Modern or not?

The ultimate aim of all creative activity is the building! 

This is how the Bauhaus manifesto begins. Staatliches Bauhaus or just known as Bauhaus began life in 1919.  It was a school which combined crafts and fine art and was closed down by the Berlin police on 11 April 1933. Its founder was Walter Gropius a german architect. The noun Bau literally means building and haus is house.  

(Bauhaus) created the patterns and set the standards of present-day industrial design; it helped to invent modern architecture; it altered the look of everything from the chair you are sitting in to the page you are reading now

Wolf von Eckardt

 In this post I will not go on about the history of Bauhaus, I am only going to mention why I think it is inspiring to me and my work. What amazes me the most is how most of the ideas and artifacts produced in Bauhaus still look modern today.

 The Wassily Chair (1925) by Marcel Breuer named for Wassily Kandinsky

The use of bent tubular steel in chairs (reportedly influenced by the handlebars on his Andler bicycle) and the use of leather as support for the body.

Poster for Kandinsky's 60th birthday exhibition in Dessau design by Herbert Bayer

Bayer was a typographer and used simple typefaces, heavy rules and asymmetrical compositions. Himself was influenced by Moholy and De Stijl.

Is the multidisciplinary approach to design that I myself can relate to Bauhaus with my studies in Goldsmiths University. The creative approach of the masters of design was not one-sided but approached and fulfilled a more generic character which in my eyes makes absolute sense.  

On the other hand there is Dada, a cultural movement that was involved with arts, crafts and politics. The movement had cores in different cities (Europe and North America) which all produced cultural influences, some of them more political and social and others more artistic.

If you have serious ideas about life,
If you make artistic discoveries
and if all of a sudden your head begins to crackle with laughter,
If you find all your ideas useless and ridiculous, know that

It is dada beginning to speak to you

Dada Manifesto, Paris France 12 January 1921

What influences me in Dada is the take nothing for granted and question everything in life approach of their mentality. A method which I find a good starting point for projects and research in my personal work.

Guillaume Apollinaire

Calligrammes 

   

Dada's Abc pt1

   

Jean Cocteau and Hans Richter 

8x8 A Chess Sonata