Exploration and control are two major driving factors for designers throughout history. Across styles and movements, architects and designers have always pushed the boundaries of what has been done, and endeavored to control every aspect of their creations in pursuit of this discovery. The ultimate embodiment of these goals is the Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total work of art.” In 1849 Richard Wagner explored the concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk in relation to the opera in his publications “The Art-Work of the Future” and “Art and Revolution,” and the concept has spread to be inclusive of every sphere of the arts as cultural expression. 

The stage is a perfect example of how a “total work of art” unifies the arts into one manifestation. At the opera and at the ballet music, choreography, costuming, and set design come together in one ultimate work. This idea of collaboration between the arts has also been applied in many different design movements. When the Gesamtkunstwerk presents itself as a collaborative effort between different mediums and artists, it is an abandonment of ego for the sake of a “total work.” One example of this style of Gesamtkunstwerk is in the Bauhaus. The school, known for its interdisciplinary design education, encouraged students to collaborate between departments to create works. One such example of a Gesamtkunstwerk collaboration that came out of this school was Gunta Stölzl and Marcel Breuer’s “African” Chair. This chair, created in 1921, was the ultimate collaboration between these two designers. Breuer, now widely known for his work with tubular steel, created the frame of this chair from oak and cherry wood, Stölzl then wove directly onto the frame using gold, hemp, wool, cotton, and silk threads, creating a beautiful bespoke seat and back. Design alliances such as this allow for works that would not otherwise be possible alone. In his paper “Gesamtkunstwerk and Avant-Garde,” David Roberts posits that this collaboration is an example of spirituality in the arts, a concept which was also integral to the Bauhaus curriculum. 

However, the Gesamtkunstwerk can also be a conduit for ego. Giving designers the ultimate sense of control. When perspectives on design lean independent over communal, instead of abandoning ego for the sake of art, many designers create work as a product of the ego. Frank Lloyd Wright created many beautiful houses, but was also extremely controlling over every aspect of his work, even once he was finished with the project and the clients had moved in. He was known to rearrange client’s homes when he would visit, and would get upset by clients decorating with personal ephemera and artworks he had not approved of. The Gesamtkunstwerk attempts to proclaim the autonomy of the arts and the artist. It allows for complete control over a work, and for the artist to entirely convey their concepts, from idea to execution. 

In the context of Modernity and cultural expression in Modernism, the Gesamtkunstwerk pushes designers towards innovation and invention. In the words of David Roberts, in order to create something truly ahead of its time, a designer “must know where Humanity is going, what the destiny of the human race is.” Design movements reflect and control the cultural moments they exist alongside. The avant-garde designs of the Modernist movement are manifestations of the cultural desire for advancement and change that was happening after the turn of the century. Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Early Modernism all explore this desire in different visual aesthetics. 

Antonio Gaudi’s Casa Batllo and Eileen Gray’s Villa E1027 represent two different approaches to the Gesamtkunstwerk. One built in 1904 during Barcelona’s Modernisme Art Nouveau movement, the other built in 1929 on the French Riviera, an example of the new ideas of the Modern movement in France. Both of these houses pushed the boundaries of architecture and design in their own right, and expressed the Gesamtkunstwerk via different aesthetics. Gaudi’s glittering tilework, organic forms, and sinuous curves exemplify the style of Spanish Modernism. Gray’s sleek lines, industrial materials, and open floorplan adhere to the pillars of Modernism. Both works are cohesive from their major forms down to small design details, they include custom made furnishings and fixtures, and both feel as though they are striving for a utopia using their unique perspectives. Gaudi’s utopia being more grounded in religious redeption and catalan tradition while Gray’s is more forward-thinking and socialist. Gesamtkunstwerk conceptually helped drive these movements because they allow for this exploration to take place via work that is wholly representative of the ideas of designers at the forefront.