Interpretation And Appreciation Of The Floral Motif Arts Essay

Interpretation And Appreciation Of The Floral Motif stratagems quite a littlevasSince this is a diachronical base paper focusing on the direction in which cover aimers communicate through the workout of visual language, several(p goingicate) interpretations of the subject of botanical stresss, historical scope selective knowledge must be grantd to make a fuller go outing attainable. This chapter is vital to the study of both dimensional surface physique as it will explore the floor of cover and the reason unmatched desires to fit out onenesss surroundings.2.2. Literature reviewAs closely as the inquiry carried out exploring the innovations of 20th speed of light cover purpose and the exploration of divergent interpretations of the boded melodic theme, some considerable conviction was in any case dedicated to investigate the early muniment of paper. The basic standard of undertaking this re explore was to examine the way in which cover ap peals to companionship and to provide a more(prenominal)(prenominal) in depth understanding of the mundanity of cover origination, which is a vital element of this study. Questions that argon deriving the kink of the historical chapter acknowledgeW here(predicate) did the concept of paper originate from?What was the function of w eachpaper?When were visors and botanical haomas first use as a form of or foretellnt?The above objectives were explored by the study of literary works surrounding the topic of the business relationship of paper, combing knowledge from books, journals, interior design magazines, and the learning from internet sources. The closing dissertation will root these forelands and go down on relevant conclusions concerning the innovations of two dimensional surface design.The literature review in this section is intended to name the sources employ and does non attempt to evaluate the categorised research which underlies them.For this historical c hapter a flake of sources subscribe to been good researched however some of the sources were more informative than others. Wall Papers of France 1800-1850 by Odile Nouvel (1981) gives a comprehensive report of the chronicle of cover dating back to wallpapers before the nineteenth century and also refers to British wallpaper design. A similar book in terms historical background information which was also studied, wallpaper in America From The Seventeenth Century to World War 1 by Catherine Lynn(1980) concentrates more on the panaches of wallpaper and refers to British and French influences on American Wallpaper design. Chapter three Eighteenth-Century English wallpaper calls devotes 36 pages of regular(prenominal) wallpaper styles, radicals and patterns from this century including an in depth section on blossomed patterns. Whether printed in distemper or varnish colours, or whether flocked, floral motifs derived from cloth prototypes form the coarsest category of repeat ing patterns in this relatively large group of wallpapers cognise to have been utilize. (Catherine Lynn 1980 p52) this chapter will be more relevant to later sections of this paper due to the specific information on the interpretation of the floral motif and also the detailed annotations of the provided images which clearly demonstrate the style as strong as the predominant characteristics of wallpaper from the 18th century. The Floral home institution by Leslie Geddes-Brown (1992) is a real good informative source referring to the tale of the floral motif which was a more difficult subject to c attractive artroad down using internet sources.More up to date sources which were looked at closely include Lesley Jacksons Twentieth Century Pattern Design and clear up The Wall by Lena Lencek and Gideon Bosker which twain examine pattern as a quintessential procedure of the 20th Century design recital. Both authors provide a brief, informative history of wall coverings since th e 15th century and arouse that wallpaper oft reflects the cultural climate of the era of which it was produced. Timothy Brittain-Catlins A Papered History states that wallpaper was for, who chooses it, who pays for it, who it applies to and who appreciates it be all questions that have had different answers at different times. (A Papered History p7) The three books mentioned above will be real useful in terms of putting into context how wallpaper designers, historic and contemporary, are influenced by their social surroundings which in result allude the aesthetic qualities of their designs.The most valuable source however has been the wallpaper history website which lists and allows access to online obligates which provide a very detailed insight to the history of wallpaper. The most relevant articles relating to this chapter have been by Alan Benjamin ( two hundred9) and Babara Krasner Khait (2001) where both texts are designed as an aid in comprehending the many another(pr enominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) facets of todays products. Benjamin in particular refers to evidence of wall coverings which dates back to thousands of years B.C, with the use of subvert drawings and although