Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the early, and most influential, contributors to Modernism. He worked to develop and "American" style rather than just emulating the styles of other countries, as we had done previously. During his career, he designed over 1,000 structures and completed 532 works. The majority of his work was residential, but he did complete a few commercial projects as well.

The style that Wright is most well-known for is the Prairie Style. This style emulated the vast, flat landscapes in the prairies of the Midwest. Some of these Prairie homes include the Robie House, the Martin House, and the Dana-Thomas House. These homes featured the characteristic hipped roof, strong horizontal profile, and features that integrated the exterior with its surroundings.

Wright's designs went beyond the actual structure of the building. He was known for including the designs for the lighting fixtures, furniture, and stained glass windows. These designs focused on the family and worked to create environments that were functional for their purpose.

Current Examples:

Also, check out this video on Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater:



Protomodernism Peer Review

I really enjoyed the images that Angie used in her Protomodernism post. I thought she chose great pictures to illustrate this style and you could clearly tell that they were Protomodernist.


I also thought Ashley's post included a lot of great information. I thought her inclusion of Gustav Klimt's work was a great choice as it showed the impact that this period had on the art world in addition to architecture and design.

Protomodernism

The Protomodernism movement developed in the 1890s in countries like Germany and Austria. It was founded in Munich. The Deutscher Wekbund movement was created in protest of the artistic establishment and shared many similarities with the Arts and Crafts movement. However, unlike the Arts and Crafts movement, the Deutcher Werkbund movement supported the use of machine and mass production.

The Vienne Secession movement resulted from world wide advances in art, history, psychology, and philosophy. This style took an interest in culture and design, bringing style to basic household objects. Those who followed this style withdrew from traditional academic and historical architecture and design.

One of the most prominent figures from the Protomodernist movement was Josef Hoffman. He was an architect and designer who participated in the Vienna Secession and was known for his work in furniture, textiles, glass, and metal. He created many well known furniture pieces like the Morris Chair, the Armloffel Chair, and the Club Chair. He also designed the Palais Stoclet in Brussels, which established a new approach to residential design. This home included designs for the structure as well as the interiors and furniture.

Current Examples:

Art Nouveau Peer Review

I thought Amanda M. did a great job summarizing the Art Nouveau period. She also used really good pictures to demonstrate how this design style looks.

I also like Amanda V.'s post. She had some really beautiful pictures and I thought her modern examples of Art Nouveau were especially good at showing how this style can be incorporated into today's designs.

Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau style developed during the end of the 19th century, lasting from 1890-1910. It featured nature-inspired designs that incorporated elements like birds, vines, flowers, and insects. Belgium and France lead the movement, with the name Art Nouveau actually being derived from a shop in France. The style embodied a very modern feel as it used materials like iron and glass, was created with modern industrial techniques, and used electric lighting.

The work of Victor Horta, a Belgian architect, designer, and teacher, made him the most influential designer of the period. He was known for his unique iron railings and hardware, stenciled walls and ceilings, and mosaic tile patterns on the walls, ceilings, and floors.

Henry Van de Velde was another famous designer from this period who actually began his career as a painter. He designed his own home including the furniture, table silver, and cookware. The furniture he designed served as more than just decorative as he managed to make them both sculptural and ergonomic.

Current Examples

Also, check out this video on some of the works of Victor Horta:

Arts and Crafts Movement Peer Review

I really enjoyed Alicia's post about the Art Nouveau style. Art Nouveau is one of my favorite styles, so I really like seeing the photos she found and reading about its history.


Allysia's post offered a really great summary of the Arts and Crafts period. She highlighted the main aspects of this movement and used photos that provided good examples of this look.

Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts Movement began in 1860 as a response to the Victorian Period. Victorian design had featured mass-produced, cheaply made products, leading to dissatisfaction as people realized the need for quality designs. The focus of the Arts and Crafts movement was simple, well-made furniture and architecture that was functional, as opposed to the uncomfortable, cluttered, and dysfunctional Victorian style.



One of the most prominent figures of this time was William Morris. Morris is credited as being the founder of  the Arts and Crafts Movement after being influenced by the writings of Ruskin. He inspired the formation of craft guilds and established his own company, Morris, Marshall, & Faulkner. Their work focused on church decoration, stained glass, textiles, and furniture. The company is perhaps best known for the Morris Chair, designed by Philip Webb. It featured a solid wood frame with a simple, honest construction, loose cushions for the seat and back, and could be reclined. The style was vastly popular has been widely copied, even today.

The later period of the Arts and Crafts Movement saw the rise of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a Scottish architect and designer. He started in the Arts and Crafts base, but grew more towards the Art Nouveau style. He was known for his unusual furniture and details, as well as exaggerated proportions. These styles helped usher in the Art Nouveau style that would follow Arts and Crafts.

Current Examples: