Arts and Crafts Movement

Jewellery and Architecture in the Arts and Crafts Movement

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The Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts Movement

Jewellery in the Arts and Crafts Movement

Jewellery in the arts and crafts movement was usually considered as one of a kind pieces that are most often inspired by nature, the motifs used were generally natural and abstract, finishes were duller and semi-precious stones and enamel were used to emphasize the style and shape of the piece. There was no one look for the jewellery in this movement as individuality was prized however it all had the same general theme – nature; organic forms, leaves, fish and birds.

The movement started in England where most pieces were made in silver (some designers include C.R. Ashbee and Bernard Cuzner). In the U.S the movement was called the Arts and Crafts Revival where jewellery was more abstract and was huge in Chicago (some designers include The Kalo Shop and Jane Addams).

However many designers and workshops failed because the jewellery production was very time-intensive and this style was not really suitable for mass production as the charm of handmade is part of the style of the arts and crafts movement.

The Kalo Shop (Kalo means to make beautiful in greek) was founded in 1900 by Clara P. Barck in Chicago. She hired women to design and Scandinavian craftsmen to make to pieces; she did this at a time when both workers were shunned from other workshops. The shop had a very loyal clientele and this helped them survive during the 1930s went other silversmiths failed. The Kalo Shop sold many different products such as copper items, baskets, leatherwork and jewellery, the Shop had the widest range of handmade jewellery and flatware for nearly 70 yrs. The Kalo Shop objects have an elegant and timeless style that seems modern even though the pieces were designed and manufactured centuries ago. Clara Barck’s motto was ‘Beautiful, Useful, Enduring’ which was quite fitting as her pieces were extremely beautiful. As can be seen from the images the Kalo Shop they used rather stylized leaf and berry motifs that have been chased into the shank of a ring and the necklaces have cutouts of flowers and leaves. The Kalo Shop closed down in 1970.

Charles R. Ashbee (1863-1942) established the Guild of Handicraft in 1888 in England, the Guild was based on the philosophy of John Ruskin – he said that each piece of work should be created from start to finish by the same pair of hands however in reality its not always like that. The Guild worked from the idea of trial and error; mastering an art through the development of individual style. The Guild used simple, energetic forms and naturalistic motifs characteristic of Art Nouveau. Unfortunately Ashbee’s ideals changed very quickly in only 3 yrs he recognized the role that the industrial revolution and machinery would play in art. Ashbee’s favourite motif to use was the peacock which he used in a lot of his designs. The Guild unfortunately closed down in 1919.

Architecture in the Arts and Crafts Movement

The 19^th C movement sought to find a spiritual connection with the surrounding environment both natural and man-made.

Craftsman Houses were the some of the most famous Arts and Crafts architectural structures. Their most common attributes are:

· Thick, pyramid or round pillars or columns.

· Low sloping roofs

· Exposed roof rafters

· Stone porch supports

· Exposed exterior chimney made out of stone

· Open floor plans with few hallways

· Numerous windows

· Rooms that are orientated to take advantage of the movement of the sun for warmth and light

· Beamed ceilings

· Built-in cabinets, shelves and seating

· Neutral colours such as brown, greens and beiges

The name Craftsman came from the title of a popular magazine published by the famous designer Gustav Stickley between 1901-1916.

Soon many houses expresses the Arts and Crafts ideals, the most common is the simple, economical and extremely popular bungalow.

Greene and Greene Architecture Firm was established by the brothers Charles Greene (1868-1957) and Henry Greene (1870-1954) in California in 1894, they came up with the idea of ultimate bungalows which had the same basic principles of Arts and Crafts bungalows but the ultimate bungalows are bigger and more incredible. The Gamble House is one of the most famous Arts and Crafts Houses; it was built in 1908 and is now a National Historic Landmark. It’s incredible attention to detail and craftsmanship is what makes the house so beautiful.

Katherine Wardropper

Katherine Wardropper

Katherine Wardropper is an incredible English designer who has created a unique look to her work; she has brought a new edge to jewellery as well as interiors and fashion. Through her work she has managed to become someone everyone in the fashion and design world is watching. By winning awards to having her work appear in many magazines around the world she has undoubtedly proved that she deserves to be a well known name in the design world.

