Gropius’ Vision: Books on the Bauhaus School from the Kenneth Franzheim Rare Books Collection
Now on view in the Jenkins Library of Architecture, Design and Art:
Bauhaus students, 1927
Envisioned by Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus was a school where architecture, art, graphic and industrial design, weaving and even technical theater coexisted and influenced each other.
Beginning in 1919 in Weimar, Germany, then relocated to Dessau, the Bauhaus is known for (and in some cases even invented) many aspects of the contemporary visual landscape as we know it today. In architecture, Bauhaus pioneered “glass curtained” buildings, mass prefabricated housing using iron-enforced concrete, and the minimalist concept of form over decorative elements. Some other contributions of the Bauhaus include metal tubing in chair design, auditoriums with folding seats, cellophane, combination teapot, and lighting tubes, to name just a few.
Gropius rejected the nineteenth century idea of the artist as an isolated genius. He believed an artist was just a craftsperson that got lucky sometimes and created art with a spiritual aspect, but that everyday useful craft was vital to society. He felt that all artists should be skilled in a useful craft, and with it, be able to earn a decent living. A believer in the creative power of the group, he urged architects to work holistically with urban designers and craftspeople. As a passionate advocate for democracy of thought, education was a huge part of Gropius’ career, and he urged the teaching of visual thinking as early as kindergarten, so that the general populace could contribute their opinions to the arts of their environment in a meaningful way. Because the arts, and thus beauty, could move people to call forth ethical powers, he believed that good architecture, art, and design were vital to modern society.
Bauhaus flourished until 1933, when the Nazis closed the school. Many Bauhaus masters emigrated to the US, teaching and spreading their ideas, which continued to heavily influence 20th century modernism further afield.
This exhibition was curated by Jenkins Library Supervisor Brooke Bailey and is on display on the first floor of the library.
