A Mass Produced Individual

     In the 1870's two men named Jacob Davis and Levis Strauss created the first example of what we today know as the blue jean. From being a piece of clothing for workmen it is now one of the most common garments in today's society. Both my three-year-old cousin and my ninety-year-old grandmother own a pair and in my last lecture with Maxe, on the 19th of September, she pointed out how nearly everyone in the room were wearing a jean. From this observation a discussion started on how individualism comes across in today's society of uniformity.

Margritte, René. Golconde. 1953. The Mencil Collection, Houston.

     Several objects that 100 years ago were new, original designs are in today's society a part of a system of mass production. By the late 1920's there was an ideology rising putting an emphasis on collective needs instead of looking at individual needs (Raizman 167). Could we have gone too far with this mindset and thus creating a society where it is a challenge to find your own values because a common identity has become the main objective?

     In "The Shape of Time" George Kubler suggests a scenario where we look at all things man-made, as art (1). If we follow this train of thought we can deduce that a jean, being a man-made design, is art. The reason I bring this point of view in at the end is to better perceive how we in today's society have moved away from individual thinking in relation to design. Art is usually seen as something subjective and ambiguous. So, if a pair of jeans is a piece of art and it's place in today's society is as a common garment and a part of mass production, does this mean art is also becoming generalized and uniform? I realize there are unique designs being created still, but due to the increase in identical copies of products today, I think we need to be more aware than before the purpose of our design and how it links with us on an individual level instead of as a collective.

Byskov, Karen. Blue Jeans. 2012. Private photo.

Works Cited

Kubler, George. The Shape of Time: Remarks on the History of Things. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1962. 1. Print.

Raizman, David S. History of Modern Design. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd, 2003. 167. Print

Moments In Time

     A ray of sun shines it's bright light through the leaves of an oak tree. She squints and looks down. Her feet move slowly, each step makes a crisp sound as the foot lands on withered leaves. And in between each step, a moment of silence. There is a breeze, gently blowing through the trees. Strains of hair dances across her face, partly covering her eyes. What is she looking at? It's hard to tell. There is a smile on her face, a subtle gesture of appreciation perhaps.

     I've always been fascinated by details. They form the basis for everything bigger and one should never underestimate the power they can have, both in design and other areas of life. Exploring the details of a single leaf can sometimes be more rewarding than looking at a whole forest. When I think of a memory, I think of the moments it consisted of and from there, begin to think of the memory as a whole. Details are more important to me than larger settings because I feel they can contain more information, especially such as personal thoughts and associations. The reason for this is that I connect more with single objects or experiences than I do with general situations. Certain smells, gestures, objects, people or words may evoke my memories and these are all parts, details, that make up both my past and present and link them together. I strive to be present and aware in my everyday, so that I can cherish as much as possible, as fully as possible.

All photos by me except the last one (credit: Mom)