Topic outline
As skateboarding pioneer Jay Adams once said, “style is everything!”. Controversy surrounding originality and uniqueness has always been evident in the history of Art & Design, and has been at the root of many notable pieces of Art. Duchamp’s Fountain is a great example of how Art doesn’t always have to be original in order to communicate ideas. Pablo Picasso is often quoted as saying “good artists copy, great artists steal.” In the study of Graphic Design, original ideas are usually pushed and encouraged, which can lead one to think that if an idea is not 100% original then it is not truly creative. Outside the creative sector, modern society is also fueled by the pressure to have “style”, although this definition of style differs slightly from the meaning that this essay will focus on. In advertising, products are marketed in ways that sell a certain style to the consumer. A shower gel might be sold as luxurious and sophisticated, likewise a backpack might be shown to contribute towards a healthy or adventurous lifestyle. People are faced with the task of presenting oneself in a way that they are happy being perceived by others. By definition, style is a particular procedure by which something is done; a manner or way. Or – a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed. The different ways to define the term style are quite paradoxical as they suggest uniqueness but allow for the grouping of similar ideas.
Style is what sets people apart from one another, but also draws people towards similar things.
Style is a combination of subject matter, mediums and technique. An artist’s style shouldn’t be judged good or bad. Their execution might be criticized, the colors might be perceived as ugly, or the composition seen as weak, but the style is what it is. It’s that extra little thing you do to distinguish your work from that of other artists.
In my Design practice, I often feel a pressure to find my own style in order to be successful or offer something that others can’t. I am fascinated by the idea that style is a natural phenomenon that is somewhat beyond an individual’s control. In this essay I will hone in on the theory of style and aesthetics, and reflect on what role this concept plays in contemporary art & design. I want to answer what it means to have style and how the definition and practicalities may have changed in a competitive creative industry.
Key text analysis
The text in question was written by French composer, pianist, music teacher and writer Ferdinand Praeger. It was written in 1886 and gives an earlier insight into the theory of style that may show how the definition of style has changed over time. The text refers to style in music aswell as other forms of art which I will use to reference today. The first quote I intend to analyze broadly rounds up Praegers stance on the importance of style. “Style is truth, is therefore nature. Manner being a copy, is no longer true. It is artificial, and artificiality can never replace nature.” From this we can make the conclusion that style cannot be replicated or forced, it can only come from within. It also makes the point that anything stylistically that isn’t naturally occurring is no longer true, and seeks to imitate anothers mannerisms. This comparison to truth reinforces a notion of importance to having style as one would not want to align themselves with the untrue or not genuine. He then goes on to say “Every artist should have the courage and strength to say: “The tonal pourtrayal of the picture counjured up in my mind shall be in my language, in my own style, and not fashioned after anothers particular mode of utterance, be it ever so worshipped””. This statement makes it clear that praegers stance on style is such that every artists should work from their own ideas and beliefs without the temptation of imitating anothers work, even if it successful. With so many individuals in the world one must question, how many possible approaches to the same thing are there? Exercises in Style (French: Exercices de style), written by Raymond Queneau, is a collection of 99 retellings of the same story, each in a different style and is a good example of how the same thing can be represented in many different ways.
Styles are bound to overlap along the line when considering influence, which leads on to the next quote from the text that I would like to analyze. One way in which the industry could have changed the value of style could be through the. It is arguable that style is of greater importance when the tools required to output. In the design industry there are pros and cons of having personal style. It could be suggested that having a style could limit the potential for work. If that particular style is no longer on trend then a designer may struggle to find work. It is therefore important for style to be adaptable and applicable to different mediums. In skateboarding, style is arguably everything. As jay adams
“Nothing is more opposed to the naturally beautiful and true than the padding out of a poor cadence with useless ornamentation. Music is the tonal embodiment of feeling and the dress should be worthy of the matter.” To me this quote sums up perfectly the idea that style can’t be forced. Once an artist is fully familiar with his tools he will choose the appropriate means of production naturally. To do so is style. To fail to do so is to impose a false
The quote “grand and imposing treatment of thin, and sometimes barron ideas, is a grave error.” shows that style is not always necessary in order to execute certain ideas, especially if they lack substance or depth. From this quote one could assume that it would be a mistake to put style over clarity and communication. In a design context this could suggest that style isn’t always appropriate and isn’t the most important aspect of design. This makes sense as some ideas often need to be stripped of all stylistic features in order to be successful e.g design for a government document or letter. In turn this shows how the application of style has changed over time.
In the book Beyond aesthetics by DON R BROTHWELL, the author (referring to the theory of beauty) talks about how a sense of aesthetic is something that can be found to occur naturally in humans, and possibly animals, suggesting that there is an unconscious ability, or perhaps urge to “correct” things visually, or achieve a loose balance that stimulates our sense of aesthetics. If tests carried out with painting apes conclude that a sense of aesthetics is present in animals, as the book suggests, then it could be said that style is a product of this phenomenon. To expand, style could be shown to be a means of one being demonstrating its own unique sense of aesthetic, which differs from another’s, but is also limited in its form by the physical make-up of its creator, and influenced by outside factors such as culture, race, place of birth etc.
To conclude I would say that style is still of great importance in the creative sector. Style is what sets one person apart from another, and gives them something that nobody else has. Furthermore original style gives a person a sense of genuinely and truthfulness. Having style can however be disadvantageous in the design environment as it can limit the number of jobs one is able to undertake, as a specific style may not be suitable for all briefs. Similarly if an individuals particular style of work is not favourable or on trend then they may miss out on work opportunities. To have a style is to essentially dedicate your practice to a particular look or aesthetic. Within Design stylew
Based on the findings of my text analysis I would suggest that one must not place style at the top of their list of priorities, and instead should learn the ins and outs of their chosen craft. I have uncovered that in order to achieve a style one should take influence from many different areas and use this to inform their own work.
References
- Brothwell, Don R. Beyond Aesthetics. 1st ed. London: Thames and Hudson, 1976. Print.
- Dickie, George. Aesthetics – An Introduction. 1st ed. Indianapolis: Pegasus, 1971. Print.
- “Ferdinand Praeger”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. Apr. 2017.
- “Finding Your Own Style As A Designer. – Tobias Van Schneider – Medium”. Medium. N.p., 2017. Web. May 2017.
- Le, Nguyen, Nguyen Le, and Nguyen Le. “AMA – What Do You Think About A Designer Having A Style? And Do You Think You Have One?”. Verse. N.p., 2017. Web. May 2017.
- Peralta, Stacey. Bones Brigade: An Autobiography. 2012. film.
- Peralta, Stacey. Dogtown And Z-Boys. Vans, 2002. film.
- Praeger, Ferdinand. Proceedings Of The Musical Association, 12Nd Sess.. 1st ed. Taylor & Francis, Ltd., 1886. Print.
- Schwarz, Daniel. “What On Earth Is A Design Aesthetic & Why Do I Need One?”. Creative Market. N.p., 2017. Web. May 2017.
- “What Does It Mean To Have A Design Style? – Celine Nguyen – Medium”. Medium. N.p., 2017. Web. May 2017.