The Theory of Decorative Art Readings

The Theory of Decorative Art

In reading The Theory of Decorative Art, I have a new understanding of architecture and interior design.  The two correlate very much and are very similar.  Architecture deals more with a bigger picture though and interior design focuses more in depth with the design.  From the readings this is what I've gathered:

"The Significance of Applied Art"

After reading "The Significance of Applied Art" I understood a few major points from Hermann Muthesius.  Significance of art is artistic, cultural, and economic.  Interior design is a different language - an artistic language that needs to be deciphered.  Muthesius compares modern art to many other periods of art such as the Renaissance art, Roccoco art, and German art.  He uses these to parallel the different forms of art.

One of the things that I stumbled upon in the reading that I found quite fascinating was "To respond to the conditions of the age in which we live, we must first do justice to the specific factors that govern the individual object" (pg 76).  What is the purpose of what we are trying to achieve in other words?  What is the ultimate goal?

I also found it interesting that he noted that design is a "...violation of these three principles" (pg 77) referring to artistic, cultural, and economic principles.  

The reading explained how new applied art is becoming a culture and already is in Germany; that it has become a universal movement.  Here are two modern art examples that I find are universal movements:

The block idea and spatial overlap with glass windows as a substitute wall has become a universal thing.

Modern furniture with little color and simple block patterns has become universal.

"Manifesto of the Staatliche Bauhaus in Weimar"

In the reading from "Manifesto of the Staatliche Bauhaus in Weimar" I think that the most important point that Walter Gropius was trying to make was that interior design and architecture need to have unity; the two cannot collide, but need to collaborate.  I would say that a good example of collaboration between the two is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright's projects, for he designed each house, but also designed everything inside and picked out all of the furniture.  Below is perhaps, Wright's most succesful and well-known piece, Falling Water.

The top picture and bottom picture collaborate because they both have the steel frame that is painted crimson in them.

 "Type-Needs: Type Furniture"

In reading "Type-Needs: Type Furniture" by Le Corbusier I understood that the human measurements are very important.  From the statement "To search for the human scales, for human function, is to define human needs" (pg 84) I understood that the forming things that fit the human body are the essential and most important things that one can do.  Studying the human body and making everything to scale of the human body is important.  For example, stairs have a certain height that is considered regulation height.  This is the height that is comfortable for humans to walk up.  If one stair is heightened or lowered by even an eighth of an inch, then people will trip walking up the stairs.  But when we learn about the human form, the human mannerisms, the human shape, we can define human needs.

Frank, Isabelle (editor) (2000). The theory of decorative art: An anthology of European and American writings 

1750 – 1940. New York: Yale University Press.