WOOdWOrking

Artists of varying skill sets from many disciplines comprised the Wiener Werkstätte and this openness to artistic expression of any kind is what set the group apart. As Josef Hoffmann described the artists of the Werkstätte, “They are not slaves of a machine but creators and shapers, makers of form and masters.” As someone with an extensive background in architecture, Hoffmann himself was well-versed in both the worlds of interior and furniture design and was able to seamlessly translate graphic simplifications into a three-dimensional medium. For example, his Sitzmaschine (1904) chair has references of nature motifs with its arms adorned with wooden nubs reminiscent of small mushrooms. It is a subject that Hoffmann drew inspiration from for other works during his time with the Wiener Werkstätte.

While the majority of Koloman Moser’s work includes paintings and graphic design, he also produced much furniture and other types of woodworking during his time with the Wiener Werkstätte. The complexity of his furniture designs varied from piece to piece, as seen in the difference of both shape and detail between the Zuckerkandl (1904) armchair and a standard Sewing Box (1904). The armchair is designed with a sectioned grid in mind, which appears along both vertical and horizontal borders and avoids crossing lines. The ovular shapes in the wood are not wholly organic either. The sewing box, on the other hand, puts practicality and function over decoration and frivolous detail. The box is composed of alternating wood colors, taking on an almost checkerboard-like pattern. While it is devoid of any imagery that harkens back to nature, it still upholds the basic principles of manipulating lines and shapes.