"We do not reject the machine, we welcome it. But we would desire to see it mastered." - The Arts and Crafts movement

The Industrial Revolution, which saw its beginning when James Watt developed the steam engine during the mid-eighteenth century, led to drastic changes in the every-day life of the workers in Britain. Families were under the impression that moving from the countryside to towns and cities in search of employment would provide for a better future, and so it did in the early years. Eventually they had to face insecurities and deteriorating standards of living that this 'revolution' brought along with it.

The Watt steam engine

As a reaction to this, a new design movement emerged: the Arts and Crafts movement. Since machine-produced items were taking over the market at the time, designers in particular feared that the traditional skills developed by craftsmen through years of learning and hard labour would be pushed aside and eventually, forgotten. Their philosophy was that hand-crafted object were far superior to products produced by machines, since the latter were lacking in skill, design and quality. 

Although in essence the intention behind their philosophy was sound in value, since the aim was to preserve the skill of the craftsmen while at the same time producing high quality hand-crafted products for the masses. I personally believe that the main reason flaw in the movement was their philosophy in itself. They had a tendency to look back to the Medieval period rather than forward to a new technological age. Had they succeeded in persuading the community to follow their ideals, society would have divided even further into two separate classes - upper and lower - resulting in only the upper class population being able to purchase the products due to their high production costs.

Screen, 1885-1910, designed by John Henry Dearle

An example of craftsmanship, while we can also see the incorporation of floral patterns, inspired by William Morris' designs

On a more positive note, one must point out that the Arts and Crafts movement was not entirely based on Utopian ideas. If we were to analyse the root of the movement in itself, we can see that the artists, designers, craftsmen and architects who formed part of the group were all aiming to bring out the relationship between the designs of the products purchased during the time with the quality of life led by the buyers. 

In conclusion, I believe the title of this post - a quote by C. R. Ashbee - sums up the philosophy of the members of the Arts and Crafts movement as should be applied in today's technological world. Ashbee himself, together with John Ruskin and William Morris as leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement, formed the basis and set an example as to how industrial mass production and good design should function simultaneously.

References

ARTS AND CRAFTS: GUILDS AND SOCIETIES. (2014). [Blog] RAMPONE ART & PHOTOGRAPHY. Available at: http://www.andrearampone.com/blog/2014/2/10/arts-and-crafts-guilds-and-societies.html [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014].

Artyfactory.com, (2015). William Morris - The Arts and Crafts Movement. [online] Available at: http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/graphic_designers/william_morris.html [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014].

Barry Horton, (2013). Arts and Crafts History - Barry Horton. [online] Available at: http://www.barry-horton.com/arts-and-crafts-history/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014].

John Ruskin. (n.d.). [image] Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/John_Ruskin_1863.jpg [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014].

Screen, 1885-1910, designed by John Henry Dearle. (n.d.). [image] Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Embroidered_Screen_J_H_Dearle.jpg/555px-Embroidered_Screen_J_H_Dearle.jpg [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014].

Vam.ac.uk, (2015). The Arts & Crafts Movement - Victoria and Albert Museum. [online] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-arts-and-crafts-movement/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014].

Watt steam engine. (n.d.). [image] Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Maquina_vapor_Watt_ETSIIM.jpg [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014].

William Morris. (n.d.). [image] Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/William_Morris_age_53.jpg/640px-William_Morris_age_53.jpg [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014].

The Orders of Architecture

As with a wide variety of areas such as mathematics, philosophy, sports and our democratic system, design and architecture find their roots in the history of ancient Greece. Probably one of the most iconic and important developments made in architecture is what we now call the orders of architecture: the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian column styles.

The Ionic Style

This style is said to have originated from Ionia, a Greek province, in the 6th Century BC. Probably one of the easiest styles to recognise, the most identifiable feature of the ionic column is the scrolled top, resting on 24 fluted pillars, a ringed base and a square pad. 

The Doric Style 

The Doric order is the earliest of the classical order to have been developed, and it originates from the Dorian tribe in Greece. The most famous example of this style would have to be the Parthenon. It is the simplest of the three orders, especially when it comes to the capital (the top part of the column). The capital is composed of a thick, squared slab sitting on a circular base. Similarly to the Ionic style, the Doric style has 20 fluted pillars, but it has no base touching the ground. Since it is much thick and heavier than the Ionic or Corinthian column, this style was generally associated with strength and masculinity. This justifies the reason for most of the Doric columns being placed at the lowest level of buildings. 

The Corinthian Style

The Corinthian order is the most ornate of the three styles. The capital consists of sculpted acanthus leaves and small scrolls which flare outwards, giving a sense of height. As with the Ionic style the column consists of fluted pillars. It is worth noting that this style was more used by the Romans than by the Greeks themselves!

Something that I thought was worth mentioning is the fact that the Colosseum in Rome has all of the three styles on different levels: Doric columns on the first level, Ionic columns on the second level, and Corinthian columns on the third level.

Here in Malta we have several examples of these styles, some of which can be seen in the images below.

The Main Guard in Valletta - columns in Doric style

The parish church in Mosta - columns in Ionic style

The Opera House in Valletta - column in Corinthian Style

Monument in memory of Sir Alexander Ball at the Lower Barrakka - columns in Doric style

References

Arthistoryblogger.blogspot.com, (2015). Art History Blogger: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. [online] Available at: http://arthistoryblogger.blogspot.com/2011/09/doric-ionic-and-corinthian.html [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].

Craven, J. (2015). What Is a Corinthian Column?. [online] About.com Home. Available at: http://architecture.about.com/od/buildingparts/g/corinthian-column.htm [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].

Craven, J. (2015). What Is a Doric Column?. [online] About.com Home. Available at: http://architecture.about.com/od/buildingparts/g/doric-column.htm [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].

Craven, J. (2015). What Is an Ionic Column?. [online] About.com Home. Available at: http://architecture.about.com/od/buildingparts/g/ionic-column.htm [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].

Dams, A. and profile, V. (2011). NOTED: The Corinthian Order. [online] Architecturalwatercolors.blogspot.com. Available at: http://architecturalwatercolors.blogspot.com/2011/12/corinthian-order.html [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].

Dams, A. and profile, V. (2011). NOTED: The Doric Order. [online] Architecturalwatercolors.blogspot.com. Available at: http://architecturalwatercolors.blogspot.com/2011/11/doric-order.html [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].

Dams, A. and profile, V. (2011). NOTED: The Ionic Order. [online] Architecturalwatercolors.blogspot.com. Available at: http://architecturalwatercolors.blogspot.com/2011/12/ionic-order.html [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].

Times of Malta, (2015). Valletta – vibrant city of many styles. [online] Available at: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150104/business-news/Valletta-vibrant-city-of-many-styles.550626 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].