The Ipe furniture brand is one of the only brands which i found on the mayde website that i could easily find a homepage for.
From reading the philosophy behind the different product ranges they produce the idea of transition still came to mind.
The following are the philosophies behind the brands which i think sound great! they have great depth and poeticness about it.
The Streamlined Collection is designed for the contemporary house... A design and interior decoration project... that evolves further by creating a big family of the “Sensitive Items”. An abacus of... soft, fascinating, feminine, familar items... made of signs, materials and colours deriving from the variegated book of the living memory, wich traces down to atmospheres of a more or less distant past. These items reflect the complicated and articulated connections existing nowdays among fashion, design and art. In this way the house becomes a place to be interpreted following one's own flair and sensitivity, experiencing different kind of juxtapositions, creating very charming domestic furnishings... The items of the Streamlined Collection represent a “sensible abacus” that let coexist both our memories and dream
The charm of a royal palace, the magical appeal of the night: Visionnaire begins with the dignity of an ancient gate that opens onto an unusual world. The dark inspirations, the esoteric references, and a few decorative elements interpreted in every possible variable recur as the strong elements of the Visionnaire style. Visionnaire is the dream of a world that expresses a nearly-Baroque decorative quest, the excellence of form, and the sophistication of materials. Just as in an ancient residence, the spirit of the environments plays with the hidden, multi-faceted, unconscious side of the individual: the house is the staging of a life full of fascination, and references to a world that is not exhausted by reality.
Black and white close the circle: in the perfection of their symmetry, they explain the attaction of opposites, dark and light, night and day. White Gothic also designs interiors following an absolutely personal, is a dream of the opposite, in wich mystery and the night seem to find some peace in the milky glare of the day... but it's only an impression, this time is not that of reality.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
News, News, News
World Economic Forum on China Business Summit 2006http://www.weforum.org/pdf/SummitReports/china2006/creative.htm
The Creative Imperative in China
http://www.weforum.org/pdf/SummitReports/china2006/sustainable_growth.htm
Sustainable Growth
China Design: How the mainland is becoming a global center for hot products
Sony had a problem in China: The company was seen by many young Chinese as Daddy's brand. So in August the company opened a design center in Shanghai. The three designers there quickly set about trying to understand the lives of young Chinese, giving 50 of them digital cameras and asking them to document their daily lives in photographs...
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_47/b3960003.htm
The Creative Imperative in China
http://www.weforum.org/pdf/SummitReports/china2006/sustainable_growth.htm
Sustainable Growth
China Design: How the mainland is becoming a global center for hot products
Sony had a problem in China: The company was seen by many young Chinese as Daddy's brand. So in August the company opened a design center in Shanghai. The three designers there quickly set about trying to understand the lives of young Chinese, giving 50 of them digital cameras and asking them to document their daily lives in photographs...
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_47/b3960003.htm
Symbol of Happiness
Magpie is a symbol of happiness in Chinese culture. The singing of a magpie foretells happiness and good luck.
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa081000a.htm
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa081000a.htm
Unique Letters
People of the Jingpo minority in Yunan Province in south China are well known for their cleverness at writing letters in objects rather than ink.
To show that one misses a relative, or a friend who is far away, one will send a unique letter composed of a root plus a few grains of sesame. The root represents "miss" while the sesame means "very much." If one receives a piece of beef or pork from someone, the sender is saying that, "Someone in the family died the other day, but I am sorry that we did not inform you to attend the funeral because of the long distance."
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa081800a.htm
To show that one misses a relative, or a friend who is far away, one will send a unique letter composed of a root plus a few grains of sesame. The root represents "miss" while the sesame means "very much." If one receives a piece of beef or pork from someone, the sender is saying that, "Someone in the family died the other day, but I am sorry that we did not inform you to attend the funeral because of the long distance."
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa081800a.htm
Live in Style
The Fashionable Life of Beijing Youth
The Chinese youth, especially the white collars in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, now form a fashion of seeking stylish life. To them, grace is something that needs guidance, since it connects with not individuals but social atmosphere. With times' development, the distinction between grace and fashion has been blurred out. Long hair can be graceful, skinniness can be graceful, and acting cool can also be graceful. Grace has actually been nothing but a wish.
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa030201a.htm
The Chinese youth, especially the white collars in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, now form a fashion of seeking stylish life. To them, grace is something that needs guidance, since it connects with not individuals but social atmosphere. With times' development, the distinction between grace and fashion has been blurred out. Long hair can be graceful, skinniness can be graceful, and acting cool can also be graceful. Grace has actually been nothing but a wish.
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa030201a.htm
Favourite Plants of China
Bamboo is one of the four favorite plants along with Chinese plum, orchid and chrysanthemum, the so-called Four Men of Honor (Si4 Jun1 Zi3) by the Chinese. The characters of the four plants are highly admired by the Chinese people so they want to be just like the four plants. In turn, the plants have possessed some human nature. This is an example of the harmony between nature and human being (Tian1 Ren2 He2 Yi1)..
http://chineseculture.about.com/cs/culture/a/bambooculture.htm
http://chineseculture.about.com/cs/culture/a/bambooculture.htm
LCD Screens to Replace Bus Stops' Noisy Bells
Screens to replace bus stops' noisy bells
In Shanghai they're replacing bells that tell bus drivers when to leave> with LCD screens that show them. They're cutting back on the audial pollution perhaps? and as well as that..
