Caili in wonderland

Design as Art by Bruno Munari - From the start, Munari questions whether there is a distinction between design and art. He sees art—not something exclusive to the halls of elite exhibitions, but something exploratory that involves the viewer as much as the artist. ”Design as Art” is a collection of Munari’s essays from the 40s and 50s. These short essays, each two or three pages long, are grouped together under five areas: Designers as Stylists, Visual Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design and Research Design. Throughout the book Munari keeps going back to Japanese design, which he approves. The reason for this is that Japanese design is designing the object as the object itself, and not an imitation of something else. Another important element of Japanese design is its close connection to the materials used—an intelligent use of each material depending on its looks and properties. As a result, Japanese design embodies the object with both, its function, and the properties of the materials used. First published in 1966, the book is still refreshingly relevant today.