Katherine Wardropper is not a trained jewellery designer but she has managed to create incredibly wearable jewellery pieces from textiles. Wardropper graduated with First Class Honours in textiles from Chealsea College of Art and Design in 2004. Only 3 years after her graduation she had won 4 awards for her work; the Bellhouse Foundation Award in 2007, Arts Council England in 2007, PULSE in 2007 awarded for ‘the Most on Trend Product’ and the Larusmiani Prize awarded for "Originality and Innovation". The Bellhouse Foundation Award was a grant for studio space at Cockpit Arts. This is a huge accomplishment for a designer that had just graduated college. I can only hope to be close to where she is in her career after I graduate from college, she very cleverly and skillfully made a name for herself in short space of time.

Katherine Wardropper works towards making 3D, sculptural pieces that can still be wore as rather magnificent jewellery. It does that a lot of courage to wear her pieces, they are not jewellery pieces for the faint of heart. Wardropper says that 'Instead of adding a piece of jewellery to an outfit, the jewellery itself is the outfit.’ And this is so true, her works are all statement pieces, be it the commercial line or the more extravagant pieces.

The piece above is part a collection using winter colours.

This picture is one of Wardropper’s pieces up close, in this you can see the minute detail that goes into making a piece like this. Her technique is impeccable, by using bands of silk fabric she creates these tiny little swirls and twirls, and she then puts them all together to create the amazing structures.

The twirls are resonant of the paper technique called quilling, which consists of twirling paper using a little fork like instrument. Using a similar technique with fabric Katherine Wardropper has created art with a new feel to it. As you can see in this picture Wardropper sometimes adds pearls or beads to her pieces to give them a bit more shine and ‘bling’. Her very extravagantpieces are normally white or cream coloured with added pearls in them, I feel as though the cream or white colouring helps the pattern and amazing technique show better. It is almost as if the designer wants to showcase the skill in the piece as well as show it’s over all beauty.

From what can be seen in the image above, Wardropper’s work requires delicate hands to create the intricate patterns, this is why all her work is hand constructed by the designer herself. She hasmanaged to make a rather flat material – the fabric, into very 3D forms. Wardropper has pushed the boundaries of the material she works in and by doing so she has create very unique wearable art.

Katherine Wardropper creates a variation of sizes and shapes of jewellery. She makes over the top, lavish pieces used in runway shows that can be made for commission as well as smaller, more accessible pieces that can be worn every day. She makes a variety of things such as brooches, hairpin, pendants and earrings. Wardropper also expresses that her bigger pieces can be used in interior design after as stunning wall hangings.

These two pieces show the difference between a more over the top piece and a simple pendant. The left image is actually three different necklaces layered onto of each over, this piece is part of her bridal collection; I think that her pieces are rather perfect for a beautiful fairytale wedding whereas theimage on the right shows a simpler pendant on a 9K gold chain, it has a very different feel than the bridal piece but they are both equally incredible. The bigger piece on the left shows off the detail in the piece, it is bolder and has a lot of character whereas the smaller piece shows off how well the piece looks aesthetically on the body, the simplicity of the piece help show off the model slender neck.

Even though the fabric used in the pieces are soft, Wardropper manages to create durable, strong and yet light weight jewellery. If the pieces were made out of silver for example they would weigh way too much and would be incredibly expensive to manufacture. The bigger, more exaggerated pieces would be rather uncomfortable to wear if they were made out of silver however the smaller pieces would be no problem. I feel as though the pieces would be beautiful in silver but I think that the coloured fabrics bring a completely new aspect to the pieces.

It is very easy to see where Wardropper gets her inspiration for her work. The jewellery can be recognized as drawing inspiration from 17^th century lace and Elizabethan ruffs. The folds in her work are very similar to the light density of the 17^th century lace. Her work is more elegant and softer than Elizabethan ruffs, I think that this helps cater to the modern customer’s needs.

Katherine Wardropper also pulls inspiration from fairytales and fantasy, this helps in creating a playful feeling in her jewellery. The styles can be classic and rather sophisticated but they can also be lighthearted with a contemporary feel, this means that her work is suitable for all ages. Her pieces bring some ‘extraordinary’ into your everyday life.

By often using different colours Wardropper is able to create different feelings when it comes to her work, sometimes she uses darker colours that have a high-fashion gothic feel to them whereas often her pieces are softer, more pastel colours that make you think of Mad-Hatter tea parties and Alice in Wonderland themes.

