Tuesday 24 April 2012

The Surface of Design



In his essay of the above title, Jacques Ranciere draws comparisons between Magritte's 'The Art of Conversation' and the German 'Odol' mouthwash advert in which the brand's letters take form in the ruins of an amphitheatre. This image is not easily obtainable, but led me to Stuart Davis's 'Odol' of 1924- a Pop image made before Pop. Ranciere's essay of 2002 links a wide range of subjects, through new ways of thinking about 'design'- from Peter Behrens, to Lois Fuller, to Stephane Mallarme, to Magritte. One of Magritte's works from the series begun in 1950, and Davis's work, enter TOP 10 PAINTINGS to the right.