this does not resemble wallpaper as we know it today it does stand for mans earliest desire to decorate ones surroundings. The history of wallpaper chapter in his article provides a very specific and technical overview referring to the development of wallpaper and how it was apply functionally as well as aesthetic purposes in the sixteenth century to keep out the cold and damp. Both articles are very well written, being short yet adequate and objective historical accounts which are essential for this paper.Where did the concept of wall coverings originate from?According to archaeologists, the custom of decorating walls dates back to several thousand years B.C in the form of subvert drawings and motionless to this day it is un original as wherefore ancient ancestors chose to decorate their surroundings. The two major theories concerning the reasons behind these graphics are explained as press fulfilment and aesthetics of art. Although this does not resemble wallpaper as cognize today, it does signify mans earliest desire to decorate his surroundings. (Benjamin 2009) The ancient Egyptian and popish civilization are also noted in history to have piebald their living environment in a highly case-by-case manner expressing two dimensional portrayals of visible and invisible beings Earth and the humanity of the Gods. (Benjamin 2009)Wallpaper actually begun in ancient China, first because the Chinese invented paper, and secondly because they glued rice paper onto their walls as early as 200 B.CWhat is the function of wallpaper?The use of wallpaper initially began as a cheap substitute for tapestry and panelling. near historians believe that the use of wallpaper dates back to the 1400s. (Krasner-Khait 2001) The first wallpapers in England were ind ividual sheets, decorated with geometrical woodcut patterns and printed in black ink on pale paper by a hand operated press. These papers could have been utilise for anything from covering up an unfortunate space, concealing uneven plaster guide or as an groundbreaking alternative to hanging pictures on the wall. (Brittain-Catlin p7) Homes were built of stone during this period so the main function and practicality of these hangings was used to keep out the cold and damp. Wallpaper was soon to run low the poor mans tapestry, an imitation of the expensive textiles used in royal households.Elizabethan England saw a higher demand for wallpaper as its customaryity increased. The elite of society were accustomed to hanging large tapestries on the walls of their homes, a tradition from the middle ages. (Wikipedia, the disembarrass encyclopaedia) These tapestries added colour as well as providing an insulating layer amid the stone walls and the room, thus retaining heat in the roo m. However, tapestries were very expensive and therefore only the very rich could commit them. For the not so rich members of the elite, they turned to wallpaper to brighten up their rooms as they were unable to unless tapestries due to price or wars preventing international trade.Throughout Europe, a fascination began with these papers that offered protection a consumest dampness and improved ability to handle fireplace smoke.In the ordinal century, when skunk outturn, innovated materials, and printing techniques cross pollinated with an unprecedented fluidity of traditions and designs, wallpaper leapt from its privileged slip as a covering for the elite to become the truly democratized and democratizing purveyor of internal elegance refinement and in some cases, downright kitsch. (Lencek and Bosker, 2004, p9)When were flowers first used as a form of decoration?It is extraordinary how floral art crops up in every century and civilization. there is evidence of a detailed wal l painting from ancient Egypt that depicts geese grazing from grasses and tiny red flowers which dates back from 2550B.C. Indeed if a tribe or nation does not respect and recreate the beauties of nature, it has superficial claim to be called civilized. (Geddes-Brown 1992 p8) The flower was used as a symbol and sometimes reflected religious beliefs. The Iris and Lily were both symbols of royalty and the Virgin Mary and were favorite subjects of renaissance painters. It is a slue to identify floral art and decoration only with the chintzy, the countrified and the snug though all these styles have tremendous charm. Flowers can be architectural (the Greeks used palm and acanthus leaves for their capital), political (roses and thistles were secret Jacobite signs) and perhaps even blue (the blood thirsty cultivated dahlias and zinnias). (Geddes-Brown 1991 p8)SUMMARY3 prudish wallpapers entrywayBeing noted as important era in the history of wallpaper design, a considerable keep down of time was dedicated thoroughly researching Victorian wallpaper. This is an important chapter in the study of the floral motif as this period not only put British design on the map but also redesigned wallpaper all over the military man and is serene, to this day, touristy within the interior market.As well as the typical characteristics of Victorian wallpaper, much attention will be given to the research of British designer William Morris, who not