William Morris on Mass Production and Industrialization

Business

  • Author Aggrey Nzomo
  • Published November 13, 2023
  • Word count 608

William Morris remains one of the most historic artist and philosopher of the Victorian era. His contributions in art and architecture have continued to influence even the 21st century artistic thought courtesy of his Arts and Crafts Movements. He was a firm believer of socialism. He was so concerned with the mass production and mechanization of artistic works. Under the belief that the art works produced at that period were mere imitations of art before them, Morris sought to make his art works less complicated and more meaning making to his audience.

Morris preached the need to reduce mechanization and industrialization of art works. This is what actually inspired his belief that artworks were slowly losing their credibility to overreliance on mechanization and industrialization. Mass production was to blame for the waning quality and authenticity of artworks. He noted that it was ironical that artworks designed by one artist were reproduced by factory workers thus losing their originality, quality and authenticity. To Morris, mass production was to blame for the loss of artistic individuality following the unimpressive overproduction of artworks with imitated patterns, ornaments and designs that were not initially intended by the artist. The imitation of industrial goods made many artists to be motivated by the need to increase consumption of their art works. Morris noted that the increasing culture of commercialization of artworks lured many untalented ‘artists’ into the industry whose. These untalented artists’ works were not informed by the need to address themes inherent in the Victorian period but to make profits through imitations and unwarranted cost cutting.

The predictions of Morris that soon items and works of art produced by the modern man would be shoddy and ugly have come to be true. Morris blames industries for the mass production of items that are not needed by users but are all over the household. These worthless items, Morris recommends, should only be burned or thrown out. In architecture, Morris predicted that the increasing overreliance on mass production made houses designed to have unnecessary designs and useless components. Morris concluded that mass production and industrialization are evil and should be discouraged world over.

Industrialization has brought more harm to the world than good. Morris attributes the cause of pollution and the degradation of the environment to industrialization. He believed that for architecture and art works to make any meaning and impress all people, practitioners must embrace the work of hand. In this quest, Morris formed The Brotherhood which sought to encourage artists to go back to the use of hand in art work production that characterized the 17th and the 18th centuries. The Brotherhood sought to discourage the then increasing tendencies of over relying on mass production.

Mass production and mechanization of art works was to blame for the stratification of appreciation of artworks. Morris noted that capitalism was slowly eating into artworks and architecture. To him, industrialization was propagating the trend that only the rich should appreciate and enjoy artworks. He believed that it was the moral obligation of every artist to educate the general masses on the importance of appreciating art and architecture.

To conclude, William Morris was determined to resist the entry of industrialization and mass production in art. He blamed the two for the increasing imitation and production of low quality art works. He was disappointed that artistry was slowly losing ground to the capitalistic tendencies that are to blame for the uneven development in the world. He believed that art was to be appreciated by all people regardless of their economic well being. His dreams, however, were not realizable since many governments and regimes slowly embraced mass production and industrialization.

Aggrey Nzomo is a renowned and established writer/researcher in environment and clean energy

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