Morris & Co.

Charles Darwin’s writings on evolution and the growth of plants affected more than just the scientific community: they had a powerful impact on design and the analysis of pattern. Integral to theories of design reform was the belief that artists must be schooled in all living forms and that nature is the ultimate designer. William Morris was one of many artists whose work was influenced by their knowledge of evolutionary theory and organic vitality, or dynamism.

Honeysuckle observes a strict symmetry based on a central vertical axis, reminiscent of early loom-derived patterns from the 15th century and later, but also illustrates Morris’s conviction that good design depicts perpetual motion, unlike the static and rigid massproduced patterns typical of the time.