Drivers must turn off their vehicles after waiting at a station for more than eight minutes and the third bus that pulls into a line at the station must also cut its engine.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/citylife/2007-05/14/content_871875.htm
In Shanghai they're replacing bells that tell bus drivers when to leave> with LCD screens that show them. They're cutting back on the audial pollution perhaps? and as well as that..
Drivers must turn off their vehicles after waiting at a station for more than eight minutes and the third bus that pulls into a line at the station must also cut its engine.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/citylife/2007-05/14/content_871875.htm
Urban Adventures
Urban adventure popular
To many people, urban adventures offer a chance of forgetting the hustle and bustle of cities, and of looking at the other side of the cities they live in, behind its luxurious and modern facade.
"Beijing has been the capital of China since hundreds of years ago, and its deep cultural back ground make it a paradise for us adventurers," said Lami (not his real name) . "We appreciate different cultures and styles of different cities in our adventures."
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/citylife/2007-05/15/content_872908.htm
People are seeking to enjoy more from the environment they live in through experiences they are recently discovering available.
An Urban Playground
Amid wheeler-dealers, an urban playground(New York Times)Updated: 2007-05-14 09:38
..Out and about in Shanghai ..it won't take long for parents to discover that Shanghai, with its many parks, markets and museums, can captivate the younger set.
As early as the 15th century, the heart of Shanghai was the Yu Yuan (Yu Garden) area. This Ming Dynasty walled garden of pavilions, willows and rocks has been overshadowed by its bazaar, a labyrinth of kiosks and specialty shops overhung by swooping, Ming-style tile roofs. There, you can buy chopsticks, silk pajamas, wigs, American fast food, guitars, kites and fermented tofu, among many other items. Merchants demonstrate everything from bubble-blowers to Chinese yo-yos; others beckon passersby to sample tea and gelato.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/citylife/2007-05/14/content_871675.htm
Deepening Cultural Reform
Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Li Changchun called for deepening reform of cultural system while attending the 3rd session of the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair (ICIF) on Saturday. .
"ICIF should become a platform to test and boost our cultural industry, promote Chinese culture and enhance cultural exchange with foreign countries," Li said.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/20/content_876335.htm
what am I trying to promote through my product...?
The Sicilian Guide to Chinese History
I came across this and the title struck me as being quite interesting. I currently haven't read the whole thing.. it's from someone's blogsite. It appears they also have alot of post-ups of current events in China and Asia! - taken from various news websites as well.
http://granitestudio.blogspot.com/2007/05/sicilian-guide-to-chinese-history.html
http://granitestudio.blogspot.com/2007/05/sicilian-guide-to-chinese-history.html
Disney Makes Cartoon Film Out of Chinese Legend
Disney makes cartoon film out of Chinese legend>>
The Magic Gourd (Baohulu De Mimi). The film's story is the contemporary adaptation of a classic novel written in 1958 by one of the most celebrated authors of Chinese children's literature, the late Zhang Tianyi.
The fantasy focuses on Wang Bao, a precocious boy who chances upon a magic gourd that accomplishes everything he needs or wants to do.
Ancient Incense Craze
This article will be handy for Santi to look at as he's dealing with incense in his design.
In China, Western perfumes have dominated the upscale segment of the fragrance market for years but few people know that hundreds of years ago, China had its own perfumes based on the country's unique culture and tastes. The perfumes were not only used to pamper the nose, but also represented a way of life.
Notes: not too sure whats goin on in the picture but I got it off the article's webpage. Perhaps the clothes are draped over the cage where the incense is inside to infuse the scent into the fabric.
Web Opens World for Young
Web Opens World for Young, But Erodes Respect
…Even if his teachers do not satisfy his Web-fueled curiosity, Xi says, the Internet has still changed him and his generation. "I'm part of international society now," he reckons..
How far this globalized generation will change the face of China is a matter of debate among those following young peoples' attitudes.
Sun Yun Xiao, the researcher, has greater hopes. "The sense of participation among post-90 kids is very strong," he points out. "Their sense of democracy is stronger, and this is a definite trend."
"If these kids really have the chance to think differently, the impact will be the same as in the West," he predicts. "They will be more creative, they'll be better at solving problems by themselves, and they won't simply do what they are told to do."
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/20/content_876318_2.htm
…Even if his teachers do not satisfy his Web-fueled curiosity, Xi says, the Internet has still changed him and his generation. "I'm part of international society now," he reckons..
How far this globalized generation will change the face of China is a matter of debate among those following young peoples' attitudes.
Sun Yun Xiao, the researcher, has greater hopes. "The sense of participation among post-90 kids is very strong," he points out. "Their sense of democracy is stronger, and this is a definite trend."
"If these kids really have the chance to think differently, the impact will be the same as in the West," he predicts. "They will be more creative, they'll be better at solving problems by themselves, and they won't simply do what they are told to do."
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/20/content_876318_2.htm
Ikea and Pies
“creating a better everyday life for the many people”
http://ikea.com/
1998 – Ikea opened its first store in China in Shanghai.
There are now 4 Ikea stores in China located in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
1998 – Ikea opened its first store in China in Shanghai.
