Considered by some to be the first industrial designer, Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) was a contemporary of William Morris and is best known for popularizing Japanese minimalism in the West. A designer who had also been trained as a botanist, Dresser was drawn to the simplicity and natural inspiration of Japanese design. Like Morris, Dresser was dissatisfied with the excessive ornamentation used in Victorian design. However, when it came to applying technology to design, Dresser and Morris parted ways.
As you may recall, Morris was highly suspect of any sort of technology that removed production from the hands of the craftsman. While Morris' low-tech approach can be considered more romantic by some, it is interesting to note that Morris himself struggled with the necessarily high price of his designs. It was not until companies like Liberty began mass producing Morris' work that it became affordable to the general public. Dresser, on the other, saw that technology would play a crucial role in design. His dedication to industrial production methods made his work more accessible and affordable.
In addition to his brilliant industrial design work, Dresser was an early champion of the notion of neutral backgrounds in interior design. After his tour of Japan, Dresser became convinced that walls and flooring should be done in neutral tones, and that bright splashes of colour should be reserved for accessories and accent pieces (Rompilla, 52).
A true innovator, Dresser's designs still seem fresh and new today. His design mantras, like "maximum effect with minimum means" continue to inspire contemporary industrial designers. Today, one of Dresser's philosophies--that design should address current needs with cutting-edge technologies--is more relevant than ever. It's surprising, then, that (unlike Morris) Dresser is not particularly well known outside of design circles. Nevertheless, his work is worth revisiting, and I hope that museums will take note! It would be wonderful to see an exhibit of his designs. Please contact me if you know of one in the works!
Photo courtesy http://designmuseum.org/design/christopher-dresser/. Please visit their website for more information, and for many more photographs of Dresser's work.
See also: Ethel Rompilla, Color for Interior Design (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2005).
5 comments:
I am a great fan of his also. They do look very modern don't they?
The Royal Academy had an exhibition called "China" a couple of years ago. Some of the ceramics featured looked very modern and yet were hundreds of years old. I suppose it is the simplicity of shape and surface treatment which makes them hard to date. This piece by Dresser reminded me of one of the exhibits.
Hope the little one is doing well.
The "China" exhibit sounds fascinating. It's amazing how long designs can feel contemporary if they have simple, clean lines.
Oh, and baby is doing beautifully!
The Bauhaus from 1919 on was quite taken with Christopher Dresser and thought him very modern. He was a perfect role model for Bauhaus' concerns - good design, function before form, using modern materials and modern technologies, no decorative fussiness for its own sake.
They thought William Morris, on the other hand, was too expensive, too fussy, tradition-bound and anti-modern.
Thank you for the birthday wishes. I hadn't heard of this man. It's good that he could make the leap into modern methods to reduce the price.
Excellent post, Margaret. Thanks for the info on Dresser. Good to hear the baby is doing well! xx
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