Day Six

NOTES

JOHN RUSKIN

-John Ruskin was born in 1819 and was the philosophical leader. 

-He is one of the leaders who is going to call for social reform. 

-"How can you contiously so the structure of society so they can maintain an order." 

-This is the beginning of socialism. 

-How can we structure society to take care of the most people. 

-He was a writer and a philosopher. John Ruskin lays that underpin. He had the base idea that things are valuable simply because they was beautiful. 

-The cathedral was the example of the perfect unity of design. 

WILLIAM MORRIS

- William Morris is one of the guys that is extremely important figure. 

- In response to rococo design things became clean. 

-Things are beautiful. We should have beautiful things in our world. 

- He is a son of wealthy merchant. Which is why he has the money to buy things. 

- William Morris' pattern work is the most famous.

- Morris becomes involved into book arts

- Book arts becomes a popular trend in this time period

- Morris designs his own typeface: Golden (oldstyle) Troy (blackletter) Chauser(sp?)

-  He designer over 600 illustrations blocks, borders, frames, tittle pages, etc.

- The major thing everyone remembers of Morris is the vine work, tapestry, etc. 

- But beyond that is the work ethic Morris had

ART NOUVEAU

- Each generation always rejects the last generation which creates art nouveau

- Aubrey Beardsley was greatly influenced by William Morris

- Aubrey had naked imps and scandals art. 

- Morris did not like this

- Early Art Nouveau came about as they saw that there was problems

- Young people tend to be less dogmatic 

- What's new how can we make that work?

- Beardsley is influenced by high contrast, japanese design, and dark sexual art.

- Beardsley at the end of his life became a more traditionalist artist 

- Alphonse Mucha is just like you and me. He starts off as a painter and printer. 

- Mucha got hired by dumb luck to design posters. 

- The person loved the design so much that he got hired into a year contract.

- The term Art Nouveau and Mucha Style was interchangeable. His style was that dominant. 

- Mucha really defines what Art Nouveau is

- In 1895 the term is called Le Style Modern. Until a gallery came about called Art Nouveau which just stuck

- Mucha did everything from ads, characters, designs, etc

- Art Nouveau characteristics: Whiplash hair, tile work, playing with depth, very flat abstract background, playing with spacial relationships, lots of movement but still flat, etc. Background is inspired by Japense art. 

-GE logo has a pattern that is influenced by Japanese design and art nouveau

- Will Bradley starts doing some innovative things. He starts using abstract simple form.

-Bradley was influenced by Japanese wood crafts

- Advertising at this time is also becoming sophisticated

- In Belgium art nouveau is called art nouveau

- Jugendstil is Art Nouveau

- Art Nouveau is about youth

- Glassgo school of art is cool. It's built between four different people. 

- Margret, Francis Mcdonald, Herbert Mcnair, Charles Renaymacintosh (sp???)

- Key points: geometric, curvilinear elements (curvy, flowy), but rectilinear structure, decorative floral motifs, symbolism, and stylized with expression.

- "You're in the door painting and stuff happens" 

- They're doing the same type of work you are

- The four become synonymous 

- Talwin Morris gave practical expressions for the idea of the four

- Talwin was famous for the red letter shaped spear series. 

- Talwin was obsessed with book spines

- Art nouveau is known as sessionstiol (means style)

- Gustaf Clint, Koloman Moser,

- 

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Today in class we introduced the famous era of design: Art Nouveau. I absolutely love art nouveau. It's on of my favorite art styles in history. I knew a little of Aubrey Beardsley. I mainly known him for his provocative pieces. It was interesting to see so many Japanese influences in art nouveau. I knew Japanese was part of the influence but didn't think Japanese art and blocks influenced so many important art nouveau artist. I feel art nouveau is such a strange jump in art from what we learned last class period. Hair is a big characteristic. The way hair is stylized and has curvilinear elements. It's very sexual and has a lot of movement. Sex was possibly brought up every 10 mins. It was hilarious. I loved the energy of art nouveau and how there was so much sex, abstract, and youth embedded in it. I also loved your quote in class "You're in the dorm painting and stuff happens.." 

I feel in today's lecture I can really sense art, typography, and design is really evolving fast. ( like extremely fast) There's more color, more life, more energy, symbolism, sex, expression. I find this absolutely amazing. There's a lot more creative elements mixed into design / typography. 

QUESTIONS 

Art Nouveau was influenced heavily by Japanese. A lot of style is influenced by Japanese. But what influences popular Japanese art? (Like in the time of art nouveau)

Add more later!