Design Biennial

(Images are coming... having trouble uploading. I'll edit the post once I figgur' it out.)

The theme of the Design Biennial was Action/Reaction caused by the problems facing society today. Each piece of art was a response to how our world is quickly developing and changing, centered mainly on the need for more eco/green products friendly to our Earth and the environment it creates. Although the works fell into widely different "categories" of art (graphic design, fashion design, transportation design, etc.), the main theme was to take what we have in society today and develop a safer, more sustainable version for the future. This theme is extremely relevant because of the problems we face and solutions we seek in the world today. Listening to the news or looking at the newest ad campaigns for environmental/social/political problems has become more common throughout the past ten years, reaching the peak of its popularity now more than ever.

The theme was clearly expressed through many of the objects on display. The idea of "eco-friendly" was very obvious throughout the exhibit, as well as the process of recycling, reusing, and rethinking. One object that caught my eye was the Tom's Shoe cloth doormat/pot-holders. I'm not sure if it was the use of a brand name or the fact it was on the floor, but it caught my eye because of the way the designer took one familiar, already socially beneficial object and turned it into two more things, both of which were environmentally beneficial.

The idea that captured the theme most clearly, for me, was the Toyota Prius landscape ads. Aside from taking the idea of going green quite literally, the piece effectively communicated its purpose through the materials and the design. It assessed a current issue (the excessive use of fuels, a cars impact on the environment) and communicated the way of rethinking the idea in general as well as the idea of how to advertise it.

I found the majority of the fashion design pieces the most interesting, probably because I used to work in a fashion boutique. Although, I did really find the way of designing and using natural materials to create unique pieces of jewelry very intriguing. Looking at how carefully crafted the pieces were, I couldn't help but realize how much more I would appreciate accessories if they weren't mass-produced like many are today. I find that my eyes are constantly drawn to favor something different and foreign than something familiar and popular.

The piece that I found the least compelling, although beautiful, was the cut paper decoration hanging from the corner. I was very intrigued by how large and carefully constructed the layers were, but I didn't get the point of what it had to do with the theme of Action and Reaction. It was a captivating piece, but almost seemed of a waste of paper thinking about the green aspect to the exhibit.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the exhibition for many reasons. I never had much time before I came to college to seek out exhibitions and museums like these, so getting the chance to finally see artwork in Los Angeles was a nice break from campus life. Also, I'm very interested in the Green Movement, so I appreciated seeing how many different ideas centered around Earth's environmental crisis. The artists could have reacted to many different things, but the focus on Earth was encouraging.