objectified

 

This is a very nice film from 2009 with a philosophy to be considered, although I should say it has been more than considered but things have gone a bit awry anyway. Watch for the super elegant Parisian designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec speaking about the design of a chair, its aesthetic beauty and other fine things, and conclude that "So Australians who have drunk a lot of beer can plunk themselves down in it." Also, watch for Dieter Rams speaking about "the arbitrariness and thoughtlessness with which many things are produced and brought to market" while a montage of distinctly European Braun products is run through in a loving manner. After over half a century the philosophies of these aging modern designers are still poignant and still unadopted by the masses. I love a little gilt mixed in with my austerity but the gilt is decoration while the design is function. This film reinforces that idea for me. I find I'm continually trying to ferret out more permanence and slowness from the design world. This is the curator in me.  What do we gather and use that stands the test of time? Why do we replace things that still work? I do both of these things but as I get older I both acquire less and get rid of less. I'm very interested in why. What is the difference between the need to acquire something and the ability to savor the emotion that it produces in you but not need to have it? I love things, and human creativity astounds and delights me, but I think we are at the point where we need to curate our lives in a different way. The choice to move out of the collective consciousness seems to be inspiring many people to finally go for what they really want in their work and to also remove what is no longer working from their spaces. I want to help facilitate this phenomenon.