The Arts & Crafts Movement, Industrial Revolutions & Why We Could See A Revival
The Arts & Crafts movement emerged in England in the late 1800’s as a form of resistance to the mass production of lesser quality products, due to the first industrial revolution. The movement was preceded by the writings of influential writers, designers, and art critics.
Art critic John Ruskin, and his many followers, were convinced that the rapid advancement of industrialization had adverse effects on society and the arts in general. He believed it alienated labour, was dehumanizing, and created a gulf between the designer and the manufacturer.
They also believed this caused a widespread reduction of quality of workmanship, and artistic achievement. As a result of the writings, and influential followers of this movement, they advocated to unite all the arts within the decoration of the home especially, with an emphasis on nature, quality of workmanship, and simplicity of form.
By the early 1900’s the movement had spread to the US, and took on a life of its own. It was not as pervasive as it was in Britain, however the British influence was promoted for awhile throughout the US, but did not develop the full scope of socialist underpinnings. They focused on furnishings, pottery, metalwork, woodwork, and bookbinding.
In the US urban areas, the socialist aspect of the experimentation was geared toward offering young women education in craftwork and simplicity, as it applied to various decorative works. Quality of design was the cornerstone. By 1908 Paul Revere pottery in Boston was offering women the opportunity to earn a good wage in the community.
Newcomb pottery in New Orleans was part of an educational advancement for women using local flora and fauna as inspiration for designs in pottery, metalwork, textiles and jewelry. When it came to jewelry, natural stones were chosen carefully for their unique features, and were noted for promoting “truth to materials”.
Soon these creative entrepreneurs were teaching china painting, and one well known artisan Marie Zimmerman, began to expand, and take inspirations from foreign cultures abroad, such as Greece and Asia. The movement diversified into silversmiths, and many other handmade items.
Roseville pottery was introduced in Ohio around 1890. They made a wide range of pottery designs between 1904 until their closure in 1954. This pottery surpassed the Arts & Crafts movement, as it carried on for thirty years after the Arts & Crafts movement died down in the 1920’s.
To summarize the progression of things, and why it is applicable in today’s world: The first industrial revolution began in 1784 with steam, water, and mechanical production equipment.
The second industrial revolution began in 1870, with the division of labour, electricity and a trend toward mass production (which in turn, led to the Arts & Craft movement).
The third industrial revolution is said to have begun in 1969, with electronics, IT, and automated production.
That brings us to the introduction of the fourth industrial revolution, which is promoted extensively by the World Economic Forum.
This is a fluid concept, and is far less tangible than the previous industrial revolutions. It is very much tied to AI, robotics, connectivity through mobile devices, digital technology, knowledge, and rapid advancement in all these areas. It fuels changes to the various global systems; from business, to manufacturing, to banking, to the labour market, and to governance.
There is no historical precedent, and apparently it is developing exponentially, therefore unlike the steam train, and the Arts & Crafts movement, there is no linear pathway, to track this development.
Although technological advancement has many advantages, it also disrupts the various labour markets. The changes are rapid, growing in multiple directions, and geared toward the restructuring of all systems on a global level. What could possibly go wrong?
When the Arts & Crafts movement began, its grassroots concepts were founded, and developed within the context of the social anxieties caused by rapid industrialization.
The current fourth industrial revolution, by their own WEF admission, is a rampant development. This in turn leads to social anxiety.
Therefore, I think it is entirely possible that people will gravitate toward what is tangible, what is utilitarian, and what things worked in the past to develop labour markets, diversity and trade. These are the simpler things in life, and much easier to grasp hold of.
As a tongue in cheek metaphor on the need for a resurgence of some of the past concepts, to help quell the anxieties resulting from rapid mass industrialization, maybe we need to slow down.
If we turn toward something we can take hold of, and pour out, in a more relaxed, and tangible manner, we can look back, and realize our ancestors also went through rapid industrialization. It caused them to take a step back, and reevaluate, from a more philosophical point of view.
The following simple Roseville pottery jug from the early 20th century, has a form, and function, that can remind us about tangible things, in order to keep us grounded during tumultuous times of rapid change.
We can appreciate technology, but you cannot get a glass of iced tea out of AI or ChatGPT, to cool your senses in a heat wave.
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