Designer of the Month: William Morris

October's Designer of the Month, the English designer, writer, socialist, decorative artist, medievalist, printer, and historic preservationist, William Morris (1834-1896), is one of the figures within the decorative arts and design cannon whose life looms large in my mind. And with all those identifiers, who could blame me? Morris was a champion of the craftsman at a time when industrialization was changing the world towards the way of the machine and was one of the foremost artists associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement, creating works that are still immediately recognizable today and influencing countless other artists, designers and craftsmen.

 George Frederic Watts, William Morris,1870. National Portrait Gallery. Courtesy of The William Morris Society in the United States.

How much do I love this guy's work? So much so that I got one of his wallpaper patterns as a tattoo, that's how much. But that Morris created a work that I thought was so beautiful, I wanted it permanently inked on my body, just goes to show you how enduring his designs truly are. But you don't have to take my word for it, because for the next few weeks, we're going to work our way through Morris' life, one crazy, beautiful, idealist part at a time. I hope you'll join me.