Before founding Morris & Co., William Morris dreamed of establishing a medieval-style artist community. How did he navigate the realities of being an artisan in an industrial age?
"There are no solutions , only compromises". Morris's compromise was to hire craftmen and artists and pay them a wage that would keep those arts alive. I think well played.
There’s an argument to be made that Morris was simply continuing the Romantic tradition which had similar issues. Wordsworth wrote the Leech Gatherer and went on to become Poet Laureate embarrassed by his earlier work.
Death by wallpaper as an aside to the William Morris story. Bitten by Witch Fever...author Lucinda Hawksley...has a different take on the undoubted Morris talent and influence.
The challenge of being an idealist in an age of industry has echoes today when you replace the word 'industry' with AI
"There are no solutions , only compromises". Morris's compromise was to hire craftmen and artists and pay them a wage that would keep those arts alive. I think well played.
There’s an argument to be made that Morris was simply continuing the Romantic tradition which had similar issues. Wordsworth wrote the Leech Gatherer and went on to become Poet Laureate embarrassed by his earlier work.
Death by wallpaper as an aside to the William Morris story. Bitten by Witch Fever...author Lucinda Hawksley...has a different take on the undoubted Morris talent and influence.