group presentations

I thought that all of the presentations today were very interesting. Some of the comparisons were so different and dynamic between things that you think wouldn't easily be compared such as the refrigerator and the bed posts. A comparison so abstract like that really forces you to look at the formal qualities of each piece and evaluate each piece's use of space, form, and material. One principle of design that I had never thought of as a principle was parts to whole. When thinking of elements and principles, I usually think of terms such as volume, space, line, ect.; things that describe a zoomed in element of on part of a design. If evaluating an art piece, you think about that one piece. If evaluating a structure of architecture, you think about looking at that building as a whole. But what is just as valuable is looking at that architecture as a whole in comparison to its parts such as the interior and how it works with the surrounding landscape or urban planning. Furthermore, if evaluating one of Ziesel's it is important to evaluate and individual piece of the ceramics but also how say a dish compliments other parts of that particular dishware collection or the salt shaker with the pepper shaker.