What is Bauhaus?

When many people think of Bauhaus, the first thing that comes to mind is a goth band fronted by a skinny Englishman that likes to throw around rose petals and sing about dead horror movie actors (Don't be embarassed if you did. I did, too). It wasn't until college that I found out that there was another meaning to this strange German word. And since there are others that have explained it far better than I, here is an excerpt from www.arthistoryguide.com:

"The Bauhaus movement is a school of art, architecture and design characterized by geometric design, respect for practical material, and its severely economic sensibilities. The Bauhaus movement was founded by Walter Gropius in 1919 in Germany and ended in the 1930’s. Gropius coined the term Bauhaus as an inversion of the word meaning ‘house construction’ or ‘Hausbau’. Gropius taught at a school which focused on functional craftsmanship, and his students were guided to focus on designs that could be mass produced. The Bauhaus school had some famous teachers which included Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and Marcel Breuer. The Bauhaus movement continues to influence us today, where any modern environment often incorporates elements of the period. The ideas of the Bauhaus creators have influenced architecture, furniture, typography, and weaving. Famous artists of the Bauhaus movement include Lyonel Feininger, Johannes Itten, Franz Marc, Georg Muche, and Oskar Schlemmer. "

Not only does that explain the basic foundations of Bauhaus art and design, it also explains the name Gropius, the name that I have chosen for this blog. The Bauhaus style has been a great influence on me, mainly in architecture and furniture design. I have not gotten a chance to fully explore and showcase this wonderfully simple, elegant and decidedly modern way of designing until recently, and I am all kinds of stoked about it...

Gropius is the name of a gallery that will soon be opening in Second Life, featuring Bauhaus-style art, furniture and design elements. This is a big step for me, as I have a small gallery of my own, as well as a larger gallery I co-operate with another SL artist friend. Having my own gallery (as well as all of the tier fees and headaches that go with it) is an exciting prospect, and I hope that it will add yet another dimention to the already amazing and diverse Second Life art scene. I hope to feature different art themes monthly, as well as possibly bringing in other artists. And yes, you will be able to buy as well as look.

I will be posting as things develop, so come back and take a look!

Hopefully,

Synn