DSDN 171 blog assignment 3

Image: Heywood, Higginbottom & Smith Crystal Palace 1850's
http://thetextileblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/false-principles-of-design-exhibition.html

From Owen Jones' opinion that 'Construction should be decorated. Decoration should never be purposefully constructed.' (the Grammar of Ornament (1856)) that he agrees with the likes of A.W.N Pugin in terms of what he thinks should define design.

During the early to mid 19th century there was a great advancement in industry and mass production. This saw the gap between the classes particularly in Britain lessen as a previously unseen middle class emerged. This upset a natural and longstanding hierarchy that Britain held in which the rich stood well above the poor and the gap between the two was clearly definable. Now due to the low cost of goods from mass production some could afford to live more luxuriously and in turn began to mimic the upper class through design.

The style of design that was once considered rich and classy became cheap, mass produced imitations. Because the middle class were now buying these designs they were posing as the upper class which meant that a new design styles had to emerge so that the rich could stay above the middle class. So came design reformers such as Pugin and Jones who decided design should be relevant.

These reformers devised true and false principles which would outline what was good and bad design at the time. Two of the false principles were 'inappropriate decoration for function' and 'ornament constructed', these link directly with Jones' opinions. So when he said it he meant design should first made useful and then beautiful, if done the other way round it would not work, and I agree with him. I believe design look like what it really is, rather than falsifying it in an attempt to make it seem more valuable or classy than it truly is.

DSDN 171 blog assignment 2

The reading (The Continuing Curve by Penelope Hunter-Stiebel) refers to sensuous impulse with reference to the 'yin' side of design and architecture such as Rococo and Art Nouveau styles. It seems the reading is making the argument that these decorative and feminine styles are showing sensuous impulse and that the 'yang' side such as neoclassicism and constructivism do not, this I disagree with.

Sensuous is defined as appealing to the senses, I believe this goes beyond aesthetic appeal and can also be defined culturally, morally or ergonomically, meaning sensuous impulse is purely a personal opinion. This is why there are those such as Charles-Nicholas Cochin and Abbe le Blanc who object to the Rococo style even with its 'sensuous appeal.'

I do not believe design has to be unnecessarily detailed or lose functionality to have sensuous impulse. Nor do I think natural curvature is needed to show sensuous complexity, Art Deco displays complexity through the use of order and geometry. Even classical architecture has natural features within its order, seen in the volutes of Greek columns.

Sometimes functionality and order can be as sensually appealing as natural curvature, it all depends on which senses are being appealed to.

DSDN 171 blog assignment 1

The Chrysler Building is an important design because it's symbolic. It represents both New York and America being one of their most popular and well known buildings. It represents a great feat in engineering, becoming the worlds tallest building when first built and is the most iconic Art Deco design.