assignment 10

Postmodernist and ‘remix’ techniques are a vibrant part of our design culture today. Find an example of contemporary design— 2D or 3D—and post it to your blog along with a description of what techniques it utilises (i.e. historical quotation, ornamental eclecticism, wit or irony, manipulations of scale, cultural symbols etc.) and how they serve to ‘add meaning’ to the work.

Above is an example of a contemporary design of a bed frame.[1] The Dylan Modern Leather Bed, created by Andrea Lucatello for Cattelan Italia[2] is a truly innovative structure that challenges the mind of the viewer. With a futuristic take, Lucatello has manipulated the structure to create the illusion that the bed is floating.

The play on gravity and structure that the designer has created here within this piece, adds an uniqueness, and elegance to their work. With the design appearing so effortless an almost majestic aura is displayed. This aura is created through the mystery the designer has created, as the bed seems to be displaying the impossible.

This design traps the viewer, creating a desire within them to discover how this structure is possible. It is this factor that allows this bed to captures today’s society, giving them a desire to engage and interact with this interesting and unique design. I believe people will always be attracted to designs that push the boundaries of our structural beliefs, creating a sense of magic and wonder within the viewer.

---

[1] http://designgid.com/2010/08/22/bed-that-appears-to-be-floating-in-air/

[2] The collection of Cattelan Italia site; http://www.cattelanitalia.com/categoria_uk.htm

assignment 9

1. Considering both this week’s lecture and reading,“Design and the Democratic ideal” by Jane Pavitt, respond to the following question (approximately 150 ‒ 300 words, as needed):

What kinds of political or ideological messages inform design or the branding of design today? Identify one example and describe in what ways it expresses larger cultural, political, or ideological beliefs.

 [1]

[2]

I believe that all designs and brandings within our world today contain an element of a political or ideological message.

The image above is one of a fur coat. Fur coats are very controversial within our world today, with people having very different views concerning them. Real fur coats, though some deem to be fashionable are on a large majority to be seen as cruelty to the animals. The design of this item of clothing brings about a debate between the cruelty towards animals and simply being ‘fashion forward’. This topic is a very touchy one among our society today, with many people holding strong views for and against it.

This design of a fur coat allows people to display their views on this diverse topic of animal cruelty. Simply wearing this item of clothing in our world today produces an aura. This aura is then seen as either negative or positive depending on the viewer’s point of view. Furthermore the design and use of this item of clothing gives individuals the ability to express their ideological beliefs concerning animals. 

---

[1] http://www.ssasychic.com/fashion/winter-fashion-trend-fur/

[2] http://www.50centrapstar.com/50_cent_fur_coat_picture.htm

assignment 8 :)

1. In the Raizman reading this week we learned that Hannes Meyer, the Swiss-born architect appointed director of the Bauhaus in 1928, argued that design is a product of “function x economy”, aligning design with a scientific model driven by new technologies and manufacturing potential. Considering this week’s lecture and readings respond to the following question (approximately 150-300 words, as needed):

Do you agree or disagree with the position that design is a result of “function x economy”? Do you think design today an ‘art’ or a ‘science’? Should it be one or the other, or can it be both?

I believe that design today contains aspects of both art and science in some form, with most designers utilizing the latest technologies within their creative process. Science has created new possibilities within our design world, giving more people the ability to create, and allowing individuals to create new shapes out of interesting and unique materials.

Through science designers have also been able to calculate how to improve the function of an appliance or layout of a room. The method of standardized elements has helped produce objects/rooms of high accessibility, which is in high demand in today’s society. The science of technology is what has greatly increased the production rate of an object as well as the variety in the methods of design.

I also believe that an aura is created and surrounds the new technology that companies are placing within their designs. Largely it is this creation of aura which motivates and influences the targeted individual into purchasing the design.

Furthermore this mash up of science and art is needed by companies within our world today; as new products are compete against one another. Thus this competition leads to research, research about the science behind improving the user friendliness of their design. The design is required to be unique yet be convenient for the user or apply to their desires.

An example of designers creating objects which appeal to a targeted audience this is the eco-friendly water-powered clock. Here you can see the designer has utilized science to help create this device (as shown bellow is two examples). This clock appeals to the environmentally friendly as well as aesthetically appealing.

week 10 assignment 7

In this week’s lecture we discussed the concept of the “symbolic universe” as a cultural “structure of legitimation” capable of organizing the social world as comprehensible and connected. The structure of the symbolic universe then, places the individual in a known and knowable space. Such social structures are critical for societies in transition. Can you identify the creation of any “symbolic universe” today (or in recent years)? How might media and design be implicated in the construction of these social universes today?
Post your response in your DSDN171 blog (with an image if appropriate—not required. But if you use an image, be sure to address this image in your response.) Don’t forget you MUST also use APA referencing

Symbolic universes are seen everywhere within our world today, advertising, television shows, and gaming just to name a few.  Through the use of the gaming industry individuals are able to enter symbolic universes, and become anything they desire. These worlds are both unknown and known; an example of this is the Gran Turismo [1] series.  However these games can become so addictive that users become ‘trapped’ within these virtual worlds, playing the games for hours on end.  

With these types of symbolic universes the user gets to become anything they want, from the hero to sometimes the villain. The games allow individuals to use playing their games as an ‘escape’ from their own world. The virtual, symbolic universes created in these games are often seen as a utopia within the gamers’ eyes. The media often portrays this utopia world during the advertising of the product.

