"If it is true that such art at least in academia is drifting away from the humanities and philosophy but more toward the technes and sciences, then it seems to me that design is drifting away from logic and theory but more toward craft and skill."
Logic and theory is a part of craft and skill, to some degree, and can't be drifted away from each other. Boris Shoshensky ---------- Original Message ---------- From: "Frances Kelly" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: RE: What if we took this view Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:52:21 -0400 The recent messages kindly posted by Saul and William are still being digested by me, but an injected footnote of sorts might be of interest. It may be relevant to consider the relation between "art" and "design" in most academic curricula. Many schools and colleges and universities have entities that they call collectively "art and design" which usually leans toward the visual but away from the architectural. If it is true that such art at least in academia is drifting away from the humanities and philosophy but more toward the technes and sciences, then it seems to me that design is drifting away from logic and theory but more toward craft and skill. My rough scan of design calendars from several noted institutes and departments of design clearly indicate this. Early in the previous twentieth century and up to its last quarter the calendars show there was great emphasis put on such subjects as history and semiotics and empiricism and theory, but not so anymore. The emphasis now seems to be more capitalist and economic and practical. The governments of western industrial nations have also seemingly quit backing facilities like patriotic "design councils" for some political reason unknown to me. My main point is perhaps that art and design are drifting apart in opposite directions, with goals that are vague, and that seem to be unsatisfactory. Perhaps the best thing that is occurring here, if there be one at all, is the merging and blending of art with science and of design with art, but then it is not fully clear just what gap these new polemic dualities might be bridging. --Frances
