Post Modernity - is everywhere, from literature, design and philosophy.
Modernity - Renaissance, Modernity because it is now.
Modernism was all about meaning, it had a value system.
- ities: Describe the whole system, that ideology.
- ism: Are the qualities associated with these ideals
Post modernity: State or ideology of being postmodern, 1950 - 1960's, late modernism (or early Post Modernism)
Max Buildit, director of HFG School of design. 1955 -1968. Post modern design is innovated into the lessons.
America - post war 1940 - Ideas for modern buildings, Bauhaus moves to America to modernism is accepted.
Levithown House, 1955, was built. 17400 houses all identical were built, urban district where nature was suppressed. Women were also suppressed.
Post modernism was about choice; Feminism too, is about choice.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
History of Industrial Design 271 Thesis
Thesis proposal, Out line;
Design as creative problem solving, evolves due to, and is a solution for, conflict and when a society is in need of change; WWI and the Russian Revolution of 1917 were events that largely influenced innovative design in the early-mid 20th Century
Position: That true original design shifts only occur through extreme conflicts
Opposition: Post Modernism which occurred due to a reaction against Modernism, a style which did not originate from conflict.
Argument: Modernism was the result of a new way of thinking after the World war, it was original and seen as a rationalization of art and thinking, post modernism was simply a reaction to modernism and embraced what Modernist rejected, making it un-original.
Thesis Proposal
Huge shifts in design occur when such a time calls for it. When society needs to be rebuilt, and this happens due to wars or changes in government, when a new art is called upon to reflect the new direction. WWI was a time people never wanted to return to, so a new design was used to reflect this new ‘rational’ society. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a time when the old Tsarist regime was overthrown and all the ‘old ways’ were tossed aside to create free country, a new art was used to express the direction of the new communist government, one of dynamism, direction and power.
Many designers and architects saw WWI was a loss of rationalization, where people simply ‘lost their heads’ which they thought may have been attributed to the common style of the time, with a largely ornamented style of pointless decoration. Therefore they wanted to change the way of thinking through design, and to wipe clean the slate of society and start anew, a ‘New Architecture’ led by architects and Designers who tried to rationalize their art to create a more rational society, as they believed that a person could be changed by his surroundings.
The Russian Revolution was symbolized by the murder of the Tsar and his family as the final heirs to the thrown, no one could now claim dominance over Russia, it was the murder of all the traditions of the Tsarist regime as well, the art was no longer for the rich to admire, it would be integrated into the lives of all, including the working man. The architecture too was abandoned, it was now an architecture of direction, design without fruitless ornament or cluttering decoration, Art was stripped down to its basic geometric proportions, as constructivist artist Aleksandr Rodchenko demonstrated in his various illustrations where he dismissed ‘pure art’ for an art that became a social tool, widely used as propaganda by the new communist government.
Both these new and original, and at their time extremely radical due to the ideas they rejected, styles originated due to the reaction of a major conflict or huge social upheaval, they abandoned all the styles before them, no more borrowing from the past styles of eclectic decoration and ornament, both Russian Constructivism and
Modernism looked only forward. Post modernism is seen as a new style, a reaction of modernism and constructivism it may be thought of as an idea that originated not from war but another style. But because it is merely a reaction against these styles it simply embraces the ideas modernism and constructivism rejected, it was not original and had no aim to create a movement which reflected the direction of society, making it un-original.
True innovation arises from a problem. Design is creative problem solving, as when there is a conflict in society, Design and architecture, as social tools and not pure art, adapt and reflect society to express meaning and significance, giving solutions to such social conflicts.
Bibliography:
Cook Catherine, Fantasy and Construction, London, Architectural Design, AD Editions, 1984
Cook Catherine, Russian Constructivism & Iakov Chernikov, London, academy group, 1989
Corbusier, Le, Towards A New Architecture, (1923)
Meuser, Phillip, New Revolution in Russian Architecture, Singapore, Page One, 2006
Saunders, Gill, Wallpaper in Interior Design, London, U&A, 2002
Design as creative problem solving, evolves due to, and is a solution for, conflict and when a society is in need of change; WWI and the Russian Revolution of 1917 were events that largely influenced innovative design in the early-mid 20th Century
Position: That true original design shifts only occur through extreme conflicts
Opposition: Post Modernism which occurred due to a reaction against Modernism, a style which did not originate from conflict.
