Poppyheads

Is design art? Of course!

Koloman Moser was a leading Viennese designer who co-founded the Wiener Werkstätte (1903–1932), an avant-garde design workshop in Vienna. Before 1903, he played a crucial role in the Moderne Movement. Moser was also a founding member of the Vienna Secession, a group of young artists who had parted ways with the established Wiener Künstlerhaus, the dominant art institution of the time. His design, Poppyheads, created three years before the Wiener Werkstätte's inception, anticipated the refined textile patterns he later developed there. The elongated lines and the simplified, abstracted organic forms reflect a new aesthetic shared by artists in Vienna and Glasgow. Moser's design was produced in various colorways by the Viennese company Johann Backhausen und Söhne, a close collaborator of the Werkstätte, which continues to operate today. The textile was intended for use in upholstery or curtains, complementing rooms designed as cohesive artistic environments by Werkstätte artists.

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P.P.S. Did you know the workshop co-founded by Moser was one of the most successful Viennese design brands ever? Take a look at some the beautiful designs of the Wiener Werkstätte! For more examples of timeless design, see the articles below.