Am I Secessionist?

Oh God.

I'm dead. It's already two weeks late to write my latest post (as I mention before..at last x buat2 because of several thing have to work out..i delay this post..sorry Madam Suzy,jgn potong markah ek?..hik2..just joking) This post is basically much related to my field as a new media student..and how history have influence the design scenario worldwide..so, let’s start brain storming the ideas!!

Lot’s of idea..perhaps..perhaps..perhaps(^^,)

But wait..I haven't decided which influence that I'll go with. Am I a secessionist? Or maybe Loos fan? Pulok..Mmm..let me guess..

Aku sesuai jadi Secessionist ke Loos?

Maybe, I have to understand both movements first before considering which influence give a big impact related to me most as a graphic designer. So, I started to Google, best medium I have ever (^^,).

To understand in depth, I will explain about what was said "Secessionist Movement”. In Austria 1897 a group of Artists, such as Otto Wagner and his gifted students, Josef Hoffmann, Josef Olbrich, Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser and others aspired to the renaissance of the arts and crafts and to bring more abstract and purer forms to the designs of buildings and furniture, glass and metalwork, following the concept of total work of art and to do so, they tried to bring together Symbolists, Naturalists, Modernists, and Stylists.

They gave birth to another form of modernism in the visual arts and they named their own new movement, Secession. As the name indicates, this movement represented a protest, of the younger generation against the traditional art of their forebears, a "separation" from the past towards the future. The first chairman was Gustav Klimt.

Gustav Klimt, Secessionist Chairman

To pursue their goal they created their own exhibition space, the Secession building just off Vienna's Ringstrasse and the architect would be Josef Maria Olbrich. Above its entrance was carved the phrase "to every age its art and to art its freedom". They hoped to create a new style that owed nothing to historical influence.





Vienna Secession 1897


Plus, Vienna Secession promoted their design aesthetic with exhibition posters and its own journal, Ver Sacrum (Sacred Spring). The journal housed poetry illustrations, graphic art, decorative borders, object design, and cutting-edge conceptions for layout.

1st Vienna Secession Poster by Gustav Klimt

5th Vienna Secession Poster by Koloman Moser

~the design is more artistic than previous one, grab more viewer's attention kan?

Vienna Secession's elegant magazine, Ver Sacrum

~Vienna as the center for creative innovation in the final blossoming of art nouveau~

Below are some artworks from Secession Movement

Death and Life, 1911 by Gustav Klimt

Donna con Ventaglio by Gustav Klimt

The Three Ages of Woman by Gustav Klimt

Klimt really loves women. He always experimenting women in his artwork. Klimt did not afraid to use colour, he trying to explore the whole women figure.

Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt

Klimt’s building design stress the ornament style

'Auditorium in the Old Burgtheater, Vienna', 1888. Artist: Gustav Klimt

Karlskirche Church in Vienna

All artworks above shows the Secessionist believe that art should be viewed as a whole aesthetic value + function = great art

and art is not confined to one section only

not only function, it’s boring ok!!

Too much info on the Secessionist. So let’s explore the Adolf Loos movement, anti-ornament. Adolf Loos rejects all the Secessionist Movement understanding. Loos believe it was a crime to waste the effort needed to add ornamentation, when the ornamentation would cause the object to soon go out of style. For him, "design must come with function".

Adolf Loos

Adolf Loos Artwork

Einstein Tower

Drinking set no.248 – “Loos.” Design: Adolf Loos, 1931. The bar set. The architect Adolf Loos

 I totally disagree with Loos philosophy. Ornament shows luxurious. Actually, people in modern century (especially nowadays) buy things for no reason. They much attract to the design, not much on the function. It’s all about the sense of view, HUMAN IMPRESSION. The attractive things help other things embedded awesomely. Look at the watch below; when diamond is put in it as a main element of design, it became a double-value function, watch + jewellery.



~kalo pakai benda mewah sure org ingat u olls kaya raya, padahal ia hanya sebuah jam..

first impression tu penting(^^,)~



Okies.I should have already related the design practice with the movement that is more suitable with my field as Madam Suzy ask us to do so. Ok, I feed you guys with an example:

Compare this interface design (Figure A)

With this interface design (Figure B)

Which one do you choose? I’ll definitely choose the second one, Figure B (confirm, tgk je design handphone tu terus nk beli). It looks more attractive because it emphases new look with new symbolist style rather than simple but old version style (Figure A).

So, if you ask me which one I prefer, I’ll go with Secessionist. Coz, their philosophy stress to believe that art should be viewed as a whole. It is true sometimes “less is more”, but actually “more is more” ok!!

I believe in that. The more interactive you design things, the more attractive the things become. Do you agree on that?

Till then, have pleasant viewing(^^,)