---

[1] A  well known PlayStation game, where individuals are able to purchase and race cars around tracks around the world; http://www.gran-turismo.com/

week 9 assignment 6

Considering this week’s lecture and reading, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” by Walter Benjamin, respond to the following question;

In this week’s reading Benjamin argues, “To an ever greater degree the work of art reproduced becomes the work of art designed for reproducibility. From a photographic negative, for example, one can make any number of prints; to ask for the authentic print makes no sense.” Do you agree or disagree? Do you think there is a role for the ‘authentic’ in an age of digital design and manufacture?

Answer;

I deem that Benjamin’s belief that from digital design and new manufacturing techniques our society’s creations will begin to lose their aura and authenticity, is true to a certain extent. In order for someone to class an object as authentic it depends how harsh the viewer wants to be, as there is always an original of every work. However that mass production of the piece is what makes the individual object lose its authentic quality.

However I do believe it is becoming increasingly harder to come across a true authentic piece. As our world develops ideas are repeated, and expanded thus making it exceedingly difficult to come across and produce a piece that is 100% original. Every idea and creation comes from something, from a single thought which links one creation with another. However then you could argue on the other side, as one of the popular views in today’s world is that every object is different, as it has gone through those different experiences, perhaps has a stain from a spilt drink/food, or a rip, repair, making that object arguably “authentic” from another.

I trust that even through the ever advancing digital technology there will always be a role for the authentic. In our world today companies are utilizing authenticity in order to produce motives for individuals to purchase their goods. Introducing factors such as “Limited edition”, collectables and simply placing a brand name labelled across the product. It is also the type of manufacturing that a company chooses to embrace that affects the amount of aura (authenticity) that is associated with their products. This mass production that is occurring contradicts this whole view that people are able to express their inner self through their clothes and what they choose to decorate their home with. With people feel obliged to follow along with the trends of today in order to stay “cool”, more and more people are choosing to decorate their homes with similar designs, thus losing their own authenticity

assignment 5

Colour—abstraction, perception and modernity

1. Considering this week’s lecture and reading, "Colours of the Mind” by

John Gage, respond to the following question (approximately 150 - 250 words, as needed):

How has the experience and experimentation of artists influenced our understanding of colour and the development of a theory of ‘colour vision’?

The understanding we have obtained through the experimentation and experiences of artists has greatly influenced the understanding of colour in our world today. Artists, utilizing many different techniques over the years have helped create the development of ‘colour vision’. Pushing the boundaries, the methods of experimentation the artists used came from the factor that art was no longer been seen as a way of storing images and become a more expressive form. Artists were then beginning to paint whatever and in any style they deem fit.

The knowledge the artists gained themselves mostly came from the research done by individuals such as Goethe. Goethe was investigating the affects of light/shade and colour. Looking into colour vision, expanded the different techniques artists used, and what they were painting, with paintings becoming more abstract and passionate. Colour helped play a vital role in allowing the artists to express themselves more freely. Some of these techniques involved simply just “try to forget what objects you have before you[1]” “merely think, here is a little square of blue”[2]. Ogden Rood then took this idea further, utilizing only dots to produce beautiful works of art, which appear simple from up close, but show tremendous beauty when admired from a distance, shown in the image bellow.

The experimentation of these different techniques is what I believe to be one of the main factors that have influenced the world of painting, and design today.

[3]

---

[1] John Gage; colour and culture, practice and meaning from antiquity to abstraction. Page; 209

[2] John Gage; colour and culture, practice and meaning from antiquity to abstraction. Page; 209

[3] Ogden Rood; (1888) painting;  Georges Seurat, The Seine at Le Grande Jatte, 1888; found in Victoria university DSDN 171; lecture 5; Colour: abstraction, perception and modernity

Assigment three

Considering this week’s lecture and reading, "Ornament and Crime” by Adolf Loos, respond to the following question (approximately 150 - 250 words, as needed):

Adolf Loos argued in 1908 that, “The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from objects of daily use.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

2. Post your response in your DSDN171 blog along with an image supporting your argument. Be sure to address this image in your response. Also please include specific references to our reading and/or lecture for the week to support your response.

An ornament is “a pure, abstract carrier of beauty and culture” (slide 31). Disagreeing with Adolf Loos argument, I believe that the removal of ornaments from objects of daily use would remove a significant proportion of the culture surrounding this object. The design of an object is influenced in some way by the cultural attributes of the designer. Furthermore I believe that these attributes of the different cultures in the world are what make the designs of objects different. I believe the removal of ornaments from designs would have a lingering affect upon the evolution of culture within a society, as individuals would lose their ability to create a unique cultural flair to their designs.

I deem that the addiction of the ornaments to daily objects, are there for cultural purposes to begin with. As the designer may have been motivated by his/her culture, and wanted to create their mark upon the world through the object they are designing. The addition of ornaments helps modify their culture, making it different from another, and through time becoming defining points for their particular culture.

K.P. Moritz (1785) stated that “we seem to lose ourselves in the beautiful object.” And I believe this to be true, however I think it is human nature to “willingly allow our pleasure, which beauty defines for us, to take precedence over all our other feelings” furthermore I believe we display our culture differences all the time, including in what we choose to furnish our homes with. This choice allows us to display our culture heritage to others, shown through the image of the Indian sideboard shown bellow.

Contradicting Adolf Loos, I believe that we should not be trying to extinguish our culture backgrounds, but hold on to them. As we grow more and more as a society our cultures are combining, and we are losing what makes us different.