There are now 4 Ikea stores in China located in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
“the Scandinavian way”
IKEA contends that it has been a pioneering force in sustainable approaches to mass consumer culture. Kamprad refers to the concept as "democratic design," meaning that the company applies an integrated approach to manufacturing and design (see also environmental design). In response to the explosion of human population and material expectations in the 20th and 21st century, the company implements economies of scale, capturing material streams and creating manufacturing processes that hold costs and resource use down, such as the extensive use of particle board. The intended result is flexible, adaptable home furnishings, scalable both to smaller homes and dwellings as well as large houses.
Newer IKEA stores are usually very large blue boxes with few windows. They are often designed around a "one-way" layout which leads customers along "the long natural way".
Design reform
As pointed out by circuit lecturer Will Novosedlik, IKEA embodies the principles of design reform begun by William Morris and John Ruskin, insofar as the company seeks to elevate public taste by providing quality goods at affordable prices.
Notes/ thoughts:
"The Scandinavian Way" - as found on the Ikea China website. China is buying into and embracing european furnishings, lifestyle products. There is even a link on the website homepage to Swedish Food!
>>Feeling apart of a different culture? a new culture?
If i had a New Zealand company that created products that were popular in China perhaps i'd also sell Meat Pies on it!
NZ pies are also very popular with overseas Asians and is something that is missed when they return home.
Hong Kong–born, London-educated collector-dealer-art adviser-curator-publisher Pearl Lam "I celebrate and exaggerate differences," she pronounces. "I'm against unity." .. she established Contrasts gallery, which invites designers and artists to blur boundaries between disciplines and cultures, past and present.
She hopes young Chinese artists and designers can learn from her juxtapositions, too. "Many of them think that just by following Western ideology, they can be successful, not understanding that the West has a different history," Lam explains. As China develops at a breathless pace and the West takes ever more interest, she adds,
She hopes young Chinese artists and designers can learn from her juxtapositions, too. "Many of them think that just by following Western ideology, they can be successful, not understanding that the West has a different history," Lam explains. As China develops at a breathless pace and the West takes ever more interest, she adds,
"Strong Chinese art should be about the reinvention of tradition—merging Western media, for example, with Chinese art and philosophy, to create something entirely new."
Catking
Contemporary European styled furniture for China and the world market. No presence of Chinese culture within the products nor in the photographs – it’s been made to look completely western/European.
Shelving and storage are the dominant products in the range as this is very important to apartment dwellers. With the very limited amount of space available it all needs to be used efficiently.
http://catking.com
Shelving and storage are the dominant products in the range as this is very important to apartment dwellers. With the very limited amount of space available it all needs to be used efficiently.
http://catking.com
Mayland
There's a big chunk of research i have that i haven't posted! So here is some of it.. part 1
About Mayland:
[International Exposition home living museum] is not only the world's top brand home territory, will become the future home international best practice and cultural currents of release platform. Enjoy the luxury brand used only for the aristocracy, has become the target pursued by Asians. Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan -- have representatives in Asia, China, Thailand and India -- a new giant of Asia today. are enjoying the royal supplies from Europe, the desire to create the international top fashion design.
To enhance the global competitiveness of Chinese domestic retailers to achieve a comprehensive upgrading of China's domestic retailers...
One of the key statements that came from this was "Building Leisure into Life". Their slogan. When you go on holiday (holiday = leisure time) to a foreign land.. say europe, you are immersed in their design and furniture. By having foreign furniture in your house, this would start to make you/help make you feel like you were living in that someplace else also, perhaps on holiday even - Transition.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Scenery Trends
Quoted from Alex's Comments on my blog + Emilia's
"it is the new trend right to have sceneries of high rises and cloudy sky! :) "
- Alex's comment on my blog
"nice benches..Bhavesh should design one for the roof top..I'm sure he is thinking about it!..so the people can enjoy the views of high rises and cloudy sky! :) its the new trend for scenery!"
- Alex's comment on Emilia's blog
Sounds interesting! I shall look into it further.
"it is the new trend right to have sceneries of high rises and cloudy sky! :) "
- Alex's comment on my blog
"nice benches..Bhavesh should design one for the roof top..I'm sure he is thinking about it!..so the people can enjoy the views of high rises and cloudy sky! :) its the new trend for scenery!"
- Alex's comment on Emilia's blog
Sounds interesting! I shall look into it further.
Parks and Benches in China
A bit of information about Parks in China:
- Most people go there to sit and read the newspaper
- Some parks have animal bans
- In certain cities there are parks every 2 square kilometres
- During the day parks are popular with older people - the 65+ crowd and at night popular with the younger crowd.
- Old people go there for taichi in the morning. During the day they chill out, dance and play chinese chess.
- People also go there to walk their dog(s).
A bit of information about Park Benches/ Seating Benches in China:
- People steal public property eg. Park benches. They dismantle them and sell the parts.
- Homeless people sleep on benches at night.
- Karen commented that she never sits on public benches in China. They are always dirty, dusty and children often stand on them.
- Marko commented that alot of them aren't that nice, however there are some better ones in parts too.
- Karen also commented that the benches are Symbols of the City. Every city has different benches.
Transitional spaces
Transitional spaces is my term for the spaces you travel between where you are now, and your destination. The spaces you are in during transit.
From the topics I researched into, Transition was one of the main themes that I noticed. Whether it be the transition of China towards Westernisation in a visible manner, or the transition of the mind to another place through the european furnishings of an apartment.
