Chauvet-De Wolfe-Olbrich (17-23 December)

on this date in Design…

Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave, Ardèche, France, discovered 18 December 1994
Elsie De Wolfe, American actress & interior decorator, birthday 20 December 1865
Joseph Olbrich, Austrian architect and co-founder of the Vienna Secession, birthday 22 December 1867

With as small as the world seems today, it may be unbelievable that in the modern era there are still prehistoric discoveries which amaze and challenge the collective knowledge.  As recently as 1994, the immense cave of Chauvet with its perfectly preserved paintings dating over 30,000 years was discovered, isolated by an ancient landslide. 

What makes these images different than those found at Lascaux?  Not only are these images over twice as old, but they show similar and in some cases more advanced techniques.  The artist(s) prepared the surfaces by scraping away debris and sometimes older paintings.  There are images that have been carved into the surface not just applied with paint.  There are full “scenes” of action, not just encyclopedic representations of animals.  In one scene there is a dominance struggle between two rhinoceroses.  Of course there are rudimentary acknowledgments of perspective and action as with Lascaux.     

However, the level of shading detail here evoke a sense of three-dimensionality.  With every new discovery the understanding of the prehistoric human mind becomes richer.  The more complex these findings are offers the opportunity to re-examine what it truly means to be human and the need to express one’s self artistically. 

 

Most people will tell you that Elsie De Wolfe is “The First Lady of Interior Decoration”.  However, that moniker barely begins to describe what a force she was.  De Wolfe almost single-handedly created the separate and distinct profession of the interior decorator.  After a career on the stage, at the age of 40, she was commissioned to complete the interiors of the Colony Club, one of the first women’s clubs in New York.  De Wolfe figuratively “threw open” the dark velvet drapery of the Victorian era and using inspiration from 18th century France created light, bright and airy feminine spaces.  It could be said that her design sensibilities manifested themselves as a child when she threw a kicking and screaming temper tantrum in response to her parents redecorating the drawing room. 

 

Even in her acting career she was more known for her creative costuming (which she designed) than her thespian abilities.  De Wolfe’s design successes should be credited to her knack for self-promotion and connections as a socialite in both the American and European circles.  Her business was bolstered by such clientele as Morgan, Astor & Whitney in addition to inviting Vogue to cover her parties.  The descriptions of her hostess abilities in the magazine brought her name and style to housewives around the country and perhaps even influenced the likes of Martha Stewart.  De Wolfe’s book “The House in Good Taste” became equally an influential beginning the trend of faux finishes and animal print upholstery; only in Elsie’s case, the animal print was more likely to be real.   

Joseph Olbrich along with Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffmann & Koloman Moser established the Vienna Secession movement in 1897 but Olbrich gave the group what would become its figurehead: the Secession Hall.  The movement sought to break from the prevailing traditional conservatism of the Vienna Künstlerhaus which focused on historicism.  Instead, Olbrich wanted to bring “purer” geometric forms to buildings.  This can be seen in the Secession Hall with the iconic orb atop the structure contained by four rectangular pillars.  The building surface is then decorated with linear ornament which would come to be called “whiplash” or “eel” style. 

These ideas would give way to the Art Nouveau movement which eventually formed a theoretical break in the Secession members.  However, Olbrich maintained the original ideal of the group and found extended success in the States.  After participating in the Louisiana Exhibition in St. Louis, he was appointed corresponding member of the AIA, most likely at the behest of Frank Lloyd Wright.  It is a small wonder as the two shared similar theories on architecture and ornamentation.

Links:

The Chauvet Cave, Ardèche, France
"Cave of Forgotten Dreams", flim by Werner Herzog
The Bradshaw Foundation for ancient rock art

article on Elsie De Wolfe, Architectural Digest
"The House in Good Taste", by Elsie De Wolfe, University of Wisconsin Digital Collections

The Secession Hall, Vienna, Austria
archINFORM for the Secession Hall
archINFORM for Hochzeitsturm, Darmstadt, Germany

Hoffman-Aalto-Dali (7-13 May)

Josef Hoffmann, Austrian Architect & Consumer Goods Designer, death 7 May 1956

Alvar Aalto, Finnish Architect & Designer, death 11 May 1976
Salvador Dali, Spanish Surrealist Painter, birthday 11 May 1904

Josef Hoffmann was a cofounder of the Vienna Secession movement with Joseph Olbrich, Gustav Klimt & Koloman Moser as a reaction to the prevailing Historicism movement.  Hoffmann and his compatriots believed "Der Zeit ihre Kunst.  Der Kunst ihre Freiheit." ("To every age its art.  To art its freedom.")  Meaning, they wanted to explore every possibility of art outside the academic tradition which relied on historical examples for influence.  As a result, unlike most other movements, there was no prevailing style associated with it.  He left the group in 1905 due conflicts with other members over the premise of Gesamthkunstwerk (“total work of art”) where a space is simultaneously envisioned in every dimension.  Hoffmann’s best example of this is the Stoclet House in which the interior & exterior architecture, decoration, furniture, functional objects & gardens are all intimately related.   This was a turning point from Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts Movements which set the stage for Modern Architecture.  Later, with banker Fritz Warndorfer & artist Koloman Moser he established the Wiener Werkstatte where he designed most of his household products.

Inspired by the Gesamtkunstwerk ideal, Alvar Aalto perfected the International Style and led the Scandinavian domination of the modern design movement.  Not only did this create exciting examples of modern architecture but also fantastically seemingly simple furniture pieces.  He emphasized organic geometry stating that “Architecture must have charm; it is a factor of beauty in society.”  Two charming pieces are the Paimio chair and three-legged stacking Stool 60.  In conjunction with the design of the Paimio Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Aalto completed a chair that epitomized his theories and showcased his experimentation with wood.  It allowed patients to sit for long hours each day.  According to Aalto, the angle of the back was perfect to allow the patient to breathe the easiest and the slits cut at the neck would allow air to cool naturally.  The looped ends provide springiness and conform to the curve of the knee and neck.  Stool 60 is the finest example of basic utilitarian functionalism; a goal that has been imitated incessantly but never perfected as neatly as this.  An auditorium can be filled and emptied quickly.  The stacking feature keeps storage at an efficient minimum.   

With all the attention paid to the sale of Finland’s Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” last week, the fact that it was only one item in a collection of pieces that were sold that day and the auction total itself also set another record seemed to be overlooked.  One of those pieces was “Printemps Necrophilique” by Salvador Dali.  Translation: “necrophilic spring”.  Disturbing? Yes, without a doubt.  Unexpected?  From this artist, not even close.  Dali is most notable as the “melting clock guy” but there is so much more of his work that is what can only be described as bizarre yet intriguing.  Dali was so prolific that when one hears the word “surrealistic” an image of Dali’s most likely enters the mind.    

Dali’s personal story is equally disturbing as his work.  He was born nine months after the death of his older brother for whom he is named.  Often Dali would refer to himself as the reincarnation of his parent’s first born.  Talk about a confusing childhood.  If I lost a child, my first thought would not be to immediately “make another one just like him”. 

My personal favorite: “Atomicus”, a collaboration with photographer Philippe Halsman in 1948.  It took several attempts for them to be satisfied with the result.  Each time they would chase down the three angry wet cats, dry them and the floor and then refill the bucket of water to try again.  They did this 28 times.  This is perfectionism to the extreme. 

Links:

Stoclet House UNESCO World Heritage page
To purchase Hoffmann pieces
To see Hoffmann pieces at MoMA
Aalto's Artek furniture & design company
Alvar Aalto Museum, Jyvaskyla, Finland
Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida
to learn more about the images shown here