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The
Arts and Crafts term usually refers to “hand crafted”
and conjures images of Mission Oak furniture and hand thrown
pottery. Though this is true, the Arts and Crafts Style is
really based on a philosophical ideas about the nature of
work, art and social conscious. The following is a brief overview
of the Arts and Crafts movement, its proponents and champions.
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The
Arts and Crafts style is directly inspired by the Arts
and Crafts movement that started in England around 1860.
In the early 1870's the writings of two English men,
John Ruskin and William Morris became available at the
Boston Athenaeum and other libraries in the U.S. John
Ruskin was a Paragraph whose criticism of industrialization
and its dehumanizing of the creative process and consequent
detachment to nature ideals are epitomized by his statement
that "all cast from the machine is bad, as
work it is dishonest." Ruskin believed that
the separation of the artistic process in mans work,
would spur on the ultimate downfall of society. It was
William Morris, however who took this philosophy and
applied it directly to design. Morris was concerned
with the creative process as well as the social implications.
If the quality of design improved then the craftsman
would improve and thereby improve society as a whole.
As a result of his deep convictions in 1875 Morris founded
Morris & Company, which was guild that created simple
furniture, stained glass wallpaper. He also founded
kelmcott Press to promote the philosophies and the crafted
arts. For more information Visit the William
Morris Society Web site and check out the books
to the left. |
It
wasn’t until 1882 that Americans really adapted the
movement, when Oscar Wilde during an American tour gave a
series of lectures about the ideas and philosophies of the
Arts and Crafts Movement. At that time, American architects
promoted arts and crafts products and affluent home owners
embraced these products and ideas with relish. The style was
new, simple but elegant and very different than the
Victorian style of the day which was considered by some, such
as Morris to be excessive and overly ornate with an emphasis
on decoration with little or no thought to function. For Americans
this was revolutionary and just what they had been waiting
for.
The craftsman style reflected nature through its use of local
materials that utilized craftsman traditions such as iron
and copper blacksmithing, pottery, coarse weaving and rough
hewn materials, writing, stained glass and furniture building.
Elements of inspiration for these designs were taken from
nature in the form of organic elements such as bugs, birds,
plants and trees. Designs were considered a perfect marriage
of form and function, aesthetics and usefulness.
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Gustov Stickley |
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One
of the biggest influences in the American arts and crafts
or "craftsman style" was Gustov Stickley who designed
homes and and furniture beginning in the early part of 1900.
Catering primarily the middle class Americans, his magazine
The Craftsman did much to promote the arts and crafts
philosophy throughout mainstream America. This was in contrast
to what was happening in England, for though the intent of
the movement there was to provide hand crafted products to
the "commoner", the cost to pay craftsman resulted
in higher prices and so the movement wound up catering to
the upper class. Stickley was able to utilize manufacturing
and craftsman work to produce products that were affordable.
Stickley is still a very well known name in the arts and crafts
style and enjoys a robust business building reproductions
and new furniture reflective of the period. Original Stickley
pieces such as the Morris chairs fetch a lot of money in any
condition. |
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Frank Lloyd
Wright |
Even
if you are not familiar with Arts and Crafts movement, Frank
lloyd Wright is a name you have probably heard of. He is considered
one of the greatest American architects of the 20th century.
Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and worked with
architects J. Lyman Silsbee and louis Sullivan. Of note, he
was said to have been inspired by a display at the 1893 Columbian
Exposition in Chicago, the Japanese Ho-o-den, (see below).
He designed homes and buildings that broke free of the traditional
European and Victorian "boxes" creating "open"
space homes and buildings for wealthy Americans. He is known
primarily for his "Prairie" style architecture.
Like Stickley he also designed furniture for the homes to
keep a sense of continuity. he was a great proponent of getting
"closer to nature" and becoming conscious of ones
surroundings. A home was meant to abide in harmony with the
natural surroundings and this is most evidenced by his famous
"Falling
Water" in Pennsylvania.
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Ho-o-den
display at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago
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Greene
and Greene |
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Greene
and Greene are most well known for their California Bungalow/Arts
and Crafts Architecture and Furniture Designs. Also catering
to the wealthy and affluent of the time, their famous home
the Gamble House in Pasadena, California, whose owners, David
and Mary Gamble were second generation members of Proctor
and Gamble company commissioned them to build as a retirement
home. Heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement,
they attended the Manual Training School in 1883, then a fledgling
program derived from the teachings of Ruskin and Morris promoting
"The Cultured Mind-The Skillful Hand. After which they
entered the Architectural certificate program at MIT. Though
the program was renowned, Charles in particular was disappointed
and felt that the constrains of traditions taught were stifling
creativity. This was in sharp contrast to the ideals taught
at the Manual Training School. While at MIT they enjoyed access
to the Oriental exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
deriving much inspiration from it. In 1893 the brothers saw
the same Ho-o-den display as Frank Lloyd Wright did at the
Chicago Exposition and for them it was the answer: the perfect
blending of craftsman values and integration into the environment.
They were most impressed with the raw materials use of heavy
timbers and exposed joinery. Consequently, much of their work
echo's japanese architecture and philosophies. |
Doors of the Gamble House from the
interior.
For Virtual Tours click the link to the left. |
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Elbert
Hubbard and The Roycroft |
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Elbert
Hubbard, a partner in a soap company came to the Arts and
Crafts movement in the early 1890's.
Inspired by the ideals of the movement he sold his interest
in the soap firm and founded the Roycroft
in 1895 to publish his writings. He began printing Roycroft
books and two monthly journals; The Philistine:
a periodical of protest (seen to the left), and the Little
Journeys a series of short biographies of composers,
artists, writers and scientists of the day. So popular were
his books, that the Roycroft grew in a relatively short time
into a small crafter's community that included blacksmithing,
furniture design and build, pottery, hand hammered copper
and tooled leather, lighting and stained glass. Originally
these items were made for the campus only, but eventually
they were produced for the general population and over time
Like Stickley, he sold hand crafted items through his magazines
and catalogs. He also created fervor for his products through
lecture tours. His campus and Roycroft Inn brought in a lot
of attention and people would come and stay at the inn to
see the campus and attend courses offered. You can visit the
Roycroft
Inn in East Aurora NY today and enjoy the gorgeous architecture
and furniture and you can also stay in rooms that have beautiful
handcrafted antique Roycroft furniture and Morris designs.
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