What You See, Is What You See
Shreya Shah
Modernist design follows the idea that geometric elements and compositions can represent larger philosophies of life through abstract forms. These compositions are universally understood but are also subjective. They attempt to find new or hidden meaning within the human experience. Design principle books and modernist designers offer far less flexibility in their interpretations. I find this to be a contradiction. As Frank Stella said, “what you see, is what you see.” Since design is thinking, design is subjective. This project uses these design compositions and works by modernist designers as source material. It aims to view them as something other than what they represent. Through its narratives and captions, the three books aim to poke fun at these rigid principles while appreciating their influence. The narratives reference existential themes. Since existentialism emphasises individual experience, freedom and choice, and is based on the view that humans define their own meaning in life, it was an appropriate theme.