Essay:HowdidBauhausdesignchallengeideasfromtheworld? Bauhausdesignchallengedideasfromtheworldthroughnumerousstructuralqualitiesincluded inallformsofdesignfromarchitecture.TheprinciplesofBauhausdesignwereessentiallyborn outofoppositiontotheoldstyleofornamentationandgrandeurattheendoftheFirstWorld War,whentheveryfoundationsandbasicideasaboutpolitics,economicsandtechnologies werecreatedandchanged. PerhapsthemostimportantexampleofhowBauhausdesignchallengedideasfromtheworld wouldhavetobetheactualsettinginwhichtheBauhausmovementwasfosteredduringthe 1920s.WalterGropiusDessauBuilding(1926)challengedtraditionalbuildingaestheticsthe buildinghadaflatroof,wasasymmetricalyetmadefromperfectlystraightlines,andwithsmall cantileverbalconieslinedupperfectlyononeoftheouterwallsofthebuildingthesimpleand regularlayoutbecamearadicallyutilitarianfacilitybornoutofdemocraticidealsfromtheendof theFirstWorldWarandthedissolutionoftheGermanEmpire. Thebuildingalsoemployednewmaterialsthathadpreviouslynotbeenusedorusedtosuchan extent,challengingideasaboutwhatbuildingsaresupposedtobemadefrom.

Indirect oppositiontothetallandroughbrickorwoodenfacadesofotherschoolsatthetime,theDessau buildinghadsmoothedconcretewalls,reflectingthesharpnessandregularityintheprinciplesof theBauhausmovement.Also,glasswasamaterialwhichwasusedintheBauhausbuilding extensivelythebuildingfeaturedglasspaneslinedupperfectlyonallthefacesofthebuilding sometimeswithmassiverectangularwindowstolightuplargerspaceslikecorridors.Inthis way,notonlydidtheDessaubuildingchallengewhatmaterialscouldbeusedinabuilding,but howinthiscase,toprovidelightwithmaximumefficiencyandforthegreatestamountof peopleagainasortofutilitarianidealthatwasinstarkoppositiontotheoldgrandstyleofthe ImperialEuropeofthe19thcentury. HoweverthechallengingofideasfromtheworldwasnotonlylimitedtothephysicalBauhaus schoolmanyproductsofstudents,teachers,artistsanddesignersfromtheBauhaus movementcreatedproductswhichalsogreatlychallengedtheworld.JosefHartwigsChessSet (1924)isaprimeexamplethepiecesinsteadofbeingthetraditionalhorses,towersand bishopshatsinsteadaresimplegeometricshapeswhichreflectedwhichwaytheyareallowed tomove.Achallengeofoldideasawayfromtheornamentationoftheoldstyletoaradicalnew styleandaestheticinvolvingstrictpracticalityandresourcefulnesscanbeseenhere:Hartwigs ChessSetblendspracticality(i.e.theinstructionsliterallybeingonthepieces)andthebeautiful simplicityofthewoodtomakeaproductthatisnotonlymuchmoreuseful,buthasanappealing geometricaesthetictoit.TheeconomicconditionsofpostwarEuropeparticularlyGermanyhit byhyperinflationandtheDepressionalsoshapedthisdesign,withtheminimalistpieces reflectiveofachallengeofideasabouttheeconomy:withaclearshiftawayfromtheexcessively decorativeandcostineffectivepasttoanew,moreresourcefulmodernsociety. ThegeometricshapesusedinHartwigsChessSetistypicaloftheBauhausmovementan ideaofsimplicityandreducingeverythingdowntothebasics,withsharpandpreciselinesand shapes.Bauhausdesignoftenfeaturedthesecharacteristicsi.e.simpleandgeometricasthe ideaofmassproductionwasattachedtothem.TheBauhausmovementpushedtomakethings assimpleaspossiblesothattheproductscouldbeeasilyassembledfrombasicunitsfor manufacturing.ThischallengedtheArtNouveaumovementwithitscurvesandnaturalform,

