MLS 581 - The Designer as Social Critic: Activism and the Arts and Crafts Movement

Credit(s): 4
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, members of the Arts and Crafts movement attempted to influence society through their art and writing. In Europe, this movement was largely socialist and reflected reactions against historical revival in design and architecture, as well as the predominance of mechanization in production. To a large extent, the U.S. version of the movement abandoned socialism and anti-industrialism and focused more on developing a new style of design that was simple, honest, and uniquely American. In this course, we analyze critical writings and artistic styles that typified the Arts and Crafts movement in Europe and the United States. Our studies will include the works of John Ruskin, William Morris and the British Arts and Crafts movement; Elbert Hubbard and the “Roycrofters;” Gustav Stickley and the Mission Style; and Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School.