Design as Art by Bruno Munari
As I am becoming more involved in my other hobby, I am thinking more and more about design. It influences how I plan future projects or patterns I’d like to follow or imitate. As a quilter, the object itself is functional but to create it is (or, in my case, attempts to be) art. The question of form and function are always on my mind.
I think I was led to Bruno Munari by way of children’s books. His children’s books are beautiful.* And Design as Art is beautiful, too. (There are pages and pages of drawings of chairs.) It is a collection of essays, of which I didn’t know what to expect. They were accesible and fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the essay where he explains ordinary objects (orange, pea, rose) in design speak. Yet, what I appreciated most about his philosophy of design is his dedication to ‘form equals function’. In is his essay on “Fancy Goods”, he describes the ridiculousness of decorative objects that have no purpose or contradict the original purpose of an object (e.g. a lighter in the shape of a revolver, etc). He consistently reminds the reader of simplicity in objects and in life and often praises the simplicity of Japanese culture.
I didn’t expect to laugh. I didn’t expect to simply enjoy reading these essays. And I loved this book for its basic principle of simplicity, simplicity, simplicity - something I strive for but don’t always achieve.
*I am continually amazed by the differences in taste between me and my children. Most of the books that I love (for them) are ignored (by them). There are some children’s authors who have retained the mind of a child, who can completely empathize with their development. These books, to me, are usually the least appealing to my adult senses and random. There are few exceptions: George and Martha books by James Marshall (my favorite), Madeline, and just about anything by Eric Carle and Leo Lionni.
