He has adorned our walls with wallpaper and our floors with carpets, enhanced our curtains, apparel, and tableware, and even made his way into the British nuclear submarine fleet. Nearly 130 years post his passing, the Victorian designer of arts and crafts, William Morris, has spread his distinctively vibrant floral designs globally, enveloping our environments with elegant motifs of willow, blackthorn, and pimpernel, sprinkled with whimsical strawberry-loving robins. There seems to be no escape from his influence.
“I began to notice Morris everywhere,” recounts Hadrian Garrard, director of the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, eastern London, sounding a bit as if he’s trying to evade a persistent admirer. “He shows up on phone cases, umbrellas, walking sticks – and a significant portion of the Victoria and Albert Museum gift shop. I felt it was essential to explore how we arrived at this point – how did William Morris, regarded as Britain’s finest designer, achieve such viral success?”
This query is central to the gallery’s latest exhibition, Morris Mania, which invites attendees on a colorful journey through over a century of floral designs in decor, clothing, and furnishings. It’s an intriguing, albeit at times overwhelming, collection of pattern-filled items and narratives that may lead you to observe Morris prints in your surroundings as well.
His widespread appeal started during his lifetime. A thoughtfully arranged timeline highlights the…
—-
Author : [email protected]
Publish date : 2025-04-07 13:29:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.