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Domestic relations : a visual critique of ornamental restraint and difference

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posted on 2023-05-26, 18:16 authored by Lee, FMJ
This investigation visually explores the decline of ornamentation in the decoration of domestic space, with subsequent loss of personal identity associated with this phenomenon. The home is potentially a statement of our individuality and the way we decorate it, as in the way we dress, suggests our distinctiveness to the outside world. I have formed an opinion as a result of this research, that as individuals in a mass-consumer society, there has been a subtle undermining of this uniqueness. The appeal of mass-produced, 'modernist-style' goods for the home, vigorously promoted and readily available, has relieved the home decorator of much of the decision-making. I believe this has resulted in a 'look' that is neutral and lacks the rich variation of personal history and identity that prevails in more ornamented interiors. This project aims to make the viewer aware of this shift and find ways of engaging more actively and creatively with domestic environments. Drawing on imagery and materials associated with domestic and consumer culture, the project attempts to expand on aspects of Nicolas Bourriaud's concept of relational aesthetics and postproduction, involving the consideration of ideas such as the beholder's ethic, interaction and the reuse of culturally laden materials in order to broaden these theories. Relying on the viewer's presence within the work, this project delivers an experience as the end product rather than a purely aesthetic encounter. This experience of process is situated in the context of the work of a range of artists such as Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Michael Lin, Yayoi Kasama and Daniel Buren, who have likewise sought to produce works which involve the active participation of the viewer. My contribution to the field aims to find new ways to provoke active engagement and stimulate members of my audience to be more conscious about the decoration of their own domestic interiors.

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Copyright 2006 the Author - The University is continuing to endeavour to trace the copyright owner(s) and in the meantime this item has been reproduced here in good faith. We would be pleased to hear from the copyright owner(s). CD-ROM contains accompanying images. Thesis (MFA)--University of Tasmania, 2007. Includes bibliographical references

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