Design in Our Lives Field Trip #3

On our third trip, we revisited The MoMA; this time our objective was to explore the design galleries exhibit and choose four different works of art. Because, there is no such thing as the “perfect design,” out of the four design’s that we choose to closely examine, two of them will be of high functionality, and the other two with low functionality.

The work of art by, Carlo Bimbi, Gianni Ferrara, and Nilo Giocchini “Tuttuno” is an example of a design of high level functionality. Creatively the artist’s includes a dining area, bed, and living room all in one space. This work shows one how to create a comfortable, livable and also stylish floor plan with the least space possible. Each compartment of the piece can be totally hidden and compacted in a large box. This would make living more functional for someone staying in a small place, rather than having bulky furniture piling up and making your home miserable to live in. I appreciate this form of design.

Another design that served high function in my eyes was  “Puma Bike,” by, Jens Martin Skibsted,  Adam Thorpe,  Joe Hunter. This particular bike was very interesting because it was extremely light in weight. This made it more convenient for bikers to function when traveling, especially on the subways. The bike also could be easy to store away because of the way it is so compacted.  Overall I believe that this design is a brilliant idea and would benefit al lot of people in various ways.

 The design by Roelf Mulder and Richard Perez, “Condom Applicator” is actually a device used to apply a condom onto the male’s genital area in the accurate manner. Although there are many unfortunate dilemmas where unplanned pregnancies occur and STD’s are transmitted, I just don’t see good sales for this product at all. We have been giving out FREE condoms since I can remember, but people still don’t get the picture. Because we are spoiled by the free clinics, abortion opportunities and “trend” of unprotected sex, I believe that Mulder and Perez wasted their time designing a device that would rarely be put to use.

 “Fork,” by Bruno Munari also served as a low functional work or art. Not only do I see lack of creativity in the design, the design serves no purpose and can’t be used, so it has no purpose. The design is simply awkward. There is no way that I can use it to consume food.  

 In conclusion, design is a very important part of our lives. It is everywhere around us. Design is a part of our life. Some designs have a great amount of functionality, while others seem to be useless. Different designs benefit different people depending on who you are and what you do.

Bruno Munari

“Fork”

Metal

1958-1964

Jens Martin Skibsted; Adam Thorpe; Joe Hunter

"Puma Bike"

2004

Carlo Bimbi, Gianni Ferrara, Nilo Giocchini

"Tuttuno"

Plywood covered with plastic laminate

1971

Roelf Mulder, Richard Perez

"Condom Applicator"

Polyethylene and aluminum foil

2004

Projest #3 Illustrate a Story

The Story that I listened to was "When I was in High School I was afraid of you.." In this story Geraldine Nash, also known as the "quilter," and Gustina Atlas discuss a friendship that developed out of fear. The two had two different, yet interesting personalities that attracted one to another and also caused them to be intimidated. The quilts discussed in the story symbolizes the friendship between the two. 

In my illustration I painted six different quilts. Each quilt, just like the two women clearly has a different personality. When placed together It forms something beautiful; just as beautiful as the friendship these women eventually share.      

“MoMA PS1: The Good, the Bad, and the Misunderstood” Field trip #2

When viewing a work of art, one receives an instant reaction towards it; either you like it or you don’t. After analyzing it, your opinion might change, or not. I know from experience, once I take the time to fully understand a work of art, I may begin to appreciate it. In other situations, I just can’t seem to fathom the artwork. This past week, we had another wonderful opportunity to experience the MoMA PS1. When visiting, I came across three works of art; one that I didn’t like, one that I did and one that I didn’t understand.

Personally, the work of art by, Frances Stark “My Best Thing,” was the work of art that I had the least interest in. In video form, Stark expressed how people do sexual favors over the internet in chat rooms. To me the video was just pointless because it was uncreative. There was no deeper meaning brought forth. Each second that I witnessed this “work of art” I became more and more uninterested in watching the rest, which is why I couldn’t stick around to view it anymore. The mini film didn’t capture my full attention which is ironic because of the topic it discussed. I was also a bit bothered that the characters in the mini film reminded me of Adam and Eve from the first book of the bible. It was almost as if Stark made a mockery of them. Overall, it was simply untasteful.

The exhibit that I liked and really enjoyed was Janet Cardiff “The Forty Motet.” This was a room that consists of forty speakers that played a fourteen minute forty track sound recording of “Spem in Alium Nunquam Habui” by Thomas Tallis. I thought that it was beautiful and so captivating how although each speaker had its one individual sound, but when you stand in the midst of the speakers it forms a beautiful harmony as if it was one sound. I personally believe that this symbolizes unity, and that is the deeper meaning that the artist is expressing. I enjoy the stimulating thoughts that Cardiff allows that listeners to experience. This is what art is all about.

The work of art that I didn’t understand was “It’s Like a Jungle,”by, Henry Taylor. In Taylor’s work of art, he created a sculpture that consist various forms of items that you could find in your house. Although each of the pieces used to create Taylors creation was interesting, his idea wasn’t clear enough for me because each piece had an different character. It would go from an picture of Kanye West, to an broom stick. If the pieces had a format, a pattern or if he played with the scale a bit more, it probably would have made more sense to me. I did enjoy the contrast between white and black, but overall I didn’t understand the message of the piece. To me it wasn’t clear.    

In conclusion, everyone has a different an opinion of art. You won’t always agree with an artist suggestion of what art is and sometimes you will; and there are other times when you may need a little guidance to really understand a work of art that doesn’t make sense to you. As the saying goes, “Art is in the eye of the beholder.”

Frances Stark
"My Best Thing"
Video (Sound, Color)
2011

Janet Cardiff
"The Forty Part Motet"
40-track sound recording (14:00 minutes), 40 speakers
1957

Henry Taylor

"It's Like a Jungle"

2011