Gesamkunstwerk

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gesamkunstwerk

Graphic Design History

“the total work of art” Gesamkunstwerk, roughly the “total work of art,” is a term popularized during the mid-18th century by the German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). Wagner felt that the art and design of all elements surrounding his music should complement his artful composition. Gesamkunstwerk calls for no separation between the arts: architecture, music, painting, graphic design, etc. all play together for one collective production. With gesamkunstwerk, the designer is responsible for establishing an overall aesthetic from the large elements like the architecture of the building to the minute details of its typeface choices on advertisements.

Gesamkunstwerk creates a harmonious environment of completeness.

Collaboration among all artistic practices produced seamless visual displays to the satisfaction of the viewer. Displays became less about observation and more experience.

The idea became a core theme of modern art. The ideas of Gesamkunstwerk can be seen in the practice of many art movements such as Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Jugendstil, the Vienna Secession, Bauhaus, and De Stijl. Today’s world would not be the same without the idea of Gesamkunstwerk. From obvious multimedia installations to the visual identities of corporate brands like American Airlines to the packaging for a beautifully designed new Apple product, design reaches farther by practicing the idea of a “total work of art.”

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GRAPHIC DESIGN HISTORY 2020

William Morris

William Morris (1834-1896) was a British poet and artist of the British Arts and Crafts Movement.

Morris was deeply inspired by the art critic John Ruskin. Both shared the idea that creativity is hindered by the new mechanical society the Industrial Revolution in England proposed, and that creative freedom is the only source of “genuine beauty.” Beyond creative freedom, Morris also believed that society must have moral values to create beautiful art. Morris did not reject new technology, but he saw it as overpowering to craftmanship. These ideas sparked his involvement in the Arts and Crafts movement. The movement sought inspiration from the past pre-industrial society and the belief that a well-designed environment would lead to societal improvement.

His company, Morris & Co, provided everything needed in home design—from furnishing, wallpaper, flooring, and window treatments. The company’s products reflected the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts movement but also the gesamkunstwerk emphasis on the home environment as a “total work of art.” His most famous production, as well as his own family home, known as the Red House, was the embodiment of gesamkunstwerk of the Arts and Crafts era. Morris, his friend Phillip Webb, and the Morris company designed the entire home centered around the aesthetic of their wallpapers and fabrics. These designs featured ornate, hand-drawn flora and fauna-filled illustrations to the style of the Arts and Crafts movement. Morris ultimately desired for the Red House to be a harmonious environment for those who lived there, embodying the concept of gesamkunstwerk.

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Peter Behrens German architect, industrial, and graphic designer Peter Behrens (18681940) also practiced the concepts of gesamkunstwerk in his involvement with the German electrical manufacturing company AEG, Allgemeine Elektricitäts Gesellschaft. Behrens was hired to create a unified design style for all of AEG’s buildings, facilities, and graphic publications like posters and catalogs. The geometric visual aesthetic he established was even applied to some of AEG’s products such as lamps and kitchen appliances. Behrens’s designs for AEG formed one of the first corporate identity systems that established the visual voice of the company. It was a precursor to what we know as modern-day branding.

Behrens designed the logotype for AEG featuring a brand-specific typeface. The honeycomb logo that Behrens produced matched the geometric architecture for the AEG Turbine Factory Behrens designed in 1909. Behrens even designed housing for the AEG workers to the same aesthetic. The unified style of the AEG echoed the concept of gesamkunstwerk that Behrens pursued throughout his career.

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Theo van Doesburg Dutch artist, designer, architect, and writer Theo van Doesburg (1883-1931) also exemplifies the concept of gesamkunstwerk. He is best known as the founder and leader of the De Stijl movement, Dutch for “The Style.” Emerging in 1917, van Doesburg and fellow artist Piet Mondrian published their belief in simplicity. The basic aesthetic approach of De Stijl was limited to simplified color, geometric shapes, and lines.

Theo van Doesburg also was a strong believer in the “total work of art,” that art, architecture, and design should work together to create a harmonious visual experience.

This desire to create a De Stijl society through gesamkunstwerk led him to design architecture, interiors, and stained glass in line with his aesthetics that were meant to be installed next to one another for a holistic experience. He designed the De Stijl buildings and interiors. He wrote, designed, and published the De Stijl magazine to further promote “The Style.” He even designed a new typeface for the publication where each character is constructed of evenly weighted strokes and gridded squares.

The typeface still exists today and is synchronous with the De Stijl aesthetic.

Merging architecture, design, and painting in the essence of gesamkunstwerk, van Doesburg designed the plans for Café Aubette. Van Doesburg emphasized his aesthetic from the paintings on the interior walls, the architecture, the furniture, and down to the lettering used on the signage. The simplified structural design and color palette mimics the geometric angularity and gray, black, and reds of the furnishings and signage. Café Aubette is a perfect example of van Doesburg’s approach to gesamkunstwerk.

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