only was a one- man pattern-making phenomenon, but was also the founding father of the arts and crafts movement.The overall aims and objectives of this chapter will draw conclusions as to why this period of design was so revolutionary and why Morriss designs are still used to influence todays designers. It will put into posture how wallpaper has developed with the ever changing society and how the subject of the floral motif has morphed from a realistic re arrayation to a more abstract and simplistic form passim the centuries.Li terature reviewThe Victorian era, was a grand time for wallpaper featuring over embellished designs. Floral Prints were very popular in Victorian England. Print upon print lined the interior walls of rooms, generally in a rich and bowed down(p) colour palette. Dark red, feeding bottle green, chocolate brown, maroon and deep glowing blue were predominant in a great profusion of pattern and ornament. The advent of mass production of wallpaper put the cabbage rose and arabesque patterns within the budget set off of practicality of every home.Designers much(prenominal) as William Morris and his lyrical interpretations of nature, hand-printed by the wood freeze down method, came to symbolize Art Nouveau.William Morriss first wallpaper designs started to appear in the 1860s. They came as a slightly later edition to the textile designs. Morris himself was not a big fan of wallpaper for interiors. He much preferred the thought process of using hung textile work, such as tapestry or h eavy fabrics framed as panels, which he saw as more conventional for interiors than the evenhandedly recent wallpaper industry. Another reason was the difficulty in achieving a good and truehearted reproduction of initial design work. Morris was a definite perfectionist and was not prepared to take on a mean(a) if the results were to be less than perfect.William Morris maintained that beautiful surroundings improve the spirit of life, and that all of the elements which play a part in the overall style of an interior, textiles and wall coverings are among the most important.Whatever you have in your room, call back first of your walls, for they are that which makes your house a home William Morris (1834-1896).William Morris Floral wallpaper designs.Naturalistic flowers and fruit were characteristics of early Victorian wallpapers initially, they were superimposed on Graeco- roman print architectural backgrounds but in the 1840s they were intertwined with elaborate scrolls and c artouches.By the 1850s, however, design innovators such as Owen Jones and AWN Pugin had rejected this naturalism in favour of flat, formalised patterns. bath Ruskin whose theories on design had a big tack together during the second half(prenominal) of the nineteenth century, rejected the whole repertory of Renaissance-Classical cosmetic motifs as prefabricated.William Morris, the control light of the arts and crafts movement of the 1870s and 1880s generally shared the views of Pugin, Jones and Ruskin. He believed however that flowers used in textiles and wallpaper designs should be happen uponn to be increment naturally. Motifs from nature, though flattened and stylised, were clearly outlined and recognisable in is patterns. They contain their fundamental characteristics, yet their style was so emphasised. Morris and other Arts and Crafts artists were emaciated to the natural humankind for their imagery. Morris himself dismissed the exotic hothouse positions so popular wit h the Victorians and instead drew his floral motifs from his garden and the English countryside. Marigolds, honeysuckle, jasmine and lilies were among the flowers depicted in his wallpaper designs.Morris believed that the construction of patterns was of crucial importance, as he explained if the lines of them grow potently and grow gracefully, I think they are decidedly helped by the structure not being elaborately concealed. His designs were rigorously constructed, on either a symmetrical diamond design framework or a severalise framework that created a bower effect. Willow boughs or scrolling acanthus leaves were used as a structural background in a shape of Morris designs. umpteen of his designs also included complex, subsidiary patterns of small flower growing from meandering stems. His insistence on the highest standards of design is apparent in this quotations no amount of delicacy is too great in the drawing of the curves of a pattern, no amount of care in getting the l eading lines right from the first. reckon that a pattern is either right or wrong. It cannot be forgiven for blundering. A failure forever recurring torments the eye. William Morris (1834-1896).