A modern vision of textile designs of William Morris (1834 –1896) and Arabic calligraphy aesthetics as a source of inspiration for fashionable textile printing designs

Abstract

William Morris (1834–1896) England artist and designer who was the most successful textile designer and manufacturer of his day, He was the greatest single influence on the Arts and Crafts movement, He revived the craft of block printing and vegetable dyeing and he set up looms for tapestry weaving and the hand knotting of carpets. Morris’s different designs were derived with a similar concept to those of Islamic arts and designs. Morris & Co. was founded by William Morris in 1875, producing textiles commercially for sale in London with many designs which was suitable for curtains and hangings and was available in different scales and colorings, (McCarthy, Fiona (2010) his art is a rich source of inspiration for textile designers Within the artistic analytical study to rediscover his works with contemporary vision suits users’ needs of fashionable designs, so the research question: How to achieve a modern vision for designs derived from works of William Morris by the integration with Arabic calligraphy aesthetics as a source of inspiration for fashionable scarfs printing designs? The research aims to: Shed light on a group of William Morris works and his affected by Islamic art, by the artistic analytical study, creating some modern textile printing designs inspired from William Morris designs and Arabic calligraphy for fashionable printed scarfs, and a questionnaire to show how far the idea is accepted for the users. The research importance: Benefiting from traditional arts of international designers as a source of inspiration for contemporary textile designs in line with fashion and the needs of the contemporary consumer in Egypt. Research methodology: -Th artistic analytical study of some design of William Morris showing the impact of Islamic art in terms of: (The concept of abstraction- The concept of symmetrical repetition (Integration of form and ground)-The concept of securitization (Al tawriq) and linear rhythm, Aesthetic of Arabic calligraphy as a plastic motif in textile design. - An application study: by achieving a group of designs inspired from William Morris designs and Arabic calligraphy for fashionable printed scarfs, - A questionnaire to a sample of women users to measure the extent to which these designs are accepted to them and their preference.