Katherine Wardropper has own website (www.katherinewardropper.com), and had been recognized as a designer to watch by some well known figures in the fashion and jewellery world, she has been publicized in magazines such as Vogue, Vogue Italy, and Marie Claire UK. Her collaboration with other designers for many events has brought her name out in the world. Below are some images showing her work being showcased in different magazines.

There are so many things I love and admire about Wardropper’s work, she managed to make a big name for herself and attract a lot of attention very quickly after graduation which I feel is something to admire in a designer. She has collaborated with many other designers in many different fields. Aside from this I love her work due to its large scale which creates a fantastical feel. The sculptural aspect of her work provides a different sense and feeling to the piece. My favourite and the thing I notice the most about Wardropper’s work is her use of the fabric to create amazing textures in the jewellery.

I feel as though the textures that the pleats and swirls create bring a whole new look and tactile feel to the pieces. I think that Katherine Wardropper has created something of true beauty and skill, I love her work.

References:

http://www.cockpitarts.com/designers/katherine-wardropper-4

http://notcouture.notcot.org/post/4364/

http://a-faerietale-of-inspiration.blogspot.com/2009/07/katherine-wardropper-sculpted-jewelry.html

www.stunning-pieces.com

www.katherinewardropper.com

http://www.londonjewelleryexports.com/Gallery/katherinewardropper.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katherine-Wardropper/135770368579#!/pages/Katherine-Wardropper/135770368579?v=info#info_edit_sections

www.kabiri.com

http://www.vogue.co.uk/jewellery/news/081127-katherine-wardropper-neckpiece.aspx/Gallery,Pearls

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/2007-06/070612-the-new-romantic.aspx

http://www.katherinewardropper.com/commissions.html

http://www.hiddenartlondon.co.uk/designer-makers/fashion-and-accessories/katherine-wardropper/

http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/designers/katherine-wardropper/

http://www.vermillionheir.com/product/katherine-wardropper-ruffle-neck-piece-commission-only

http://www.katherinewardropper.com/press/crafts.html

http://kimikodc.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-04-04T01%3A25%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

Renaissance Info on Printing press and fashion

Renaissance

Printing press – significantly changed the way that information was shared, it was invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1445, and this helped by producing books with little effort compared to hand writing everything. The printing press also meant that information could be shared to the masses a lot like the internet has done for the Information Age. The renaissance created industry and commerce thus ensuring that the average person could get all the same literacy opportunities as the more upper class.

Fashion
Clothing in the Renaissance helped distinguish wealth and social ranking, if you wore the right clothes you could be accepted in society even if you did not have a lot of money.
The church was a huge influence on clothing as he condemned people who focused too much on the new trends and the church saw this as a sign of vanity.
In hopes to control fashion and the trends the royals passed a law that only allowed the commoners to wear one colour, due to this the commoners created something ‘slashing’ by cutting their outer garments they allowed the second layer of material to show through. Soon even the royals were doing this and it became a huge trend.

History of Jewellery - Renaissance

Renaissance

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i thought the whole thing was really interesting however i thought there could have been some more interesting artworks, there is so much you can do with recycled materials and materials like plastic, i thought that the artworks inside the train station in the glass cases were the most interesting, there were metal sculptures and incredible photos. the photos were almost high fashion editorials contrasting with the dull, dirty backgrounds of some of the poorer areas around South Africa.

Questions for Design Theory

• Define; Learner/learning: learning to me is understanding new information and being able to apply it in a given situation, a learner is someone doing this, the best learners are those who are willing to learn.
• Define;Teacher/teaching: a teacher is someone who brings forward new information in a way that allows the learner to understand it. anyone can be a teacher as anyone can bring forward information for someone to learn however there are people who are better qualified to teach (personality wise as well as a teaching degree)
• What motivates you to learn? i feel motivated by positive reinforcement, it also helps if im interested in the topic (for example, i struggle more with history than design theory as i have always had trouble remembered things like dates whereas with design theory im learning about techniques that i am going to use and this helps as i am more technically incline however i am trying to put more effort into history as i believe it is good to understand where the techniques and jewellery we are learning about come from)
• How do you learn? i learn through practice and demonstrations.
• How do you know you understand something? re-explaining something always helps, it shows me whether i have understood something if the other person understands it. putting the information into use helps me better understand something.

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modern signet ring

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