[Sigia-l] Why "design" makes some of us cringe.

[Andrew McNaughton]

On Mon, 22 Jul 2002, David Heller wrote:

[snip]

> When I was writing my piece tat you snipped, I was thinking what is the
> difference between art & design. Both are creative endeavors, but to me
> the difference is problem solving. Both are intentional acts, so that
> wasn't enough to make it "design", but design is different from art.
> Even graphic design is different from art.
>
> It can be argued that Michelangelo was solving a problem when he painted
> the Sisteen Chapel (I was just there so its on my mind), but that means
> he was an amazing graphic designer, who made a painting whose problems
> were, "How to teach lay people about Christian folklore? How to inspire
> great reverence for this space?" (for example?) ... But no one would
> ever call this design.

I've seen the Sisteen Chapel used as an example of what is not art, based
on a controversial but plausible claim that art is about solutions to the
particular problem of pushing arts own boundaries, or perhaps it would be
better to say it's about expanding our appreciation.

> Why? What separates it? Is it because it is a painting? Does the medium
> pre-dispose art from design? Then my graphic design question wouldn't
> make much difference then would it? But it does? Purpose, goal &
> direction all inform our senses to tell the difference between art &
> design. We have the two words, we use them differently and they invoke
> different meanings when we use them. But for as long as I'm alive the
> Sisteen Chapel's ceiling will be art and IBM logo will be design.

A large orange square of plainly painted canvas was at one point a
powerful artistic statement, though it would not be so if it were repeated
now.  The same orange square used in a particular setting might however be
a good piece of architectural or interior design.

[snip]