During my sophomore year at CCS, I was commissioned to create a booklet reflecting on a historic movement in Graphic Design History. I was selected to create a booklet on the arts and crafts movement. During my research, I was really invested in how strong William Morris was going against the grain during the Industrial Revolution in England. While everyone was mass-producing furniture and buildings Morris was an advocate for getting rid of anything in your home that doesn’t bring joy or beauty. Creating hand-crafted furniture and even designing his own house, he was one of the first artists to embrace the DIY culture.
While I was researching it often reminded me of the 80’s punk rock movement in England. How many artists during that time were creating venues, record labels, and poster art all by themselves, most without a formal education. The arts and crafts movement encouraged creating art by yourself and enjoying art for art’s sake. While the punk rock movement encourages being true to yourself and creating something yourself no matter who you are or where you come from.