Art Nouveau, is literally translated to "New Art". It was a brand new movement around the turn of the century that rejected all histories of other movements and eras, and brought forth it's own. It differed from the Arts and Crafts movement in many ways, but the first was that it was highly ornamented. The forms found in the Art Nouveau era of architecture and design, were inspired by nature and then stylized. The major art of architecture, was united with minor arts, rejecting historical precedents. Another difference from Arts and Crafts was the embraced use of technology and the manufacturing process within the Art Nouveau movement. Materials such as iron and glass were used as well as mosaic tile patterns and stenciled designs on walls and ceilings. The sure sign that a design is inspired by Art Nouveau is the whiplash motif, or exaggerated curvilinear forms.
 |
The entrance to the subway in Paris. Designed by Art Nouveau designer: Hector Guimard.
 |
Horta House Interior - Victor Horta
Current Applications:
 |
Art Nouveau inspired wedding invitation.
 |
Art Nouveau influence staircase. Curvilinear spine that looks straight out of nature.
|
A bathroom mirror that could arguably be Art Nouveau inspired (curvilinear lines and ornamentation)
|
One step further...
I did further research on Henry Van de Velde. Van de Velde interested me because he seemed very different than the other designers noted in this section. He was known to be more abstract, and almost didn't fit in the Art Nouveau era. This could have been due to the fact that he didn't study architecture, and therefore felt more freedom in his designs. I thought it was interesting that he designed his own house completely, including the furniture and table ware. However, everything seemed to have that curved style, just like most Art Nouveau pieces. His furniture was known to be ergonomic, which leads me to believe that he prioritized function over aesthetic appeal, although his furniture was still nice to look at. I appreciated that he looked at the relationship between aesthetics and ornament, as I feel like that is important for a designer to consider.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=391U0oodbCs
http://www.art-nouveau-around-the-world.org/en/artistes/vandevelde.htm
|
|
I really like your example of Art Nouveau. In particular the bathroom mirror. It is absolutely beautiful! I also found Henry Van de Velde interesting. I think it is so interesting how it was not untypical for architects to design not only the architecture of the building but also the furniture for the interior.
ReplyDeleteI love how your post is brief but still passes across the point of what Art Nouveau was about. Great job summarizing it! The staircase is an amazing example of the period, made of a natural material and looking just like something straight out of nature too. I also like how you used a range of things for your image examples ranging from a wedding invitation to a mirror and a building so we could see what Art Nouveau looked like in different applications.
ReplyDeleteOlivia- wow what great examples! The staircase and the mirror are just fantastic. Great summary and sources! I love you summary of Henry Vandevelde- he was on of the few that considered ergonomic issues.
ReplyDelete