„Gramatyki ornamentu” – chaotyczny zbiór światowych stylów

Olivia Horsfall Turner, a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, has published a detailed study of the once influential British designer Owen Jones. The author of the book holds her hero in high regard, although she does criticize certain aspects of his work.

The name Owen Jones (1809-1874) has largely been forgotten by the general public, although his book "The Grammar of Ornament" (1856) has long been considered a classic. "Owen Jones and the Victoria and Albert Museum: Ornament for the New Age," written by Olivia Horsfall Turner, senior curator of architecture and design at the V&A, aims to rectify this injustice. It is through the lens of this museum that all of Jones' achievements are viewed. Although he is now referred to as a designer, he considered himself primarily an architect, interested in art, typography, product design, and everything we now call visual culture theory.

This book is not a biography, and Jones' identity remains largely a mystery. The son of a Welsh antiquarian, he underwent an apprenticeship with architect Lewis Wallamy at the age of 16, and after turning 21, embarked on a series of trips around southern Europe; however, we still have no explanation for how he was able to afford these expensive, extensive excursions. The omissions in his biography are understandable, as very few documents confirming Jones' life have been preserved. He did not have any children to whom he could pass on anything, and immediately after his death, his wife sold the entire contents of his office and library at a Sotheby's auction.

Without delving into the description of his hero's life, the author focuses on his work and views. Jones' exploration of the past was always accompanied by a "tremendous commitment to innovation and modernity." The word "modern" appears frequently, but not in relation to the Victorian Gothic style of Augustus Pugin and George Gilbert Scott - which Jones considered "extremely catastrophic." He strongly believed that architects and designers have a duty not to rely on historical models, but to "push forward, patiently developing the great principles established by the experience and practice of previous eras."

As expected, the author of the book devotes much space to considering the goals and success of the "Grammar of Ornament" - a fascinating, colorful, sometimes chaotic collection of global styles. Jones admitted that he did not want the publication to be systematic and comprehensive; his goal was simply to explore the relationship between art, society, religion, and nature. His belief that artistic representation should be rooted in nature but avoid naturalism and illusion undoubtedly influenced William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement, and later, the 20th-century designers.