Argument: Modernism was the result of a new way of thinking after the World war, it was original and seen as a rationalization of art and thinking, post modernism was simply a reaction to modernism and embraced what Modernist rejected, making it un-original.
Thesis Proposal
Huge shifts in design occur when such a time calls for it. When society needs to be rebuilt, and this happens due to wars or changes in government, when a new art is called upon to reflect the new direction. WWI was a time people never wanted to return to, so a new design was used to reflect this new ‘rational’ society. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a time when the old Tsarist regime was overthrown and all the ‘old ways’ were tossed aside to create free country, a new art was used to express the direction of the new communist government, one of dynamism, direction and power.
Many designers and architects saw WWI was a loss of rationalization, where people simply ‘lost their heads’ which they thought may have been attributed to the common style of the time, with a largely ornamented style of pointless decoration. Therefore they wanted to change the way of thinking through design, and to wipe clean the slate of society and start anew, a ‘New Architecture’ led by architects and Designers who tried to rationalize their art to create a more rational society, as they believed that a person could be changed by his surroundings.
The Russian Revolution was symbolized by the murder of the Tsar and his family as the final heirs to the thrown, no one could now claim dominance over Russia, it was the murder of all the traditions of the Tsarist regime as well, the art was no longer for the rich to admire, it would be integrated into the lives of all, including the working man. The architecture too was abandoned, it was now an architecture of direction, design without fruitless ornament or cluttering decoration, Art was stripped down to its basic geometric proportions, as constructivist artist Aleksandr Rodchenko demonstrated in his various illustrations where he dismissed ‘pure art’ for an art that became a social tool, widely used as propaganda by the new communist government.
Both these new and original, and at their time extremely radical due to the ideas they rejected, styles originated due to the reaction of a major conflict or huge social upheaval, they abandoned all the styles before them, no more borrowing from the past styles of eclectic decoration and ornament, both Russian Constructivism and
Modernism looked only forward. Post modernism is seen as a new style, a reaction of modernism and constructivism it may be thought of as an idea that originated not from war but another style. But because it is merely a reaction against these styles it simply embraces the ideas modernism and constructivism rejected, it was not original and had no aim to create a movement which reflected the direction of society, making it un-original.
True innovation arises from a problem. Design is creative problem solving, as when there is a conflict in society, Design and architecture, as social tools and not pure art, adapt and reflect society to express meaning and significance, giving solutions to such social conflicts.
Bibliography:
Cook Catherine, Fantasy and Construction, London, Architectural Design, AD Editions, 1984
Cook Catherine, Russian Constructivism & Iakov Chernikov, London, academy group, 1989
Corbusier, Le, Towards A New Architecture, (1923)
Meuser, Phillip, New Revolution in Russian Architecture, Singapore, Page One, 2006
Saunders, Gill, Wallpaper in Interior Design, London, U&A, 2002
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Adolf Loos: Oranament and Crime
Minimal Design, Modernist
The uncultured man, can almost be forgiven for using ornament and decoration because he doesn't know any better.
"Evolution of culture is synomomus with the removal of ornament" Break from the older traditions
Adolf loos was adamant that he would not subside to the argument that ornament and decoration increase the pleasures in life of the cultivated man, would never agree to such a statement.
His architectural style was very minimalistic, but with a complex variation of geometry incorporated into each design, his buildings are based on proportion, the order of the civilized man. In His essay "Ornament and Crime" he attacked the style of the Vienna Secession for its flowering designs.
The uncultured man, can almost be forgiven for using ornament and decoration because he doesn't know any better.
"Evolution of culture is synomomus with the removal of ornament" Break from the older traditions
Adolf loos was adamant that he would not subside to the argument that ornament and decoration increase the pleasures in life of the cultivated man, would never agree to such a statement.
His architectural style was very minimalistic, but with a complex variation of geometry incorporated into each design, his buildings are based on proportion, the order of the civilized man. In His essay "Ornament and Crime" he attacked the style of the Vienna Secession for its flowering designs.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Le Corbusier: Eyes Which Do Not See, Presentation
Conditions of living during the industrial Revolution were atrocious, it was dirty, cramped and most people lived in the slums: The new Industries meant a new form of pollution filled the air, as the factories were placed far from the richer dwellings and in the slums, since the poor that worked in factories lived there, they wouldn't have far to go to work.
