“Design in Our Lives” (Field Trip 3)

              “Ergonomics is the science of making things comfy”.* It can be used in anything including design. Let's talk about design as a practical application of art work. In this blog I would like to discuss four items I found at the Museum of Modern Art and analyze these items by categorizing them as “high functionality” and “low functionality”.

      

       The first and my favorite item I want to talk about is called “Mine Kafon Wind-PoweredDeminer”. It was created by Massoud Hassani in 2011. I would like to give you a quick background story about the artist himself, so we could understand where his idea came from.

         “Hassani grew up in Qasaba, Kabul. At the time he was 5 there were several wars going on. His brother Mahmud and I him played every day on the fields surrounded with

 the highest mountains in their neighborhood. When they were young they learned how to make their own toys. One of his favorites was a small rolling object that was

wind-powered. They used it to race against the other kids on the fields around our

neighborhood. There was always a strong wind waving towards the mountains. While they

were racing against each other, their toys rolled too fast and too far. Mostly they landed in

areas where they couldn’t be retrieved because of landmines. Many friends of Hassani

were injured or killed by landmines. Almost 20 years later, he went back to Qasaba and

made those toys again. That was his graduation project for the Design Academy

Eindhoven (2011).

         The reason why I think that the Wind Powered Deminer has high functionality is

because it can be very useful if you put it into a mine field. It will go around where the wind blows it and it will detonates mines, so people don't have to go out there and risk their lives. Mine Kafon Wind Powered Deminer doesn't even need a motor (which is not good for the pollution), it moves through being blown by the wind. It can be successfully used in dangerous war zones located close to villages and places where civilians are. Another good side of this artwork is that it's pretty easy to make because the material Hassani used to create it is very cheap and simple.

       The next artwork I'll be discussing is an Earthquake Proof Table. From my perspective it has high functionality. First of all because just like the item I was talking about before, it saves people's lives. 
Earthquakes can occur anywhere in the
earth and I think that this Earthquake Proof Table should be used as a regular table just in case of any unpredictable nature disaster that can destroy building and harm people. It also made out of the lightweight material, so even two children can pick it up and move it on their own. It went through vertical impact tests and and it was proved that it can handle 1 ton. This table can definitely be used for most everyday classroom activities or at homes and offices, that's why I put it under category of high functional designed artworks.

                                                                                  
       And the two last items I would like to analyze, I consider as to be low functionality, from my point of view. 
The first one is a “Very round Chair” which is made out of steel. It caught my attention because of the way it looks and the way it was made, but the way it was designed makes it less possible to be used in our everyday life. The chair was made so you can't even sit on it. It can be used only as a decoration at home or in the office,but nothing more than that.

         The final artwork that I decided to put under the category of low functionality is called “Basic House” by Martin Ruiz de Azua. I have to admit that I liked the idea and the concept of his artwork, but I don't think it can be used as a homeless shelter as stated in the description. There are two

reasons why it has a low functionality and the first one is the size. The original size of it is pretty big, which means that in a big city, you doubtfully can use it on a street. Another big and as I think the main reason it can't be used by homeless people is the fact that it can attract too much of attention, which can lead to robbing, bothering, attacking. Homeless people are trying to hide in places where they won't be bothered and with this shelter it's impossible not to attract unwanted attention. “Basic House” is a very interesting idea, but unfortunately I can't put it under the category of high functionality.

           At the end I would like to say that it's ok If you would disagree with me. My opinion is very subjective and maybe from your perspective the items I selected as “low functional design” could be approved as “high functional”. There's no right or wrong because even “low functional” design can still be practical. 

*Sources of information:
http://ergonomics.about.com/od/ergonomicbasics/a/ergo101.htm  

1.  Massoud Hassani
Mine Kafon wind-powered deminer, 2011.
Bamboo and biodegradable plastics.
87 x 87 x 87" (221 x 221 x 221 cm). 

2.  Ido Bruno, 1963; Arthur Brutter, 1982.

EPT - Earthquake Proof Table,2010

Steel and birch plywood

 28 3/8 x 47 1/4 x 23 5/8" (72 x 120 x 60 cm)

  

 3.  Louise Campbell, 1970

Veryround Chair, 2006

Made out of steel.

4.    Martin Ruiz de Azua,1965 

“Basic House”, 1999.

Polyester.

 

“Art and Identity: The Museum of Modern Art” (Field Trip 1)

         Individuality, culture and history are a vital part of our everyday lives. They also all work together to make art and bring change into our lives. Without them, art truly would not be the same. I've picked these particular paintings to represent my definition of individual, cultural and historical identity.

 
Cultural Identity.

Marilyn Monroe will always be a significant part of our culture, thus making her a more than suitable example of cultural identity. She passed away a half-century ago nevertheless her legend still lives on. She's one of the most popular women in the world. She’s is so inspirational to millions of people that not only do fans try to emulate her, but celebrities as well. There are so many Monroe-inspired images like “Gold Marilyn Monroe” by Andy Warhol. After her tragic death in 1962, Warhol made a series of paintings as his way of paying tribute to Marilyn. I like the way he combined painting and photography. This kind of style made his work of art very interesting and unique and it also made Andy Warhol a very famous and well-known artist of that time.

Sometimes it makes me sad to look at her pictures thinking of how such a tremendously brilliant woman died at such a young age. What I like about this particular work of art is that this painting has a very elevating feeling caused by the style and colors Warhol used on it. In “Gold Marilyn Monroe”, Warhol clearly depicts her iconic status by using a gold background and placing her image in the center of it. It's like she was always a center of attention. Even now, so many years later she attracts our attention and influences us, artists, in so many ways. He turned her into someone that is to be idolized and worshiped.

