Bauhaus Movement

Overview:
Bauhaus was a school in Germany that combined the arts of crafts and Fine arts. The school was famous for its approach to design and how it was taught. The school was founded by Walter Gropius whom was an architect. Bauhaus became the most influential aspect of modernist architecture and modern design, including: art, graphics design, architecture, industrial design, typography and interior design. The school opened in 1919 and closed in 1933 due to the Nazi regime. 

Characteristics and Styles: Goods were well designed but mass produced in order to become economically stable as a country again. Gropius believed that designers and craftsmen should be educated together in a workshop-based program in order for them to see them selves as equals and produce work at the best standard in a result of this. Bauhaus created a great structure where there was no distinction between monumental and decorative art. The work from this movement excelled modernism.

3 Key Pieces: 

The Wassily Chair Marcel Breuer, 1925
Spiral Theme Naum Gabo 1941
Joost Schmidt Bauhaus Exhibition Poster

3 Key People:Marcel Breuer: A Hungarian designer born from a Jewish family. He specialised in architecture and furniture design and his interest was in simple forms and modular construction. One of his best known projects is the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. 

Naum Gabo: A Jewish, Russian sculpture interested in construction. He began studying medicine and natural sciences however transferred to a engineering school where he became interested in abstract art. When the world war broke out he took refuge in ST Ives Cornwall where he developed modernism in ST Ives. Gabos art is best described as a exploration of space. 

Joost Schmidt: A teacher/master at the Bauhaus, he was a typographer and graphic designer best known for his poster for the Bauhaus exhibition. 

World at the Time:The first world war broke out resulting in the closure of the Bauhaus. Many artists recognised in the movement fled to England and America due to having Jewish backgrounds. When Germany lost the war the country fell into an economic downfall and mass production of good quality goods by artists from the bauhaus movement helped build the economy again.