Examples of products that are in the tranisitional space includes public furniture. However where a transitional spaced product could go and could be is numerous - a door >> transitions you from the outside world into your private world. The product could be a/for a staircase, footpath, road, sign post.
I wish to create a "product for the people", not a "private product"
Feedback I received about this through the small class discussion raised the following points:
From the topics I researched into, Transition was one of the main themes that I noticed. Whether it be the transition of China towards Westernisation in a visible manner, or the transition of the mind to another place through the european furnishings of an apartment.
Examples of products that are in the tranisitional space includes public furniture. However where a transitional spaced product could go and could be is numerous - a door >> transitions you from the outside world into your private world. The product could be a/for a staircase, footpath, road, sign post.
I wish to create a "product for the people", not a "private product"
Feedback I received about this through the small class discussion raised the following points:
- Sharing public spaces
- Public spaces can be dangerous because of thieves
- A transitional space product would work better in a place of common interest eg. building foyers, parks.
Life is about experiences and to enhance the experience of transitioning would make life just that little bit more interesting yes? - perhaps the product could help you to create your own adventure between where you are now and where you're going next.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Interim Presentation
Yesterday i had my interim presentation to Roger..
I have alot of work to do indeed! But i shall get there! What is needed is a design research freeze! An insight that stood out to Roger and me was Xie He of the 6th Century first principle in his Guhua Pinlu - Spirit Resonance
Today at class we had a small class discussion starring Marco, Darin, Daniel, Opeta, Santi, Karen, Melody and Frances. It was regarding the project brief: how we were doing with it and what we were doing with it! - it was also to get suggestions and advice to help all of us create a better design. It went great. I especially appreciated the input from the class in regards to my project approach as at this stage it isnt as clear as most of my classmates!
A bit of information i picked up from the talk:
I have alot of work to do indeed! But i shall get there! What is needed is a design research freeze! An insight that stood out to Roger and me was Xie He of the 6th Century first principle in his Guhua Pinlu - Spirit Resonance
Today at class we had a small class discussion starring Marco, Darin, Daniel, Opeta, Santi, Karen, Melody and Frances. It was regarding the project brief: how we were doing with it and what we were doing with it! - it was also to get suggestions and advice to help all of us create a better design. It went great. I especially appreciated the input from the class in regards to my project approach as at this stage it isnt as clear as most of my classmates!
A bit of information i picked up from the talk:
- The importance of Feng Shui varies between families and areas of China.
- The screen feature in Chinese homes should have no small plants infront of it (on the side facing the door)
- There are different Feng Shui rules/setups for the office.
- Multi-functioning products are popular. - This makes alot of sense as these products may take up as much as room as one product but can do the tasks of two! therefore saving on space.
- There are Chinese lucky patterns
- http://www.China-elements.com - good place to find patterns, furniture etc
- Bamboo is a commonly used material in the south as it is hotter and the material stays naturally cooler.
- Furniture made from Ratan vine
- The Green Collar Club - a sustainability club in China.
I'll post up soon what i had similarly discussed with Roger and the class plus feedback.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Flower Bicycle
"When i drive a flower bicycle, i will have a good future"
image found on the www.shanghart.com website! artists name forgotten. will find it soon.
Creativity - When East Meets West
Creativity - When East Meets West by Sing Lau, Anna N N Hui and Grace Y C Ng (2004, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.)This book gives great insights into Creativity between East and West. Everything's written so well and interesting that i'm tempted to copy whole chapters haha.
The following are sections of the book i find relevant in knowing in regards to my designing for China. There's still more to come too!
p58 3. Conceptualization of Creativity within the Chinese Cultural Context
Conceptualizations of creativity can be described as explicit or implicit. Explicit theories of creativity are consutrctions of psychologists or other social scientists that are based on theoretically derived hypotheses that can be empirically tested (Sternberg, 1985). In contrast, implicit theories are drawn from the individuals' belief systems that exist in the minds of these individuals (Runco & Bahleda, 1987) and need to be revealed rather than invented.
3.1 Explicit concepts of Chinese Creativity
.. Consequently researchers started to search for the historical and indigenous roots of the concept of creativity and to compare Chinese conceptions with those of North American and Western perspectivies. The results of such comparisons led Weiner (2000) to conclude that, "Creativity in the Western sense might be seen as absurb from common Hindu and Buddhist perspectives" (p.160). Bearing in mind that elements of invention and novely, a willingness to reject tradition, orientation on self-actualization, celebration of individual accomplishment, and concentration on the future, are almost inherent to Wester conception of creativity we can easily notice that these elements are foreign to the traditional Chinese ideals of respect for the past, and maintaining harmony with the forces of the nature.
Novelty and inventions understood as attributes of creativity in the Western concept are either non-existent or, at the best, differently conceptulaized in Chinese traditional teaching. Throughout the history of Chinese philosophy, creatibity was perceived as discovering the nature of following "the way" (the Tao), as there was nothing new to create. Thus, those people "who desire creating something new live in ego illusion" (Weiner, 2000, p. 160). The foremost goal of any human activity is to attain harmony with forces which are far greater than humans. Within the Taoist and Buddhist teaching, creatibity was viewed as an inspired imitation of the forces of nature. Creativity was needed for figuring out what respnose was consistent with "the Way", as well as for showing others that one was indeed following "the Way" (Weiner, 2000). Within common Chinese conceptions, the "new" creations such as bronzes, sculpture, ceramics, and paintings came into the being in order to honor "the eternal ways of heaven and nature, the ancestors, and the ancient texts" (Weiner, 2000, p. 178). Such a perception of the motivations and aims of creative effort is strikingly different from the willful quest for novelty inherent to Western creations since the Renaissance.
