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William Morris (1834-1896) is perhaps best remembered for his wallpaper, tapestry, and print designs. Yet, he was not only an artist/craftsman, but also a poet, novelist, an early environmentalist, a passionate social reformer, and an educationalist who became a socialist at the age of fifty. Most of all, he was concerned with the problem of proper human occupation, whether under the name of work, handicrafts or art. In an age of ever-increasing specialization Morris was trying to achieve a new understanding of wholeness. The aim of the course is to examine Morris` ideas of how to combat human alienation in modern industrial society and trace his idiosyncratic relations to his Pre-Raphaelite friends. We will study some of his poetry, his lectures and essays, his Utopia News from Nowhere, including his home, furniture, and graphic designs.Participants are expected to have their own copy of William Morris, News from Nowhere and Other Writings, ed. Clive Wilmer (Harmondsworth: Penguin: 1993). A reader with further material will be provided at the beginning of the summer term. |