From my point of view his painting represents timelessness of the Marilyn Monroe culture. It helps us to never disregard the impact she made on numerous people with her natural beauty, her sexy looks, and the talent she well presented in her work. I think Warhol creating these works right after her tragic death, will always remind us of how much she influenced the world of pop culture and public opinion on what the society thinks is famous and sexy. I think that Andy's Warhol work contributes this idea very well. 

 Historical Identity.

Children were forced to work because their parents either got hurt or couldn't get a job and they had to support their family. Kids were even sold out by their own families due to the need of money becoming even more dire than before. Although slavery has been practiced through out most of recorded history, the almost incalculable number of slaves involved in the African slave trade has left a legacy which can not be ignored. What's certain is that Africans were subjected to several forms of slavery over the centuries.

The first time I saw this painting, I was instantly transferred into the time of African slavery. African slavery shall never be forgotten, it's a large portion of history. It was one of the cruelest times. People were ripped apart from their families and forced to do work against their will.It is estimated that between 1450 and the late 1800s, 10-15 million Africans were kidnapped and sold into slavery. (http://africa.mrdonn.org/slavetrade.html)”. Children were forced to work as slaves too, there was no age difference limit.

On this painting we can see African kids working on a field. Whether on a small farm or a large plantation, most enslaved adults and kids were agricultural laborers. Kids were had to work or they were faced with horrifically severe punishments. Horrible living conditions, constant beatings and starvation, physically, mentally and emotionally affected the poor kids.

The description says, “They couldn't go to school”. They were not owners of their own lives, they were merely servants required to fulfill their owners boundless wants and needs without question or hesitation.. They were cruelly thrown into a world of hurt, suffering, and the heartbreak of family loss.

I was captivated by this painting. I feel that the simple two sentence description gave us a clear understanding of the dreadfully hard and horrifically painful life in the time of slavery. 

Individual Identity.

Rene's Magritte's painting, “The False Mirror”, is a very unique work of art. As i began to look at it, I thought to myself how very interesting it would be to analyze this work and figure out what was the the artist thinking about while painting it. I also thought about how this work describes her as an artist and as an individual.

The fact that she chose to paint the sky and not something else certainly fills the piece with a deep meaning. The understanding of “The False Mirror”, differs from one viewer too the next. One may look at it to be the world in the eyes of a person who's a dreamer, who's looking at the sky and dreaming of something that maybe will never come true and that's why it's “The False Eye”. Another may view it as a person who's going through a hard time and is looking at the sky hoping for things to change very soon. Maybe the sky for this person is a piece of heaven or maybe it's associated with peace. Maybe she/he hopes that looking at the pure, beautiful sky will help clear up his/her mind and give this person some ideas on how to resolve some conflicts or life difficulties.

In our everyday lives we get used to noticing only things that are going on around us, in our little worlds filled with problems and other necessary things we need to do in order to survive in this crazy fast speeding life. We are consumed with materialistic things and sometimes we forget to take a moment. We need to separate ourselves from that world filled with errands and problems, look up at the sky,think of something good, and let the beauty that surrounds us soak in. Let's look at the world with a different, more positive perspective.

There are many ways to interpret this painting, but I see a person, who took a moment to look at the sky to ease her mind and think of something good.

Finally, each of these paintings may have been categorized to represent one of the proceeding categories, but they all hold some value of each. Their meanings may differentiate, but one thing doesn't, they are all art.

1. Gold Marilyn Monroe    

Andy Warhol 

(American, 1928–1987)

1962. Silkscreen ink on synthetic polymer paint on canvas

2. Unknown. 

 "Their children were forced to work in the fields. They could not go to school."  

3. Rene Magritte 

 Belgian, 1898-1967

 The False Mirror 1928

 Oil on canvas

 Museum of Modern Art. Purchase,1937    

Narrative Digital Collage

     One of the questions parents like to ask their kids is "what do you want to be when you grow up"? I remember the first time my mom asked me this question I replied without thinking that I want be a singer and an entertainer. I always dreamed to perform on a big stage with professional dancers and see a big audience in front of me, singing my songs. In my dreams I was surrounded by paparazzi and fans trying to take a picture with me or my autograph. I smile every time I think about it! I had a lot of fun creating this collage of "my dream" and just remember about it!

Good Art vs. Bad Art.

        I have a different perspective on what good art is and bad art is. In my opinion, good art is something that makes me think of what message was the artist attempting to deliver to us. It's something that catches my attention, impresses me with it's style and technique, inspires me or just simply takes my breath away. If a piece of artwork makes me want to think about it, talk about after I see it, it's good art.

        Let me give you an example of what I think good art is:

                         Beautiful masterpiece by Jean Raoux, 1700s

                                                            "Orpheus and Eurydice" 

                                          

      I appreciate this type of art because I know that the artist put his time, thoughts, feelings and maybe even some experience from his own life to “breath” life in it, so we, even hundreds of years later could still feel it when we are looking at this painting. If art offers me something to think about, if it amazes me and if I can read some kind of story behind it then I can call it a good art. 

      You may disagree with me and my choice, but the next painting I want to talk about is an example of bad art and I will explain why: 

     

                                           “Black Square” by Kazimir Malevich, 1915

       Unfortunately I don't feel the same about the “Black Square”, a very famous painting of Kazimir Malevich. I call this bad art because it never got into my heart or my mind. The technique and style that was used on this artwork never impressed me because it's too simple. I believe that any artwork is a reflection of an artist it belongs to, and if I can't find the connection with an artist through his or her work, then I'm instantly losing my interest in it. I see nothing when I'm looking at this painting because to me, there's no meaning in it, it's just a black square. I couldn't see the thought process of the artist and this is where the connection was lost. I hope one day I will be able to understand the meaning and the idea of this artwork but now I can't use it more than just an example of bad art.