"Between the Chinese and foreigner of today there exists a distance, but far greater distance exists between the Chinese of today and the Chinese of antiquity, While the former distance will diminish with time the latter distance will lengthen"
- Wu Guanzhong, One of the greatest contemporary Chinese artists.
Learning from China - The Tao of the City
Learning from China - The Tao of the City by Carl Fingerhuth (2004, Birkhaüser)
//yup//
Sentimental Fabulations, Contemporary Chinese Films
Sentimental Fabulations, Contemporary Chinese Films by Rey Chow (2007, Columbia University Press)
A snippet from the book i found randomly that interested me:
1 The Seductions of Homecoming
Tempress Moon and the Question of Origins
..Even though it has been an overwhelmingly successful phenomenon worldwide since the late 1980s, contemporary Chinese cinema is habitually greeted by Chinse-speaking audiences with cynicism if not hostility. It is as if the accomplishments of this cinema have an impossible task in returning home. The simple fact that it has traveled abroad and been gazed at with enthusiasm by foreigners is apparently enough to cause it to lose trustworthines as wholly and genuinely Chinese..
With this in mind I believe I shouldn't try too hard to make my product seem authentically Chinese. Could my designed product be a gift to China...? My own ode?
Splendours of Ancient China
Splendours of Ancient China by Maurizio Scarpari (2000, Thames & Hudson)
//notes coming soon//
Ten Thousand Things
Ten Thousand Things - Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art by Lothar Leddorose (2000, National Gallery of Art, Washington)
//come back soon for more details!//
Splendors of China's Forbidden City
Splendors of China's Forbidden City - The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong by Chuimei Ho and Bennet Bronson (2004, Merrell Publishers Limited)
A Century in Crisis
A Century in Crisis - Modernity and Tradition in the Art of Twentieth Century China by Julia F. Andrews and Kuiyi Shen (1998, Guggenheim Museum Publications)
// will fill details in soon //
// will fill details in soon //
Sculpture
Art and Artists in the Twentieth Century - Michael Sullivan
After the Mao era. sculpture, printmarking, graphics and other art forms took off without the confines once set.
In traditional China, sculpture was never regarded as one of the fine arts, which were the monopoly of the educated class. The Chinese did not lack a feeling for plastic beauty, but that feeling was satisfied by contemplating archaic bronzes, ceramics, carved jade and the fancy rocks in the scholar's garden and sitting on his desk. The reason for sculpture's low place in Chinese cultural life was a social one. Not since the fifth century- and not often before then - had it been acceptable for a Chinese gentleman to soil his hands with manual labor, except perhaps to tend his chrysanthemums or to carve seals.
This changed some when buddhism was introduced along with the huge stone carvings.
No Chinese scholar ever wrote about sculpture, and no critical vocabulary was ever created to evaluate it.
Chinese painting, poetry, and chamber music depend for their effect upon subtlety and refinement of expression. For the cultivated man, a mere hint is enough. Sculpture can have no place in these rarefied regions; it is too solid. too completely realized, leaving too little to the imagination.
After the Mao era. sculpture, printmarking, graphics and other art forms took off without the confines once set.
In traditional China, sculpture was never regarded as one of the fine arts, which were the monopoly of the educated class. The Chinese did not lack a feeling for plastic beauty, but that feeling was satisfied by contemplating archaic bronzes, ceramics, carved jade and the fancy rocks in the scholar's garden and sitting on his desk. The reason for sculpture's low place in Chinese cultural life was a social one. Not since the fifth century- and not often before then - had it been acceptable for a Chinese gentleman to soil his hands with manual labor, except perhaps to tend his chrysanthemums or to carve seals.
This changed some when buddhism was introduced along with the huge stone carvings.
No Chinese scholar ever wrote about sculpture, and no critical vocabulary was ever created to evaluate it.
Chinese painting, poetry, and chamber music depend for their effect upon subtlety and refinement of expression. For the cultivated man, a mere hint is enough. Sculpture can have no place in these rarefied regions; it is too solid. too completely realized, leaving too little to the imagination.
Art in the Era of Mao Zedong
Info gathered/taken from Art and Artists of the Twentieth Century by Michael Sullivan.
1949 -1976 Art in the Era of Mao Zedong
The years during which Mao Zedong exerted total control over cultural life in China were, for creative men and woman, at first a period of commitment and hope, then of uncertainty as the reins were alternately tightened and loosned, and finally of growing despair and frstration culminating in the nigtmare of the Cultural Revolution. Artists were required to "serve the people." The dialetical struggle between tradition and revolution, Chinese and Western art, continued , with Western modernism replaced by Soviet socialist realism.
Mao and the Party controlled what art and literature was allowed and they demanded it had Marxist themes.
Side info: the abstract art movement in the USA was actually a kind of revolt/knock at the art movement going on in Russia at that time from their artists. So important to the USA the C.I.A. was formed to protect the abstract expressionists. They represented America with their expressionistic style reflecting values of freedom, democracy etc.
