Frank Lloyd Wright's Perspective on William Morris and the Machine
In the address to the Chicago Arts and Crafts Society, Frank Lloyd Wright writes about William Morris, a respected artist in the Arts and Crafts Movement, and his opposition of the machine's role in the creation of art. The great architect seems to first praise the work of William Morris by stating "All artists love and honor William Morris" (Wright 81).
Wright's Different Position on the Value of the Machine in Art
Wright further notes that the artist was enthusiastic about the new form of art and thus his rejection of the machine was a fault that did not matter. In acknowledging the work of William Morris, Wright holds a different position in regards to the value of the machine in the new form of art. He feels that instead of the machine destroying the arts, it could democratize them. Wright absolves Morris of the blame for miscalculating the significance of the machine in the advancement of art by suggesting that the influence had not become so evident during Morris' time. Wright argues about the machine and art by stating "Nor was it grown as to become apparent to William Morris, the grand democrat, that the machine was the great forerunner of democracy" (Wright 81). The statement indicates that Wright recognizes William Morris for his fight to democratize art and the crafts and thus his opposition to the machine is seen as a miscalculation that does not really matter.
Wright's Understanding of Morris' Opposition to the Machine
I believe that Wright recognizes the work and the belief system held by William Morris because of the times that he lived in. Wright implies that Morris' apparent opposition to the machine was just but a mistake. The address suggests that William Morris was receptive to new art and had opposed the machine because of the apparent abuse it would bring. However, William could not know that whatever mischief had been brought by the machine could be undone by the machine's own momentum.
Work Cited
Wright, Frank Lloyd. "The art and craft of the machine." Brush and Pencil 8.2 (1901): 77-90.
