Saturday, October 18, 2008

[04] Chair and Functionalism

During the studio class, I was making a small concept cup model which had to show the image of "hot" by itself. At first, I put all the components that symbolize hot; hot coil, fire, and so on. And then I started to think about function. The handle had to be longer to protect the user's hand. The material of a cup should have prevent the heat passing the cup. After all, this hot cup was basically having a form that follows the "function."

I am using this principle "form follows function" in every design process, and pretty sure that I will keep using this one. It is a simple but clever principle for an industrial designer. However, will it bring a success to the product all the time? Today, as an industrial market is becoming more competitive, there are more expectations to products. It should be functional and simple with little ornament, however, should have more emotional, cultural components to appeal people. In sum, with a prospective of industrial designer, I think a successful product should consider both the spirit of Bauhaus and the sense of emotion.

1. ARTS AND CRAFT MOVEMENT & THEBES STOOL
Artist and social reformer William Morris believed that simplicity and fine craftsmanship were not possible in furniture made by machine. Their belief that good design should be essentially simple and available to all, regardless of social standing, became an important modern principle.


THEBES STOOL,1884
Designer: Leonard F.Wyburd,
Style:Arts and Crafts Movement,


Leonard F. Wyburd was the head of the Furnishings and Decoration Department at Liberty & Company, with shops throughout England. It exported furnishings, fabrics, and accessories created by Arts & Crafts designers. The Thebes stool is made of walnut, mahogany, or oak, with a concaving leather seat.

2. EARLY MODERNISM IN THE US & PURKENSDORF CHAIR
Morris's desire for well-crafted simplicity as well as interest in the medieval past had enormous influence. American Architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, George Washington Masher, and George Grant Elmslie, created furnishing that are considered as the first original designs America produced.



OFFICE CHAIR,1904
Designer: Frank Lloyd Wright,
Country: United States


In 1904, Wright introduced advanced office chair constructed of metal with oak seats for the Larkin Company administration building in Buffalo. Although in sympathy with William Morris's ideas about simplicity and fine craftmanship, Wright believed the use of machine was vital for executing the pieces.

3. VIENNA SECESSION & PURKENSDORF CHAIR
Earlier in 1892 in Munich, in 1898 in Vienna, protesting groups of young designers and artists, including Josef Hoffmann and Otto Wagner were together referred to as the Secession. They worked first in Jugenstil, and later their style evolved in a more geometric and structural direction.

PURKENSDORF CHAIR,1902
Designer: KOLOMAN MOSER,
Style:Vienna secession,
Country:Austria.

An early modern work of extreme simplicity often attributed to Josef Hoffmann. Intended to be part of a totally washable world, the wooden frames of the chair and the table that complements or have a white high-gloss finish.


4. MODERNISM IN HOLLAND & BERLIN CHAIR
In Holland, a radical art and design organization, named De Stijl, was founded by Theo van Doesburg. The group focused on spatial problems, adopting the Japanese quality of sophistication, using straight lines and right angle and smooth, shiny surfaces. Their goal was to achieve harmony and balance in the home by limiting themselves to simple element.

BERLIN CHAIR,1923
Designer: Gerrit Rietveld,
Style: De Stijl,
Country:The Netherlands.


The simply constructed deal wood Berlin Chair, lacquered white, light and dark gray, and black, was created for the Berlin Exhibition. It was one of the world's first asymmetrical seating units.

5. BAUHAUS & CESCA CHAIR
Like William Morris, Bauhaus designers believed that their mission lay in improving society by making the environment harmonious and well-crafted. However, Bauhaus designers had nothing against the machine. They bring industry together with art in order to create prototype for mass production, and they saw the need to develop new techniques and materials to make this possible. Bauhaus adopted the principle "form follows function " because it's concern for simplicity,comfort and edification.
CESCA CHAIR,1928
Designer: Marcel Breuer,
Style: Bauhaus,
Country:Germany.


Known popularly as the Breuner chair, Cesca was originally made from a single length of steel tubing with a seat made of ebony-stained bentwood and caning, but now many variations are available. The wood can be dark or natural finish oak or beech: the armchair can have wood or upholstered armrest.
[03] History of Stage Light related to Energy Consumption

Is there future energy solution in stage light?
Green design, also referred to as “sustainable design” or “Eco design,” is a popular issue in Industrial design. When I think about this subject, one of the aims of green design is to relate people with natural environment. When people allow themselves to connect with nature, they feel good. By observing and researching the history of bath culture, I found that the amount of connectivity between human and nature have decreased. In the past, people could experience the beauty of nature during bath by looking at the patterns of nature, being totally exposed to nature. However, as the demand of hygiene has grown and the industrial civilization has developed, the bath culture came into indoor and the amount of connectivity between human and nature have decreased. For example, the contemporary bath that has multimedia functions keep us staying in indoor, and takes away from outdoor activity : people these days lack pleasant interaction with natural environment.

1. Candle Stage Light
1580-1618 Italy


Scenery lighting was carried out by the use of candle. The auditorium of the Teatro Farnese Theare in Italy was lit by candle in wall bracket. These candles would remain during the entire performance.

2. Gas-lighting System
1817 England


Gas-lighting system was installed in London's two legitimate houses; Drury Lane and Covent Garden. Drury Lane theatre is the first one that used a gas in England.

3. Electric Light
1903
New York City, USA


The Kliegl Brothers installed an electrical lighting system with 96 resistance dimmers (and 20 additional dimmers for house lights) at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

4. Expensive laser show
2008


The laser show includes everything from background projectors, lasers, colored lights, strobe lights and reflectors. 


5. Solar Stage
2008

[02] History of Compassion for those who died by Suicide

In the past, the Catholic church denied funeral rites to those who committed suicide. Because suicide is such a serious offense against the sacredness of human life, the church disassociated itself from the dead by refusing to provide traditional rituals. However, this has changed. They no longer specifically name suicide as a reason to deny catholic funeral. Their compassion for those who died by suicide stems from understanding. People understand the hardship, suffering, excessive fear of anguish of the deceased.
And when we look one the Greek history, or our surrounding
, we realize that people always have given, and giving compassion to the suicide. The way they show compassion is interesting: they communicate through Internet, note, and coin. Although the media which they convey ideas has been changed through the history, the message they want to convey seems same.

a. Coin of Brutus who committed suicide, 509 BC



Marcus Junius Brutus, a leading conspirator in the assassination of Julius Caesar, commits suicide after his defeat at the second battle of Brutus was legendary for expelling the last of the kings to rule Rome and establishing the Republic in 509 BC.

b. Palestinian Hamas members dressed as suicide bombers, 2003

Palestinian Hamas members dressed as suicide bombers during a funeral in Rafah refugee camp, in southern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces killed a senior member of the Hamas group.


c. Hand written notes on casket of Choi in Virginia Tech Massacre ,2007


Handwritten notes adorn the casket of Choi, who committed suicide after killing 32 people and wounded many others. Even he did a deadest shooting thing, some shows compassion to him by writing notes and by putting flowers.

d. Online Funeral for the Chinese girl who died due to playing game, 2008


After a Chinese girl died after playing Internet game for several days straight, neglecting her health, the online funeral service was held. Her game members held an online funeral for her . It is a virtual commemoration.