New Ebook: The Pattern Work of William Morris

 

Another ebook has been launched today and I should imagine this one may well be suitable and helpful to many out there. The book is entirely devoted to the pattern work of William Morris and covers his work from the 1860s to the 1890s and beyond.

The book has a short introduction and a list of illustrations; the rest being dedicated to 105 images of 88 unique pieces of design work, each pattern has a separate page to itself, so there is no cluttering of multiple patterns on one page. All of the imagery is in full colour, with both completed pattern work as well as a number of drawings produced by Morris himself.

I think personally that although Morris is well known and much of the pattern work in this book will be familiar to many, it is still a good idea to collect together work that follows a particular theme, in this case, the paramount inspirational guide of nature, as well as following the career of a creative individual such as Morris. So much can be learned and so much can be of use inspirationally from designers of the past and to be able to take such pattern work forward into new avenues of creativity, is a must for all of us.

Whether you use this ebook for inspiration, guidance, reference, or just pure enjoyment, I hope that it proves a useful tool. I am thinking of producing some more books in this field and while I do have some ideas as to themes, if anyone has suggestions as to what they would like to see, I am more than happy to see what I can do.

As always, the book will be available from the ebook page, which can be found by pressing the Ebook tab at the top of the page. It can also be found by pressing the book cover photo on the right hand side of this site. The eight other book titles, including six written books and two reference guides, can also be bought on the ebook page.

Looking Back in Order to Look Forward

 

Illustration: William Morris. Avon design, 1886.

I want to be able to address today the key point as to why I spend time producing this site along with its various aspects, whether that be articles, ebooks, imagery, or social networking. Some may only see looking back in time as a feature of indulgence, a misty-eyed nostalgia for a lifestyle that can never be ours, but that isn't the point of this site, nor is it the point when considering the past as a source of inspiration.

Looking back at the work and, perhaps more importantly, the working practices of previous generations, helps us to formulate new approaches to creativity in our own contemporary world. It is a poor generation that does not at least pay a nod of recognition, if not gratitude, to all of the previous generations that have allowed us to be where we are today. It is those generations that have helped to formulate, structure and energise our world, for better or worse, and it is we who will at least partially shape and structure the world to come. This is a heavy responsibility that the individual is rarely aware of, but it is there nonetheless.

By looking to the past for inspiration towards creativity and better working practises, it should be hoped that we can foster a better world outlook to hand over to future generations. One that values the balanced, harmonious and holistic, that sees the positive aspects of both the natural and artificial worlds, understands the values inherent in both hand and machine production, limits the quantity and quality of waste, and celebrates the diversity of human creativity.

Illustration: Transylvanian woven wall hanging.

I hope that sites such as Design Decoration Craft are not seen merely as nostalgia sites, encasing readers in a world of 'weren't things so much better in a non-specific olden time', they clearly weren't. However, the purpose of looking back, as far as this site is concerned, should be to learn from past creative worlds, to bring ideas and inspirations forward to the present in order to then face the future anew.

We should all be aware that our contemporary creative outpouring is a direct consequence of the building up of experience, innovation and understanding, layer after layer, the result of countless generations that have gone before us. That we will eventually be added to that reservoir of experience for future generations to use, is both humbling as well as satisfying. It is the continuity of experience that is the enduring legacy of our species and the creative process is such a large proportion of that experience.

So much can be learnt from those who went before us, whether it be a well-known figure such as William Morris, or an unknown peasant embroiderer or lace maker. Each has a story to tell, each has added to the vocabulary of creativity that we use in our everyday lives, and each has validity.

Illustration: Woollen tapestry bedcover from Jamtland, Sweden.

Although much of what I post on this site deals with aspects of historical creativity, it is a site that very much looks to the present, and indeed the future. In many respects, if we ignore the past then we impoverish our own present and eventually the future of others. By incorporating at least elements of those that have gone before, we enrich ourselves, as well as the world around us, and that surely is for the betterment of all.

Further reading links:

The Design Work of Josef Maria Auchentaller

Illustration: Josef Maria Auchentaller. Pattern work, 1901.

A new designer to this site and a new designer to many I should imagine. Josef Maria Auchentaller was a trained fine artist and print maker who produced fine art paintings, illustrations, poster, textile and jewellery work. Although an Austrian and involved in the Vienna Secessionist movement as well as the more general Art Nouveau decorative style, he spent time in Munich as well as Vienna. However, a large section of his life was spent in Italy; he became an Italian citizen in 1919.

A fascinating and complex individual, Auchentaller certainly deserves a good biography of which there doesn't seem to be any, and even perhaps a gentle little film of his life living on the shores of the Adriatic. However, this article will deal with the small slice of his career when he produced these five pieces of design work, four being definitely textile designs, whilst the colour example being given the euphemistic title of 'pattern work', though this could well be a textile design as well.

Illustration: Josef Maria Auchentaller. Textile design, 1901.

All of the examples are from 1901 and while having certain similarities and shared experiences that can identify them with the Jugendstil/Art Nouveau movement, they are also very much a significant part of the creative experience that was Auchentaller's own character and individual skill. He was, as is evident, interested in and influenced by Japanese woodcuts. He had a degree of experience in book illustration as he was fairly heavily involved in producing illustrated work for the Ver Sacrum magazine, the official Viennese Secessionist vehicle. At some point in the future, I will produce an article showing some of the work that Auchentaller produced for Ver Sacrum.

Illustration: Josef Maria Auchentaller. Textile design, 1901.

These five examples of Auchentaller's design work are extraordinary, particularly considering that they were produced in 1901. They are so alive with vibrancy and an energy that could easily have placed them alongside some of the best of the textile design work produced in the 1960s and 1970s, more than half a century after they were initially produced. It is always interesting to come across a designer who is able, at times, to step outside of the constraints of their time period, to produce work that can charm and inspire future generations, those who have been untouched by the framework of working decorative movements and eras. 

 Illustration: Josef Maria Auchentaller. Textile design, 1901.

Auchentaller has managed to step outside these constraints with an ease and familiarity that shows a deep professionalism. His work does create a certain familiarity with the themes of the period, whether that be Japanese aesthetics or Art Nouveau draughtsmanship, but they also show an understanding of the importance that should be placed on individual creative freedom. This could well have developed from his fine art painting perspective, often a discipline that pays little attention to the everyday trials and limitations that are so much a part of the commercial design world.

Whether these five designs ever got past the drawing stage, is hard to tell. So much design work from this period had more to do with aesthetics and the projection of what was possible, rather than what was to be practically available. However, it would be wonderful to think that the European buying public of 1901 did have the chance to go out on a limb and purchase contemporary fabrics that were this vibrant and this adventurous. 

 Illustration: Josef Maria Auchentaller. Textile design, 1901.

It is certainly vital that design work produced by such talented individuals as Josef Maria Auchentaller, should be seen as both stand-alone moments of inspiration and creative talent, as well being seen as integral to the world of 1901. We should certainly be aware that not everything from that particular era was as heavily bolted down and suffocatingly stifling as we believe. It is often our contemporary world that projects our own viewpoint on to that of another era, and this can be a problem particularly if we are unaware of it. Often the historical era might well have not recognised itself from the perspective given it by future generations. Something to think about as the world we live in continually slips into the past, to be judged and reorganised and reidentified by future generations.

Further reading links: