| WILLIAM MORRIS "Have Nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." William Morris was one of the most influential Victorian figures in the artistic, literary and political world. His creative output included designs for wallpaper, ceramic tiles, stained glass, tapestries, embroideries, carpets, furniture and calligraphy. Influenced by his knowledge of medieval art and his observation of natural forms, Morris' flora and fauna themes are easily recognizable even by those who are unfamiliar with his art. He loved the middle ages, describing it as a period of chivalry, saintliness and courtly love, as well as a time when respected craftsmen made beautiful and useful goods. Born in 1834 into prosperity and brought up in a large country mansion North of London, his privileged upbringing engendered immense guilt which led him to attack social disparity, that is, the contrasting standards of the rich and the poor. He believed that art should be classless and that it should be a joy to the maker as well as the user. In contrast to Victorian complexity and luxury, he set out to recover 'art for the people', the art that was rooted in functionality and simplicity. He was not nostalgic, his sense of history was creative and dynamic. He took 'looking back' as a means of looking forward, rediscovering the practical uses of the past and adapting it to the present. | |
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