Bauhaus: Aesthetics for Mass Production

     Bauhaus was the short lived art movement that guided many German artists in the 1920's.  Influenced by the experimental character of modernism and the notion that art should serve the people in constructivism, Bauhaus artists cast aside traditional modes of creating art objects.  Ostentatious decorative elements and ornateness were considered artistic qualities of the past. The dramatic aesthetic and elaborateness of traditional art were replaced by rigid lines and simplicity.  Functionality and practicality were the foremost goals during the Bauhaus movement. The beauty of an object that was produced with these ideas in mind appealed to the rationality of the viewer. Geometrical elements, and repetitive features were consistently apparent in Bauhaus work and these qualities promoted the ultimate intention  of function.
     Walter Gropius was a German architect whose vision of a new art world culminated in Dessau, Germany where he took over the leadership role at an art school embracing art nouveau.  Gropius wanted to obliterate the line between fine art and craft and promote the Bauhaus theory to all of those working in creative endeavors.  Classical art reflected a classical society, Bauhaus was inspired by an industrialized social and economic societal composition and was highly motivated by the machine. Austere simplicity and recognizable geometric shapes became the preferred aesthetic of the movement which were theoretically easily reproduced by mechanical means.

Gropius, Bauhaus Building, 1925

     The school in Dessau was deigned by Walter Gropius and exactingly mirrors the intentions of the Bauhaus movement.  Glass, concrete, and steel are the modern materials used to execute the structure.  Glass windows line the exterior of the building revealing the space inside and its exposed architectural and structural elements.  Light pours in from the windows creating a brightly lit work space ideal for artistic projects.  Muted colors were chosen to adorn the walls purposefully contributing to the unpretentious overall essence of the space.

Le Corbusier, Armchair, 1924.

     Bauhaus as an active and cohesive presence was quickly dissipated following the 1920's.  But its influence can be seen on contemporary design and architecture since its invention during the early 20th century.  Furniture is often produced in this simplistic fashion using clean lines and metals and plastics as support structures.  Easily reproduced and fitting into any space, this sort of furniture is functional and can be found at most home decor stores today. 
     Walter Gropius and the other Bauhaus artists deviated drastically from tradition by rejecting the complex aesthetics of the past and opening art theory to fine artists and craftsmen.  The Bauhaus school attempted to create one solitary group endeavoring to create a visual culture that served the people and the activities of daily living.  Although fully thriving for a minimal ten years, Bauhaus created a system that fulfilled the needs for societies moving into industrialization and mass production of goods.


http://www.bauhaus-dessau.de/index.php?The-bauhaus-building-by-walter-gropius
http://www.museumfurniture.com/bauhaus/#lecorbusier