Modern Movement

The modern movement can be traced back to the mid 19th century when we had the pioneers A.W.N. Pugin, John Ruskin and William Morris. During the Victorian style these three designers/architects recognised the need to reform society through a new approach to design. Although William Morris was in favour of handcrafted products, he was among the first to put theory into practice by producing well-designed and executed objects for everyday use. He proposed that design could and should be used a democratic tool for social change and this had an impact on the development of the Modern Movement.

With the aid of Morris, craft-based workshops were founded in Britain, Germany and America. By time the machine-based was becoming more popular and thus, the Deutscher Werkbund was founded in 1907. This was when reforming ideology met industrial production. Members of the Deutscher Werkbund eliminated ornaments and developed a new anf highly rational approach to design.

The Wassliy Chair was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925 where he added tubular steel rods and simple rectangular leather strips to form the seat. Having this chair as an example, elements were simplified and promoted greater efficiency when it comes to production and materials. This also resulted in saving costs for both the buyer and the manufacturer. In this period there was the quote that says "Less is more" that explains how simple designs can lead to more success.

The 'ornament' elimination was also taken over De Stijl where the Red and Blue Chair relates to the Wassily Chair when it comes to design of geometric shapes and simple materials.

Wassily chair, 1925                                                                                       Red and Blue chair, 1918

After the first world war, Walter Gropius became the first director of Bauhaus in 1919. Bauhaus' aim was to bring unity to the arts and to put the reforming ideals of previous designers of Modernism into practice. Bauhaus is known as the most important design institution of the 20th century and thus it had an enormous impact on the Modern Movement. This was due to its promotion of functionalism, industrial methods of production and state-of-the-art materials.

In the 1920s, the International Style had emerged that it was distinguished by minimalism and industrialism. Le Corbusier had become an important role within this style although his designs were less utilitarian that those of the Bauhaus. 

By time modernism appeared to have lost its moral bearings and this was when Alvar Aalto came in who pioneered a humanising form of Modernism through Organic Design.

Armchair 406, 1939

                                                                                                                                  Savoy Vase, 1936

Alvar Aalto's work became well known in Britain and America and it also inspired Modern Movement designers such as Ray and Charles Eames. Ray and Charles Eames continued to use the organic approach to design that embraced state-of-the-art technologies and materials.

The Eames Chair, 1941

References:
Poul Webb, 2010. Marcel Breuer. [image online] Available at: http://poulwebb.blogspot.com/2010/06/marcel-breuer.html [Accessed 6th January 2014]

Chairpedia, n.d. The Modern Chair. [image online] Available at: http://chairpedia.com/intro/the-modern-chair.aspx [Accessed 6th January 2014]

architonic, n.d. 635 Red and Blue. [image online] Available at: http://www.architonic.com/pmsht/635-red-and-blue-cassina/1020478 [Accessed 6th January 2014]

bonluxat, n.d. Alvar Aalto Armchair 406. [image online] Available at: http://www.bonluxat.com/a/Alvar_Aalto_Armchair_406.html [Accessed 6th January 2014]

Gabriela Ponton, 2014. savoy Alvar Aalto para Iittala. [image online] Available at: http://arquidesignitaliano.blogspot.com/2013/05/savoy-alvar-aalto-para-iittala.html [Accessed 6th January 2014]

Anon, n.d. Charles Ray Eames Chairs and Other Furniture. [image online] Available at: http://www.eames.biz/ [Accessed 6th January 2014]