With the death of Mao Zedong, a new era dawned for Chinese art. So complex had been the Party's control over the minds and hearts of creative people that several years passed before their powers could stir to life again. Not unitl 1979 were all the artists once branded as "Rightists" finally rehabilitated, and that year saw an astonishing outburst of creativity that come to be known as the Peking Spring. During the 1980s. in spite of sharp attacks and periodic persecutions carried out by an increasingly nervous Party apparatus, Chinese art became ever richer, more complex, adventurous, drawing inspiration from China's past, fromthe West, from Japan, and from the arists' own experience. The old debates- past versus present, Chinese vesus western were not resolved, but they were now carried on at a new level of depth and sophisication while the development of new forms and styles was stimulated by the work of Chinese modernists in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Yet the atmosphere of uncertainty, tension and insecurty never cleared away. During the late 1980s many younger artists sought greater freedom abroad, notably in America, where they faced a different challenge - the loss of their identity as Chinese artists.
1949 -1976 Art in the Era of Mao Zedong
The years during which Mao Zedong exerted total control over cultural life in China were, for creative men and woman, at first a period of commitment and hope, then of uncertainty as the reins were alternately tightened and loosned, and finally of growing despair and frstration culminating in the nigtmare of the Cultural Revolution. Artists were required to "serve the people." The dialetical struggle between tradition and revolution, Chinese and Western art, continued , with Western modernism replaced by Soviet socialist realism.
Mao and the Party controlled what art and literature was allowed and they demanded it had Marxist themes.
Side info: the abstract art movement in the USA was actually a kind of revolt/knock at the art movement going on in Russia at that time from their artists. So important to the USA the C.I.A. was formed to protect the abstract expressionists. They represented America with their expressionistic style reflecting values of freedom, democracy etc.
With the death of Mao Zedong, a new era dawned for Chinese art. So complex had been the Party's control over the minds and hearts of creative people that several years passed before their powers could stir to life again. Not unitl 1979 were all the artists once branded as "Rightists" finally rehabilitated, and that year saw an astonishing outburst of creativity that come to be known as the Peking Spring. During the 1980s. in spite of sharp attacks and periodic persecutions carried out by an increasingly nervous Party apparatus, Chinese art became ever richer, more complex, adventurous, drawing inspiration from China's past, fromthe West, from Japan, and from the arists' own experience. The old debates- past versus present, Chinese vesus western were not resolved, but they were now carried on at a new level of depth and sophisication while the development of new forms and styles was stimulated by the work of Chinese modernists in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Yet the atmosphere of uncertainty, tension and insecurty never cleared away. During the late 1980s many younger artists sought greater freedom abroad, notably in America, where they faced a different challenge - the loss of their identity as Chinese artists.
Art and Artists of Twentieth Century China
Art and Artists of Twentieth Century China by Michael Sullivan (1996, University of California Press)The theme of this book is the rebirth of Chinese art in the twentieth century under the influence of Western art and culture, a confrontation between two great traditions that has had momentous consequences for Chinese art.
..After 1900, and far more rapidly after the Revolution of 1911 overthrew the Manchus, Western art came to be seen by many as the expression of all that was useful, progressive, and outward-looking. Since that time, art in China has been one expression of a huge dialectical struggle - or rather two stuggles: between Chinese and Western culture, and between tradition and modernization. 
Contrasts in the approaches to painting between traditional Chinese and Western styles: Chinese artists did not seek to accurately depict a scene as to prevserve the timeless truth of the work, such accuracy was positively harmful.
Western style of painting involved preliminary sketches into a deliberately thought-out composition>> Chinese artists did not practice this.
This reflects on the creative values and approaches of the two societies.
Chinese painters were not only skilled in that field, they were also required to excel at poetry and calligraphy, the aim was to unite these "three perfect things" in the work.
The new culture movement/ cultural renaissance.. during the early 1900s. Very much like what was going on in Europe with the denouncing of old painting traditions.. the same was happening with China's art heritage as well as culture! There was a call to the China's youth to take up the struggle and assume responsibility for creating a new culture. New ideas and new emotions could not be conveyed in the old literary language; they needed new forms of expression.
ziwo - "I myself"
...I am the spendour of the moon,
I am the splendour of the sun,
I am the splendour of the myriad stars,
I am the total energy of the Universe.
I run swiftly,
I cry wildly,
I burn fiercely.
I am I!
My ego is about to burst!
- Guo Moruo's "Heavenly Hound"
The time was also inspired by Japanese themes for the search of the so-called kindai-jiga(modern selfhood)
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms - (A humorous interpretatin of the historical Chinese classic)
by Tsai Chih Chung, Translated by Leong Weng Kam (1994, Asiapac Books)
Fast, easy and entertaining read. Got through the book in a couple of hours. Gave me insight into the history of China, clever war tactics and Chinese humor.
The history was presented with a bit of magic in it when Kong Ming finally got his weather wish granted. As seen in alot of photos and paintings there's always a sense of magic, harmony and mysticism about it.
Alot of the humor was about taking things very literal. e.g. when one soldier says look they have more numbers than us, the next frame depicts the opposing army with soldiers holding banners with numbers on them. Humor was also based on word play between similar sounding words in the language, taking things literally, money and alot of cheekiness too.
