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Arts and Craft: The Craftsman

~~~~~~·~!~~i·I·~·!I~If you make a machine to do the craft of a man, the man will get further and further from theability to create the craft, and I wonder if this takes away from the man. With this in mind wecan look at the technology we use in our jobs one of two ways, technology save time ortechnology replaces the man. Because of technology we are seeing that once again we look toclarity of form, honesty of workmanship, integrity of material, and harmony with nature. Whenyou hear "Arts and Crafts" it brings up brings images of handcrafted furniture, metal work,ceramics, and printed or embroidered fabrics. It doesn't bring up a movement. The movementbegan in Britain more than a century ago and was about much more than art and craft, and itsinfluence is present in our society today.

The Arts and Crafts philosophy countered the values of the industrial revolution, whichcondemned the worker to repetitious manufacturing of poor quality object designed by others.Thomas Carlyle had warned of the soullessness of industrial production, writing about losingfaith in individual endeavor. Carlyle had a wide readership and impact, but John Ruskin hadeven more. Ruskin believed good design was the measure of a healthy society and he attackedpoor quality machine made goods. Ruskin wrote about mans delight in Gods work, the freedomof expression, and that only the objects that were a labor of love held any value.

There were many organizations promoting the Arts and Crafts movement. One of the earliestwas Century Guild started by AH. Macknurdo, Selwyn Image and H.P. Home. The CenturyGuild workshop produced furniture, metal work, wallpaper enameling and textiles. Artistsassociated with the Century Guild included Heywood Sumner, potter Wiliam de Morgan,enameller Clement Heaton, and sculptor Benjamin Creswick. Probably the most important werewas the Art Workers Guild started in 1884 and the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society 1888.

The movement was already decades old when a group English theorists, artist, and architectsset up the Arts and Exhibition Society. The movement moved to unite social reform,architecture, art and the decorative arts. It honored work that demonstrated a blending of fineart and decorative art.

William Morris (1834-1896) - Designer, artist and writer. Morris's work had a deep influence onmodem and contemporary arts. Best know as a designer of wall coverings, stained glass,carpets, and tapestries, he was also furniture-maker, typeface designer, painter, poet, andpolitical publisher.

Morris met Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti at Oxford University, forming agroup of young men know as the Brotherhood. They were inspired by the writings of JohnRuskin; they shared a love of poetry, the middle ages, and Gothic architecture. 1881 Morrisestablished "the Firm" that later became Morris, Marshall, and Falkner & Co. Morris, Burne-Jones and Rossette were the most important designers and decorators at the company, butarchitect Philip Webb and painter Ford Madox Brown a designer of stained glass and furniturecompleted the talent. Commissions included the Red House, Morris's home in Upton, theArmoury and Tapestry Room in St. James Palace and the Dining Room in the Victoria andAlbert Museum. Morris ended the partnership in 1875 and the company became Morris & Co.

The movement rejected the industrial revolution; Morris preached that work had to be maderational and satisfying to the worker again. He promoted that guilds would be a good place to

start, artisans could work together to create useful and beautiful had made objects. In the endthe beautiful objects that he and his colleges produced were far too costly for the common man,who continued to purchase the cheap and gaudy things, which he despised. Despite itcontinued success Morris's interests shifted to politics, which was his primary focus the rest ofhis life.

It is believed that John Ruskin books provided the greatest inspiration to the Arts and Craftmovement would wide. The Guild and School of Handicraft was founded in 1880's, by CharlesRobert Ashbee as an endeavor towards the teaching of John Ruskin and William Morris.

The movement moved throughout Europe, the materials, forms, and detaining used by the Artsand Crafts architects and designers took on localized characteristics by the 1890. Morris'svoice was heard in America as well. In America there was still space to build new cities andsuburbs, the air was clean, and there was a cautious optimism about the industrial revolution.To the Americans the machine was a friend, a tool to liberate the worker.

Gustav Stickley (1858-1942) Inspired by Morris was the greatest champion of the Arts andCrafts movement in America. First trained as a stonemason, Stickley preferred working withwood. He learned furniture making at his uncle's chair factory in Pennsylvania. He became afurniture manufacturer well known for the quality, and can be recognized by the qualitycraftsmanship.

Tenons Keyed Tenons Blind DovetailCrossrails

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Side hung & CenterGuided Draws

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Stickley believed that his design should be shared, to add improvements, however thisgenerosity played a big part in his later the financial decline.

He established the magazine "The Craftsman" in 1901. In 1904 it featured the first craftsmanhome and each month a new home would be feathered. Free of charge, you could send awayfor a set of plans for one house from the series each year. The craftsman home was based onbeauty, simplicity, utility and organic harmony. The Craftsman plans offered the average familya house that was a home. He wrote in his magazine:

The worked that is best loved in the language of every nation is home,for when a man's home is born out of his heart and developed throughhis labor and perfected through his sense of beauty, it is the verycornerstone of his life.

