. Examples of such products are chairs, desk lamps and many more.

The school thought students the importance of form follows function. They made them realize that elaborate designs, although visually pleasing do not offer much purpose so it is best to produce designs where the aesthetic is part of the product as whole. Keeping it minimal and functional was the new trend.

Bauhaus had a lot of important people work and learn within the Bauhaus some of which are Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), Marcel Breuer (1902-1981) and Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944).

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Marcel Breuer

Wassily Kandinsky

 

Mies van der Rohe – Barcelona chair (1929)

Marcel Breuer – armchair/lounge chair (1928-1929)

Wassily Kandinsky – Composition VIII (1923)

 

In my own personal view I owe a lot of my studies to the Bauhaus because it made way for the types of artistic colleges I find myself studying in at the moment. The principle of form follows function was sacred then and is still sacred today. I apply this to almost all my artistic design work.

 

Bibliography:

Bauhaus Movement, Artists and Major Works | The Art Story. 2015.Bauhaus Movement, Artists and Major Works | The Art Story. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-bauhaus.htm. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2015.Ludwig Mies van der Rohe – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Mies_van_der_Rohe. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

Marcel Breuer – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2015. Marcel Breuer – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Breuer. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

Wassily Kandinsky Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works | The Art Story. 2015. Wassily Kandinsky Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works | The Art Story. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/artist-kandinsky-wassily.htm. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

Walter Gropius – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2015. Walter Gropius – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Gropius. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Bauhaus.JPG. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

Bauhaus: Design in a Nutshell (3/6) – YouTube. 2015. Bauhaus: Design in a Nutshell (3/6) – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQa0BajKB4Q. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

Bauhaus – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2015. Bauhaus – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

MoMA | The Collection | Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Barcelona Chair. 1929. 2015. MoMA | The Collection | Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Barcelona Chair. 1929. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=4369. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

MoMA | The Collection | Marcel Breuer. Armchair/Lounge Chair. 1928-29. 2015. MoMA | The Collection | Marcel Breuer. Armchair/Lounge Chair. 1928-29. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=4306. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

WebMuseum: Kandinsky, Wassily. 2015. WebMuseum: Kandinsky, Wassily. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/kandinsky/. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyhrMZB-WLo BAUHAUS – Triadisches Ballett / Triadic Ballet – The weirdest thing you’ll ever see – YouTube. 2015. BAUHAUS – Triadisches Ballett / Triadic Ballet – The weirdest thing you’ll ever see – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c6B7VKfdW4. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

 

 

 

Art and Design Timeline

 

Early products and art before the times of Christ were primary made purely functional or ornamental the two were not often mixed unless they are religious ceremonial tools. Through the developments of new materials, techniques and cultural demand the distinction between products and art was brought closer together making it more likely for good quality functional and aesthetic products to be made outside the demand of religion.

 

As part of my personal interest and study I visited a handful of foreign and local art museums and related places. One of my most recent visits was to the Maltese archaeological museum where I could see the progression in technology, form and aesthetics between objects of different time periods.

Vintage Camera at the Maltese archaeological museum

 

From my personal observations I noticed that the development and improvement is never ending but in order to advance and make better products, better materials need to be discovered. With this information at hand I thought of my developments in my works from concept sketch to finished product and how the process could be improved with steady progressive development.

 

1860-1970 Art movements within that time range

 

 

Visit to the archaeology museum – large time line poster

 

 

 

This time line gives a good view of the art movements from the 1870’s to the late 1980’s

 

Although the art movements are placed along the time line show a fixed point most movements had a varying life time and over lapped each other simultaneously influencing each other.

The time periods allocated for the different art styles indicate when the spot light was on them, showing when that style was at its prime. Any mentioned style could have continued to be developed long after it was no longer in favour with the general society.

 

Social timeline

 

This timeline shows the different stages that art has passed trough.

Though art and design keep evolving as we speak.

World War One:  28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918    lasted for 4 years, 3 months and 2 weeks

In-between:  21 years of relative calm and recovery

World War two:  1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945    lasted for 6 years and 1 day

 

Furniture timeline

 

This is a simple and effective design timeline illustrating the different design stages throughout the years on products in this case it is a chair.

 

 

Graphic Design Timeline

 

This graphics timeline is not displaying design as such but since these stages in art are always interconnected it results in the time lines for art and most design types to have the same historical timeline.

 

 

Bibliography: 

Guy Julier, 1993. The Thames and Hudson Encyclopedia of 20th Century Design and Designers (World of Art). Edition. Thames & Hudson.

Charlotte & Peter Fiell, 2012. Design of the 20th Century (25). Edition. Taschen.

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:https://funfgemuse.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/4.jpg. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Furniture Design History. 2014. Furniture Design History. [ONLINE] Available at:http://onlinedesignteacher.com/furniture_design/furniture_design%20history.html#.VDOz0meSzN8. [Accessed 07 October 2014].

. 2014. . [ONLINE] Available at: https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/10534100_10153024480378268_4624978595887476923_o.jpg. [Accessed 15 November 2014].

Guy Julier, 1993. The Thames and Hudson Encyclopedia of 20th Century Design and Designers (World of Art). Edition. Thames & Hudson.

The Art Story: Modern Art Movement Timeline. 2015. The Art Story: Modern Art Movement Timeline. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.theartstory.org/section_movements_timeline.htm. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

The Art Story: Modern Art Top 50 Timeline. 2015. The Art Story: Modern Art Top 50 Timeline. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.theartstory.org/top50.htm. [Accessed 09 January 2015].

E.H. Gombrich, 1995. The Story of Art. 16 Edition. Phaidon Press.