Insights
Insight derived from:
Guhua Pinlu (Old Record of the Classifications of Painters)
Xie He's six points to consider in juding a painting:
1. Spirit Resonance, which means vitality ('Spirit' here seems to denote nervous energy which is to be transmitted from the artist through the brush into his work)
2. Bone Method, which means using the brush (this seems to be an allusion to an ancient tem dealing with anthroposcopy, the reading of character from the bone structure in the head and body)
3. Correspondence to the object, which means depicting the forms.
4. Suitability to type, which has to do with laying on of colour.
5. Division and planning, that is, placing and arranging.
6. Transmission by copying, that is, the copying of models.
As these principles could be applied to both painting and calligraphy, two of the oldest and most prestigious practiced skills throughout the ages it had me thinking:
These are the core values for a great traditional Chinese work of art. Developing that idea through>> Could these core values be modelled onto Product Design to create a great product for China?
Guhua Pinlu (Old Record of the Classifications of Painters)
Xie He's six points to consider in juding a painting:
1. Spirit Resonance, which means vitality ('Spirit' here seems to denote nervous energy which is to be transmitted from the artist through the brush into his work)
2. Bone Method, which means using the brush (this seems to be an allusion to an ancient tem dealing with anthroposcopy, the reading of character from the bone structure in the head and body)
3. Correspondence to the object, which means depicting the forms.
4. Suitability to type, which has to do with laying on of colour.
5. Division and planning, that is, placing and arranging.
6. Transmission by copying, that is, the copying of models.
As these principles could be applied to both painting and calligraphy, two of the oldest and most prestigious practiced skills throughout the ages it had me thinking:
These are the core values for a great traditional Chinese work of art. Developing that idea through>> Could these core values be modelled onto Product Design to create a great product for China?
Guhua Pinlu (Old Record of the Classifications of Painters)
-From the book
Chinese Art by Mary Tregear
A survey of ancient painting, Guhua Pinlu (Old Record of the Classifications of Painters) by Xie He, of the Sixth Century. In his introductory comments Xie He lists six points to consider in juding a painting:
1. Spirit Resonance, which means vitality ('Spirit' here seems to denote nervous energy which is to be transmitted from the artist through the brush into his work)
2. Bone Method, which means using the brush (this seems to be an allusion to an ancient tem dealing with anthroposcopy, the reading of character from the bone structure in the head and body)
3. Correspondence to the object, which means depicting the forms.
4. Suitability to type, which has to do with laying on of colour.
5. Division and planning, that is, placing and arranging.
6. Transmission by copying, that is, the copying of models.
Xie He says that the most important of these critical principles is the first, and that if this element is absent one need look no further. The very simplicity of this categorization has given rise to several interpretations among scholars. But it is generally aagreed that Xie He thought tha, having first confirmed the 'life' of the painting, one could then proceed to assess the quality of brushwork, composition, structure and likeness. The mention in Xie He's sixth principle of the importance of antiquity and ofthe need to imitate the ancients has led some students to consider these points as exhortations to painters, rather than as critical principles. However, the first five points seem designed as principles of art criticism or of connoisseurship for the collector.
Wu Daozi regarded as a magical painter, able to transmit actual life into his pictures, Wu produced wall paintings for temples and palaces, as well as hanging scrolls and handsrolls. He was believed to have executed paintings of horses which galloped away and of dragons which flew out ofthe picture over night, such was the feeling of life in his work. In this respect, he must have been the embodiment of a certain aspect of Xie He's first principle. His line was apparently calligraphic, thick and thin, nervous and energetic, expressing life within the line as does the hand of many a great draughtsman (and product designer hehe. )Chinese Art
Chinese Art by Mary Tregear (Thames & Hudson, Revised Edition 1997)Parts that interested me in my brief work-through of the book:
One of the most influential introductions was the acceptance of Buddhism in the second century BC, which brought a new religious and philosophical culture and its attendant art and iconography. New styles of figure painting and sculpture were required, as well as new patterns of temple layout, furnishing and decoration; their assimilation took many centuries.
Much of the Buddhist art was inspired by Central Asian traditions, which were in their turn derived from North Indian originals.
Large scale sculpture had previously not been a significant native art form.
Mastery of surface decoration evolved in China from an early stage… the motifs used survive to this day as painted decoration on ceramics.
Since the reign of the Han dynasty, painting and calligraphy have been the most highly esteemed branches of expressive art. Practiced by the literati, these arts have been woven into their philosophy of life. Calligraphy, long regards as a serious art form, is expressive of the strength of character of the writer and therefore capable of transmitting far more than words.
Any attempt to characterize the Chinese style must incorporate the complexity of a culture constructed without discarding anything over five thousand years. A peculiarly sophisticated handling of archaism seems to have kept a self-confident taste intact and created a many-faceted style.
Some of the pottery works made look incredibly contemporary in their planar styling cues.
N.P.D. China Project Brief
Design Project Brief 3
The following is the project brief for what i've called Project: N.P.D. China.
