Abstract
My paper is concerned with the themes of environment making, aesthetics forms and ethics. I am interested in tracing out an arc of design and social aesthetics— from the shape and texture of design to feelings and characteristic mode of relating to the word (environmental aesthetics). I focus on exploring the aesthetic concept of ‘fluidity’ and look at how it is manifested in the forms of home furnishing design. Specifically, the discussion focuses on a selection of home furnishing objects chosen for the exhibition ‘Italy: The New Domestic Landscape’ (e.g. Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda, Joe Colombo’s multichair). I describe the sensuous, formal characters of these objects, and look at how they may induce flexible patterns of arrangement and use. Above all, what are the sensibilities of these fluid and playful design forms? In my presentation, I shall outline some theoretical positions by addressing the following questions. How might the aesthetic forms of these home furnishing design transpose to bodily orientations and attitudes and social ethos? How do the forms and sensibilities procure a notion of ‘ethics’ that is not about abstract judgement, but about how an environment is lived out through design?
Presenters
Yi ChenSenior Lecture in Contextual and Theoretical Studies, Design School, University of the Arts London, London, City of, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
DOMESTIC, AESTHETICS, FLUIDITY, SOCIAL ETHOS
