The Bauhaus

The Bauhaus

Famous for its relationship with modernism and mapping the creative output that we have today, the Bauhaus School of Design in Germany emerged at a time revolved around sheer social upheaval. “Between 1920 and 1930 Modernists throughout Europe argued violently through letters, articles and personal confrontations and by 1935 they had drifted apart in terms of their actual design work.” (Greenhalgh, 1990:6)

Founded in Weimar by Walter Gropious in 1919, the pioneer phase was c1919 – 1930. Greenhalgh had 12 terms of definition for the pioneer phase, one of which was ‘Internationalism’. They aimed to change society for the better, creating opportunity to change the structure of art and design education. With other masters such as Adolf Meyer (rationalism) and Johannes Itten (mysticism), the difference in views caused variation in ideology. “The Basic Course” emphasised practical formal teaching, the study of materials, observation and composition. The process of moving up each year whilst narrowing your specialism down, “If he is to work in wood, for example, he must know his materials thoroughly.” (Cited Naylor)

The Bauhaus Manifesto (1919) was a promotional campaign positioning their ideologies. The building reflected a new way of thinking and in itself was a big part of the experience. In 1925 they moved to Dessau, the most influential and well known building when people think of Bauhaus. It was created to fit into the new-found technology, new politics and new ethos. It focussed on light and function and was central to everything they did whilst they shifted from craft to industry.

Analytical drawing, Ida Kerkovius.
http://bauhaus-online.de/en/atlas/werke/linear-analysis-of-a-still-life

Early experimentation and the rise of collage were aesthetics of urbanism. (paul citroen the big city)(Werner Graeff composition 2) Experiments began to form using collaborative work between music, art and film students. Looking at this in present day as an illustration student, my first thought was, ‘Really…?’ However, this philosophy can relate to Oskar Schlemmar’s Triadic Ballet (1923); I can respect that this was where it all started. Another revolutionary discovery was Herbert Bayer’s Universal Type (1923.) His belief mirrored that of artists; that type should follow the technology. The need for thick and thin bars in lettering was no longer needed due to new mechanical printing technology i.e. Times New Roman. Bayer’s Universal type also represented the desire for a non-hierarchal society whilst the Bauhaus attempted to break away from class divisions (the idea that a glassmaker is better than a woodcutter.

Bayer's Universal Type
http://marcleacock1.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/
what-was-the-underlying-principle-behind-herbert-bayers-universal-alphabet/

The legacy of the Dessau years comes through furniture, domestic products and structural integrity. “From their experimentation will evolve standards for industrial production.” (Gropious 1923) Haus am Horn is significant in seeing the shift as well as Marcel Breuer’s club chair. Their inspiration came from the economy of materials and function, reducing the amount of materials, aimed for mass production. The kitchen design in Haus am Horn (1923) shows the new contemporary idea of rationalising how they use spaces. In present day we contradict the Bauhaus’s desires and intentions, they designed for the masses yet it costs £200+ for a reproduced design of a chair and X amount for an original Bauhaus piece. Mass production is not how it used to be not only is it a way to create cheap and low quality products, people no longer want what everyone else has. Up/recycling is the new craze. This links to the lack of desire to be caught in the mainstream of society today. Although this isn’t the only reason for the desire to purchase cheap second hand furniture, people look for quality pieces that can last years and years, unlike the MDF bookshelf from IKEA.

The value of Bauhaus has changed radically compared to how it used to be. Objects designed and made by them are now seen as a statement to have and people pay thousands. The contrast between designing for everyone and now it being a symbol of wealth represents how we have completely turned the Bauhaus’s desires upside down. We haven’t in respect to The Basic Course however if I was to buy a Bauhaus kettle I most certainly would never use it.