Blog assigment 4

Adolf Loos argued that "The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from objects of daily use". In the lecture the analogy of a swinging pendulum was used to describe the consistent strugle between ornamented design and functional desgint throughout history. I am in between both of these sides, I do not agree with one, nor do I disagree with the other.
I feel that they both are right in some ways and also wrong in some ways.

Loos, detesed the use of random ornament, and believed it was a waste of resources and effort. He says ' in a highly productive nation, ornamnet is no longer a natural product of its culture, and therefore represents backwardness or even degenerative tendancy."
I agree with this statement. Ornament would take up more time, money and effort and doesn't work the way that it is supposed to. Simple lines that compliment the use of the object is much more sensible and logical becasue then the object is able to be functional and effective.  I think that a balance between the two is perfect, the object looks beacutiful and is something that can be displayed with confidence but also is able to be used.

I found this picutre of the Guggenheim Museum, New York which I had visited when I was younger. The museum is fabulous, and beautifully designed with curves and a sense fluidity. It works well and is the perfect balance between ornament and functionality.

In the statement that Owens Jones siad, he meant that it is right to decorate and add detail and asethetic value to desigs, as long as it compliments the design itselg and doesn't overflow it and take away from its use. "Design, society, standards" is a quote from Jones stating that the construction and modelling of a particular object should only be used to convey the intended image. Jones and others such as Pugin believed that in order for a design to be true, it needed to conform to their set of rules. "Form follows function".
I personally do not agree with this statement. I think that if everyone followed these rules nothing would blow us away, nothing would inspire us. We need design to be creative and something that is not only a utensil to use in everyday life but something that can also be 'untouched' something to just look at and admire. The reason why trends evolve is because of poeple breaking the boundries and thinking outside of the box. I think that if the purpose of a design is just to please people and look beautiful in it's space, then that is definetly ok and it doesn't matter whether or not it complies to these set of rules.

This rubber duck is an example of my beliefs on design. It has absolutley no purpose at all, and is strictly something to catch your eye and to start conversations with. I personally love it, and in Auckland I always thought it looked amazing. It was so creative to take a childhood toy and blow it up to a massive size so it didn't look so small compared to the large harbour.

Assigment two 171

this is a chiar called "la Chaise" by Charles and Ray Eames. It was inspired by Gaston Lachaie;s 1927 sculpture Reclining rude and nicknamed after the artist. This piece has been said to be "striking, good looking and inventive". It was produced in 1990 and is now one of the Eameses's signature works. Its smooth lines and modern style enhances any space it is put in and really is a work of art. I like the simple colour and the wooden bottom. It looks comfortable and has been taken into account how people sit/lounge and allows any number of sitting and reclining positions which also makes it very appealing. It is not only a chair it is a asset to any room or space, which is what it is designed for. It has elegance about it and has long established itself as an icon of organic design.

Assignment one DSDN 171

Using 6.5 million square feet of floating pink fabric, Christo and Jeanne-Claude encircled eleven islands in Miami’s Biscayne Bay, extending the perimeter of each island by 200 feet. Evoking hibiscus flowers and flamingos, the vibrant woven polypropylene fabric was sewn to correspond to the contours of each island. Remaining on view for two weeks, the work was visible to the public from the causeways, the land, the water, and the air. I find this so interesting, the way the colours complement each other and it is really a delight to the eye. Another factor that appeals to me is the amount of work and problem solving that would of gone into preparing and exicutiong such a large, fantatic project. This is definetly in the category of sculpture but obviosuly requires a lot of design and careful planning. I was introduced to this about a year ago while doing an art painitng project and this artist was one of my artist references. His way of interpretting colour and form really captured my attention and when thinking about this particular assignment, he was the first artist to pop into my mind as well as this work, and another work he did with umbrellas. I think it is a large job to undergo but they really did well and all the hard work paid off.

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Letter 101



Complexions dance company was founded in 1994 with artist directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. The company shows an artistic and aesthetic appeal for the multicultural forms and reinventing dance. It uses groundbreaking methods, styles and cultures to create a new and fresh vision that is presented in an exciting and vibrant way. The company believes that dance should be removing boundaries. Combing the old with the new and allowing dance to evolve and keep up wit the modern times that we live in. Traditions of a single style, period, venue or culture are transcended by complexions and opens a continually evolving form of dance. This therefore reflects the movement of the world.

Classical ballet is a very rigid form of dance that has specific views on technique, music and body type. Complexions broke out of these boundaries and applied more to these original rules. They allowed different body shapes to be accepted, they used more modern and new music and introduced new techniques and styles of dancing. By combing the two methods, an extraordinary product was produced.

I think that this company is a revelation and introduces a different look to dance today. The technique is still strict and the dancers are the best of the best, but as an audience I feel that it appeals to a wider variety of people and is considered more ‘interesting’ on a wider basis. As a dancer I love the music and modern feel to the moves that are used. You can still tell a story while dancing without it having to be a full three hour ballet it can be compacted into a two minute dance. Partnering is used as it is in classical ballet, but you are able to create more contemporary lines and respond to the music in a more intense and creative way. The way the company is presenting itself is very positive and is working well for them. They are confident with what they do so they have portrayed themselves very well and other companies have began to change there ways because of this.

Final poster