Utile
Dulci as an attitude means keeping a pleasant demeanor while doing critical
tasks. Utile Dulci as an object is a useful entity, which is agreeable or even pleasurable
for the senses. Objects that hit the sweet spot between function and beauty often
look quite simple and deceptively unnoteworthy. Lately I came across an object
that surpassed the criteria of combining
function with beauty, by actually turning
the very function into beauty.
Nagaland,
India is known for its rich ethnic jewellery, yet a specific necklet stands
firmly in contrast for its stubborn simplicity, powerful design and
unapologetic refusal to give space to applied decoration. This particular
neckpiece from Truus Daalder’s collection is published in her critically
acclaimed book “Ethnic Jewellery and Adornment” (ISBN-13: 978-1921394287)
Necklet of
circular cut shell discs with orange-coloured glass beads in the center,
Naga people, Nagaland, India; mid 20th c.*Ethnic Jewelllery
and Adornment*(www.ethnicartpress.com.au) By Truus
Daalder, p. 338.
The necklet
crosses the threshold to aesthetic maturity by divorcing itself from the tradition
of being enriched by decorative additions before it may adorn the wearer. It
radically questions the nature of ornament and also clears a space for
traditional yet untainted furtherance.
By
introducing points of pleasure at the very functional level, this stark yet
sensually satisfying piece mitigates the notional distance between Craft and Design.
It shows that fabrication, and thinking how to fabricate new objects, are two
contributory, yet fluid stages of one unified process called “creation. Sadly the creators of such
original objects are robbed of their intellectual input and called mere
“craftsmen”. Using and accepting such categorical labels with derogatory
intentions hurdles a holistic understanding of the entire “innovation” process.
The
necklet also gives clues about the thought process of the maker. There is an
interesting angle to her relaxed approach to making. She has allowed the
inherent imperfections become important part of the design statement, feeling
no need to refine the form of the shells to perfection or choose similar-sized
beads. This could be a result of maker’s emotional maturity to access just how
much work has to be put into the job at hand, or of her refined aesthetic
sensibility to detect the sweet spot. In any case, the approach is quite
striking, coming from a traditional maker from mid 20th century
rural Nagaland. This “inclusive” attitude to build the design on the thriving
nature of real materials is very different from the “exclusive” approach that
is used today to remove, polish away, clean off, or force-quit what we cannot
deal with from our physical and conceptual “white spaces”.
My project Utile Dulci is a celebratory reproduction this
powerful design in different flavors. I have followed the same design system,
but translated it in materials from my own reality.
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Necklet 01. (Herend Porcelain, Celadon glaze, Chinese pearls, Cotton) |