(images)Wallpaper analysisMorriss first mercantile wallpaper designs, as can be seen in the first two images here, Daisy and Pomegranate, were very much a case of casted motifs on a fairly simple and plain background. Some of the motifs were actually reproduced from Morriss medieval style tapestry work, usually from incidental backgrounds or lower foregrounds where they were used to fill in spaces around the more important human figures.Both Daisy and Pomegranate were produced in the mid-1860s and reflect very much the simplicity of much of Morriss early textile work. In fact, many of the designs initially produced for textiles did end up as wallpaper patterns, with very few changes in the design, if any.By the 1870s Morris wallpaper design work had become much more accomplished, and there fore much more complex. in that location is very little, if any plain background to be seen, and whereas the earlier examples were largely independently stamped on to a surface, the later examples are clearly intertwined with all(prenominal) other, making it difficult to see any obvious motifs.The three designs shown, Larkspar, pimpernel and Chrysanthemum were all produced in the 1870s. They clearly show the confidence in the design work and the modal(a), and are therefore much more fluid and free form than the earlier, more tentative work of the 1860s.It would be tempting to see some of the fluid and meandering flower stems, rich, full flowers and languid leaves, as an indication of the roots of Art Nouveau, and small-arm there is a certain similarity in some of Morris work, it is also firmly rooted within both the British Arts Craft movement and the styles and fashions of the mid-Victorian design founding.What makes Morris wallpaper design work stand out from others of the comparable era is the meretriciousness of the compositions. There is a real observational passion for the natural world that is missing from so much of Victorian floral derived work. To Morris, these designs could not scantily be interpret as pretty, or attractive, they were much more. They were indeed part of his lifes work and passion. They were a record of the British traditional rural landscape, one of nature and human in a harmonic symbiosis. The intertwining of much of his floral work could be interpreted as a framework in which we are all a part, which is one of the reasons that Morris disliked geometry as a design tool, as he interpreted it as a celluloid system for trying to quantify the natural world, sort of than allowing the natural world to quantify itself.The Acanthus wallpaperThe Acanthus has been widely used since early times. A plant with plain-spokenly indented and scrolled leaves it was a frequent element in Greek and Roman architectural ornament as noted in chapter 1 and a widely used Renaissance Motif. It has appeared in textiles over and over again, from Italian velvets to Arts and Crafts prints. William Morris said of it, No form of ornament has gone so far or lasted so long as this it has been infinitely varied, used by almost all following styles in one make for or another, and performed many other office besides its original one. salient lead verdure tapestries, employing foliage in soft greens, tans and browns on a dark blue background were manufactures in France and Flanders in the Sixteenth century and greatly influenced William Morris designs for wallpaper. Many designs of the 1890s including a number of William Morris prints incorporated the large swirling patterns of Acanthus scrolls or other classical floral motifs from the sixteenth and seventeenth century.(type up literature review)British Wallpaper in the seventiesThe Revival of Art Nouveau in the seventiesOver half a century afterward the initial movement of Art Nouveau, it re-emerged for a second time in the 1970s. This however was not the only art movement that was rediscovered and re-energised in 1970s wallpaper design. The Art Deco movement was of particular interest which influenced two dimensional surface design, but also aesthetic qualities from a number of Victorian art styles were reincorporated including the works of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement.What where the reasons for the re-emergence of the Art Nouveau movement?However, the generation that came after the Modernist outlook the 1950s and 1960s, started to trawl through the ephemera that had been left behind by nearly a century of Victorianism. A new generation of textile and wallpaper designer, who had little if any of the prejudice against nineteenth century design that was shown by previous generations, were keen to examine the design work and if mathematical produce work that was stir by the original, but with a contemporary twist.There was a wide range of work produced in this neo-Art Nouveau style. Some was close to the original idea of using florals and incorporating the sinuous line that was present in the original style. Interestingly however, although this seemed like a kick against the ideas of modernist design, many of the ideas and philosophies of twentieth century design were incorporated into these new Art Nouveau inspired patterns. Many of the colour schemes for example, were heightened and changed altogether to fit in with interior schemes that were based on an entirely different set of parameters than the turn of the century originals. There was also less of an emphasis on the portrayal of floral design and much more on a vaguer, even abstract timber to the design work, which placed the emphasis firmly on pattern and shape, rather than any form of representational design.Much of the design work reproduced here (refer to images) is