Le Corbusier was one of the most influential architectural theorist in the 2oth Century, he sought to create a new machinew aesthetic in his Architectural style to create a better, cleaner standard of living.
Le Corbusier had his ideas for a new rational world, not unlike the utopia's people dreamed of,
he invisioned a new paris, devoid of meaningless decoration, but composed of form and function.
Cities had means and the standards were not high enough to fullfill those means, so he sought to establish a new set of rules to encompus the requirements of the industrialized City
He starts, in his reading: Eyes that do not See: Automobiles, to compare thae standards of the parthenon to that of the early automobile. The parthenon is where standards have completed
the means and the building has evolved, the standards need not be increased.
Where as the car is still in early development and needs not quite evolved. at first the car need only provide basic transpotation, but as the means evolved (Resistance, Appearence, Durability ect...) so to did the form of the car as the standards were increased due to needs but also competion.
The link between the two is that one has evolved, the parthenon, an example of selection applied to established standards to create perfection, the car is [was when Le Corbusier wrote Towards a new Architecture in 1923] in its infancy stage, standards are now being pushed as competion comes into development.
The Car has now evolved more so that its needs are not so much addressed as its appearence, which is what Le Corbusier puts as: An elemetrary order, the minute standards have been pushed to the limit as the maker of the car tries to beat the competion with a new style of Car.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Men, Machines, and the World About
The fear here is that machines are going to take over.
Humans can't keep up with machines physically, humans need rest and breaks while, say, in a factory while the machines can be set to run all day and night.
And how well can we control them, the man has to run machines, but what will happen when they start to run themselves?
During WWII he proposes a new scientist. At this time scientist were working on the atomic bomb, yet it may have been each scientist was working on a specific part, which contributed to the whole yet they had no idea they were working on a bomb, his proposal is a reaction against, a new scientist that is aware of the consequences of his work.
Machines have no emotion, so they do not have any fear of dying or concept of pain, this can work for or against us, as in emergencies ie; a fire: a human may not be able to tolerate the conditions or may be to afraid to do anything while a machine will simply do what it is told to do, yet they will of course feel no indifference in blowing up the earth.
Integration of the Gadget
Do we really need the gadget, how nessiciary are electric tooth brushes of electric can openers, we create all this waste in these products for mass consumption when we don't need it.
Needs vs Wants of the machines
We must understand the machine, not worship it, we should use it when we need it but not give control of our lives to these gadets like cellphones and laptops.
We should controll the machine, not the other way around, how long do we spend in front of a screen?
Machines AI can help expand our own knoledge, or they may overpower us, yet they will only have the power to make logical leaps, not conceptual or inovative leaps in design and progress.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Lecture Two 10th March
Computing and media art
Search for the philosophical language
Serve as an international auxiliary language enabling people with different native languages to communicate with each other.
As a scientific language providing a simplified system of symbolism for the exact expression of all actual and possible scientific knowledge.
John Wilkins (1614-1672): Wrote a key text for philosophical language universal language, Charles BabbageAlan.
M Piell for Apple; First commercial computer
1963 Ivan Sutherland published sketchpad
changed the way people interact with computers
Douglas Englebart's NLS demo 1968 (On-line system)"The Mother of all Demos" 1990s.
Apple Power Macintosh
microsoft windows 95world wide web
History of Media Art. Multimedia art. New media.digital art. Art and technology1834. Zoe trope 1831. Phenakisto scope Eadweard Muybridge 1878
Motion picture "the Horse in Motion"
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy-first electronic artistNam Jun Paik 1958 First video artistJohn Whitney-father of computer animation
Search for the philosophical language
Serve as an international auxiliary language enabling people with different native languages to communicate with each other.
As a scientific language providing a simplified system of symbolism for the exact expression of all actual and possible scientific knowledge.
John Wilkins (1614-1672): Wrote a key text for philosophical language universal language, Charles BabbageAlan.
M Piell for Apple; First commercial computer
1963 Ivan Sutherland published sketchpad
changed the way people interact with computers
Douglas Englebart's NLS demo 1968 (On-line system)"The Mother of all Demos" 1990s.
