Notes:
John Ruskin
born early 1800 becomes the philosophical leader of the arts movement. He calls
for social reform. How can we consciously restructure society for a cooperative
and prosperous outcome?
William
Morris 1834-1896: Atheist. Wrote over 90 books, illuminated manuscripts, set up
a print shop, founded socialist league, most popular poet of his day.
Started off
rich from father’s copper mines.
Started a
career as an architect, but quit it to become an artist.
Crafted 644
illustration blocks (Kelmscott style). Produced borders, title pages, and other
designs.
Arts and
crafts react against industrialization. Leads to Art Nouveau.
Aubrey
Beardsley(sex obsessed) also produced vine-work woodblock illustrations in the Kelmscott
style.
Morris threatens
lawsuit against Beardsley tarnishing the Kelmscott style.
Sarah
Bernhardt hires Alphonse Mucha to do a lithography. She loves it. It elevates
him to fame and puts his work in high demand. Mucha went on to make all kinds of
advertisements for a wide variety of products.
Whiplash
Hair, tile work, plays with depth, flat abstract forms contrast to foreground
subjects. Sexuality.
Turn of the
century - Pattern work becomes popular. Form is abstracted
Will Bradley.
Produces Book covers. Abstraction, black and white pattern. Plays with
dimensionality and abstraction of forms. Influenced by Japanese woodcuts. The
patterns in his work is flat but the way it is cut plays with 3D form.
Penfield’s
work in Harpers Magazine is an example of how Illustrations become flatter,
moves towards 2D look.
In Germany, Art Nouveau
is called Jugendstil(youth style)
The Kiss, 1898 Peter
Behrens - Jugend Style. Intertwined locks of hair. Both figures androgynous,
pushing boundaries of sexuality.
Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts (Scotland)
Founders: Margret and Francis McDonald(sisters), Herbert
McNair, and Charles Renee Mackintosh. Known for geometric styles that have
curvilinear elements with a rectilinear structure, floral motifs, and symbolism.
Talwin Morris. Bookmaker. Took basic visual elements to make
cover and spine designs. Mass produced and widely collected.
In Austria, Art Nouveau is called Sessionstil. Artist of
this form break off from.
An example: Gustav Klimt. Koloman Moser.
1889 Klimt work shows outrageous use of negative space.
Personal Thoughts
Although the movie was unexpectedly long, it stressed how
important William Morris was to art in his time. I liked seeing the slides of
his work after the movie. His vine work is amazing. It reminds me of the
intricate Celtic knots of the Book of Kells. Those designs always amaze and
inspire me.
As always my favorite part of class is looking at and
analyzing the different works of art. I would like to see more works of art in
the Jugendstil style. Love the way women’s hair flows in that style.
It was interesting to find out how much influence the four
founders of the Glasgow School had on the Art Nouveau movement. Would like to
learn more and see more of their work.
Questions
What is the Glasgow institute of Art doing now?
Are they currently similar to Ringling or are they more
specialized?
How much of the four founder’s style is carried on today at
the school?
What was Koloman Moser’s influence on Art Nouveau?
What popular examples produced today can be traced back to the
beginnings of Art Nouveau?
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