Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau period started in France and Belgium. It was focused on thinking outside the box and not going by tradition. During this time Europe was in a period of peace and prosperity. Since there was a lot of economic growth going on, it supported the experimental part of the period. They used the flowing line technique that the Arts and Crafts period used. Artists such as Van Gogh and Edvard Munch shared an interest in Japanese art that soon became very popular.

This period was very cohesive and everyone was involved in the process of designing. The use of modern materials, electric lighting and fine arts became key parts to the period. You will see a lot of ornamentation in these designs such as vines and shells.

Henry Van de Velde was a prominent figure in Belgium. He designed his own house in 1894. He got more into the furniture, silverware, and product design.

These are some of the chairs he designed. The lines and curves on them are very significant and make them unique.

One of the things I thought was very interesting in France with this period was the Metropolitan signs. They are so different and make a statement when you walk by them. Hector Guimard designed the signs and I must say he did a fabulous job!

Current Applications:

Responses:

I looked at Justine's blog and I liked how she talked about Paris and Belgium separately. It showed how they compared to one another. The current applications she showed were phenomenal, the design that went into them was so articulate.

I also reviewed Natalie's blog and I liked how she looked at the specific places such as the Tassle and Horta house. It showed the characteristics of the period in detail and clarified with me what it looked like all put together in a room.

Here is a video that gives a good representation of what the architecture looked like during this period!

Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts Movement was an important time in which the rebellion of the Victorian period began. It started in England in the 1850's. William Morris was an important contribution to this period. He believed you shouldn't have anything in your house that isn't useful. Everything has a purpose and is strategically placed in the design. The use of lines was very popular in the Arts and Crafts Movement. The goal of this movement was to get back to the manufacturing side of design. Some were really skilled in crafting and could manufacture items by themselves or you can also do it in groups. The working conditions however were really poor during this time.

In this picture, the vertical rails along the stairs and the bricks on the fireplace give the room more height and dimension.

The furniture in this period had a geometric form to it but still looked very simple and clean. The chairs kind of reminded me of the Frank Lloyd Wright designs from the tall backs and wooden structure.

This is an example of the Argyle chair. The lines on the back give it height and style. They don't have arm rests which make it look very clean.

The rooms above are examples of the Arts and Crafts style in the past. Some of the things I noticed were there was a lot of wooden furniture. There was also less detail and clutter than they had in the Victorian period.

Here are some examples of current Arts and Crafts interiors:

They still have that wooden aspect to them but are more updated and adapted to today's society.

Below is a video I found that presents examples of all kinds of Arts and Crafts homes, decorations and designs that I thought really described what the movement was like.

Reactions:

I looked at Emily's blog and I liked how she talked about the history of this movement and how it all started. The current applications she showed were something I would like my house to look like! Also, the video she posted was very helpful in learning more about the movement and the furniture they used.

I also looked at Nicole's blog and she explained the characteristics of the furniture really well. The pictures she provided for examples were a good representation of the Arts and Crafts movement. I learned a lot from reading her blog and got a better understanding period in general.