Apple Power Macintosh
microsoft windows 95world wide web
History of Media Art. Multimedia art. New media.digital art. Art and technology1834. Zoe trope 1831. Phenakisto scope Eadweard Muybridge 1878
Motion picture "the Horse in Motion"
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy-first electronic artistNam Jun Paik 1958 First video artistJohn Whitney-father of computer animation
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Le Corbusier: Eyes Which do not See
Le Corbusier. Eyes which do not see: Automobiles
Le Corbusier's bold statement in Towards a new Architecture (1923):"A house is a machine for living in"
It discribed well his stark unadorned avant-garde houses in 1910's & 20's
"..Aim at fixing standards in order to face the problem of perfection"
As standards are established and increased the limit of perfection is increased. When the Wright brothers set themselves the problem of sustaining bodies in the air, the result was what we think of now as disconcerning, a home made plane that few now would want to try, but as standards were increased practical results followed and a more streamlined design emerged.
Competion pushes the limits of standards, as to win you have to excel in every minute point, and as that study is pushed to the limit we have progress.
Le Corbusier uses the Parthenon as an example of standards applied to perfection, standards have already evolved to the point of perfection in this field, yet cars "do not see" yet as they are a design that has yet to evolve
Le Corbusier's bold statement in Towards a new Architecture (1923):"A house is a machine for living in"
It discribed well his stark unadorned avant-garde houses in 1910's & 20's
"..Aim at fixing standards in order to face the problem of perfection"
As standards are established and increased the limit of perfection is increased. When the Wright brothers set themselves the problem of sustaining bodies in the air, the result was what we think of now as disconcerning, a home made plane that few now would want to try, but as standards were increased practical results followed and a more streamlined design emerged.
Competion pushes the limits of standards, as to win you have to excel in every minute point, and as that study is pushed to the limit we have progress.
Le Corbusier uses the Parthenon as an example of standards applied to perfection, standards have already evolved to the point of perfection in this field, yet cars "do not see" yet as they are a design that has yet to evolve
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Revival Of Handicraft
There was a growing demand for handcrafted goods even when unornamated. Regret for the lack of labour made goods and there were drooping spirits about machines replacing all hand labour.
Machinary vs Handicraft's affect upon the arts. Although people regretted the loss of handicraft, most the public didn't really know what sort of work went into the process of manefacture.
Capitalist which controll the market force the people into putting up with poorly made goods, because "the needs of the public are suboardinate to the intrest of the capitalist masters...
therefore individuality is a sham"pg 188
The age of "Pure Handicraft" pg 190 the workman worked for himself, then the division of labour came about in the 18th century and there was a loss of skilled labour as each man contributed to a part of a product but didn't understand the process of the whole
The loss of handicraft to machinery is down to capitalist demands, trashy ornamated design, the elemtary design for the peasent man is easier make than the geometric and proportionate designs for the civilized man. Beauty in handicraft is becoming lost to the mass producing machines, if we could have beauty in hand craft in ages of war and turmoil, why not now in this age of peace?
Machinary vs Handicraft's affect upon the arts. Although people regretted the loss of handicraft, most the public didn't really know what sort of work went into the process of manefacture.
Capitalist which controll the market force the people into putting up with poorly made goods, because "the needs of the public are suboardinate to the intrest of the capitalist masters...
therefore individuality is a sham"pg 188
The age of "Pure Handicraft" pg 190 the workman worked for himself, then the division of labour came about in the 18th century and there was a loss of skilled labour as each man contributed to a part of a product but didn't understand the process of the whole
The loss of handicraft to machinery is down to capitalist demands, trashy ornamated design, the elemtary design for the peasent man is easier make than the geometric and proportionate designs for the civilized man. Beauty in handicraft is becoming lost to the mass producing machines, if we could have beauty in hand craft in ages of war and turmoil, why not now in this age of peace?
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Idea to re-build the world after WWI, 29th cont...
Modernism History [continued from last two post]
Industrialization
Machine is a key part to this movement
Bauhaus: New movement took practical form
Art was not just for the rich, everyone should have access to good design.
Value: Art was not just for museums, it seperates its aesthetic value from everyday life
Bauhaus wanted to integrate these three principals, and integrate them into everyday life and society.
Form Follows Function
Design language ie; Handles, different fuctions (kettle, door) Different forms.
