Contemporising the classical meaning of ornamentation through a personal lens

Thumbnail Image

Files

master_Kotecha_Vihar_2023.pdf (85.97 MB)
THESIS INDESIGN.png (90.28 KB)

URL

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
Location:
Unless otherwise stated, all rights belong to the author. You may download, display and print this publication for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.

Authors

Date

2023

Department

muo

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Master’s Programme in Design

Language

en

Pages

153

Series

Abstract

As an artist and designer, my fascination with ornamentation and my observations of the modern world’s affinity towards minimal design led me to express this idea of incorporating the classical meaning of ornamentation into my creative practice. The first part of the thesis explores literature regarding the role of ornamentation and how the patterns and motifs act as a link between art, architecture and objects in Indian context. As an Indian, having grown up around these monuments and design. I always observed such carvings very meticulously. Therefore, I decided to base my inspiration on the Indian context for creative expression, as I grew up there. The thesis dives deeper into the philosophies relating to using ornamentation in objects and spaces of daily life and its role in narrating stories. A specific case study is chosen to limit the scope of inspiration - Ajanta and Ellora caves. These monumental sites allow me to further deepen my understanding on the idea of ornamentation embedded within architecture. The central motivation for this project stems from a personal fascination with ornaments from history and this artistic attempt aims to simplify and contemporise the idea of ornamentation. The second part of the thesis displays the process of generating ornaments through my own artistic abilities and stylistic choices that are informed by comprehensive visual and philosophical research from literature review. To bridge the gap between the classical idea of sculptural ornament and contemporary design, the conceptualisation for this thesis involves approaching this project from the perspective of functional art. Firstly this approach seamlessly blurs the boundaries between art and design. Secondly, I envision using an object as a canvas to convey the value of ornamentation. Therefore I chose vessel as my object, supported by its historical significance and association with architecture. The practical part of the thesis involves generating an abstract language of ornaments, that allows for the development of an artistic expression. This includes translating 2D patterns and motifs into 3D sculptures and utilising modern making methods such as 3D printing to execute the schematic version of ornamentation along with traditional material such as ceramic. In conclusion, this thesis attempts to highlight the significance and beauty of ornamentation in architecture and objects. This thesis contributes to the discourse on the role of ornamentation through a personal lens. The final output bridges the gaps between object design, architecture and ornamentation, while cultivating a dialogue between past and present.

Description

Supervisor

Lohmann, Julia

Thesis advisor

Lohmann, Julia

Keywords

ornamentation, art, architecture, design, sculpture, ceramic, digital design

Other note

Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202401281813

Collections

[master] Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / ARTS