European ART Since 1985

Since the first step I took into the High Museum to see the European design since 1985, I had a feeling that the artworks defined post modernism. Many designs seemed like a mixture of many different concept, and in fact the European design since 1985 did compose of different medias including furniture, glass, ceramics, metalworks, etc. However, each artworks were unique and were concentrating on their own media. All the artworks were unique because they were furnitures with their own decorative design, unlike the mundane furnitures we see in homes. These designs, not judged with functional and technological concept, were focused on poetic and artistic area of artworks, which represented the aesthetic and intellectual movement at the time. Some furnitures were composed of simple geometric shapes so that they can be mass produced and be a part of every day life. However, as I took a closer look, there was no pattern that can be found to summarize the artworks, which made each of them unique. The conceptual design had artworks with blur line, which gave each furnitures multiple meanings. The multiple meanings in the artworks gave these designs a feeling of dry intellectual humor. If we compare it to English it would be something like a pun. When I saw these designs I had a feeling that the artists were challenging me with the definition of art. Similar to conceptual design was Neo Dada design, which instead of giving blur line, it displayed ambiguous, random, and irrational forms of furniture designs. I had a feeling that the artworks were getting more and more post modern since I saw Neo Dada design. Another design that I was interested in was Neo Decorative design. These designs emphasized on decorative and aesthetic qualities of design and furnitures. To emphasize on the decorativeness, the furnitures displayed bold colors with patterns. The artworks seemed to be able to decorate all kinds of places, in fact I had hard time imagining anyone sitting on one of the chairs without destroying the decoration.



Philippe Starck (French, b. 1949), Bedside Gun lamp, 2005, Made by FLOS S.p.A. <http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=3,2,1,18,4>

Our Life is ART

A life without, chairs, desks, beds, cups, and other furnitures would be miserable since these furnitures help us do what we cannot do. As I walked through the European design in the High Museum I realized how even the most simplest furnitures are designs that took an artist a lot of time and creativity to create. Most of the artworks are so common in modern day that we use them without thanking the artist's effort. All these furnitures look easy to make, however we have to realize that it takes time and energy to think of such designs and actually create them without anyone's help.
When I saw these furnitures, I only cared about their usage. However, as I tried to communicate with the artist and the artwork, I started to see the furnitures differently. The change in focus of European artists in 1985 from the functional and technological concept to poetic and artistic concept started to make sense. My questions of why are these common furnitures in an exhibition, why are these furnitures designed in this way, all these why, why, and why are answered by a simple question through this exhibition. Decorative and industrial design can both exist in an art work. The bond between art, design, and craft is unbreakable.

Maarten Baas (Dutch, b. Germany 1978) Your Best Kitchen Mate! knife block, 2004 Made by Contrasts Gallery <http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=3,1,1,20,4>

What is ART?

What is art? Art is a creative design with its own purpose, and everything in this world is creative design. So art is everything and everything is united by art, just like the puzzle pieces, when you open a puzzle box you see lots of puzzle pieces each with its own distinct colors. When these pieces are combined together in the end, they will create a master piece that worth more than anything. So what is the purpose of art? The purpose of art is to make it easier for everyone to understand each other. As we can see in the picture, because of art we can breathe together, we can smile together, and can we fight together. Without art we could not survive because through art we communicate, we interact, we rest, we work, and we find the purpose of our lives. So over all art is a creative design made to help everyone understand.