Project Context
Over the next 15-20 years more people will migrate to China’s cities for higher paying jobs. These working consumers once the country’s poorest will steadily climb the income ladder, creating a new and massive middle class. By around 2011 the lower middle class will number some 290 million people representing 44% or the urban population. A second transition is projected to occur in the following decade when hundreds of millions will join the upper middle class. By 2025 this segment will comprise of 520 million people – more than half the expected urban population of China.The second biggest IKEA store in the world after the Stockholm flagship store is in Beijing, China. IKEA like other furniture and furnishing retailers is hoping to cash in on the millions of new home buyers and they stand to profit from twin trends in China, both government-supported - millions of families buying new homes and, official efforts to drive economic growth by boosting consumer spending. IKEA, which in addition to the Beijing and Shanghai outlets has a store in the southern city of Guangzhou, plans to have a total of 10 stores within five years, including expansion to the country's west with an outlet being built in the city of Chengdu.The government started the trend moving in the late 1990s when, hoping to get state companies out of the business of housing their workers, it prodded families to buy homes, offering low-cost mortgages or bargain prices on older apartments. Coupled with rising urban incomes, that set off a building boom in the late 1990s in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities, with developers putting up forests of high-rises with thousands of new apartments. Decorating a home has become a cultural phenomenon, driving the creation of the career of Chinese interior designer and a crop of home-decor magazines with the latest in European design. Estimates of the size of China's home improvement market range from $15 billion to as much as $40 billion, with growth forecast at 10 to 20 percent a year. The government says overall retail sales rose nearly 13 percent in 2005.
Project Parameters
This project is about developing new furniture and furnishing product ideas for Chinese OEM manufacture that will help satisfy the emerging Chinese middle class. The IKEA model is used here for reference. The actual client you are working for is hypothetical but there is no shortage of potential clients existing in China and it is hoped that some of the project results will be taken through to manufacture (a separate briefing session will take place on this, see appendix below)
Developing new products requires both extensive research and a high degree of communication and dialogue to ensure success. Traditional modes of communication will be augmented with the use of ‘blogs’ and IM to enable a real-time updating of project progress.
Appendix
An exhibition of the final designs is planned to take place in the Unitec/Mayland Design Research Centre (MayDE) in Guangzhou, China. The exhibition is scheduled to take place at the same time as a design seminar and MayDE event in August 2007.NB. A presentation on MayDE will be given to you by Roger Bateman.
The academic staff will be conducting research into the effectiveness of online communication through out this project.
Keywords: China, Chinese middle class, lifestyle, chuppie, new product development, design research, furniture, urban living, prototyping, designer – client relationship, communication, online technologies.
http://itsmayde.blogspot.com
http://www.mayde.ch
http://www.maylandgz.com
http://ikea.com
http://catking.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKEA
http://www.thestandard.com.hk
http://www.shanghartgallery.com/galleryarchive/artists/name/huyang/archive/Shanghai%20Living%20(Shanghai%20renjia)%202
The following is the project brief for what i've called Project: N.P.D. China.
Project Context
Over the next 15-20 years more people will migrate to China’s cities for higher paying jobs. These working consumers once the country’s poorest will steadily climb the income ladder, creating a new and massive middle class. By around 2011 the lower middle class will number some 290 million people representing 44% or the urban population. A second transition is projected to occur in the following decade when hundreds of millions will join the upper middle class. By 2025 this segment will comprise of 520 million people – more than half the expected urban population of China.The second biggest IKEA store in the world after the Stockholm flagship store is in Beijing, China. IKEA like other furniture and furnishing retailers is hoping to cash in on the millions of new home buyers and they stand to profit from twin trends in China, both government-supported - millions of families buying new homes and, official efforts to drive economic growth by boosting consumer spending. IKEA, which in addition to the Beijing and Shanghai outlets has a store in the southern city of Guangzhou, plans to have a total of 10 stores within five years, including expansion to the country's west with an outlet being built in the city of Chengdu.The government started the trend moving in the late 1990s when, hoping to get state companies out of the business of housing their workers, it prodded families to buy homes, offering low-cost mortgages or bargain prices on older apartments. Coupled with rising urban incomes, that set off a building boom in the late 1990s in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities, with developers putting up forests of high-rises with thousands of new apartments. Decorating a home has become a cultural phenomenon, driving the creation of the career of Chinese interior designer and a crop of home-decor magazines with the latest in European design. Estimates of the size of China's home improvement market range from $15 billion to as much as $40 billion, with growth forecast at 10 to 20 percent a year. The government says overall retail sales rose nearly 13 percent in 2005.
Project Parameters
This project is about developing new furniture and furnishing product ideas for Chinese OEM manufacture that will help satisfy the emerging Chinese middle class. The IKEA model is used here for reference. The actual client you are working for is hypothetical but there is no shortage of potential clients existing in China and it is hoped that some of the project results will be taken through to manufacture (a separate briefing session will take place on this, see appendix below)
Developing new products requires both extensive research and a high degree of communication and dialogue to ensure success. Traditional modes of communication will be augmented with the use of ‘blogs’ and IM to enable a real-time updating of project progress.
Appendix
An exhibition of the final designs is planned to take place in the Unitec/Mayland Design Research Centre (MayDE) in Guangzhou, China. The exhibition is scheduled to take place at the same time as a design seminar and MayDE event in August 2007.NB. A presentation on MayDE will be given to you by Roger Bateman.
The academic staff will be conducting research into the effectiveness of online communication through out this project.
Keywords: China, Chinese middle class, lifestyle, chuppie, new product development, design research, furniture, urban living, prototyping, designer – client relationship, communication, online technologies.
http://itsmayde.blogspot.com
http://www.mayde.ch
http://www.maylandgz.com
http://ikea.com
http://catking.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKEA
http://www.thestandard.com.hk
http://www.shanghartgallery.com/galleryarchive/artists/name/huyang/archive/Shanghai%20Living%20(Shanghai%20renjia)%202
Saturday, May 19, 2007
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