"looking is not seeing"

After recognising the true meaning of the quote "Looking is not seeing" by Milton Glaser, I have come to terms that simply glancing/taking a picture of an artefact or painting does not give you the full understanding of the artwork or design. Learning to observe every detail brings a whole new depth of perception of the work and which I encourage everyone to take your time when observing.

Recently I had visited the design exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland which has many examples of design up for show. Here are my top picks that really caught my attention during my visit.

The Bamboo Heels

by Winde Rienstra

From the fashion exhibition, The Bamboo Heels stood out the most as the complex structure draws you in to look at every detail of the shoe closely. I found that the repeating shapes are placed cleverly to keep the whole shoe standing, even without a supporting heel. The individual layers of bamboo give different dimensions and depth which almost looks like an illusion to my eyes - that the elements are levitating. I also personally appreciate that Rienstra kept the colours to the materials natural state and keeps true to it's name. Having kept the colours organic doesn't empower the overall look of the whole shoe (minimal) and was I therefore drawn to this shoe.

Sculpture

by Colin Reid

Moving to the next part of the exhibition, the sculpture by Colin Reid stood out the most compared the other sculptures around it as the high level of the contrast being used attracts and draws the eyes straight to it. As from the picture above, the use of rough textures around the outside helps emphasises the smooth and fluid surfaces on the inside. This use of this technique grabs attention straight away as there is a clear distinction between the two. The overall appearance gives an impression that the whole sculpture was taken straight from nature which gives elegance and extra value to the look. As the gold centred in the middle is highly pigmented, it makes it pop from the rest of the sculpture and really draws you directly to it. From the contrasting textures and colours, every part screams for attention.

Grey Loop

by Merete Rasmussen

As I was walking around, this sculpture instantly captured my attention. This was because of the intricate formation that is displayed within the sculpture itself. The overall appearance is very minimalistic with clean curves and smooth surfaces, however with the complicated design it adds interest. It draws the audience to examine how the fragile nature of the sculpture is able to maintain its form in which I took interest to it.

After observing the sculpture, I personally like how Rasmussen kept the surface clean from decorations as with the intricate formation, light was able to shine through the spaces and illuminate different shapes which, I think, gave uniqueness to the sculpture.

Kokoro Table Lamp

by Ingo Maurer

Towards the end of the exhibitions, this lamp by Ingo Maurer drew my interest because of the choice of material that it was made of. Maurer took inspiration from Japanese art and made the lamp from paper and was crafted to mimic an origami piece. I enjoyed the fire engine red that took over the top portion of the lamp as this took my full attention but at the same time looked classy and elegant. Just by looking at the lamp, it almost doesn't look functional due to the colour, shape and material but it stands as an elaborate piece of furniture to have in a space.

Light Fittings

by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

My last pick from the exhibition was the light fightings designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. These light fittings caught my attention as they present a minimalistic design, the type of style that I personally like. I appreciate the minimal use of line throughout the main body of each light fittings but then the small detailing of metal and glass work within the surfaces makes each fitting different from the other. From my eyes the fittings look to have two different eras mixed together (medieval and modern), even though these were designed around 1868 - 1928, which can mean that these can be appreciated all throughout the ages.

Conclusion

After exploring through the exhibition and picking my favourites, it can be seen that I chose more minimal designs due to my personal taste but excluding that, each design piece had their own unique features that made them stand out the most.

Picking out these examples wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't observed each detail of every piece and I therefore encourage once again to look thoroughly when viewing.

- Joanna

Site : Nation Museum of Scotland