interesting as, although it does represent a re-emergence of interest in past styles, it does not descend into pastiche or plagiarism of the original decorative style. This is not the Laura Ashley style of design, which was more or less a slavishly faithful copy of the period it is more an interpretation of a design style as seen over the gulf of the twentieth century. Designers saw no microscope stage in reproducing faithful copies of the Art Nouveau style, as reproductions were already on tap(predicate). However, they also saw no point in producing new work that copied the style on the dot as no one could pretend, as Laura Ashley did, that seventy years of the twentieth century had not happened.These Art Nouveau revival wallpapers give a captivating opportunity to picture two points in the history of design, the gap between them and how that gap affected the process of design and interpretation.Wallpaper design was still popular in the 1970s, though beginning to lose out to painted walls. However, it was still a mainstay in many homes and would continue to be s o for the rest of the decade. This popularity meant that the choice and range of design work getable was fairly large compared to todays choices. Geometrically derived patterns, as the ones shown here, were still popular throughout the decade, as were all forms of floral, from the traditional realistically looking flower patterns, to popular graphic interpretations.All of the patterns shown here are of wallpaper designs from around the 1970s. They all take the flower as their source of inspiration and its subsequent decorative effect. All are basically flat pattern designs, some more abstract than others, but all still using the flower as a standard motif.Wallpaper AnalysisTaking a flower down to its basic components, you are left with four petals and a vizor centre. There are of course endless variations on this theme, with the petals multiplying or decreasing, though four tends to be the lower limit. The centres can also range from a fairly complex pattern with a number of diffe rent centres, to a very simple but strong circle. Some of the flower motifs in these examples have become little more than geometric shapes with the flower becoming so abstract that it is barely recognisable as such. However, that does mean that the design is not a floral, no matter how far removed it has become from the original inspiration, it could still justifiably be classed as a floral decoration pattern.Often, by including more than one type of flower motif, the pattern can take on a more complex appearance. In this way patterns can then sit within patterns, so while the petals and centre of the flower can produce a decorative effect within its own right, a self contained pattern, these can then be used as multiples, creating another pattern. If a different flower motif is then introduced, that flower has a decorative effect of its own and if place with the original flower motif, they contrast with each other, thus creating yet another pattern effect. This can go on so tha t a number of more complex layers are added, though care should be taken not to overload the design, which can become confusing the more elements that are added. This can be a particular problem with wallpaper design whereby a pattern effect has to be able to be interpreted easily from a distance, but must also be effective when seen close up.Another interesting effect that can be used is when flower motifs overlap each other, creating an opportunity to produce yet another flower motif, and by changing the colour tone slightly, this new flower design will appear as if still connected to the coincide decorative flower motifs, while retaining some independence from them at the same time.Colour and tone is an important element, particularly within flat pattern where it is sometimes difficult to give the design elements that make up the pattern enough differentiation for it to have any effect, particularly from a distance. By using similar colours or one colour with different tones, i t becomes much easier to see separate elements of the pattern while still maintaining a balanced piece that appears to be both harmonious and effective.The art world has introduced countless ideas and methods that have been reinterpreted by both textile and wallpaper designers. stimulus generalisation and colour and paint techniques in all their modernist facets, have been used repeatedly and constantly by designers who were keen to add to the repertoire of the industry. Large bold patterns, still with the flower as its centre of inspiration, have been part of the wallpaper industry for a long time. By interpreting and often reinterpreting for the medium concerned, effective large repeat patterns have been produced that seem to have little to do with a mass production industry, but are still mass produced nonetheless. These patterns often appear to be less constructed and less precise, often giving the illusion of spontaneity and creativity, the hallmarks or at least the common int erpretation of much of the twentieth centurys fine art output.This is by no means a comprehensive interpretation of flat design. It only gives a few ideas as to the complex nature of this style of design and the number of variations that are easily achievable. In Conclusion flat design appears to be much more creative and inspiring than traditional floral naturalism for example, with endless opportunities to both simplify and complicate the same pattern motif.