1、 Maurice's House of Aesthetics

The Idle Talk "is an essay written by William Morris in his later years for the magazine" Exploration ", depicting his rural residence, the Kelmstadt Manor, showcasing Morris' love for medieval atmosphere and historical heritage. The estate became a concrete manifestation of Maurice's artistic lifestyle, contrasting with Wilde's aesthetic philosophy. The article explores Maurice's aesthetic ideas by analyzing his later works and life practices, combined with Lefebvre's spatial theory.

2、 Two Aesthetics

Maurice's aesthetic thought mainly revolves around decorative art. He criticizes the opposition between decorative art and high art under the capitalist system, believes that art should permeate daily life, and opposes the destruction of art by capitalism. The art he pursues is a quality in social production and life, which deals with daily life with artistic spirit, which is difficult to achieve under the capitalist system. Maurice became a socialist with the aim of preventing capitalism from destroying art and rebuilding the foundation of artistic growth.

3、 Resistance to abstract space

In 'Chatting About Old Houses on the River Thames', Morris' description of the Kilmesgoth estate reflects his resistance to abstract space. He emphasized the historical dimension of the estate through objective and restrained narration, rather than visual impact. Maurice detailed the history of the estate and its surrounding buildings, such as the nave, transept, and high altar of St. George's Church, as well as the ancient bridge and battlefield over the Thames River, demonstrating his emphasis on time and latitude. He revealed the historical heritage of the house through its spatial characteristics, such as shape, staircase style, and inscriptions on attic window frames. Maurice's aesthetic concept is completely different from the momentary sensory intoxication of Pet and Wilde. He regards objects as three-dimensional and multi-faceted spatial existences, possessing the past, present, and future.

4、 Simple Life and Organic Society

Maurice advocated for a simple lifestyle and opposed capitalist spatial logic in his book "Chatting about Old Houses on the River Thames". He showcased the primitive life of the Kelmstadt estate through the records of his friend Wilfried Blunt, emphasizing simplicity as the highest realm of art and life. Maurice believed that a simple life is part of the socialist ideal, and true wealth is something that nature bestows and satisfies people's reasonable needs. He attempted to bridge the gap between natural and social spaces, emphasizing that houses should grow like nature, reflecting the opposite logic of social production and capitalism. Maurice demonstrated the integration of natural space and social space in "Chatting", advocating for the integration of spatial production, creation, and manufacturing to produce spaces that are both products and works. The contrast between the Kelmstadt estate and Whistler's Peacock Hall is that the former is a natural work, while the latter is a product of capitalist abstract space. Maurice depicted the estate as a part of the future socialist society in 'The News of Utopia'. He yearns for decentralized community life, believing it to be the embryonic form of socialist ideals, which echoes Lefebvre's criticism of capitalist urban centralization. The villages and natural landscapes in "Idle Talk" form a decentralized, heterogeneous but interconnected whole, resisting the homogenization of capitalist urban spaces.

5、 Conclusion

Maurice demonstrated his aesthetic taste through the description of the Kelmstadt estate in "Chatting", aiming to bridge the cracks brought by capitalism, including time and space, society and nature, and city and countryside. The estate embodies Maurice's personal, aesthetic, and political ideals, and is a real space under 19th century British capitalism, symbolizing the image of a future socialist society.