Proto-Modernism

Delia Tacheny
INT 332 - History of Interiors II

Proto-modernism: The Beginning Movements

As I read the chapter and reviewed the content this week, I'll be honest I had a hard time following this period of design. As I began to read more, I realized that proto modernism isn't really one distinct cohesive movement of art + design, rather it is an outbreak of various movements and designers that mark the transitional period leading into Modernism. While there are some general overlapping design characteristics during this period, every artist, designer, architect, and movement kind of had their own style. 

Each of the various projects from around 1897-1959 contain seeds of the Modernism movement to come. In general, the proto-modernism era marks a rejection of historical styles and "ornamentation" alongside significant experimentation with form and ideas. The period is marked by three primary movements in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. 

Deutscher Werkbund Movement 

The "Deutscher Werkbund" Movement is translated as "German workshop." It was founded by Herman Muthesius in 1892. The movement also occurred in Vienna in 1898, and in Berlin in 1899. The purpose of the movement was to achieve high quality design for the masses, similar to the Arts and Crafts movement, but embracing the use of machines. It was a protest against artistic establishments, and a large collaboration between design professionals and product manufacturers. This movement set the stage for the International Style and Art Deco, as well as influencing the early careers of Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Mies Van Der Rohe. The goal was to increase competitiveness of German design in German markets. 

The Vienna Secession

The Vienna Secession was a movement built on the theories and writings of Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos. It sought worldwide advances in art, history, psychology, and philosophy, with an interest in both culture and design. The movement had no ties to historical or academic styles of Architecture/ Interior Design and was made up of artists and designers who withdrew from academia. The Vienna Secession sought a unity of the fine arts and applied arts, and believed that even household objects were worthy of design. While the movement was against historicism, it did not embrace Art Nouveau, which we will see in discussing the styles of some of its primary proponents. The Vienna group included names such as Josef Olbrich, Gustav Klimt, Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Josef Hoffman, and Koloman Moser.

Josef Olbrich designed the Secession Building (1897) which became an exhibition building in Vienna; it was the architectural manifesto of the Secession Movement, symbolic of proto-modernism -- solemn but festive. Each of the primary members of this movement have unique stories and styles. In general, each one tended to embrace progressiveness in their expression and design (whether artist, architect, etc.). For example, Gustav Klimt was a controversial painter, exploring themes of the subconscious and sexuality in his work; he was influenced by Sigmund Freud. Wagner and Loos valued functionality as the priority in a design; they believed ornamentation should only be included if it held a functional purpose. Both leaned towards an industrial style and pure utilitarian forms. Hoffman preferred geometric lines and used cubes and square motifs as his trademark in design. 

De Stijl Movement

Following the Vienna Secession, another movement began in the Netherlands in 1917. "De Stijl" meaning "the style" in Dutch, was also the name of a journal by Theo van Doesburg. The movement focused on elementary shapes, colors, and flat surfaces, as well as horizontal and vertical lines. The major architect of this period was Gerrit Rietveld, and the major artist was Piet Mondrian. 

Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) was an architect and designer who worked as an apprentice to his father who was a "joiner" and self-taught himself in the Arts. Given his background, he valued simplicity of construction and mass production. He used materials such as plywood, sheet metal, and beech wood, and was drawn to using the primary colors. Overall, his style was industrial, simple, functional, and geometric. The Schroder House is a work of his that perfectly encompasses his style. It is in this movement, that I think we really begin to see the principles of Modernism. 

One Step Further: Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)

Piet Mondrian was educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. He was a Dutch artist inspired by the Cubism art in France. "He radically simplified the elements of his paintings to reflect what he saw as the spiritual order underlying the visible world, creating a clear, universal aesthetic language within his canvases" (theartstory.org). Very interestingly his paintings/ style evolved overtime through a methodical progression beginning with traditional representation and turning into abstract forms. Through his pieces, he wanted to evoke a utopian sense of harmony and equilibrium becoming an artistic language that would transcend divisions in culture. His work is associated with the art theory/movement of Neo-Plasticism. 

Mondrian was raised in a family where art and music were encouraged, and he was taught to draw and paint by his father and uncle. After being introduced to the work of French Post-Impressionists, his work became influenced by the bold color and brushwork of Vincent van Gogh and the pointillist technique of Georges Seurat. Mondrian was deeply drawn to philosophy and spirituality which influenced his art, and was also expressed in his writings. He joined and became influenced by the Theosophical Society, which was a spiritual organization with widespread influence in Europe at the time, based on the teachings of Buddhism. 

After moving to Paris in 1912, he became caught up in the avant-garde movement and moved towards his more abstract style, influenced by artists such as Picasso. Piet left Paris for a time, and during the years of WWI was when he co-founded the De Stijl journal and movement, creating a modernism movement (De Stijl) and artistic style (Neo-Plasticism) independent from the movement in Paris. 

Source: 

Piet Mondrian Paintings, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory