Blog Post 10

A great example of contemporary postmodern design, is the fine art photography by Robert and Shana Parkeharrison. Their photographs have modern and political messages and stylistically at first glance the photos seem to be channelling a previous style. But it’s the second glance that makes these photos so incredible. The attention to detail is immaculate, where “less is more” seems to sum up the photos at first (Petty M M, 2011), “less is a bore” seems to be more fitting (Venturi, 1966, p. 17).

These photos portray the important messages the artist is trying to send, “My photographs tell stories of loss, human struggle, and personal exploration within landscapes scarred by technology and over-use…” (Parkeharrison R, 2000) In these two images from the series ‘The Architects Brother’, we can see historical quotation with the use of antiquity in the photos and the sepia tones used, there are manipulations of scale with the dandelion and pulling of the grass, this all adds meaning to the work strongly conveying the message.

Postmodern usually brings to mind vibrant, colourful images, but with this example we understand the ‘remix’ side of things better, with the return to antiquity we understand that colour and vibrancy is not necessarily how we have to view postmodern art and design. It is a collaborative celebration of past and present styles.

Images retrieved:

www.geh.org/parkeharrison/

Reference List: 

Petty, M, M.( 2011), Lecture 12 The Remix, Victoria University ,Te aro Campus

Venturi, R. (1966). Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. New York: United States of America: Museum of Modern Art.

Parkeharrison, R (2000) The Architects Brother

Blog Post 9

Consumerism=freedom  (Petty,M.M, 2011)

In the 1950s this slogan was adopted to help a slumping economy, but today it has massive repercussions for the environment, meaning that today the biggest issue we face within design, is sustainability. Designers are plagued with the issue of keeping their designs temporary and desirable, while also considering the affect it will have on the environment.

The humble take away coffee cup is a great example of the sustainability debate, this coffee cup is seemingly insignificant until you see the statistics, in America alone “Over 6.5 million trees were cut down to make 16 billion paper cups used by US consumers in 2006, using 4 billion US gallons of water and resulting in 253 million pounds of waste.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_cup) In response to this there are many different solutions, mainly with mugs you are able to keep and are made to the take away cup parameters as to fit in the machine. The KeepCup (2011) design,  pictured here is designed for people who need their daily intake of coffee and want to reduce the number of take away cups in landfill. With the goal that everyone will own one and there will be no need for take away cups anymore.

While consumerism once meant freedom, today it is seen as trap. We need to keep up consumerism to uphold the economy, but we also need to buy less to try save the world. Making this a huge political, cultural, ideological and moral issue.

 Reference List:

Petty, M, M.( 2011), Lecture 11 Politics of Design, Victoria University ,Te Aro Campus

KeepCup website http://www.keepcup.com/

Image sourced from http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/25/view/7319/keep-cup.html

Blog Post 8

I believe that before the World Wars there seemed to be no real need for science to be incorporated into design, design was seen more of an art to be enjoyed by the upper classes. But after these events in history came the need for rebuilding cities and societies internationally, and with the introduction of the machine and new technologies nations were able to do this quicker.

"Efficiency measures in all areas of our lives do not stop where housing is at issue. The economic conditions of today prohibit any kind of waste and demand the maximum effect with minimum amount of means, requiring the implementation of such materials and technological appliances which will lead to lower building and operational costs, and will lead to a simplification of households, and to improvements of living itself.” ( P Bruckmann, 1925)

Design had to suddenly fit the limitations of the machine and changed accordingly, but not only that it had to fit the function and the purpose. As the economy was low at this time, the function of design matched this.

I think today we have reached a point where art and science walk hand in hand where design is concerned. Today we look into the psychological and physical aspects our designs have on people, we think and know more about how the material we choose to use will affect the earth. We need science and art to work together in today’s world because our problems aren’t rebuilding cities after wars, today’s design issue is sustainable design, and we rely on science to help us through this.

A great example of a scientific design, where the design needs to have more of an art base so that people will actually buy it, is the smart car, this image is of a smart car which collaborated with the high end fashion brand Hermès. The overall exterior design needs to be improved so that it as desirable to buy, not only for the people who want to save the earth, but also for the fashion conscious.

