Design 101 - The Colors of Modern Design

As was stated in one of the principles of the International Style the modern artists, architects and designers embraced the expulsion of applied ornamentation.  They made up for the lack of ornamentation by whole heartedly embracing the bold use of fields of color.  Bright and bold fields of primary color that if three-dimensional would have the volume that the International Style principles also embraced.

Out of two of the major schools of thought of modern design, De Stijl and Bauhaus, came a treasure trove of prominent artists.  From De Stijl came Theo Van Doesburg, Piet Mondrian and Vilmos Huszar.  The Bauhaus school was prolific and produced too many artists to highlight so I selected three of the most recognizable names - Johannes Itten, Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee.

The Bauhaus' Johannes Itten is one of the foremost color theorists.  Itten believed that color was experienced and understood visually but also psychologically and emotionally and his color theory is detailed in his book "The Art of Color".

Theo van Doesburg - Counter-CompositionV

Piet Mondrian - Composition II In Red, Blue and Yellow

Vilmos Huszar - Komposition

Johannes Itten - Vogelthema

Wassily Kandinsky - Farbstudie Quadrate

Paul Klee - Senecio