Bauhaus and De Stijl

 De Stijl/Bauhaus

   Bound to the context of a geometrical constructivist form, these works distinguish themselves by the rigorous systematic of their compositions and serial concepts. Away from any natural impressions, both compositions attract abstract elements to achieve a harmonious balance forces, by far free from emotional values.

Recognizing the reed to remerge art and design, the De Stijl movement promoted functionalism. Theo Van Doesburg, a member of the ‘De Stijl’ movement, reflected on the idea, that to create a piece of art with a unique and clear meaning, a reduction has to be made when choosing colours as there should be a harmony of forces. Van Doesburg already absorbed by the idea of abstraction agreed with Piet Mondrian that a clear geometrical order can also give universal validity to subjective feelings. In 1917 the art journal De Stijl was founded and its members aspired to a universal visual language by concentrating on elementary compositional forms while creating a balance between colours and surfaces, trying to avoid symmetry. They emphasized that harmony can be visualised by the use of geometrical simplicity of elementary proportions. They also transposed some of their elementary proportions from their painting to architecture and interior design, thus promoting the marriage of art and design.

Gerrit Rietveld. Red Blue Chair. 1923

Van Doesburg was also regarded as the movement’s founder after appearing in Manifesto of Concrete Art. “Concrete and not abstract painting, because nothing us more concrete, more real than a line, a colour, a surface.”

Opinions from “De Stijl” were absorbed by leading figures among the Bauhaus teachers and students who followed with a philosophy of turning away from old structures, and embracing modern or international art with a sense of functionality for social and political purposes.

Founded in 1919, the Bauhaus offered training both on the artistic side and on technical skills, which initiated cooperation between art, industry and social development. Students were thought how to confront the basic concerns of design with their own creative potential. Representatives from different European art movements made the Bauhaus a hub of the international avant-garde in 1920s.

Bauhaus initially set out to demolish the traditional division between art and crafts, when training was given by representatives of Expressionism. The second phase, was largely informed by the principle of functionalism, were art was placed for more in the service of industrial design. Bauhaus also reflected the influence of ‘De Stijl’ movement whose ideas was circulated around the Bauhaus during the lectureship of Theo Van Doesburg.

Voices from outside criticised the Bauhaus for lack of unity in the works of art which according to them missed combining colour, form and space.

Reference:

The Bauhaus, 1919–1933 | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2015. The Bauhaus, 1919–1933 | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bauh/hd_bauh.htm. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Bauhaus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2015. Bauhaus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Bauhaus Movement, Artists and Major Works | The Art Story. 2015.Bauhaus Movement, Artists and Major Works | The Art Story. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-bauhaus.htm. [Accessed 30 January 2015].


Bauhaus-Archiv. 2015. Bauhaus-Archiv. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.bauhaus.de/en/. [Accessed 30 January 2015].