 

 

 

(President of Deutscher Werkbund, Peter Bruckmann 1925)

(Smart car image :http://www.lushbling.com/lushwheels-hermes-does-a-smart-car-1050.htm)

 

Blog Post 7

“The cumulative effect of the world's fair displays of the 1930s was to protect and bolster American consumer culture in the wake of the Depression.” (J Corn 1986)

Much like the Rugby World cup in New Zealand, with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, the New Zealand government has created a 'symbolic universe' which not only lulls New Zealand society into a false sense of security that everything will be okay, but also projects an image to rest of the world as to how New Zealand is coping and moving on from this tragedy.

This symbolic universe is shown in the strong Rugby World cup campaign, on the official RWC website (http://www.rugbyworldcup.com) you can find that there are ridiculously strict controls over who can officially market the RWC and anything associated with it, regulated so that the organisers only show exactly what they want to, projecting this idealistic view of New Zealand to the rest of the world. The facebook group 'The International Tournament of the odd-shaped ball' (http://www.facebook.com/oddshapedball) is a group representative of those not allowed to promote games.

Everyday we are plagued with a mass of sporting coverage, feeling more desperately worried for Dan Carter's groin injury than for the Nations actual problems of debt crisis' etc. The media's job is to cover up the real issues and ply us with things that don't really matter, because, in the end we may lose or win the world cup, but when it's all over, how do we feel as a Nation, and what will they then use to bolster our spirits?

Blog Assignment 6

“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.”

I disagree with this point of view; the role of authenticity in today’s world is a very important one. Authenticity is what drives the consumer of today. From buying original works of art, to collecting memorabilia, to buying the best brand of cell phone. While we have the technology to digitally reproduce works of art multiple times, we find that the first print is the most expensive, or the artist will only print a certain number, therefore we have authenticity through limitation.

Benjamin Walter also talks about the aura of a piece of art, saying “Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens..” (Walter.B 1936) And while I agree that yes, seeing a copy of a work of art doesn’t hold the same effect as seeing the original, I also believe that something digitally produced, like a photograph, still holds an aura. For example the photos taken by Herbert George Ponting and Frank Hurley, on Captain Scott’s last journey to the South Pole hold an incredible aura when seen in real life. They show a moment in time of incredible hardship and beauty, and today almost one hundred years on, these photos are not lacking in the elements of presence in time and space and its unique existence at the place where it happened.

There has always been copies of art throughout time. It’s just that today it is a lot easier to reproduce work so there is more of an inclination to do so.

Walter.B (1936) The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.

Blog Assignment 5

Isaac Newton investigated colour in 1704, he created the first spectrum of light through a prism, and also created the first colour wheel.

Goethe opposed Newton’s theories in his book ‘Theory of Colour’ in 1810, saying that colour is something that each individual experienced differently in their mind. He believed that light, shade and colour had to be combined for us to see objects and their colour, ‘The eye sees no form, inasmuch as light, shade and colour together constitute that which to our vision distinguishes object from object’. (Goethe, 1810, cited in Gage, 1999, p.209)

Goethe’s views coincided with that of chemist Cheverau, who also investigated the ‘after image’, where if you look at an image for longer enough, when you close your eyes you will see and imprint of this image.

These views were then taken into account by painters such as Runge, who also believed that colours had a symbolic, or religious feel to them. This then sparked the impressionist painters such as Monet, Matisse and Van Gogh.

Our idea of colour has evolved from a very scientific, mathematical view to that of a now emotive reflection of life.




Gage, J. (1993). Colour and Culture: Practice and meaning from Antiquity to abstraction. (1^st edition) California, United States of America: University of California Press

Blog Assignment 4

 

“The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from objects of daily use.”

I believe that in design today, instead of ornamenting things less, we ornament things in a different way, and as we evolve as a culture, so does this difference in ornament. What is ornament? Is it lavish floral designs carved into table legs, or is it sleek and shiny stainless steel teapots? As we advance as a culture, so do our techniques of decorating things. My example of this image of an expresso machine reflects my views, is this not ornate in its slightly flamboyant shape and sleek finish?  Today we have different materials available to us, such as plastic and metals, these materials enable us to ornament objects in a different way.

Loos has a point however when talking about the time taken on craft and the amount the crafstmen gets paid, 'those who produce ornament are no longer given their due reward'. Someone that spends hours carving something, should get a better wage than someone who makes a simpler thing that takes half the time.

But would it not be better to have fewer well made and crafted pieces, than things that took half the time, energy and love? The world would then, have a lot less junk.