TAD2213*

History and criticism of interiors and furniture 2B

3 points - 2 hours lecture/tutorial and 4 independent study hours per week - First semester - Caulfield - Prerequisites: TAD1101 and TAD1102. Prohibitions: TAD2203 - Elective

Objectives On successful completion of this subject, students should be familiar with the styles and conventions of interiors from key epochs and possess a sense of the social values which account for them; be equipped to perceive - and imaginatively express - relations between interior and exterior and between interior and furniture; be able to relate the fashions and spatial disposition of interiors and their furnishings to the historical mores and rituals which took place within them; possess critical opinions about the virtues of historical exemplars and be able to express their opinions with imagination and credibility.

Synopsis The designs of a wide range of historical interiors are analysed with reference to the exterior and ground plan of buildings, the furniture which they contain and the various functions - practical and symbolic - which were (and possibly still are) undertaken within them. The subject is not uniquely concerned with the systematic description of historical change in interiors and furniture but with subjective evocation and imaginary narratives of their use, as lecturer and student attempt to conjecture, with the benefit of historical resources, what kind of a life was lived within them. The looks and the social history of interiors are discussed in a critical spirit; but, as judgements in design are inherently a matter of opinion, there is abundant scope for the vision of the critic to engage an essayistic - or even satirical - tenor to express persuasively his or her intuitions. The subject is essentially concerned with the imagination which a practical philosopher might bring to the critical study of interior design and furniture. Rather than cultivate strict objectivity and disinterested inquiry, the subject encourages the design critic to take up an 'interested' position which is necessary for the creation of visionary interior design and furniture.

Assessment Two essays or class presentations supplemented, where appropriate, with written notes: 40% and 60% respectively

Recommended texts

Dormer P The meanings of modern design Thames and Hudson, 1991
Forty A Objects of desire Thames and Hudson, 1986
Nelson R Expressions of purpose in Australian design Monash University, 1992
Nelson R Cultural hypochondria in the age of industrial design Monash University, 1992
Nelson R Frameworks of furniture Monash University, 1996
Shields R Lifestyle shopping: the subject of consumption, Routledge, 1992

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