Thursday 14 October 2010

Christopher Dresser - E Kramer

Christopher Dresser (1834-1904)
First Professional Industrial Designer
Proto Modernism. Predates modernism with his simple, no ornamentation style.

Wallpaper samples - Not afraid to experiment with industrial processes.
He thought industrial objects could be well made.

1851 - Britains bad design was blamed on poor designers and machines.

Christopher went to Government School of Design in Somerset in 1847 - 1854.
He wanted ornament to be conventionalized.

Owen Jones: The Grammer of Ornament
 - Demonstrate importance of historical and cross cultural ornament.

Dresser - Signature of objects symboled quality

Artistic living:
 - c1870 - 1900 (in conjunction with Aesthetic Movement)
Life should imitate art
Could be achieved by careful selection of objects for the home.
Opened shop, the Art Furnisher's Alliance (1881 - 1883)
'Knowledge is Power' - Charles Knight

IMITATION (Design of an illusionistic nature) = NO
ADAPTATION (Innovative Design) = YES

1) Function - 2) Form - 3) Ornamentation

E.W. Godwin, Butterfly, woven Silk c.1874

Mon of the Japanese

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