The Arts and Crafts Movement (updated)

Based on the research that I have done I found that the Arts and Crafts movement was a link between traditional Victorian values and the modern movement. Other than the fact that the Movements key figure was William Morris and that it was a reaction against the Industrial Revolution the Movements motifs were natural forms mostly taken from plants. William Morris was famous for his ability to crate balance and harmony within complexity and in some of his books one can notice some early Victorian motifs. Some of his patterns and textures are actually seen in the illuminated manuscrips and some of Morris's decorated pages are very similar to those textile designs. In some of William Morris's books one can also notice Victorian typefaces.    




The Arts and Crafts Movement flourished in England during the late decades of the 19th century. It was a reaction against the artistic confusion of the Industrial revolution. The Arts and Crafts Movement was also a socialist reform movement, which included designers, architects, artists, writers, and crafts of all kind. The Arts and Crafts Movement is associated with the traditional Victorian values and the modern movement. The leading figure of The Arts and Crafts Movement was the English textile designer artist, and writer, William Morris was also associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The writer and artist John Ruskin inspired the philosophy of this movement. John Ruskin was the most influential of all Victorian writers on the arts and a member of the Pre-Raphaelite, while John Ruskin built the philosophical foundation of the arts and crafts Movement; it was William Morris who became the leader of The Arts and Crafts Movement.

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc pg 176

William Morris

The leading figure of the Arts and Crafts Movement was William Morris he was well known for his pattern designs that were mostly on wallpapers and fabrics. His idea in connecting art to industry by applying the principles of fine art to the production of commercial design was a key stage in the evolution of design as we know it today.

Morris was one of the best pattern designers; his pattern designs are still commercially available as textiles and wallpapers. Morris was highly influenced by natural forms such as flowers, Morris used the natural forms that he found in the woods and meadows and used them to decorate inside houses.

The above image is a wallpaper design by William Morris called 'Trellis', 1862. This was William Morris’s first try at a wallpaper design. This wallpaper design shows medieval influences, it a reminiscences of the ornamental decoration that is found on illuminated manuscripts and tapestries.

William Morris-the arts and crafts movement (online) available at: http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/graphic_designers/william_morris.html accessed 16/11/2013

Arthur H. Mackmuardo

Arthur H. Muckmuardo was an architect who met William Morris and was inspired by his ideas and his success in design. He was one of the leading figures of The Century Guild this was an arts and crafts organization which was formed in 1882, the goal of the Century Guild was to “render render  all branches of art the sphere, no longer of the tradesman but of the artist.” Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc.pg 

The above image is a title page for "Wern's City Churches", 1833 by Arthur H. Mackmuardo.

Arthur H. Mackmuardo used plant forms and they are stylized into flamelike forms.

undulating rhythms that compress the negative space between them. 

This created a positive and negative interaction between black ink and white paper.

  

The above image is a reversal of the title page design also by Arthur H. Mackmuardo.

• stylize plant forms
• undulating rhythms
• animation of space
• visual tension between positive and negative space
• the negative space is created by white form on black fields instead of black forms on white fields  

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc pg 178

The above image is the trade mark for the Century Guild, 1884 by Arthur H. Mackmuardo.

The flame, flowers and the initials are compressed and tapered into photo-art nouveau forms.

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc pg 178

The Kelmscott Press

William Morris was the founder of The Kelmscott Press, it all started when Morris developed an interest in printing through the publication of his own writing. Morris wanted to revive the skills of hand printing. His friend Emery Walker was an expert in Typography and together they studied early printed books called ‘incunabula’, which is a book that was printed not had written.

Morris’s approach to design was to look back at the basics of any medium that he engaged in. he recreated traditional dyes for his printed fabrics and for his book printing he looked back at the earliest days of printing.

Morris was inspired by the type made by Nicholas Jensen in Venice in the 1470s. Individual letters by Jensen were photographed and enlarged then Morris copied shapes from the letters over and over until he was assured that he had the measure of them. He then drew designs of his own, in the spirit of Jensen but not slavishly copied.

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc pg 181

The above image is the trade mark of The Kelmscott Press by William Morris 1892

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc