The art of enhancing the look and value of products, Industrial Design started developing in the 20th century. During the later half of the nineteenth century, the consumer goods industry grew rapidly which necessitated the creation of designer goods, owing to the competition in the market. Consumers were ready to spend more on luxury goods and lush interior decorations for homes. In those times, industrial design wasn't a well-defined professional activity. The craftsmen and artists were engaged in industrial designing activities by industrialists, who promoted the development of prototypes for their products.
Industrial Design History
The bulk of industrial designing during the 1920s was carried out in the field of automobiles, electrical appliances and the new inventions. The engineers though, invented useful items for the public, but lacked the creativity needed to enhance the look of these products. Trained artists from different art schools, were hired for the creation of commercial art, in order to facilitate the designing of industrial products.
The Great Depression of 1929, proved an opportunity in disguise for industrial designers to display their skills. Frederick W. Taylor, a mechanical engineer by profession, played an important role in improving industrial efficiency during this period.
Streamlining
It was an important principle applied in the production of various goods. Basically a concept derived from the science of aerodynamics, streamlining was extensively used in the designing of products such as automobiles, radio, washing machines, etc. The overall effect of streamlining the product designs was so much, that the demand of consumer products increased heavily.
The profession of industrial designing was institutionalized owing to the surge in demand for industrial designers. The institutions, like the American Designers Institute and the Society of Industrial Designers, were established in the years 1938 and 1944 respectively. The two institutions were merged in 1965 to form the Industrial Designers Society of America.
High Modernism
The idea of 'high modernism' governed the industrial design sector between the 1930s and 1960s. Three types of design 'frameworks' or ideas were brought to light by The Museum of Modern Art in America. These three ideas were the 'machine art', 'organic design' and 'good design'. The machine art signified abstract designing while good design was considered to be of reformist ideology. Organic design was the term used for eco-friendly designs.
Those refugees who had escaped Nazism and were associated with Bauhaus, a design school in Germany, which brought new ideas to industrial designing in America. The establishment of the Aspen Design Conference for policy makers and businessmen was the result of the changes in the industrial design sector. The concept of high modernism was also popularized by Mr. George Nelson through a journal called the 'Industrial Design'.
Mr. J. Gordon Lippincott brought forth an idea which promoted the use of designs only for the sake of profits. Harley Earl's styling techniques greatly influenced the appearance of products such as gas pumps, carports and even items such as coffee tables and sectional sofas. The scientific progress in the mid-19th century too had an influence on the designing techniques, which reflected in the form of amoeboid shapes in Georgian architecture.
The competitive markets of the 1980s and 1990s brought about a fundamental change in the field of industrial designing. Earlier, during the 1930s, the challenge before designers was to enhance the look of Machine Age products. However, in the '80s, the situation had changed a lot. The designers were expected to add value to the highly sophisticated hardware and software. The designers in this period, played an important role in deciding the corporate strategies for industries. Thus, from the inception of the concept of industrial designing in the 1900s till date, the field of Industrial Design has undergone a sea change.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Romanticism: Characteristics of Romanticism
Romanticism is a movement that emerged as a reaction against Neoclassicism, the age preceding the Romantic movement. The Neoclassical age was also called the 'The age of Enlightenment', which emphasized on reason and logic. The Romantic period wanted to break away from the traditions and conventions that were dear to the Neoclassical age and make way for individuality and experimentation. The Romantic movement is said to have emerged in Germany, which soon spread to England as well as France, however, the main source of inspiration for Romanticism came from the events and ideologies of the French Revolution. Other than this, even the industrial revolution which began during the same period is also said to be responsible for the development of Romanticism. Though Romantic elements were found in art and literature since several centuries, it was the publication of 'Lyrical Ballads' by Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1798 that marked the beginning of the Romantic period. To understand Romanticism better, it is very important to learn about the Romanticism characteristics. Read more on importance of literature.
Characteristics of Romanticism
As literature was the first to be influenced by the ideas and ideologies of Romanticism before spreading to art and music, the characteristics of romanticism in literature are the same for other art forms too. Therefore, let us look at some of the Romanticism characteristics which influenced all the artistic fields of that period.
Love of Nature: The Romantics greatly emphasized on the importance of nature, and one of the main characteristics of Romanticism in poetry is the beauty of nature found in the country life. This was mainly because the industrial revolution had taken man from the peaceful country life towards the city life, transforming man's natural order. Nature was not only appreciated for its physical beauty by the Romantics, but also for its ability to help the urban man find his true identity.
Emotions v/s Rationality: Unlike the Neoclassical age which focused on rationality and intellect, Romanticism placed human emotions, feelings, instinct and intuition above everything else. While the poets in the former era adhered to the rules and regulations while selecting a subject and writing about it, the Romantic writers trusted their emotions and feelings to create poetry. This belief can be confirmed from the definition of poetry by William Wordsworth, where he says that "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings". The emphasis on emotions was also spread to music created in the Romantic period, and was seen in the compositions made by great musicians like Weber, Beethoven, Schumann, etc.
Artist, the Creator: As the Romantic period emphasized on emotions, the position or role of the artist or the poet also gained supremacy. In the earlier times, the artist was seen as a person who imitated the external world through his art. However, Romanticism reverted this belief. The poet or artist was seen as a creator of a piece of work which reflected his individuality and inner mind. It was also for the first time that the poems written in the first person were being accepted, as the poetic persona became one with the voice of the poet.
Nationalism: The Romantics borrowed heavily from the folklore and the popular art. During the earlier periods, literature and art were considered to belong to the high class educated people, and the country folks were not considered fit to enjoy them. Also, the language used in these works were highly poetic, which was totally different from that which was spoken by people. However, Romanticism changed all this. Their works were influenced from the ballads and folklore that were created by the masses or the common people, rather than from the literary works that were popular. Apart from poetry, adopting from the folklore and ballads is also one of the very important characteristics of Romanticism in music. As the Romantics became interested and focused on developing the folklore, culture, language, customs and traditions of their own country, they developed a sense of Nationalism which reflected in their works. Also, the language used in Romantic poems were simple which was usually used in everyday life.
Exoticism: Along with Nationalism, the Romantics even developed the love of the exotic. Hence, in many of the literary as well as artistic works of that period, the far off and mysterious locations were depicted. Though this was completely opposite from the ideal of Nationalism, they never clashed with each other. The reason for this is that just like the exotic locations, the people did not know about the folklore of their places before, and so they seemed to be as vague as the far away places. Exoticism is also one of the most prominent characteristics of Romanticism in art, along with sentimentality and spirituality.
Supernatural: Another characteristic of Romanticism is the belief in the supernatural. The Romantics were interested in the supernatural and included it in their works. This fascination for the mysterious and the unreal also lead to the development of the Gothic romance which became popular during this period. Supernatural elements can be seen in Coleridge's, 'Kubla Khan' and in Keats' poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci'.
As no Romantic writer or artist followed any kind of rules or regulations, it is actually a little difficult to define the Romanticism characteristics accurately. Nevertheless, these are some of the characteristics of Romanticism that reflect in the works of that period. Though many writers and critics have said that Romanticism is irrational, one thing that cannot be denied is that it attempted to portray the world, especially human nature in a new light.
Characteristics of Romanticism
As literature was the first to be influenced by the ideas and ideologies of Romanticism before spreading to art and music, the characteristics of romanticism in literature are the same for other art forms too. Therefore, let us look at some of the Romanticism characteristics which influenced all the artistic fields of that period.
Love of Nature: The Romantics greatly emphasized on the importance of nature, and one of the main characteristics of Romanticism in poetry is the beauty of nature found in the country life. This was mainly because the industrial revolution had taken man from the peaceful country life towards the city life, transforming man's natural order. Nature was not only appreciated for its physical beauty by the Romantics, but also for its ability to help the urban man find his true identity.
Emotions v/s Rationality: Unlike the Neoclassical age which focused on rationality and intellect, Romanticism placed human emotions, feelings, instinct and intuition above everything else. While the poets in the former era adhered to the rules and regulations while selecting a subject and writing about it, the Romantic writers trusted their emotions and feelings to create poetry. This belief can be confirmed from the definition of poetry by William Wordsworth, where he says that "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings". The emphasis on emotions was also spread to music created in the Romantic period, and was seen in the compositions made by great musicians like Weber, Beethoven, Schumann, etc.
Artist, the Creator: As the Romantic period emphasized on emotions, the position or role of the artist or the poet also gained supremacy. In the earlier times, the artist was seen as a person who imitated the external world through his art. However, Romanticism reverted this belief. The poet or artist was seen as a creator of a piece of work which reflected his individuality and inner mind. It was also for the first time that the poems written in the first person were being accepted, as the poetic persona became one with the voice of the poet.
Nationalism: The Romantics borrowed heavily from the folklore and the popular art. During the earlier periods, literature and art were considered to belong to the high class educated people, and the country folks were not considered fit to enjoy them. Also, the language used in these works were highly poetic, which was totally different from that which was spoken by people. However, Romanticism changed all this. Their works were influenced from the ballads and folklore that were created by the masses or the common people, rather than from the literary works that were popular. Apart from poetry, adopting from the folklore and ballads is also one of the very important characteristics of Romanticism in music. As the Romantics became interested and focused on developing the folklore, culture, language, customs and traditions of their own country, they developed a sense of Nationalism which reflected in their works. Also, the language used in Romantic poems were simple which was usually used in everyday life.
Exoticism: Along with Nationalism, the Romantics even developed the love of the exotic. Hence, in many of the literary as well as artistic works of that period, the far off and mysterious locations were depicted. Though this was completely opposite from the ideal of Nationalism, they never clashed with each other. The reason for this is that just like the exotic locations, the people did not know about the folklore of their places before, and so they seemed to be as vague as the far away places. Exoticism is also one of the most prominent characteristics of Romanticism in art, along with sentimentality and spirituality.
Supernatural: Another characteristic of Romanticism is the belief in the supernatural. The Romantics were interested in the supernatural and included it in their works. This fascination for the mysterious and the unreal also lead to the development of the Gothic romance which became popular during this period. Supernatural elements can be seen in Coleridge's, 'Kubla Khan' and in Keats' poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci'.
As no Romantic writer or artist followed any kind of rules or regulations, it is actually a little difficult to define the Romanticism characteristics accurately. Nevertheless, these are some of the characteristics of Romanticism that reflect in the works of that period. Though many writers and critics have said that Romanticism is irrational, one thing that cannot be denied is that it attempted to portray the world, especially human nature in a new light.
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