171 blog assignment 5 - colour

Both Isaac Newton and Philip Otto Runge have had a strong influence on the way we use and experience colour today. Beginning with Newton’s introduction of the first colour wheel which consisted of all primary colours from his book “Optiks”, which portrayed his belief that colour should be ordered and something about colour should not be altered. He looked into how colour meets the eye and how we see it. He also introduced the idea of simultaneous contrast, where a colour make is perceived differently depending on what colour surrounds it. For example a blue square within a green circle will be perceived differently to a blue square within a red circle. While Newton had a very mathematical and scientific approach to colour, he did not research how we perceive and feel about colour. While Runge believed that colour could portray emotion and that symbolism could be found within colour. Rung also developed his own idea of the colour wheel in his colour sphere, “which consisted of a set of three primaries: red, yellow and blue arranged in a complimentary scheme, it” (Gage) uses ideas of colours and shades that are still present today.  An example of this experimentation with colour is “The night cafe” which uses an obscure combination of contrasting reds and greens creating a strong symbolism and emotion. These developed theories colour would not be incorporated into art and design as we know it today. There would be no link between the emotion and symbolism and colour that we successfully use today. Paintings would not have the emotion that we see and experience today, designs would use colour with no meaning.

Gage, John. (1993). Colour and Culture – Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction. London: Thames and Hudson

171 Blog assignment 4

In the essay Ornament and Crime Adolf Loss argues (Loos, 1908)that a civilizations “progress” can be measured by the degree to which it has spurned ornament. I agree with his idea that ornament should be removed from objects of daily use. Yes ornament can be nice to look at, but from a functional and economic perspective ornament is absolutely unnecessary.  As today most every day use products are mass produced, and function based there is not point making them look pretty and spending hours to make each one individual and beautiful.  The beauty of an object should aid its aesthetics and not overwhelm its functional use through ornament, and ornamented object can strong decrease its aesthetical value as well as compromise its functional use.  Ornamented objects are also economically inefficient as creating individual ornamented objects for everyday use is not cost effective and wastes time. Being mass produced such products can be largely distributed with a primary purpose of function, solving the exact problems people have. Whereas ornamented objects take long as they are often hand crafted and for that reason require a higher value for money, which is not economically efficient.                                                                                                                  I believe that he is correct that the removal of ornament is progression in society as everything we do to progress as people is to make life easier and to benefit us. As mass producing functional products designed around function, carrying on to ornament objects would go against this and take us back not bring us forward.                                                                                                               For example this chair from the Renaissance may look very beautiful and be the only one of its kind, and at the time may be very relevant to its culture. But to continue to ornament products like this today would not be cost effective and would bring us backwards in our evolution as a society and the progression of our culture.

171 Blog assignment 3

What Owen Jones meant was that aesthetical beauty should be added integrated with its structural design and work with it rather than make it look like something it’s not and its decoration being the structure behind its design. He thought that a material should be used for what it is and not to look like something else. A design should not hide its use or compromise its functionality because of its decoration.  I agree with this as something should be decorated in a way that works with its design and not against what it is and how it works. Today many designs are made to be simple, easy to use and obvious what they are. This shows how his views are important and are now more relevant, as you would never see something today that has been so decorated to look beautiful its function is lost. Function and clarity is if not more important than its aesthetical beauty today, the way it is designed to serve a purpose should be beauty in itself.                                                                                                                                             For example looking at these two chairs, the first gothic style chair, may yes look good but the design focus has been to look beautiful rather than be a functional comfortable chair. It is not even entirely obvious that it is a chair clearly showing that its decoration has compromised its function. Whereas the other more modern chair, is still beautiful but has been decorated in a way that its function is still clear and its beauty works with the function of than chair rather than against it.

171 blog asignment 2

I believe Ferrari's automobiles are a strong example of the continuous curve as they are constantly developing their designs driven by aesthetic influences. Not to say the appearance of a Ferrari is purely aesthetic. Ferrari cars are made to look like they go fast, look as if its aesthetic design makes it go faster, as the perfect functional design may not be as beautiful as Ferrari's are. Therefore I believe the designs behind these cars are due to sensuous impulse. The curves and shapes that make these cars looks so nice, may have some aerodynamic effect which yes may help the car functionally. It is in its aesthetic design that may not be that functional but uses its visual appeal to sell and to look like a car that “looks” like it drives fast and is as good as driving a car that is functionally fast. As seen the Ferrari design has changed over the years, not only how it works but its exterior design. Which shows how visually the Ferrari has changed to stay modern with its time visually to meet its target market and its visual appeal is as, if not more important than its functional values.

171 blog asignment 1

Aviator sunglasses were originally designed by Ray ban for pilots to protect their eyes completely while flying. They have since become a cultural classic in fashion of the music and film industry, commonly seen by such icons as Michael Jackson, Slash and Tom Cruise. Today Aviators are one of the most commonly worn sunglasses and has been embedded into today’s rock culture as there is a certain personality and image that is portrayed with wearing these glasses. They are a strong innovation as they have lasted so long adopting themselves to new users and cultures as times change.

Design 101- project 3 The Real

                                           THE WORD

My word is Pride. I wanted to relate to my stance on Fender being that they are loyal to their design

which has stayed the same for over sixty years. There is a strong sense of pride that comes with this and not thinking about what other companies are doing but staying true to yourself. In the photo I used the thread of a New Zealand flag in an old Gun emplacement to show that just as Fender it has not moved in a long time and by staying there now matter how old it is, it stays true and loyal to itself.

                                           THE POSTER

 

This is my poster design. I have done three different color schemes. In my poster I wanted to show how Fender have kept more or less the same design for over sixty years and still remained successful, without having to constantly develop or change their design to compete but stay true to themselves and what their design is. In comparison with products such as cellphones that are constantly developing unnecessarily and changing, to keep up with current standards of technology and therefore quickly being thrown away and unused, as it no longer has the latest "gadgets".

 

I wanted to show my poster somewhere where it was relevant to my point. I decided to put it on this wall on Marion street as it is quit an old wall that has lasted over time and is quit well known. It has not needed to be changed or made into something else as it has reason for being there and meaning that can last a long time and has a certain respect that means it will not be changed. Just as Fender guitars are seen for the beauty behind the guitar and are not changed because they do not need to be.

                               

                                       THE LETTER

 

 I wanted to present my letter as a kind original notes of song lyrics to relate back to the importance of a good instrument, and the relationship an instrument has with the musician to create music and songs. As well as following the theme of old and proud, shown by the old paper.

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