Design - Indisputable Value

«Artistic Thought» | Annex to «Pedagogical Point» magazine, vol. 4 «Zangak-97» publishing house,
Yerevan 2009 (Translated from Armenian original)

Assistant of faculty of artistic education, State Pedagogical Institute after Khachatur Abovyan
Postgraduate student of Art Institute, National Academy of Sciences, RA

Originating and advancing parallel with the formation and development of person conscious thinking towards to his environment, the artistic activity is passed from generation to generation, including and expressing the essence of the cultural values of that time, being one of its manifestations. In this meaning even the creation of primitive man must consider elementary designing activity.

Generally design refers to different artistic production created by person in the subjective world. During this time design also became as a typical character of certain ethnic group. Art, culture, including its important component, design, presented that ethnic group, therefore historical destiny guide since from origin, formation, developments up to its struggle, achievements, failures. Each era design, coming from that period, first of all is reflection and also bears future stimulus, creating silence or never sounded sounds.

At the same time, design is not only reproduction of the past, it specifically is the expression of modern present and branch of art and culture of general and applied art, especially any other branch and more direct means for reproducing the approaches of that time.

The origin of design is also interesting. It comes from English word, which means to draw, project, paint, plan. The real meaning is to give new way to the environmental world, the creature subject, change, form, make it more pleasant, more understanding and more proper to that time.

Design word (term) has appeared in the beginning of 20th century. Design as a notion has different formulations and definitions in different languages, and coming from it with the purpose of terminological unity the international general term was accepted “design” word and writing during the 1st conference of ICSID in 1959.

Design, word (term) by which is described new way of reproduction and projecting of the subjective world. It was considered the reacting means against the elemental formation of visible and functional features of the subjective world. Design also was the environment of public activity of that time, means to organize its life and activity more expedient. It includes all problems of settlement, environment, production, sale, household, subjective world of a person. How situation was, also becoming the manifestation base of public group, design stays and will continue to stay as the essence of that time, one of the main characters.

Design is one of the main standards of ethnic membership and sometimes, with the most different cultural directions, the main element. Non-coordinated, not proper use of design creates a virtual world of these directions, which then becomes concern for that same people, for that same public, gives no desirable direction to the identity of people and culture, their development.

Generally there were a lot of successes in design, when with cultural directions and as well as problems was measured the whole aesthetic and artistic mind.

The genius workers of the Armenian culture were compared with such a standards and minds since from the first moments of its formation. It can say surely, that design as a component of art and culture, during a thousand years was transferred to the public energy, was in daily life, had participated in the all cultural processes in the Armenian reality. The sources of Armenian culture history were early of B.C. numerous cultural masterpieces, left to us, were the fact of this, and the design of that time is some part of them. For comparison let us bring such an bright examples of city building, architecture and architectural mind, church building, fresco, poetry, miniature painting, bibliography, national clothing, consumption production things and from other spheres, having international level, which shows that how high level were the cultural achievements of Armenian people.

It should be also taken into consideration that above mentioned directions of national culture, and parallel to it design as well, couldn’t have such a high value without anything, as they always were connected with the development of the aesthetic mind of each era. There would be a correspondent image for it, national conscious level, traditions transfer system, but they always were in the Armenian reality. A lot of evidences about this have such a great thinkers such as M Khorenatsi, N. Shnorhali, Narekaci, Gh. Alishyan, Leo, N. Adonts, H. Orbeli, E. Lalayan, T. Toramanyan, H. Manandyan, A. Meye, N. Mar, K. Guterbok, V. Berhard, V. Brusov, B. Piotrovsky, J. Strzygowski, J. Lepsius, A. Jakobson and many others.

Expressing sensuous, spiritual, mental generalized connection of person, considering one of the perfect manifestations of works, design starts from the accumulated experience and cognitive transfer, but also from the sensuous approaches of world perception aesthetic reproduction. Design principle is a work manifested by sensuous cognition and summarizing of mental knowledge. It is one of the most effective ways to make unknown to known. Design was processing reproduction of works world perception, which imaginations and concepts, compared with the sensuous cognition and mental knowledge supplies, became idea and then reality.

In the base of design formation and creation are the preconditions of perfection of old, investment of new, expression and development, when there is a necessity of form and contents formation in that sphere, in this meaning it is also liberation from the conventionalism of recognized forms, already known forms and contents.

Nowadays design becomes easier in some cases and unfortunately, today consumption design has demand, which principle is to only to build, only to operate, only that it gives money. Non-secondary function of design is the cultural education and traditions transfer of generations, in which today there are a lot of problems. There are a lot of complications and difficulties in order to solve these problems. Their overcome should be started from the first steps of education, parallel with the state, public, family processes.

LILIT MELIKYAN

Literature

  1. Aronov V.R., design and arts. – М., Publishing house «Knowledge», 1984 – 117p.
  2. Koveshnikova N.A. Design: history and theory – 5-pub., Ì.: Publishing house ,,Omega-L,, , 2009. – 224 p.
  3. Rozenblyum E. A. Painter in design. — М., Publishing house «Art», 1974 – 175p.
  4. Sarabyanov D. V. The history of Russian art from the end of the 19th century – the beginning of the 20th century. — М., Publishing house MSU, 1993 – 320 p.