On Jan 31, 2008, at 9:47 PM, Pankaj Chawla wrote: > So yes if you are in US, aesthetics is such an important > attribute of design that it will look almost fundamental, but go to > Africa where > every cent costs and aesthetics is a luxury that doesnt fit the bill.
I'll encourage you to re-read the part in the Rand essay concerning the Shakers: "This philosophy is demonstrated in the life of the Shakers, whose history reveals the love of, and strict adherence to, the principles of harmony, beauty, and utility. It is not surprising that such ideals should have found expression in the production of much furniture and many utensils of great aesthetic value, characterized by a keen sensitivity to form and constant awareness of function. These products are a document of the every-day life of the sect, their asceticism, their devotion to fine craftsmanship, their feeling of fine proportion, space, and order, and their sincerity and naturalness. This fusion of spiritual and material values is also evidenced in Oriental art. The genuine pleasure we derive from the best examples of early Chinese art testifies to these same qualities." The Shakers were hardly rolling in "luxury." I think you are somehow confusing aesthetic with materialism, and then making a broad and borderline offensive assumption then about American designers in that vein. Aesthetics and materialism are not the same thing, and I'm not talking about superficial qualities as they pertain to design. -- Andrei Herasimchuk Principal, Involution Studios innovating the digital world e. [EMAIL PROTECTED] c. +1 408 306 6422 ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
