Seminar 1 March 7th

-Helen

“But we must first of all aim at the setting of standards in order to face the problem of perfection.” Should people always stay inside the standards? There are standards for everything in the design world. Many people have become great by going outside the standard. Artists are so out there with some of their work. That’s what makes it so valuable. But you wouldn’t want a car to be so creative. You buy a car because of its usefulness. I think utensils should always have standards to follow. At least standards for the different components of the object. Some things are better standardized and some aren’t. Depending on its function.

-Annelies - Adolf Loos: Ornament and Crime (1910)

Main Points:

-Human evolution is mirrored through the growth of a person to adulthood. Children start of immature, they decorate and colour in, as they mature they stop decorating. Adolf is saying thats what we as a society should do also.

-'The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from objects of daily use.'

-An object is more appealing and pure before you add decoration and ornament.

-Ornament is not only produced by criminals but commits a crime in itself by damaging national economy