Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts Movement was one of the most influential movement in the design industry. This movement was founded late in the 19th century by theorists, architects and designers in Britain under Queen Victoria. William Morris and John Ruskin were the two main founders of this movement. They were both architects and not only wanted to reform design but to give quality once more to the work process itself. The aim of creating this movement was to re-establish a harmony between architects, designers and craftsmen and to bring hand craftsmanship to the production of well-designed, affordable everyday objects.

A.W.N. Pugin (Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin), was an architect, designer and a writer who loved the Gothic style. Becoming a Catholic in 1835, he believed that the Gothic style reflected the order and stability of the Christian faith. For this reason, Pugin rejected the early Victorian vogue for Classical architecture in favour of a revival of medieval Gothic. His definition of the two great rules of for design defined the real nature of Gothic and were to to become the most important influence of the Arts and Crafts movement. These were:
- There should be no features about a building which are not necessary for convenience, construction or property,
- That all ornament should consist of the essential construction of the building.

Pugin's dream of re-uniting designers and craftsmen and in broader terms the spiritual with the everyday, was taken up by Ruskin and Morris.

Ruskin together with Morris wanted to produce beautiful things made with craftsmanship and not machine mass produced. Morris's designs included plants and later on birds' detailing and wanted to show the natural beauty of materials.

Christopher Dresser was an industrial designer at this time and he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity it offered to make good design available at a cheaper price. The image below shows an electroplate teapot (1878/9) which explains Christopher's choice of using electroplated silver instead of solid silver.

References:

British Museum, n.d. Electroplate Teapot. [image online] Available at: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/e/electroplate_teapot,_designed.aspx [Accessed 23rd October 2013]

Anon, n.d. Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. [image online] Available at: http://www.explore-parliament.com/nssMovies/01/0154/0154_.htm [Accessed 23rd October 2013]

V&A, 2013. The Arts & Crafts Movement. [online] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-arts-and-crafts-movement/ [Accessed 23rd October 2013]

Cumming, E. and Kaplan, W., 1991. The Arts and Cradts Movement. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.