- Hopefully I've sparked an interest
and understanding of the importance of the Bauhaus.
Its radical shift from the ideas and work
of the 19th century
created our modern understanding of design.
The work of the Bauhaus permeates
every aspect of our lives,
from the way we work, design, dress, and create.
It is apparent in the cars we drive
and the house we live in.
The Bauhaus defines what we consider good design,
functional, aesthetically beautiful, simple, and honest.
We looked at the inception of the Bauhaus concept,
from the destruction of World War I
and the aristocratic class structure of the 19th century.
How the idea of good design
leading to a better life was born.
First masters and students
challenged the status quo and embraced new technologies
and ways of thinking.
Over time, like many art and design movements
the players clashed, evolved, moved on,
and new ideas were added.
The most critical legacy the Bauhaus left us
is the core idea of modernism.
Less is more.
Truth in materials.
Form following function,
and the goal of simplicity over complexity.
This was inherent at the beginning in Weimar
with the spiritual and personal slant from Johannes Itten.
And then when Moholy-Nagy replaced Itten,
the focus shifted to industrialization
and the possibilities of mass-production.
The Bauhaus pedagogy created a curriculum
of a foundation,
followed by specialization
in different workshops and materials.
Such as printing and advertising, photography, materials,
furniture, weaving, and fine art.
The ceramics workshop introduced forms
that could be mass-produced
and were based more on function than decoration.
And the metal workshop followed
leaving an idea we see every day in our kitchens
with stainless steel appliances
that do not pretend to be made of wood or marble.
The Bauhaus ideas of architecture
were realized at the Bauhaus campus in Dessau.
The building refined ideas
such as a glass curtain wall,
asymmetrical layout, and exposing the structural elements.
While the Bauhaus itself
was the victim of the Nazi regime,
many of its leaders and students
immigrated to other parts of Europe, Israel,
and the United States.
We began with a statement
that no other movement or institution
has influenced our world more today than the Bauhaus.
Hopefully, after reaching the end of this course
this has become clearer.
And it is my hope that you will dig even deeper
into the endlessly fascinating and relevant subject.