Ch. 10 Semi-Summary

Ch. 10: The Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts movement was led by William Morris. It was a renaissance of book design, focusing on using a book as a limited-edition art object, and then influenced commercial production. This boomed in Europe during the last decades of the 19th century. The reaction against social, moral and artistic uncertainty of the Industrial Revolution called for individual expression and a mastery over materials and artistic expression. John Ruskin, an artist and writer, created the philosophy of the movement; he wanted to bring art and society back together by rejecting the mercantile economy and rejoining art and labor. Morris, influenced by his life in the beautiful English countryside, was an avid writer and reader, also dabbled in the arts, and upon building his “Red House” began to design his own interior decorations and furniture—which turned into a vocation for him. He continued to lead his business in a moral manner, careful not to exploit or distress his workers with his work.

I was impressed that people were able to take a step back during this booming time period to question whether the mass production process was morally right for workers, as well as giving justice to art and design. Unfortunately, I don’t think many people do that today as we are just as much a mass-production-driven society as ever—the world is manufacturing like never before, and many of the ideas of the Arts and Crafts movement are not remembered or even known by most workers, designers or company owners.

The question I wonder about is, in a time when money matters, is it sensible to take this kind of stance on production and mass goods? Or should one always look at art as a pure object and be constantly abhorred at how it is so used up and abused today?