DesignAK 2100

Art and Technology

Jan. 18

Scandinavian Design

emerged in the 1950s in Denmark,

Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland

simple, uncomplicated design

functionality and a democratic approach

to design

congruent with social and political temper

of the region

unifying features: humanism, tradition,

modernism, hand-crafted perfection,

modesty, functionalism

Armchair Laminoby Yngve Ekström (Sweden), 1956

Scandinavian Design

Denmark, Sweden, Finland

brought modern aesthetic to

traditional craft industries

established institutions to protect

industries from foreign, mass-

produced goods

Swedish Society for Craft and

Industrial Design

Svensk Form: Swedish Society forCraft and Industrial Design (www.svenskform.se)

Scandinavian Design

drawing on national folklore for

inspiration

1900: Viking era revival

Stockholm Exhibition of Arts

and Industries 1897

Making everyday objects

beautiful

George Jensen, c. 1925

Scandinavian Design

Gregor Paulsson (1919): More

Beautiful Things for Everyday Use)

need for non-elitist objects of high

aesthetic quality

Volvo, Saab, Electrlux, Lego,

Ericofon, Luxo and Poulson -

combined traditional production

methods and aesthetic innovation

Wilhelm Kåge, Vase

Scandinavian Design

1939 NY Words Fair:

initiated Swedish and Danish

Modern Style

Gained wider acceptance after

the war

tradition, moderation,

democracy and humanism

Moreddi Danish Modern Coffee Table

Scandinavian Design

Swedish Modern - A Movement

Towards Sanity in Design (coined

in 1939)

Ceramics and Glasswork - innovative

techniques

Humans not machines determined teh

appearance of everyday objects

Fuse work of the hand with that of the

machine, tradition and innovation

Slip Graal Vase by Edvin Öhrström for Orrefors

Scandinavian Design

Sweden as the model of the

social state (1950s)

Scandinavian design often

found in the homes of the

enlightened middle class

Denmark: connections between

tradition and progress

Arne Jacobsen and the “Ant Chair,” 1951

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Lounge chair OTOby Peter Karpf (Denmark), 2001

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Coat stand Tree, by Michael Young & Katrín Pétursdóttir (Iceland), 2002

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Necklace in paperby Janna Syvänoja (Finland), 2002

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Camera Hasselblad 500Cby Victor Hasselblad design team (Sweden)

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Telephone Ericofonby Gösta Thames (Sweden), 1953

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Luxo-lamp LS-1by Jac. Jacobsen (Norway)

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Serving pot for flight cabin staff SASby Ergonomidesign (Maria Benktzon/Sven-Eric Juhlin) (Sweden), 1987

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Chair Cosmosby Gunilla Allard (Sweden), 1997

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Landscape platterby Tuuli Autio (Finland), 1998

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Bottle rack Delerium Tremensby Ólafur Thórdarson (Iceland), 1997

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Glassware Essenceby Alfredo Häberli (Finland), 2000-2002

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Stokke Xplory, Urban strollerby K8 industridesign AS with Bjørn Refsum, Bård Eker Industrial Design (Norway), 2003

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

E-seat sofaby Thomas Eriksson (Sweden), 2002

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Clothing for rescue operations offshoreby Helly-Hansen (Norway), 1999

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Toys Lego Mindstormsby LEGO Company´s Design Team (Denmark), 1998

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Insulin Needle NovoPenby Jørn Rex (Denmark), 1985

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Weddingdress Zip Me Upby Wenche Lyche (Norway), 2000

Scandinavian Design

Qualities or Characteristics

lightness

quickness

exactitude

visibility

multiplicity

consistency

Ceramic tablewareby Anneli Sainio (Finland), 2002-03

Emotion and DesignIKEA Commercial

IKEA: Unboring Campaign

Reinforcing Disposable Culture?

IKEA

democratizing design?

IKEA

democratizing design?

Ikea Commercial, UK: emphasis on combatting elitism

Ikea Commercial, UK: emphasis on combatting elitism

The Icon

According to Pierce an icon somehow

displays that which it represents

Religious icons: created in accordance

to tradition and strict rules/codes

Gave form to abstract beings and

concepts

Useful in the context of non-literate

cultures

Contemporary Icons

Icons and everyday life

Icons and Desire

The legacy of modernist design

Making mute object speak

Objects of art, use and mystery

Contemporary Icons

icons are made, not born

culturally and temporally

specific

status

we live in a society increasingly

governed by symbolic logic

Contemporary Icons

nodes of information about the

world

artificial containers of value

condensers of complicated

structures, technologies and

status symbols

Contemporary Icons

icons of the past represented

magical or religious forces over

which we had no control

today: end products of a

complicated process of making

and selling

Contemporary Icons

Repositories of meaning at a

certain time and place and for a

certain audience

Retroacative smoothing

Self transformation

Transluscence

Contemporary Icons

Common features

Community

Accessible utopias?