The Preconditions of Industrial Design Development in Armenia
Assistant of chair of design and decorative-applied art, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan
The industrial design develops in Armenia under the influence of developing directions of such a kind of art in foreign countries, as well as their experience on them. The industrial design is in the mutual connection with the national heritage of book graphics, miniature painting, machine painting, pottery and fine arts. So for example, the book of Ancient Armenia and miniature painting today also positively effect on the industrial design in the Republic.
L. A. Durnovan writes about this cultural heritage in «Armenian miniature» book: …the works of Armenian people had flourished in the sphere of these arts minimum 13 centuries. Here it was proper to use «flourish» expression as though difficulties, Armenian painting left exceptional quantity of high quality original illustrated manuscripts».
The originality of Armenian types in pictures, ornaments, in paper compositions painter’s searches left rich heritage, which now uses the painters who work in the sphere of the industrial design.
The development of industrial design in Armenia has comparatively new history. The market of Ancient Armenia has difficulty satisfied the vital requirements of population and hasn’t expanded. In these conditions, when in fact there is no industry, there can’t be a speech even about the industrial design. The factories of local wine-making and cans ordered labels for tares. Shustov factory even had its trademark by the shape of bell.
The examples of labels, wine and cans price lists, keeping in Armenian history museum, give certain information about the industrial design in pre-revolutionary Armenia. Artistically formed works mainly were under the influence of Russian and foreign not high quality advertisement.
During the selection of the graphical materials and type, no attempt was used for local peculiarities and national heritage of national art.
By the example of other countries industrial design medals, awarded in fairs and exhibitions, are painted on the wine labels. For advertising purposes wines got too visible names like «Land blood», «Armenian proud». From the aspect of advertisement is interesting the label, in which composition main place is» Competes with Pyotr Smirnov wines» note. Here the reference plays a big role. Expressive with its style reminds the note on such a production notes which have recognition in international market of Smirnov factory. Information on the labels has informational nature. The price list of Babakhanyan factory also contains information. The price list informs that firm has existed since from 1884 and the raw of cognac, wine, vodka exclusively was from grapes gardens. «Shustov factories» notes on the metallic lids of wine bottles of Shustov factory and trademarks are colored. Labels were done by lithographic way, with 2-4 colors.
30s and 40s years were unfavorable for the development of the industrial design in Armenia. The lack of experience promoted to the diletanty and formation of bad taste. The principles of machine, book graphics and painting were used without taking into consideration and analysing the peculiarity of industrial design. Examples are varied: trademarks are complicated in detals, overloaded with types, ornament as graphical solution, aren’t expressive and because of it were forgotten. Instead of clearness here excels the principle of difficulty.
After the Great Patriotic War the works of the industrial design and packing were expanded, new enterprises trademarks were created with different standard, however the principles of trademarks, advertisement creation and packaging practically stayed unchanged.
As they has organized national economic council they tried to manage the problems of industrial design, some managements solved investment problems in some way by concentrated, however orders were done by those painters, who weren’t good specialists, and the confirmation of works depended on the decisions of heads of departments and enterprises.
There were also serious approaches towards to the industrial design. In this meaning we can’t ignore the work of Hakob Kojoyan. Being a painter with a lot of opportunities Hakob Kojoyan has productively worked in many spheres of art like machine, applied and book graphics, in painting, stamp, pottery. He created some projects of packing and labels, which loses their artistic meaning up to today.
These labels of Armenian cognac defined the style of packing of Armenian cognac, labels and advertisement artistic formation, which then painter tried to keep much or less. The main part of these works today has color, special approach towards to the decorative elements.
Hakob Kojoyan creates labels and packages of Armenian cigarette and confectionary. Deep knowledge of applied art, architecture, high quality and talent let masters create real values in the sphere of applied art. Works of master were big and significant topics of that sphere, which unfortunately still weren’t illustrated by our art (“David of Sassoun”, “Armenia” cigarettes boxes, “Vardananq” chocolate packing pictures, cognacs, “Armenia” wines labels).
Today there is a big progress in the aspect of industrial design of packages and projecting in the matter of professional, ideal increase, creative opportunities.
The constant development of industrial and trade connection, new principles of planning, increase of producer’s responsibility and interest creates projecting issues of advertisement and packaging, without which contemporary design and trade can’t exist. The issues of the artistic projecting get state meaning, about which certifies the decisions of Government.
The development of the trade relations system let form the role of advertisement as economic category. The increase of standards of living, the growth of prosperity and population’s culture make the advertisement observe as a means of mass artistic education. The development of the industrial graphics is practically defined by some preconditions of material and organizing category. As we discuss this question not only from the aspect of artistic practice, so the expedient of such a discussion is obvious.
Armenian industrial production is exported to foreign countries during many years. Among such a kind of production are the goods of machine-tools, devices, light and food industry. The industrial and trade enterprises had participated in exhibitions organizing both in our country and both in abroad. There were also such cases when Armenian industrial production doesn’t sale because of bad packing, label, advertisement and documentation, whereas non-qualified goods attract to the market due to their beautiful packing.
The interests of trade and industry require the increase of the industrial design quality, extension of polygraphic opportunities of projects, searching of new ways of advertisements. The main works of this sphere conduct the drawing-projecting organizations and polygraphic enterprises. However there are success conditions, which are totally depends on the organizing of industrial works. They are the stick of labels, the correspondent processing of previously cut boxes, delivery and keeping of packages on the in-factory conditions, the transfer of ready products for sale. In case of not following to the necessary conditions during the above mentioned processes, the whole done work can’t reach to its purpose. Sometimes there are 2-30 labels, which were stuck not in their place or crooked on the bottles, as well as labels stuck on the opposite side. The same we can say about the labels and luggage labels stuck on the boxes. Printed and engraved labels, delivered to the production, require further processing, however they are done by hand and negligently.
Enterprises should create special conditions in order to stick labels properly, to collect boxes, to transfer filled and non-filled packages to the workshops. In case of organizing work properly, technically equipped and processing of correspondent technology, packing, labels and other forms of the industrial design get maximum opportunity for implementing the defined functional problems, both in the industry and both in goods transfer system.
It turns out from the above mentioned that the control and keeping of technological regimes of production are mandatory conditions, and the painter is obliged to have an influence on them by his opportunities and doesn’t ignore the defect worsen his work. From the other side, projecting the object, he is obliged to take into consideration the real conditions of the industrial cycle, to reveal those elements which may cause quality violation and make such a decision, which will reduce the opportunity of defects during the large production. By the way, painters have such opportunities, which however aren’t always used.
LILIT MELIKYAN
Literature
- Durnovo L.A., Essays on the fine arts of medieval Armenia. — 1979.
- Orlova V. V., Voskanyan R. S., Korchagin A. D., Орлова В.В., Восканян Р.С., Корчагин А.Д., Trademarks in Russia, handbook for entrepreneurs, Tolyatti 1995.
- Central State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation of the Republic of Armenia.