Although we here at PLiNTH & CHiNTZ definitely have a penchant for modern, clean design – like the kind we saw at Preservation Dallas’ Mid-Century Modern Expo this month – we must admit to having a full-blown love affair with almost anything and everything ART NOUVEAU. Nothing could be more opposite from the kind of design now so readily available at venues like Design Within Reach and frequently collected by Design Addicts all over the globe. But so what” We love what we love – we can’t help it.

The Art Nouveau movement has so many facets, each more fascinating than the next. We realize, however, that you don’t have the time or the desire for a full dissertation, so we’re just going to hit on the high points. We would love for you to go forth and explore with abandon if you feel so inclined, but we’ll leave that up to you. Don’t panic: there’s no test.

Art Nouveau began to emerge in the late 19^th Century in central Europe (think Brussels, France, Germany) and the UK, but it spread to Spain and the US by the first part of the 20^th Century. The name is French for “new art” (duh) and is purported to have come from the name of a progressive shop of decorative objects with a modern bent in gay ol’ Paris. (Modern for 1895, that is.)

Though you may not realize it, many of you know the big American player already: LOUIS C. TIFFANY. Who hasn’t seen all those cheap knock-offs of Tiffany stained-glass lamps” Please don’t let that image color your opinion of the entire Art Nouveau movement – there is so much more to it than what your grandma has sitting on her bedside table. In fact, there’s so much more to Tiffany than his famous lamps. He wrought amazingly detailed stained glass panels and exquisitely colored and patterned glass vases. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has some good examples.

Tiffany’s take on Art Nouveau was inspired from nature: stylized leaves and flowers, undulating waves of water and women’s hair, stunningly colorful insects and intricately patterned feathers. Tiffany wasn’t alone here. Many others embracing Art Nouveau utilized organic shapes and subjects as design elements: VICTOR HORTA of Belgium, HECTOR GUIMARD of France, and ANTONI GAUDI of Spain, just to name a few. They applied these motifs to everything from subway signage to public parks to outdoor furniture to garden gates.

You’ve probably come across two other big names in the game before too: WILLIAM MORRIS and CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH. The former was English, and he really set the stage stylistically for everyone who followed. Even now he inspires almost a cult-like following. You will frequently see his textile / wallpaper patterns, fonts, etc. classified as ARTS & CRAFTS, another name for the organic, more hand-wrought part of the movement. You will also frequently see the words MISSION STYLE and STICKLEY in close proximity to the term Arts & Crafts. They are now all bound together along with FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, who developed his own version of Arts & Crafts in America. However, much of Wright’s inspiration also came from the East. Yes, Asian motifs and shapes had a major influence at this time. Really study Wright’s designs and you’ll notice the impact of Japanese design.

Mackintosh the Glaswegian (that means he’s from Glasgow, Scotland – don’t be embarrassed if you didn’t know – it’s a weird word) used organic shapes in his architecture and furniture designs as well, but he leaned more toward the abstract. He also designed across mediums: architecture, furniture, interiors, home wares, etc. His work is crisp, fresh and delicate, and it influenced the German-speaking leg of the period, also known as JUGENSTIL and / or the BELLE EPOQUE.

There were so many amazing architects / artisans in this branch: JOSEF HOFFMANN, OTTO WAGNER, KOLOMAN MOSER, JOSEPH MARIA OLBRICH. The first two created fully integrated, luxurious interiors and exteriors, filled with furniture and decorative arts. The latter two created richly decorative graphic designs, sometimes deceptively simple and sparing in technique. We would now consider these posters and advertisements art. This group was practicing their craft all over Germany and the Czech Republic, but Austria became the hotbed of activity. In fact, you will hear many of these names under the umbrella term “Vienna Secessionists” (secessionist merely meaning a separation / a breaking away in style).

We cannot leave this article without mentioning one of our favorite artists of all time: GUSTAV KLIMT. Yes, he was probably a pervert and a drunk / drug addict, but what artist of that time wasn’t” His personal vices don’t take away from the fact that he produced some of the most sensuous, lush, innovative art of all time. His erotic, dream-like figures, heavily laden with pattern – and sometimes even gold leaf – can be compelling to some, downright creepy to others and almost pornographic to others still. Can you tell that we fall in the first camp”

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, my friends, but let us say one last thing. Art Nouveau arose from the rejection of the rise of the Industrial Revolution’s mass production of goods. Simultaneously, its proponents embraced the beauty of natural materials and the skillful technique of hand-craftmanship. The beauty of the movement is that it became all encompassing: architecture, interiors, furniture, art, graphic design, textiles, decorative arts, and jewelry all got their turn. Designers were allowed to do just that: design. Anything and everything. Ironically, this is not unlike what Michael Graves and Philippe Starck do today, except that we’ve gone full-circle and the mass-market retailer Target is involved. Viva la free enterprise!