On Taste

The Week 3 article by Robert Clay titled On Taste is from the first chapter of the book Beautiful Thing 2009.  It was an interesting and thought provoking article. This article begins by pointing out that taste is inextricably linked with fashion and design. The author poses the question "what is good taste" and then begins to explain that taste is a very subjective thing that is influenced by culture, fashion and time.  The author goes on to point out that every movement in design has had its critics and that there are universal ideals that describe good design.  The author then goes on  to explain these ideals in greater depth.

The ideals Stephen Bayley lists are:
1. An intelligibility in form so you can understand its purpose.
2. A coherence and harmony between the form and details.
3. An appropriate choice of materials to the function.
4. An intelligent equation between construction and purpose so the available technology is exploited to the full.

The author goes on to address the different design cliches and movements that hve given rise to these them. Bayley then presents the reader with a few case studies, such as one on the crock-pot by Michael Graves and one on Go furniture by Ross Lovegrove. The article concludes with a look at architecture and interior design in Thailand.  By this he makes a connection with design and the context of culture. This provided me with an insight into Thai architecture such as the need for steep pitched roofs that flair out at the base, and the reason behind the materials. This article caused me to think beyond my own ideas about taste and the need to be educated and informed in the history of design.

Printing comes to Europe

In the Week 2 article Printing comes to Europe(1998) by P Meggs we learn about the history of typography and the spread of this great invention throughout the civilized world. This invention marked one of the great advances in civilization, as prior to the invention of printing,  books had to be hand manuscripted. As this was time consuming and painstakingly done books were extremely expensive and were only available to the elite. By the middle of the 14th century paper mills were up and running throughout Europe and the invention allowed block printing to come into being. The method of block printing is where timber blocks are carved into stamps and pressed onto paper.  It is not known whether this early form preceded  the typographic book as there is little evidence left of very early prints. However it was Johann Gutenberg an apprentice goldsmith who came up with the systems and subsystems necessary to print to typographic book. Gutenberg used his skills in mixing metals and engraving to make the type blocks and began the process to print the Holy Bible. In 1450 Gutenberg borrowed eight hundred guilders from Johann Fust a German business man and just two years latter Gutenberg needed another eight hundred gilders in which he also borrowed from Fust, a decision that proved to be costly. In 1455 as work on the book neared completion, Fust sued Gutenberg for the cost of unpaid loans and interest Gutenberg begged Fust to give him more time but Fust declined and seized possession of all Gutenberg's equipment and the unfinished Bible. Fust was then able to get Gutenberg's assistant Peter Schoeffer to agree to come and work for him, as well as many other staff and in 1456 Fust completed the first run of the forty-two line Bible. Fust and Schoeffer went on to print many other works establishing a hundred year family dynasty in printing and publishing. Gutenberg went on to establish another printing shop and some years later appears to have printed a reprint of the forty-two line bible as well as other religious books. However the most interesting point in the article to me, is that it appears that copper plate printing (the printing of illustrations through engravings onto copper plates) had its roots in Gutenberg's workshop  That begs the question that if Fust had not sued Gutenberg how different would early books have been, would they not only contain print but also illustrations as well?
This was a great article that enlightened me to the beginnings of one of the greatest inventions of civilization, that is the printing press.