Art Design 



Art is very subjective, no matter how art critics would argue, and one person's art is another person's mess. Art designs are everywhere around us. They're a part of life, in advertising boards, on buildings, the covers of paperbacks and computer wallpaper. Everything you can think of has been designed. There are art designs, product designs and industrial designs. Sometimes there is a merging of the functional and the aesthetic as in a well designed chair or kettle.

Movements over the years have made a great impact, such as Art Noveau, Art Deco and Pop Art. I love the Art Deco furniture, architecture and household items. The Art Deco designer, Clarice Cliffe produced wonderful dinner and tea services which are very collectible today. There is still evidence of Art Deco houses and cinemas. Pop Art took everyday objects and presented them in a fresh way. Art designs made by  Andy Warhol,  who started off as a ladies' shoe designer, were some of the most iconic images of the 20th century. Campbell's Soup Cans and Brillo Pads were elevated to art.

For me, there are certain cars which are more than mere cars. They are pieces of sculpture, worthy of a place in any art designs museum. I would include classics such as the Rolls Royce in that. I also like 1960s Jaguars, Porches and Ferraris. My favorite sports car is the Lamborghini Diablo. Mouth watering prospect! The American cars from the 1950s with their huge fins are great art designs, the Cadillac models being the supreme example. The craftspeople who customize such cars with terrific art work are true artists in my opinion.

I also think that the artists who do art work for fairground rides and carousels should be more appreciated.  Some people are snobbish about such things but I think they should be more open to ideas. Tattoos are also art designs. Some are very inventive and intricate. I don't want to be a walking canvas myself, but I can appreciate the artistry.

One of the biggest successes of the publishing world in modern times has been the comic strip. These employ a clever combination of words and images, to tell a story and build characterization. The art designs of the comic books can be of the highest standard. The drawing of the characters, equipment, clothes, vehicles and buildings all play a part in the overall artistry of the work. The American artist Roy Lichtenstein took this format and blew frames up to the size of big canvases. Art designs had become art, just as Frank Miller's graphic novels were transferred to the screen in the movie of Sin City.