Protomodernism

During this time period new and innovative ideas were all the rage, artists and designers kept pushing the boundaries. Protomodernists were among this group of artists and designers looking for new ways of expression. They were often described as "avant-garde" for their experimentation with forms and ideas that were considered unorthodox. This started to shape what is known as the Vienna Secession, where there was a withdrawal from conventional academic learning in this field. Riegl was one of the most important people to helping establish modern "rules" and ways to view artwork. Riegl believed " that an artist's individual works are apart of a historical development" (Hinchman page 454). Art and design is supposed to grow and change and just because the style may change it is not from outside pressure but rather evolving in and with art. This mode of thinking is something I feel is still very much true today, we can recognize that styles come in waves. 


One Step Further
Adolf Loos was the architect that stuck out to me the most, especially his design of the American Bar. Loos was an Austrian architect and also a theorist, his different writings were passed along and inspired designers though few were able to live up to his teachings. Loos was one of the first to reject Secessionism and start to look towards modernism. He was able to study in many different places such as Brunn, Reichenberg, Vienna, and America which helped shape him as an architect and designer. My favorite of his works is the American Bar located in Vienna; while this was completed in 1908 I can look at this space and it looks and feels like a brand new design. This is a design that blends in with what we currently see in fancier restaurants and cafes. The rich brown woods and deep green leather help create a great contrast in color and materials. Along with being an architect Loos also did a little bit of furniture design but, he often preferred the works of others for his designs. 


Modern Applications 

1. 

Simple clean lines are something that has been carried forward
with the protmodernist design, as seen in the American Bar   
the ceiling in particular was clean straight lines, this is
a typical characteristics of modern design. 

      
2. 

This furniture piece is resembling the works of 
Frank Llyod Wright, his designs were often using 
circular shapes and figures that had a nice visual flow. 



Comments

  1. Dezaray MillerFebruary 12, 2022 at 4:29 PM

    Meaghan,
    Great post! I like how you mentioned that there is during the Vienna succession there was withdrawal from conventional academic learning in this field. I also really like your examples, especially the chair you chose. That furniture piece is very unique, is shows movement and a nice contrast with the color of it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Professor VanderNoordaaFebruary 15, 2022 at 1:56 PM

    Meaghan,
    I really appreciated how you cited Reigl and his influence as an art historian on this period of design. Adolf Loos was a great designer to study further. His "American Bar" was a strong example of successful design during this period.
    Your three current examples of this style were very strong. I appreciate that you used furniture pieces and an interior. Total Points: 50/50

    ReplyDelete

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