The ‘sensuous impulse’ has connotations associated with the curve – feminine, seductive, unobtrusive, emotive, mysterious, sensual and playful – and a desire to appeal to the senses. Embraced and celebrated during the Rococo and Art Neuveau movements, the sensuous impulse was seen by some as the unnecessary, frivolous embellishment of design that would function perfectly well – if not better – without the curving rocaille and seductive detail added by designers of both movements. This can be seen in the restrained, rational and rigid approach taken during the Neo-Classical and Bauhaus movements. However, despite today’s culture of mass design and mass production, the sensuous impulse is still alive – often simplified and streamlined, curves are abundant in our everyday lives. A prime example would be the coca-cola bottle – reminiscent of a woman’s silhouette, the design employs organic shapes and a sensuous impulse to create a simple, functional object. Similarly, the Cirrus Seat designed in 2008 by Zaha Hadid employs the curve as a basis for design. Like the Rococo artists of the 18th Century, Hadid has taken the curve and used it’s sensuous qualities to create and inviting, yet aesthetically interesting design – albeit in a much less decorative way. The undulating curves of the Cirrus Seat seem to embody the modern ideal of the sensuous impulse in today’s design, creating a enigmatic, yet strangely appealing piece of design.
Cirrus Seat, 2008 - Zaha Hadid
from Wolapong Lertpisitkul:
Throughout the history of design, the sense of two different impulses is constantly opposing each other. One is the idea of straight line, rational, logical and philosophical which can be seen in Classical and Neo-classical period. Oppose of that is an idea of curves, imagination, manipulation and romance which can be seen throughout Baroque period (in-between Classical and Neo-classical) and Rococo (After Neo-classical period). The movement between these two ideas is compare able to the pendulum swing.
In the modern day this phenomenon is still occurring. We tend to think that the object with a very little design is simpler, cleaner, stronger and functional. Therefore logically they are the best design idea to go forward into the future. However some artists, architects and designers are opposing to that idea. One of them is the architect of Disney Concert Hall (image above). His name is Frank Gehry. Frank doesn’t think that all of the building should only use geometric shapes because they make building look boring. He approaches his work with a random shapes but many people dult that the building could function properly. In the end it doesn’t matter that this building will work or not. The pendulum is still swinging.
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