whichhadrisentopopularityinthelate19thcentury.ThiswasseenintheeyesofBauhaus designersasimpossibletoproducequicklyandtoproducemanyofthemtoserveasmany peopleaspossible,anditisclearthatHartwigsChessSetisreflectiveofthisgoalof massproductionandmanufacturing. TheBauhausmovementalsochallengedideasfromtheworldthrough2Ddesignnamely throughtypography,layoutandcolour.JoostSchmidtsposter(1923)fortheWeimarBauhaus exhibitionin1923wasunlikeanythingtheworldhadeverseen.Theposterchallengedoldideas aboutcomposition,withthetypebendingaroundandunder,placedinanonlinearfashion,all whiletheabstractshapescreatingvisualinterestintheposter.Inthisway,Bauhausdesign challengedthedominantdefinitionofaposter. ThetypographyusedinSchmidtsposterisanotherexampleofhowthisworkandtheBauhaus movementingeneralchallengedideasintheworld.Thetypethatisusedisplainandgeometric someofthewordswiththinlinesforserifs.Thesimplicityofthefontsislargelyutilitarianthere arenoflourishesorlongandcurvedserifstodistracttheaudiencefromreceivingthemessage. Inthisway,theBauhausmovementchallengedthenotionofwhattypographywasfor, essentiallyarguingthattheformmustbeincorporatedintothefunction,andnottheotherway around.OfcoursethiswasalsobornoutoftheashesoftheoldGermanempire,when egalitarianismanddemocracywasstillrifeintheair. Also,theuseofabstract,geometricshapeschallengedtheconventionsofpostersatthetime, asalmostallofthemhadrepresentationsoffiguresasthesubjectmatter.Thewayabstractart isincorporatedintothedesignisillustrativeofoneoftheaimsoftheBauhausmovementto combineartanddesign.Also,thewaytheshapeshelpdirecttheeyefromacircularpathfrom thetop,straightdownandthenacrossisagainreflectiveofthepracticalitythatwascentralin Bauhausdesign.Thispracticalityalsochallengedtheaimsofmostpostersatthetime,which hadbeendecorativeandcolourfultodrawaudiencesattentions,butthetextandimageswere notlaidoutinsuchafashionthattheyaidedeachothertoconveythemessageandcreate appeal. Throughallformsofdesignarchitecture,3Dproductand2DprintdesigntheBauhaus movementchallengeddominantideasintheworldparticularlyinregardsreplacingtheoldstyle ofornamentationanddecorativeflourisheswithanewstyle,focusedonpracticality, resourcefulnessandgreateruseofmaterialsathandallatatimeofenormoussocialupheaval andaradicalshiftintheeconomicandpoliticalsituationinGermany.

References:

JoostSchmidt,WeimarBauhausexhibitionposter,1923,lithograph,261/4x185/8"(66.7x47.3 cm) Source:<http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=6235>

JosefHartwig(German,18801955),ChessSet Manufacturer:Bauhaus,Weimar Date:1924 Medium:Pearwood,naturalandstainedblack Dimensions:Part(box):21/8x47/8x47/8"(5.4x12.4x12.4cm)Part(smallest):7/8x7/8x 7/8"(2.2x2.2x2.2cm)Part(largest):17/8x11/8x11/8"(4.8x2.9x2.9cm) Source:<http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=4240>

Source:<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PXz1sssVEE/TITaC1jC7EI/AAAAAAAAHBc/9ByfZaPS6nw/s 1600/bauhaus1.jpg>(model) WalterGropius,BauhausDessauBuilding,1926,reinforcedconcrete,rolledsteel,plateglass, iron,plaster,wood,othermaterialsinsmallquantities

Source:<http://www.iainclaridge.co.uk/blog/wpcontent/uploads/bauhaus_dessau.jpg>(interior ofreconstructedbuilding)

Bibliography: Inclass: Video:GeniusofDesign:DesignsforLiving,BBC,2010 Video:Bauhaus:TheFaceofthe20thCentury,Phaidon,1994 Other: ChrisSnider(1996)Bauhausphilosophy:Manifesto,legacy,influenceRetrievedon1/11/13 from:<http://academic.chrissnider.com/bauhaus/pages/philosophy.html> Architectuul(2013)BauhausDessauRetrievedon1/11/13from: <http://architectuul.com/architecture/bauhausdessau> AlexandraGriffithWinston(2013)TheBauhaus,19191933Retrievedon1/11/13from: <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bauh/hd_bauh.htm> AlexCameron(2012)JosefHartwigs1922chesssetdesignadvancesaBauhausreality checkRetrievedon2/11/13from:<http://www.eyemagazine.com/blog/post/moderngames> VintageAdBrowser(2013)PropagandaandAdPostersofthe1920sRetrievedon2/11/13 from<http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/propagandaads1920s> GraphicDesignHistory(2011)TypographyTeachersattheBauhaus:ExperimentsinIdealist TypefacesRetrievedon3/11/13from: <http://www.designhistory.org/Avant_Garde_pages/BauhausType.html>