Function and Beauty

"The Theory of Decorative Art" pretty much describes the importance of the coexistance of architecture and interior design and how architecture is like the big picture; whereas, interior design is all in the details.  Architecture is like the exterior of the building and the roadways and sidewalk traffic on the outside as opposed to interior design which is the flow of people taffic on the inside.  

In "The Significance of Applied Art" Hermann Muthesius discusses the significant points of art.  He categorizes art as artistic, cultural, and economic.  He also goes on to talk about how interior design is a different language.  It is an artistic langage to be interpretted by those who experience it.  Muthesius also compares modern art to other art periods like the Renaissance period and others.  Modern art is just like all the periods before it, only simplified.  By simplified, I think it is actually simplified visually, but interpretting madern art is far more complex then deciphering older art works in my opinion.  I think a perfect example of this would be the Mondrian paintings.  They are so simple aesthetically, but they can be interpretted so intricately.  Mondrian painting

Crafting

In this reading, I understood that craftsmen and artists are equally important, but they are not the same thing.  I feel that a good designer is both an artist and a craftsman.  Both are seperate skills, but they are highly related and vital in interior design.  

Type needs: Type-Furnature

Le Corbusier mainly touched on the point of function v. beauty.  Both must exist in order to be good design.  Just beacause something is functional doesn't mean it can't be appealing to the eye.  Practicallity is vital is design, but the practicallity must look good.  The combinations of looks and function allow for one to exist peacefully in a space which is the main goal of design.  

These stairs are functional, but they are not aethetically pleasing in any way

These stairs are both functional and beautiful