I was on the horn last week with a client talking about what KARJAKA is, to which she blurted out off the cuff, “A useable thing that looks beautiful.” To which I replied, “Modern Design by KARJAKA.”
If you know me, or are in my orbit, you know that I’m obsessed with design… graphic design, product design, brand design, packaging design, information design, interior, furniture, UX etc. the list goes on. This magazine was borne out of curiously designing mock graphic Vogue covers to teach my students at Parsons, and here we are 6 years later. Taken aback from her statement, I paused and thought about what defines Design? My own thoughts are the organization, functionality, usefulness, (and other adjectives) of something aesthetically pleasing.
I’d never really thought about that with photographs, or my photos in particular, as something to have boiled down to it’s most basic principles. But maybe that’s what defines Art? In today’s world I’m torn between the commercialness of our fashion, interiors, still life and beauty to fullfill certain goals and needs. Sell more of this, highlight that, give the feel of open air, capture the anti-aging of this product on skin, all of which I’m only too happy to oblige. Meanwhile, I have clients that want the ineffable captured, the softness, the rawness, what’s behind the curtain and buried deep into the soul. For both camps, to my eye, it’s all Art, and yes, design, too.
There’s a lot I could say on what Art and Design are, and deserves far more than a 4 minute Letter from the Editor article, but this statement has me thinking on pottery and throwing clay, the process and end result. The design and art of it all. A vessel, no matter how well it’s made, even with cracks or holes, is still a vessel and has utility in some form or fashion. Do those who throw clay need utility from the end product, or is process of the making the item the usable and satisfying need, the art. So much to be curious about, I leave it to Don and Mandy to answer those questions in this month’s Issue at Clayground.
Me, in the meantime I’ll take it… a KARJAKA, a useable thing that looks beautiful.
Modern design by KARJAKA.
Christina Halatsis of Halatsis Architecture puts the final touches on the doorway to Clayground as Don unveils their glorious storefront windows, while Russ does his Russ things on the digital tech cart.
