Modernism

Modernism

Modernism was the leading design movement of the twentieth century. Modernism emerged due to growth in industrialization that happened from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. When the war was over, as the movement was started to grow, modernist theories and principles had an enormous influence in the planning of rebuilding a lot of the European cities. Le Corbusier’s work represents the best under-lying principles of modernism. Other prominent early modernists are Walter Gropius, Adolf Loos, Peter Behrens and Mies van der Rohe. 

Most of the time, the evolution of Modernism is explained architecturally, a symbolic point of architecture’s influence over craft and design at the time. Modernism started when people realized that the High Victorian style was a result of greed and corruption. A. W. N. Pugin and William Morris were amongst the first Modernists to take the initiative to reform society through a new approach of design, which promoted the ideas of developing well designed and executed products for everyday use. Despite the fact that both encouraged craftsmanship over industrial productions, they also encouraged that the importance of functionality, simplicity and appropriateness in the designs should be taken care of. However, they emphasized that the main responsibility of designers and manufacturers to produce such products. The idea that design could reform society was going to have a major impact on the evolution of the movement. In Adolf Loos’ book Ornament und Vebrechen (Ornament and Crime), he associated excessive decoration with the corruption of society, while Form ohne Ornament (Form without Ornament) highlighted the advantages of plain and rationally based designs. This insistence on the elimination of ornament was an idea promoted by the de Stijl movement. Whilst Futurism and Constructivism celebrated the machine, the Bauhaus was led by Walter Gropius to integrate arts and put the reforming ideals of Modernism into practice.

Adolf loos Glass Service 1931

Modernism was all about functionalism, using the newest and best materials, and industrial methods. The Bauhaus had a huge impact on Modernism due to the creation of a new method of designing things that included everything from interiors and furniture to ceramics, metal ware, graphics and architecture. An International Style of Modernism emerged by 1927 and was led by Le Corbusier. The Industrial Style and minimalism were two separate modernist characteristics of this new reductivist machine esthetic. Modernism soon lost its moral ideals, but not everything was lost. Scandinavian designers such as Alvar Aalto, which his work expressed forms through organic designs, was a source of inspiration for the new generation of modernist designers.

Artek Alvar Aalto 44 Armchair

The International Style that dominated America’s architecture in the 1920s and 1930s had since evolved into various confined trends, from Brutalism to Rectilinearism. With difference to the majority of design styles, Modernism didn’t have a single manifesto or “members”, instead it consisted of a variety of different people that shared the same interest for common values and esthetics. Modernism’s concept of modernity and eagerness to exploit the latest technology and materials was expressed with simple forms, use of white space, minimal surface modelling, smooth lines and lack of decoration.

Banister Back Chair                                     Gothic chair

MR Side Chair by Ludwig Mies van de Rohe

Both chairs above were manufactured in the same period of time, but one can see the big difference between them. The materials used are very different and even the design. The MR Side Chair has a very organic shape and contemporary look, whilst the Banister Back Chair is organic but looks like a chair from the Gothic era.

References:

Folio. 2014. Folio. [ONLINE] Available at:http://arthursfolio.blogspot.com/2010/03/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-caned-chair.html. [Accessed 19 November 2014].

Banister Back Chair. 2014. Banister Back Chair. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/elro/gallery/banchair_ELRO566.html. [Accessed 19 November 2014].

Antique Victorian Gothic Oak Chair With Leather Seat | 249814 | Sellingantiques.co.uk. 2014. Antique Victorian Gothic Oak Chair With Leather Seat | 249814 | Sellingantiques.co.uk. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/249814/antique-victorian-gothic-oak-chair-with-leather-seat/. [Accessed 19 November 2014].

Dark Princess. 2014. Dark Princess. [ONLINE] Available at:http://wandererintears.blogspot.com/. [Accessed 19 November 2014].

Adolf Loos Glass Service | Neue Galerie Design Shop & Book Store. 2015.Adolf Loos Glass Service | Neue Galerie Design Shop & Book Store. [ONLINE] Available at: http://shop.neuegalerie.org/products/loos-glass-service. [Accessed 20 January 2015].

Houzz.com: Online Shopping for Furniture, Decor and Home Improvement. 2015. Houzz.com: Online Shopping for Furniture, Decor and Home Improvement. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.houzz.com/photos/products/alvar-aalto-baker. [Accessed 20 January 2015].