Blog Three 9th Feb 2009

Today's lecture encompassed the art movement, Art Nouveau. The period only lasted around twenty years however in was considered a vital movement because it was the initial art movement that transitioned into the twentieth century. Unlike in the early industrial revolution period, which brought the deterioration of the book in quality and in design in favor for mass production. The Art Nouveau period brought back the concern and need for design, focusing on quality and craft rather than design. It was considered the first international art movement because it did not just occur in one location or country, instead it grew from its creators in Britian. The movement brought back concern and focused on three key points: inventing their own forms instead of retaking from history, ornamental design blends into the structure instead of being added as a decorative after form, and designers becme involved in symbolic and philiosophic art concerns. There were many influences for Art Nouveau, ranging from Japanese design and Ukiyo-e to Pre- Raphaelite paintings and Illuminated maunscripts. However what i found most intriguing was the changed that occured through this period. The design went from more organic forms into geometric forms. Also new perspectives were discovered and flatness brought into forms. A great example of this is illustrated in the newer posters that became the first modern poster. Flatness was brought into the caberat girl icons that became the symbols for beauty. All these details that we learnt today are essential to mordern design because it lay down the fundementals such as basic geometric both in design and typography.