Christopher Dresser
(1834-1904)
Dr Christopher Dresser was born in Scotland in 1834. His first love was
botany and it was his awareness of organic forms that inspired his passion
for design. He attended The Government Schools of Design in London where
he was in contact with many of the great designers of the day. Dresser
was awarded a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Jena in Germany,
but when he failed to achieve a seat at London University he settled on
a vocation in commercial design.
In
his groundbreaking career he produced an enormous and often startling
range of items including, ceramics, furniture, glass, metalware, textiles,
and wallpaper.
Dresser firmly believed that every object designed should fulfill its
function, a philosophy later taken up by the Bauhaus that taught, “form
follows function”.
Dresser travelled to Japan in 1876 as a representative of the South Kensington
Museum (now the V&A). This was a time when few foreigners were welcome
in this extremely closed society. He brought with him over 300 examples
of European decorative arts as a gift to the new Japanese Imperial Museum.
In return, he brought home an extensive collection of Japanese pottery
and household objects. His experience in the east had a huge impact on
his own designs, which took on the stark clean look that we now associate
with modernism.
Dresser was born in the same year as William Morris. Whilst Morris heralded
a return to traditional laboured craftsmanship, Dresser pioneered new
industrial techniques such as electroplating and machine methods of mass
production. In fact, Dresser was the first aesthete to embrace the new
machine-age. He realised its potential and applied it to improve the design
of every day household objects.
In 1880 he formed his own retail business, The Art Furnishers Alliance,
that sold many of the items he designed. These included metalwork by Benham
& Froud, James Dixon & Sons, Elkington & Co, Hukin & Heath
and ceramics for William Ault, Linthorpe Art Pottery, Minton & Co.,
Old Hall Pottery, Watcombe and Wedgwood. He also designed “Clutha”
glass for James Couper and Sons of Glasgow. It is hard to imagine in the
21st century how radical Dresser’s work must have looked among the
excesses of high Victorian decoration.
Dresser has left a legacy of work which bears testament to his reputation as
The Father Of Industrial Design.
We hope you enjoy this select on-line exhibition of designs by Christopher
Dresser. It has been interesting and exciting to be able to handle and
study the various objects. All are offered for sale. If a price is not
shown or you require information, please feel free to contact us. All
Items will be on display in our shop.
For further details see the about us page on this website: www.fcrgallery.com
©2004 FCR Gallery