WRITINGS
One of Dresser's most influential books was The Art of Decorative Design published in 1862. In the preface he stated that he had written it because he believed that in his student days none of his teachers appeared to understand that general principles in ornament existed. He believed that through his prolonged study of plants and what he considered to be the "best ornaments of all ages" he had been able to identify these principles.
Dresser said that the application of ornament to objects could not be said to be absolutely necessary. It should only be used when it would enhance the object itself and thereby provide lasting satisfaction to any viewer. He believed that ornament had the power to affect people and consequently when he was writing about domestic interiors he emphasised the importance of integrated harmonious surroundings. In his opinion the best ornaments were "both simple in character and sparingly used". This opinion was at odds with what was finding favour with the Victorian market which showed a strong preference for highly ornamented goods. He did not believe in the copying of items from other times and places but advocated taking the best ideas from the past and using them to create new designs which were appropriate for the times in which they were produced.
In the three years immediately prior to the publication of The Art of Decorative Design, he had produced three books on botany. These were The rudiments of botany, structural and physiological, Unity in variety as deduced from the vegetable kingdom and Popular manual of botany. He lectured in botany for several years and his reputation in this field was such that in 1860 he was awarded a doctorate by the University of Jena in Sweden, and in the following year he was elected a Fellow of the Linnaean Society. Many of his textile and wallpaper designs incorporate his knowledge of plants but he did more than just copy them. He used them to create idealised forms and considered that what designers should aim for was the embodiment in form of the mental idea of the perfect plant.
Another notable book written by Dresser was Japan its architecture, art and art-manufactures published in 1882. In it he detailed the four months he spent there in 1877. He travelled in an official capacity as a representative of the British Government and presented the Emperor with examples of British goods which were intended to form part of the collection of the newly founded Japanese National Museum. He visited temples, potteries and the centres where traditional goods were produced and brought back many items including objects for ordinary domestic use. He also made a collection of goods for Tiffany & Company of New York which he had visited in 1876 on his way to Japan.
His final book was Modern ornamentation, being, according to the title page, a series of original designs for the patterns of textile fabrics, for the ornamentation of manufactures in wood, metal, pottery, &c.; also for the decoration of walls & ceilings and other flat surfaces. In the introduction he says, "However creative our minds may be, we are all glad to have the thoughts of others brought before us for consideration; and by contemplating strange works, and, if I may so express myself, re-digesting them, we often originate things differing widely from what gave rise to the thought, and imbued with all the special characters of our own minds". The book contained designs which were the collective work of his assistants and his pupils as well as himself.
Many of his books were reprinted in 1987 and 1988 providing an opportunity for a re-examination of the philosophy which underpinned his approach to design.
Books written by Christopher Dresser
- The rudiments of botany, structural and physiological. London. 1859. 2nd ed 1860.
- Unity in variety as deduced from the vegetable kingdom. London. 1859. 2nd ed 1860.
- Popular manual of botany. Edinburgh. 1860.
- The art of decorative design. London. 1862.
- Development of ornamental art in the international exhibition. London. 1862.
- The decoration of ceilings. (Privately printed) London. 1868.
- General principles of art, decorative and pictorial, with hints on colour, its harmonies and contrasts. (Privately printed) London. 1868, and Pennsylvania. 1877.
- Principles of decorative design. London. 1873.
- Studies in design. London. 1875-6.
- Carpets. (In the series British Manufacturing Industries) London. 1876.
- Principles of art with preparatory remarks upon the objects and practical aims of the Art Furnishers' Alliance. London. 1881.
- Japan its architecture, art and art-manufactures. London. 1882.
- Modern ornamentation. London. 1886.