(Images of 1970s wallpaper)MethodologyIntroductionWhen embarking on a topic of research, all of the possible methodological factors must be taken into account as sources of information are of great importance. Decisions ave o be made into which method of data collection to use to achieve the greatest information specific to the question at hand. In ordain to try and limit out as much information about the topic and area being disgussed, a variety of acedemic sources were needed, such as books, journals and the internet. Thes e academic sources wer all accesed in a selection of different places. Despite a wide variety of ship canal to find all of this information, the information did not come without its problems.Finding the informationThere are many ways of findng the information that is needed. Most of the information in relation to this study was found in the university library in the textiles department. This was done by searching for and looking through relevant literature in the books that were purchasable in the library. Finding books for relevant information was one of the first things that had to be done in enjoin in order to find background inforation on the topic, such as what work had already been done in the area. Books were also then found in order to find informaton in relation to the question being asked through the use of search engines, which produces a list of books/journals with relevance to keys words, authors etc.The internet was also used as a method of secondary resourcing. This was used to find websites such as the Wallpaper History website which provides links of online aricles referring to the history of wallpaper and the innovations of wallpaper design. The internet also allowed journals to be found online, this allowed access to more up to date literature which was not provided by the available books in the library. Journals are also quick and easy to find, simply using the search engine tool online, a large number of journals become available to read. These journals were used in the same way as books, to find background knowledge and to help find information towards the question.The books and journals especially, helped to find vital information on the topics of the innovations of wallpaper design and how designers have put their own stamp on the very popular floral motif which has developed with te ever changing society. This is all acedemic wock which was needed in order to answer the question as thoroughly as possible.InterviewsInterviews give a r icj insight to peoples biographies, experience, opinions, values, aspirations, attitudes and feelings. Interviews were taken place in The Temple Newsome Museum which is celebrated for its wonderful collections of fine and decorative arts, especially paintings, furniture, silver, ceramics, textiles and most importantly wallpapers. James Lomax the exhibition curator who specialises in the 17th 18th and 9th century was oppugnd. This was to obtain an insight of a professionals view on the matter.Using interviews as methods of colecting data proved to be a authorized source of researc. This is because of the specific questions are asked with a reliable reply relating to the subject matter. Data can be obtained easily and resourcefully using certain questions.Interviews can be delivered in a structured or unstructures form. Consideration was given to the type of interview that was carried out to gain the best results. There are both advantages to consider when chossing the most approp irate one. organize interviews are seen as having set questions. These questions are asked and recorded on a standardised schedule. The question cannot be modified during or after the interview. In contrast an unstrctured interview is less formal, where the interviewer has a greater flexibility and freedom. It was thougt that an interview towards the less structured theory would be more effective as the researcher did not want to domain the interview. Planning was essential for the process.LimitationsLimitations include trying to find books that were relevant and that were also up to date. As a way of traking this because the university library only had a limited amount of books available on the floral motif, inter library loans were used, this is when books can be loaned form other university libraries. This however can be very time consuming because people may already have the books out and even if they havent it can take a few days before the ooks arrive to be collected. Anothe r disadvantage of using the library which proved to be a problem in the stages of research was the opportunity for others to put a take for on books which were already loaned out. This not only adds pressure to the researcher but limts the time available to read through the books and to thoroughly digest and understand the information provided.