He hoped that his home designs would teach that you could substitute the love of luxury of tastefor the luxury of costliness. He wanted to show that beauty was not elaborate or ornate, thatbeauty employed forms and material, which demonstrate simplicity, individuality, and dignity of

effect. Stickley designed at least 241 homes and published 221 plans. In addition to themagazine Stickley put an amazing amount of effort promoting his home design, publishing atleast 2 inexpensive books and several pamphlets. The Craftsman house plans can be put intofour periods.

1900-1093 - The Experimental Period1904-1907 - First Mission Period1909-1915 - Mature Period1916 - Final Mission Period

House plans were published in the magazine from the beginning and a short time later theinterior designs began to appear. Stickley used the magazine to market his furniture in thecorrect setting; he must have understood that his furniture designs would not fit in the popularVictorian interiors.

The Experimental Period - The Craftsman printed architectural detail suggestions,but not complete house plans. E. E. W. Dietrich appeared and the term"Craftsman" was first used designed several house. The interiors showedCraftsman furniture, establishing the ideal that the furniture and the house gotogether for a new living environment.

First Mission Period - At least one houses was published each month, some asmany as three. Greater detail was paid interior, detailing color combinations ofpaint, wallpaper, rugs, and curtains. The houses were published in Life magazineafter 1904

Mature Period - The houses were visually unified and the style was moreconsistent. The interiors were designed around the fireplace; Stickley believed thatthe fireplace should be the center family activity. Stickley's evolvement lessened atthe end of this period due to his economic decline. His articles became shorterand the interior drawings were dropped.

Final Mission Period - House reappeared in 1916 designed by other architects andThe Craftsman magazine final issue was in December of 1916.

The craftsmen homes was designed for the masses, but were built primarily for the middle andupper class. The philosophy and the decorative details of the Craftsman style were costly toexecute. The rich had Green & Green or Frank Lloyd Wright as their architect, the middle classused Stickley's Craftsman Home plans, and the poor built Sears and Aladdin "kit" homes.

As in Europe the American craftsman utilized local material and cultural influence, to creatingunique regional styles. California's Green and Green took advantage of California's forests, .combining the Japanese wood building techniques with the Swill chalet forms. Irving Gill usedthe Spanish and Indian heritage of the state with masonry-walled cubes. In San Francisco,Gernard Maybech made use of the Gothic ornament on the Arts and Craft houses. TheMidwest saw Frank Lloyd Writes Prairie School, spreading as far as Puerto Rico.

Craftsman style - How do you know a craftsman?

Exterior

Material native to region - Materials were found on or around the building siteQuality of construction and finish - the. best craftsman were hiredRoof

Large overhanging eaves with rafters exposed. Tile, slate or shingleChimney

It was Common to have a mix of material, stone at the bottom with a transition tobrick at the top.

ColumnsWood or stone, although stone columns were rare. Wood columns were alwaysround and plain

Sleeping and dining porchesSleeping porches off one or more of the bedrooms.Inset porches off of the dining room or kitchen

Front PorchThe craftsman most always had a front porch under a gabled roof, furnished withwicker chairs and a swing

Exposed structural elementsStreet facing gablesCasement windows

Interiors

Interiors emphasized form and function, open designs, using space conservatively andcreatively for living. Most architects were interested in the architectural features of the living anddining rooms. Kitchens were made to be efficient had highly functional. The bedrooms wereusually bright and cheerful.

Front doors open into the living roomHardwood floorsArea rugs and hallway runnersAlways a fireplace, often a main feature of the living roomArched opening flanked with bookcases separating living areas

Kitchen built-insWall coverings

Wainscotings or tongue and groove boards covering the lower half of the wallWallpaperWood paneling

Stenciling on wall boardersPlaster ceilingsArched openings with bookcases flanking each sideEmphasized form and functionFurniture

The furnishings between 1900-1915 were that of the Stickley brothers, Charles P.Limbert, and the Roycroft Colony.

Built-insBenchesBookshelvesCabinets

Lamps, Mission styleTiffanyFrank Lloyd Wright

FabricsPatterns

Flattened patterns of wild and country flowers, and medieval motifs in earthyvegetable colors

MaterialsChintzes, silk, wool, linen, damask, velvet and dark leathers

Window treatments - CurtainsVery sheer and plain fabrics are used to let light in. Hang from wood or brasspoles window-length. Often with simple embroidered patterns

Table scarves - hand embroideredTile

Tile was often around the fireplace hearth. DesignsArt

The decorative arts were stained glass lamps and windows, native American ceramics,baskets, and rugs were encouraged.Stained Glass

Tiffany & Frank Lloyd Wright glass design were amongst the most populardesigns

Ceramics