DOI Heft:
No. 6 (September, 1893)
DOI Artikel:An interview with Mr. Charles F. Annesley Voysey, architect and designer
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17188#0252
An Interview with Mr. C. F. A. Voysey
and analysis, and think of the balance, repetition, millinery that degrades our furniture and fittings,
and many other qualities of his design, thereby Reduce the variety of patterns and colours in a
calling his individual taste into play and adding room. Eschew all imitations, and have each thing
a human interest to his work. If he does this, the best of its sort, so that the decorative value of
although he has gone directly to Nature, his work each will stand forth with increased power and
will not resemble any of his predecessors; he has. charm, and concentrated richness will be more
become an inventor. The ordinary practice is to apparent with its simple neighbours,
paraphrase a popular design, one that has sold well. " To produce healthy art one must have healthy
' We want something in this style,' the manufac- surroundings; the first effort an artist should
turers cry ; and so, instead of inventing a new make is to sweep ugliness from him.
pattern, the artist ' "The habit of
is called to trans- ~ : ~~ '■ ;_>gM being merely
late one already '.V %Z ■ ■ : .' ,■ • 'uTtenants, on short
popular, and re- 'sr. >^, • ' <^—>-rr^^>.- • leases, of our
^^^^^^^^^^ J ho^ ^
it be ugly and in i! <r^^§^^/'————-^-^X^P^ "^*> s,x feeijngS would
a way unpleasing, "birds and berries." a wall-paper design in six colours make decorative
it will yet give (repeat ioi x 16). by c. f. a. voysey art once again full
some hope. The of life and vigour,
danger to-day lies in over-decoration ; we lack " It is not necessary for artists to be bound
simplicity and have forgotten repose, and so the merely to tradition and precedent, or to be
relative value of beautiful things is confounded, crammed to overflowing with the knowledge of the
In most modern drawing-rooms confusion is the products of foreign nations. They should each
first thing that strikes one. Nowhere is there use their God-given faculties, and if they have
breadth, dignity, repose, or true richness of effect, thoughts worth expressing, the means to express
but a symbolism of money alone. Hoarding them sufficiently are, and always will be, at hand,
pretty things together is more often a sign of Not that we need shut our eyes to all human
vanity and vain-glory than of good taste. efforts, but we should go to Nature direct for iri-
. " Instead of painting boughs of apple-trees on spiration and guidance. Then we are at once
our door panels and covering every shelf with relieved from restrictions of style or period, and
petticoats of silk, let us begin by discarding the can live and work in the present with laws re-
mass of useless ornaments and banishing the vealing always fresh possibilities."
234
and analysis, and think of the balance, repetition, millinery that degrades our furniture and fittings,
and many other qualities of his design, thereby Reduce the variety of patterns and colours in a
calling his individual taste into play and adding room. Eschew all imitations, and have each thing
a human interest to his work. If he does this, the best of its sort, so that the decorative value of
although he has gone directly to Nature, his work each will stand forth with increased power and
will not resemble any of his predecessors; he has. charm, and concentrated richness will be more
become an inventor. The ordinary practice is to apparent with its simple neighbours,
paraphrase a popular design, one that has sold well. " To produce healthy art one must have healthy
' We want something in this style,' the manufac- surroundings; the first effort an artist should
turers cry ; and so, instead of inventing a new make is to sweep ugliness from him.
pattern, the artist ' "The habit of
is called to trans- ~ : ~~ '■ ;_>gM being merely
late one already '.V %Z ■ ■ : .' ,■ • 'uTtenants, on short
popular, and re- 'sr. >^, • ' <^—>-rr^^>.- • leases, of our
^^^^^^^^^^ J ho^ ^
it be ugly and in i! <r^^§^^/'————-^-^X^P^ "^*> s,x feeijngS would
a way unpleasing, "birds and berries." a wall-paper design in six colours make decorative
it will yet give (repeat ioi x 16). by c. f. a. voysey art once again full
some hope. The of life and vigour,
danger to-day lies in over-decoration ; we lack " It is not necessary for artists to be bound
simplicity and have forgotten repose, and so the merely to tradition and precedent, or to be
relative value of beautiful things is confounded, crammed to overflowing with the knowledge of the
In most modern drawing-rooms confusion is the products of foreign nations. They should each
first thing that strikes one. Nowhere is there use their God-given faculties, and if they have
breadth, dignity, repose, or true richness of effect, thoughts worth expressing, the means to express
but a symbolism of money alone. Hoarding them sufficiently are, and always will be, at hand,
pretty things together is more often a sign of Not that we need shut our eyes to all human
vanity and vain-glory than of good taste. efforts, but we should go to Nature direct for iri-
. " Instead of painting boughs of apple-trees on spiration and guidance. Then we are at once
our door panels and covering every shelf with relieved from restrictions of style or period, and
petticoats of silk, let us begin by discarding the can live and work in the present with laws re-
mass of useless ornaments and banishing the vealing always fresh possibilities."
234