Mr. Bing Screening

Siegfried Bing

• Art dealer.
• Showed interest in ceramics.
• He was a popular dealer for museum directors.
• Well known manufacturer of porcelains and ceramics.
• 1867, received award from French government.
• Appreciated art of Japan, but since he was a secretive person, it’s unclear when this appreciation began.
• He began to collect and sell Japanese art and his first auction sale was in 1876.
• First shop was located at 19 Rue Chauchat.
• Took a trip in 1880 to the Fareast of Japan.
• 1888-1891, he published a magazine filled with Japanese art which was distributed in three languages including French, German, and English.
• 1890, organized exhibition of prints.
• Vincent Van Gogh was influenced by Bing and the Japanese work which allowed him to make many imaginative changes with the prints.
• By the end of the 1880s, Bing became more interested in the U.S. He saw it as a market to sell Japanese artwork.
• Glassmaker Tiffany. Thirteen French stained glass windows emerged from American factories.
• Victor Horta and Henry Van der Velde influenced Bing after going to Brussels to find out more about the new design in architecture.
• Had a shop reconstructed in France and different artists were commissioned to create the building.
• People found fault in Bing’s lack of French artists and what French artists he had weren't French enough.
• There was a lot of criticism regarding Art Nouveau.
• Bing began the production of jewelry.
• Work had whiplash curves and embedded motifs.
• 1900, Bing constructed a booth at the Worlds Fair.
• 1904, bankruptcy was declared.

Almond Blossom, 1890, Vincent Van Gogh

Ceramic vase, 1885, Gallé

 Fetes des Fleurs, 1890, Bagneres de Luchon

Moulin Rouge, 1891, La Goulue, Toulouse-Lautrec

Lamp with Dragonflies, Louis Comfort Tiffany

Blog Post 1

Graphic Design during the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Era:

Horse in Motion, 1883, Eadweard Muybridge

The Pencil of Nature, 1844, Henry Fox Talbot

Harper's Magazine, 1883, Richard G. Tietze

Trademark for Moss Engraving Company, 1872

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, 1883, Howard Pyle

Arts and Crafts movement:

 Shelves, Alexander Roux Étagère

Chair, 1882, AH Mackmurdo

The Centruy Guild Hobby Horse, 1884, Sir Embry Walker

Plant Stand, 1903, Charles Rohlf

Cabbage and Vine Tapestry, 1879, William Morris

Contemporary Small Press/Slow Design Movement:

Hand and Soul, 1929, S.H. De Roos

The Sunset of Bon Echo, 1916, Flora Macdonald

Booklet Cover, 1911, Frederic W. Goudy

Centaur, 1915, Bruce Rogers

Farmers' Market, 2012, YeeHaw Industries

            The current small press movement is similar to Graphic Design during the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Era in that the fonts that are used are very similar, and in some cases the exact same letters that were used by past businesses. Small presses draw inspiration from these two eras, particularly the fonts, enjoying the intricate designs of the Victorian Era and the bold faces of the Industrial Revolution. Inventing new fonts created an exciting way to produce products in the 1800s and 1900s. These designs are appreciated by press businesses today, as well the method of printing, just like it was cherished during the two eras. Similar to the past though, this way of producing faces the possibility of becoming obsolete. A difference however would be that although the style that became popular during the 1800s and 1900s eventually grew out of favor, they grew out of favor after some time of being the desired style. The small press movement now is not nearly as popular.

            A similarity between the current small press movement and the Arts and Crafts movement is that the profit is made through consumers. One thing that differs about that though is that most of the consumers buying the products created in the Arts and Crafts movement tended to be wealthy whereas small presses today are able to create for everyone. Also, furniture appeared to be the general product of the Arts and Crafts movement while the main product of current small presses consists of mostly invitations, cards, posters and the like.

            Business is not as common as it used to be for small presses in the world today, although it is not impossible to acquire. The use of small printing is still needed in society, albeit small, due in large part to the technological advances over the centuries since it first began. However, these advances have made it possible to make printing easier in regards to creating multiple images and using a variety of different fonts, unlike the arduous and tedious work that went into creating the design during the Industrial Revolution, Victorian Era, and Arts and Crafts movement. What was once practical has become impractical. It is, however, an art to some: printing with moveable types and stamps. This art will continue to thrive as long as there are those willing to preserve the method.