B A U H A U S B A S I C S

Form and function are the foundations to great design. Much of what we define as great design could be credited to the Bauhaus movement. A movement made of artisans passionate about unifying art, craft, and technology into a seamless balance of beauty and purpose. They redeemed often overlooked materials into beautiful and accessible pieces of art with distinct functionality. Bauhaus design wasn’t just something for the elite and powerful, but for the common. This year we are going to delve into four daily themes— Foundation, Distortion, Reparation, Reconstruction. We will study the artistic works of 5 well-known multi-disciplinary artists of the Bauhaus movement- Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Anni Albers, Max Bill, and Alexander Calder and how they shifted culture with a main objective- redeeming the lowly back to beauty.

THE WORKSHOPS

  • DAY 1

    FOUNDATION | Paul Klee
    Day 1 we will begin with the basics of form by studying the works of Paul Klee who was an advocate of beginning with the fundamentals of design. He was a master at creating movement in his art and passionate about following the ways of creation. We will be going back to the basic of form, color, and movement!

  • DAY 2

    DISTORTION | Wassily Kandinsky

    Day 2 will be centered on the abstraction and distortion of artistic form. Wassily Kandinsky was known for his distorted lines and shapes, often colorful and eye-catching. He avoided painting things exactly as he observed them and instead abstracted the object until it was completely non-representational. Day 2 will be a study on forms that have been broken down from their original representation!

  • DAY 3

    REPARATION | Anni Albers

    Anni Albers was a female weaver and textile artist of the Bauhaus. She rooted herself in innovative weaving techniques by utilizing experimental materials that had often been discarded or seen as being of no value. She had an unaggressive approach to understanding her materials and working with them to mend the disconnect between the warp and weft of her art pieces. Day 3 we will focus on the mending and repairing of form by experimenting with tactile fiber art!

  • DAY 4

    RECONSTRUCTION | Max Bill

    Max Bill is most known for his architecture but was also a painter, sculptor, and graphic designer. He was a great influencer of the Bauhaus’ objective to make form and function equal. He was an abstract artist, but unlike his colleagues- he favored more rigid geometric forms over the organic. Our last studio day will be about thinking outside of the box and reconstructing forms into something totally new and different!

  • DAY 5

    GALLERY EXHIBITION | Alexander Calder
    This year we are introducing an art installation to our gallery exhibition. On day 5 the campers will take part in installing an immersive art experience for exhibition attendees to experience on gallery night. The gallery exhibition is a time of celebrating all of the art created from the week. Campers will also learn how to write an artist statement and take an artist’s portrait.