Can you make something unique out of nothing? Something natural without the help of the mechanizations in the industrialized world? Are you willing to live in a simpler life producing useful things without adding to the issues our environment is facing today? Well “If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful” (William Morris).
Arts and Craft movement began in Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century, this social and artistic movement which was inspired by the writings of John Ruskin and William Morris aims to bring about social reform against the mass production of products during the industrial era. During this time William Morris, a designer, poet, and novelist, John Ruskin, a writer and art expert, and some artists, architects, designers and craftsmen has criticized the low quality work produced by the mechanized production, they sought to reassert the importance of craftsmanship in all arts in the face of increasing industrialization to return to a more fulfilling and simpler way of living. When the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth century which spread quickly throughout the world that made agricultural societies became more industrialized and urban, a lot of negative effects arises causing humanities to do social reform against it. The idea of productivity came into its own in the Industrial Revolution, expanding the economies nationwide and has elevated many people's standard of living. And while making nations more productive than ever before, providing more and cheaper production of goods enabling it on a scale that was unprecedented in human history, it also created appalling working conditions for people just in terms of time spent on the job and expectations of productivity making people to work longer hours, which is not really good. Contrary to the advantages of Industrial revolution, its existence results to the fast growing of businesses, and much of this growth was unregulated, making the working conditions very poor, leading people to work in an unsafe and in unhealthy environments, hours long with low payment. From an environmental perspective, the industrial revolution has contributed the increase in pollution, while cities developed, the growing number of charcoal fueled factories hissed heavy smoke in the air, deteriorating the atmosphere, with a direct line in today’s era, it ushered greenhouse gas pollution and climate change. Also, a lot of rural and agriculture-driven evolved into urban nations, rural communities seemed then outdated. These negative impacts made several people, including artists and architects, choses to escape busy cities to move to the countryside and practices the arts and crafts wanting to live a way peaceful life.
Life before, during the medieval times, spirit and quality of craftsmanship is already present. When the industrial revolution made its way in the society, the demand for more responsive and intelligent equipment arises forcing the workforce in the industry to required high skilled workers which means it needs workers with degree and with specialized talents to meet the consumers demand. People in this time became dependent on creating tools that will make the manipulation of human life environment easy and let every individual have a comfortable life to live with through mechanization. Yet, not all the advances of this revolution were favorable to the society. Vocal minority which was profoundly disturbed by the industrialization choses to shift in the arts and craftsmanship which only requires a natural talent and skill that produces useful and decorative objects made completely just by a hand or by simple tools.
The emergence of Arts and crafts has taught the society to be creative out of the indigenous materials and the things you won’t think that is still valuable. It has brought wonderful power of creation that everyone can, regardless with the issues tackling about the affordability, worrying you can’t afford to buy the high standard equipment just to make it happen. This creation has improve everybody’s credibility, skills and talents in producing quality products without contributing to societal issues about pollution and the worsening climate change which Industrialization has given a great impact. Imagine if we haven’t taste the life of industrialization and we stayed doing the natural processes as what people used to do in the past, will life be as complicated as what we have now?
@CLANDESTINE0819
Well yeah, he emergence of Arts and crafts has taught the society to be creative out of the indigenous materials and the things you won’t think that is still valuable.