We are celebrating the centenary of Bauhaus- 100 years of rethinking the world.
A place, approach, philosophy that inspires and influences our studio
‘a fraternity working to build a new society’
I think this statement really reflects our studio. We are a group of people that have come together through some shared life experiences. Together we are finding ways to live life, smashing mental health stigma and radically transforming what mental health support looks and feels like.
Though it only lasted from 1919 to 1933, Bauhaus ushered in a truly modern way of thinking about arts and crafts, the public realm, urbanism and the union of form and function. It is not merely a past movement but a force in the present day, offering nuanced insights into German life and art.
It employed the idea that materials should reflect the true nature of objects and buildings – “Form follows function”. Materials were not hidden for the sake of aesthetics, the structure and the way the structure had been created was integral to the overall finished design.
This sentence really strikes me- it’s like asking us to show the working out, not just the answer. We often talk in the studio about the stories in our lives that are hidden and how hard it is to find the space to really ‘be me’ and be the ‘whole of me’ in all its rawness and wonderfulness. Everything that we experience makes us who we are it is ‘integral to the overall finished design’, let’s make more space for people to be human.
Exhibition JOLT, The Designs in Mind Shop, 15 Cross Street Oswestry
As a studio we worked from source materials to create a series of prints, drawings, collage and 3D work. Working within the minimalist style and finding emphasis within geometric and linear forms suits our style as a design studio. We interpreted shape and form to break components of reference material down to create a series of bold and striking works.
We had a conversation a little while ago with someone who was interested in commissioning us for a design. He really noticed that what we create in the studio is bold, playful, colourful and these are not words you necessarily associate with ‘mental health’. He liked it! For us our process is experimental and what we design and make is meant to surprise, intended to start a conversation.
Line shape and colour are the necessary components to consider when working under the umbrella of this Modernist movement. The focus on these components allowed the studio a freedom in experimentation of mediums and took away the need for excessive ornamentations or a sense of finality in the designs.
We are a work in progress, we are on a journey. We have our ‘wow’ moments that we celebrate (not excessively- although maybe we should?!) and then we keep going. Things are changing all the time- we are being proactive, adapting, responding and everytime we get to put another piece in the jigsaw, new possibilities, opportunities and challenges arise. We are on a creative adventure.
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