Blog Five - Protomodernism

 Protomodernism

Protomodernism lasted from around 1897 to 1959. It focused on the rejection of Historical Styles. It rejected ornamentation and experimented with form and ideas. The Deutscher Werkbund movement was founded in Munich, Germany by Herman Muthesius. Their main goal was to have the highest quality design to the mass-produced output. Deurscher Werkbund translates to German workshop. This movement also greatly influenced some very famous architects like Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. This movement was very similar to the Arts and Crafts movement with the main difference being that the Deutscher Werkbund movement embraced the use of the machine. It also set the stage for International Style and Art Deco Style. 

Vienna Secession

The Vienna Secession referred to a time when art, history, psychology, and philosophy advanced across the world. To secede means to leave. This movement included many artists and designers who withdrew from academia. It protested against historicism but did not embrace the Art Nouveau movement. There was a growing interest in culture and design. There were no ties to historical or academic styles of architecture or interior design. There was a growing unity of fine and applied arts at this time. The Vienna Secession was built on the theories and writings of Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos. This movement along with the Deutscher movement greatly influenced Bauhaus designers. 

Secession Building

Vienna Secession Designers

Joseph Olbrich was a well-known artist and architect. He studied architecture at the University of Fine Arts Vienna. He was the co-founder of the Vienna Secession movement. One of his most well-known works is the Secession Building. Gustav Klint was a major painter of the twentieth century. He studied at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. He was the most prominent member of the Vienna Secession and endorsed the unity between arts and design. He was largely influenced by Sigmund Freud. His designs focused heavily on the subconscious themes of sexuality. His style was highly decorative and he was known for using gold leaf in his designs. Otto Wagner was an architect, designer, writer, and teacher. He studied architecture at the Polytechnic Institute and the Royal School of Architecture in Berlin. He taught at the Vienna Academy. He believed in staunch architecture and designed furniture to relate to his architecture. He also created a book called “Modern Architecture”. He advocated the use of new materials and styles relating to the changes in human society and tasks. He believed design should display understanding and good choices in material. Materials should be available, workable, durable, and economical. His color palette was very neutral.

Otto Wagner’s Postal Savings Bank

                        Postal Savings Bank Chair              Postal Savings Bank Stool

Adolf Loos

Adolf Loos was an Australian architect and theorist. He studied at Technical Schools like Brunn and Reichenberg. He believed ornamentation should only be used if it is functional. He wrote an influential essay called “Ornament and Crime”. He influenced major architects such as Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. His designs consisted of pure forms that were practical and utilitarian. He favored rich interior materials such as reddish brown coral wood, yellow onyx panels, and leather. He was influenced largely by the Arts and Crafts movement and believed beauty was in form and not ornamentation. His style and designs were simple and paved the way for modern architecture.

Josef Hoffmann

Josef Hoffman was a well known architect and designer for 50 years. He studied under Otto Wagner. He focused on furniture, textiles, and metal work. He was inspired by the English Arts and Crafts movement. His designs were very progressive and innovative. He preferred geometric lines in his designs. Cubes and squares were his main trademark. He had very unique angular furniture such as the Morris Chair, Armloffel Chair, and Kubus Chair. 

De Stigl

De Stigl means “The Style” in Dutch. It is also the name of a journal that was published by Dutch painter, writer, and designer Theo van Doesburg. This movement began in the Netherlands in 1917. It focused on elementary shapes, colors, and flat surfaces. It also focused on vertical and horizontal lines. A major architect of this period was Gerrit Rietveld. A major artist of this period was Piet Mondrian. He was largely inspired by Cubism art from France. He wanted to express equilibrium and harmony as purely as possible. He was also inspired by his spiritual beliefs. He focused heavily on primary colors. 

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most well-known architects of his time. He studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was an early contributor to American Modernism and developed an “American” architecture and vocabulary. He studied under Sullivan, but later started his own business. He focused on residential homes mainly. Many of his design motifs were taken from nature and repeated throughout the interior. He used a lot of glass to connect the house with the nature it was placed in. His color palette was formed from indigenous plants in the Midwest. He is most known for his “Organic Architecture” and developing the “Prairie Style”. He was also very well known for how he integrated his designs into the surrounding landscape. The Prairie Style interior focused on family. It usually incorporated a fireplace at the center of the house and built-in furniture. Unique furniture was designed for each of his houses. He also used stained glass and unique light fixtures in his designs. 

Modern Applications:

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Gerrit Reitveld was one of the most influential Dutch designers of the 20th century. He apprenticed his father who was a “joiner” and self taught in the arts. He began as a cabinet maker but later became a great designer and architect. He focused on simplicity in construction. He embraced the mass production of furniture and other objects. He used industrial materials such as plywood and sheet metal. He also mainly focused on primary colors and geometric designs. One of his most famous designs was the Rietveld Schroder House. It was built in the Netherlands in 1924. It included a flexible floor plan and connected the interior with the exterior.