Bauhaus

As I mentioned yesterday, on day three of the Berlin trip we went to the exhibition celebrating the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus was an inter-disciplinary school for architecture, design, visual and performing arts that existed only between 1919 and 1933 (when it was shut down by the Nazis), but nevertheless had a huge influence on modern design. Even if you have never heard of it, you probably recognise some of its products, its iconic building, or some of the people who taught there, including Kandinsky and Paul Klee.

The goal of the school was to form a universal designer able to work in any number of disciplines, architecture, handcrafts, graphic desing or industry, and I always think if I could go anywhere in time, I might well choose to be a student there. It was a time when new art forms were developing so quickly, art and craft were still valued on a moral and philosophical rather than just a commercial level and there was a real optimism about the positive impact good design could make on people's life.

Dave and I are somewhat obsessed with all things Bauhaus, and the two large posters above were one of the first decorative things we bought after buying our flat, on the Berlin trip two years ago. I'd love to own a reproduction of the metal teapot below, isn't it just the most amazing thing you've ever seen?

Right anyway, enough with the ramblings, here's the pictures.