Nazi's closed Bauhaus as a purge of modernism, in generally moved to the United States
Industrialization
Machine is a key part to this movement
- Remake peoples values
- Design could educate people
Bauhaus: New movement took practical form
- Work
- Creativity
- Value
Art was not just for the rich, everyone should have access to good design.
Value: Art was not just for museums, it seperates its aesthetic value from everyday life
Bauhaus wanted to integrate these three principals, and integrate them into everyday life and society.
Form Follows Function
Design language ie; Handles, different fuctions (kettle, door) Different forms.
Nazi's closed Bauhaus as a purge of modernism, in generally moved to the United States
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Searching For a Utopia: 29th Continued...
Modernism History [continued from last post]
WWI was seen as a loss of rationalization, they believed: "If they become more rational with their design, it would create a more rational society" they wanted to create art into life
Russian Constructivism
WWI was seen as a loss of rationalization, they believed: "If they become more rational with their design, it would create a more rational society" they wanted to create art into life
Russian Constructivism
Due to the Russian Revolution led by Lenin and the murder of the last Tsar; Nicolai Romonov II and his family as the only hiers to the thrown, this brought about an age of re-construction for Russia, an age of building where they were no longer held back by the restrictions of the Tsar
1919 El Lissitzky. "Beat the Whites with the red wedge" Graphic art using very basic geometric shapes.
1925 El Lissitzky. "The Constructer" A self portrait of Lissitzky, the hand of god across his face but not his eye.
Structure is expressed
Reduce everything down to the barest geometric shapes, 1920 Aleksandro Rodchenko's Spiral construction no 20.
Tatlins Tower, monument to the third international 1920, lage dynamic form, basic geometric shape, no ornamentation.
Katazyna Kobra, "Art was not something to be viewed at from a distance" you should walk through it, experiencing a sculpture
Italian futurism
they were intoxicated by the possibilities of the machine, imangined a world shaped by technology, even poetry was delivered in way to express a machine like quality in the readers voice.
Umberto Boccioni - 1913 sculpture of a man running, space and form become one, no seperation.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Modernism: Designing new Worlds - 29th
Modernism History
Modernism Came about after the World War. Architects and Designers dreamed of a world free of war or class, They believed design and technology could shape society.
Industrialisation
James Watt's: Watt Steam Engine 1775 still retained classical elements in its design ie; the columns. The machine still didn't have a style yet and was still influenced by decorations such as from the Baroque Period.
Joeseph Paxton Crystal palace 1851
A modern glass and steel building used in an exhibition showing highly decorated objects inside, Design style was still: "What sort of ornament should we apply here"
William Morris was the founder of Modern Design, defending simplicity in a time when design was ornamated and full of eclectism. He was said to have been influenced by Gothic designer Pugin Augustus. Radical stripped back chairs, Sussex Rush-seated chairs (consided bare of ornamentaion) Morrisbelieved he could change society for the better through his designs, he made wallpaper designs which were flowy and were mostly designs of flowers.
There was a stripping back of materiality; Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Joseph Hoffman (Sitting machine 1908). The Deutscher Werkbund - Henery Van der Veld and their theory of rationalization
Modernism Came about after the World War. Architects and Designers dreamed of a world free of war or class, They believed design and technology could shape society.
Baroque Period 1600 - 1700
Ornamation in design, a more expressive style of design wich showd faith power and pristigue. ie Château de Versailles.Industrialisation
James Watt's: Watt Steam Engine 1775 still retained classical elements in its design ie; the columns. The machine still didn't have a style yet and was still influenced by decorations such as from the Baroque Period.
Joeseph Paxton Crystal palace 1851
A modern glass and steel building used in an exhibition showing highly decorated objects inside, Design style was still: "What sort of ornament should we apply here"
William Morris was the founder of Modern Design, defending simplicity in a time when design was ornamated and full of eclectism. He was said to have been influenced by Gothic designer Pugin Augustus. Radical stripped back chairs, Sussex Rush-seated chairs (consided bare of ornamentaion) Morrisbelieved he could change society for the better through his designs, he made wallpaper designs which were flowy and were mostly designs of flowers.
There was a stripping back of materiality; Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Joseph Hoffman (Sitting machine 1908). The Deutscher Werkbund - Henery Van der Veld and their theory of rationalization
Then came the World War
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
