Re: The Bauhaus

- - The original note follows - -

From: boris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ("Sean Thexton")
Subject: Re: The Bauhaus
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 1994 12:36:31 GMT


> I've recently been doing a bit of research into the "Staatliches
>Bauhaus". And I am becoming increasingly interested in their "style" in
>both architecture and design. > I was wondering if anyone here is
well read on the subject. I am
>wondering how well they actually managed to integrate architecture and
>design (like weaving, and sculpture and performance art) both in studies
>and in their products.

I wouldnt say I am well read but I am interested.

The early Weimar Bauhaus produced little in the way of architecture
mainly because of resistance in the Weimar republic to new ideas.
Walter Gropius (who was the director at that time) did manage build a
villa called the "Somerfield house" which integrated the distinctive
bauhaus approach to internal decoration with a curious almost early
american colonial style exterior by Gropis.

The interior was filled with the work of the students and must have been
a dazzaling showcase for what many people now think of as the Bauhuas
style.

By contrast the later Dessau Bauhuas was largely focused on architecture
and industrial design and produced a number of important buildings - the
school building at Dessau itself (another Gropius design) was (and still
is) considered to be a superb example of the modernist style and was
filled with Bauhuas inspired ideas such as the now famous steel tube
furniture.

In later years the School was run by Mies van der Roche who extended
the architecture component of the courses still further.



> Also, what were these people like? They seem to be a bunch of
>hyper-avant garde Germans (and Austrians, Hollanders and Swiss) about 50
>years ahead of their time, living in a small provincial town. There
>Lastly, a lot of what I've read keeps saying that there really
>wasn't a "Bauhaus style" yet it seems like there is, perhaps
several. >Does anyone have any ideas/theories?

Some of them where seriously weird, Johannes Itten one of the early
masters of the school, together with Georg Muche, a young painter,
introduced a sect called Mazdaznan to the school.

They practised vegetarianism, strict sexual disclipline and wore special
Bauhuas designed clothes.
Mies van der Rohe by contrast was something of a disciplinarian who led
the school towards a more traditional German style of administration and
ruthlessly stamped on the political elements within the school.
A good source book on the Bauhaus is

Bauhuas Archiv by Magdalena Drost
published by Benedikt Taschen
ISBN 3-8228-0295-6

This is a fairly cheap but well illustrated softback art book.

-Boris-
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