Arts and Crafts

• Arts and Crafts movement

  Although there was no particular style of the arts and crafts movement, it advocated reform and criticized industrial labour as machines replaced workers. The advocates of the Arts and Crafts movement promoted the designer as a craftsman and called for an end to the division of labour.

  items ought to be straightforward and practical, and natural materials used. They were influenced by the organic shapes and forms.
• Natural Materials

  Arts and Crafts designers favoured natural materials such as wood, metal, stone, and glass. Oak was particularly popular for furniture due to its strength and durability. These materials were often left in their natural state or lightly finished to showcase their inherent beauty.
• Emphasis on Individuality:

  Unlike mass-produced goods of the Victorian era, Arts and Crafts products were often made in small workshops by individual craftsmen. This emphasis on individual craftsmanship and uniqueness was central to the movement's philosophy.
• Inspiration from Nature:

  Arts and Crafts designers drew inspiration from the natural world, incorporating motifs such as flowers, leaves, and animals into their designs. These organic forms were often stylized and simplified to fit the aesthetic of the movement.
• Handcrafted Details / Quality Craftsmanship:

  Arts and Crafts furniture and products often feature handcrafted details such as exposed joinery, decorative carving, and hammered metalwork. Artisans and craftsmen focused on handcrafted techniques. These details not only added visual interest but also showcased the skill of the craftsman.
• • Appreciation of the beauty of materials. Highlighting unique nature of materials. 
  • Resenting the ornamentation of machine produced products that hid aesthetic beauty.
  • Hand produced using craft skills. 
• When did it begin and why?

  • Begun after the great exhibition of 1851 (hosted in London) – celebrating the development of modern industrial technology.  
  • The Arts and Crafts movement was a reaction to some of the perceived changes bought about by the industrial revolution. 
  • Rebelling against use of machines in design. 
  • Concern that machine produced objects of the industrial revolution heralded the end of craftmanship. 
• Who were they influenced by?

  • Medieval craftmanship – importantly reflecting natural forms and textures.  Hand produced natural forms of medieval Europe. 
• Who were the major contributors?

  • William Morris, C.F.A Voysey and Richard Norman Shaw.