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History of Disciplines: Applied Art
An Introduction to Applied Art

Applied art, as the name suggests, is the field of study that is concerned with producing functional everyday objects in an artistic manner. It is its’ own distinct area of study that is not to be confused with fine art, which is the practice of creating art purely for aesthetic value with no emphasis placed on functionality. Some (sub)disciplines that fall under applied arts are architecture, industrial design, decorative art, and graphic design.

Though it is widely considered a category of disciplines, applied art can also be studied as a standalone course, whereby Bachelor of Applied Arts programmes are offered at universities such as Central Michigan University and the University of New Brunswick. However, it is more common for practitioners to specialise in one discipline under applied arts.

History of Applied Art and the Industrial Revolution’s Impact

Various forms of applied art can be traced back to ancient times, way before applied art was established as a genre. One of the earliest examples would include Chinese pottery, as the oldest piece of Chinese pottery is considered to be 20,000 years old. Furthermore, some disciplines that are considered to be an applied art today gained recognition as an individual profession before applied art itself. For example, architecture - governing bodies for architects existed years before applied art was a commonly known term. Yet, the recognition of applied art as an independent subject area is important for the disciplines that operate under it - it provides a sense of identity and clarity to each discipline. This happened in the late 19th century, thanks to the Arts & Crafts movement.

The Arts & Crafts Movement (1860-1920) originated from a collective distaste for the poor craftsmanship and production circumstances that decorative art was subjected to, which was widely believed to be the consequence of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Britain. The technological feats of the Industrial Revolution created unrealistic demands for quantity, resulting in a large number of workers to be forced into terrible working conditions even if it meant that they were unprepared. Criticism for this phenomenon was a significant part of the movement and led to the reformation of social and design principles. Rather than relying heavily on machines and exploitative commercial processes, people were encouraged to engage in production to create useful products with aesthetic intention. In other words, people were introduced and encouraged to participate in applied arts during this time.

Amidst the movement, the Art Workers’ Guild was formed in 1884. The Guild’s goal was “to create a meeting place for the fine arts and the applied arts on an equal footing”. It was one of the first organisations that allowed those involved in applied arts to partake in, and its’ initiation is likely to have led to the recognition and establishment of applied art as a distinct discipline/subject area.

Technology’s Impact on the Applied Arts

Even though the history of applied art tells the tale of technology’s negative effects, it is worth mentioning that the disciplines under applied art have benefited from technology in positive ways.

Much of the development in the field of architecture owes to technological advancements. In the late 18th century, the creation of various new construction materials was made possible due to the technology available during the Industrial Revolution, expanding the possibilities within the profession. Unsurprisingly, new machinery and methods of manufacture also made architecture design easier, and this wasn’t something that only occurred during the Industrial Revolution. Technology is always improving, so design processes become more efficient, and the capacity of the discipline grows.

Technology also acts as a necessity for some disciplines - without inventions like the computer or factory machines, disciplines like Graphic Design or Industrial Design may be highly inconvenient to pursue or may cease to exist altogether.

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