William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts movement (1860-1930) interests me as it was largely a reaction against the impoverished state of decorative arts at the time, and the conditions in which they were produced, on an international scale. It was an advocate for economic and social reform, also said to be anti-industrial as it  search for authenticity in its designs, and was not in favour of the designs that resulted from machines.

Those in the arts and crafts movement were strict as to bring out the moral purpose of art. They adhered to the idea of preserving and emphasizing quality of the materials used to create their pieces. They call this "truth to material". Patterns were inspired by the local flora and fauna, drawing on the local traditions.

William Morris (above) was one of those leading this movement. He started it to improve the tastes of the Victorian public and revive the authenticity of designs and quality of materials used. He was well-known for various types of pieces such as textiles, wallpapers, and tile designs. What really inspires me about this movement is the creativity William Morris had to offer while holding true to the materials.

One of his famous wallpaper pieces, the Trellis Wallpaper (1862), I believe was deliberately left slightly incomplete, leaving a very natural and rustic effect. This would be reflective of the nature of the arts and crafts movement - to express the beauty inherent in craft. His colour choices were also in harmony, reflective of flora in its natural state. I personally really like how he plays with the natural colours and shades. On a personal note, I like how he used squares and colours to emphasize a portion of his masterpiece. While the actual reason of his choice of emphasis remains unknown to me, this has made me aware of how an artist can use something as simple as colour to draw the audience's attention to a certain item in a piece.

llustration: William Morris. Trellis wallpaper design, 1862.

‘Jasmine Trellis’ textile design by William Morris, produced by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co in 1868. 

Morris' work has a flattened graphic appearance and disregard for naturalised three-dimensional quality. Having said that, he pays much attention to detail and has a somewhat symmetrical quality in his designs. The organic nature of his works tones down what could have been a striking sense of symmetry in a design. In psychology, we learn that symmetry actually registers in an individual's mind as pleasant and beautiful, and thus could explain the success of his designs in the market. It is said in Morris' below piece (Daisy), that he kept over-stylization to a gentle minimum, and his patterns were far from strict forms of realism. Again, his colour choice and tones are harmonious and natural.

Illustration: William Morris. Daisy, 1864.

William Morris' work is also very much influenced by medieval times. Another thing I marvel about him is how his work ranges from writing poetry, essays and fiction to producing wallpapers, textiles, tapestry and various other designs. His excellence in attending to detail and his strive to keep trying new forms of art is also an inspiration to me. His determination to preserve the arts in its original nature also is an inspiring factor. For example, he chose to work with the technique of hand woodblock printing, an ancient technique, as opposed to roller printing, which had almost completely replaced hand woodblock printing for commercial uses.

Illustration: William Morris. Acanthus, 1875.

Illustration: William Morris. Chrysanthemum, 1877.

Illustration: William Morris. Willow Bough, 1887.

Illustration: William Morris. Honeysuckle, 1883.

In conclusion, I draw inspiration from the styles of his work and very much like his nature motifs, as well as his choices of colour and tones. The way he uses organic designs but yet is able to produce that quiet symmetry in his pieces also strikes a chord when I look at his work.

Elements of design analysis-
Line: Mostly organic, sometimes using straight lines to create emphasis
Shape: Organic lines, to create a flow
Value: Varies according to piece (ie: dark on light on wallpapers, less contrast on some textiles)
Colours: Natural colours, harmonious
Texture: Flat, with close attention to detail
Alignment and proportion: Objects more or less evenly spaced, somewhat symmetrical design
Eye movement: Movement in repetition and visual rhythm


Principles of design-
Hierarchy : Mostly no hierarchy as images are repetitive
Balance: A sense of symmetry with the entire piece covered in images
Emphasis and variety: Varies according to the piece (ie: Trellis Wallpaper design (1862), emphasis probably on coloured surfaces, Acanthus (1875) no particular emphasis). Morris uses a variety of line and shapes but his tones are mostly natural and more quiet
Harmony and unity: Harmony and unity is present as images come together to create a meaningful whole.


For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_and_crafts_movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Morris
http://www.greencraftsmandesigns.com/about%20the%20arts%20and%20crafts%20philosphy.html
http://thetextileblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/william-morris-and-daisy-wallpaper.html
http://thetextileblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/william-morris-and-trellis-wallpaper.html