Paving Paradise: William Morris at the Galleries

Abstract

Nineteen-Hundred and Ninety-Three was the Year of William Morris. In the craft studio where I work at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, there were slide lectures, guest artists from Britain, exhibitions of functional decorative work, all explicitly linked in one way or another to the legacy of William Morris, 'the father of the arts and crafts movement.' Above all of this, there was anticipation and speculation about the upcoming exhibit, Earthly Paradise, which featured work by Morris and his contemporaries. This exhibit, which toured several Canadian cities in 1993, was drawn from Canadian collections, and curated by the Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibit is catalogued and elaborated upon in a wonderful book published jointly by the Art Gallery of Ontario and Key Porter Books. I looked forward to seeing the installation of Morris' work, for I had encountered him in books a few years earlier at the craft and design college I attended. Mostly, I knew that he was a pioneer in the life that I aspired to: he was a successful designer and craftsperson. In school, we learned little about his actual designs and production work per se, and even less about his political analysis. Mostly I knew that he was a financially successful craftsperson who understood the importance of beautiful surroundings and useful objects in everyday life. Much later I learned that he was one of Britain's important socialist voices at the end of the nineteenth century, and one of E.P.Thompson's heroes. William Morris (1 834-1 896) was a designer, a craftsman, a businessman, a writer, a publisher, and a socialist. He designed, made, and marketed wallpaper, furniture, stained glass, ceramics, woven and printed textiles, carpets, and books, among other things. His writings -poetry, fictional prose, and essays reflected his desire to be part of a revolution transforming the alienation and squalor of the nineteenth century world he knew into an earthly paradise for all.' As a craftsperson, I looked forward to the opportunity to view original Morris works. Though I knew the reputation of Morris and Co. as designers and makers of