Field Trip #2 Reaction

Field Trip #2: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Topic: “Design in Our Lives”

DUE: 10/14

Whether or not we consciously consider it, art infiltrates our lives on a daily basis. Design influences everything around us from the products we use, to the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, to the spaces we inhabit. The Museum of Modern Art has a special interest in the field of design. They have an entire floor of their museum and a stand-alone design store to prove it!

For our second field trip, we will go to the exhibit “Talk to Me” on the third floor of the MoMA. This exhibit features an eclectic sampling of contemporary artists and designers who blur the lines between the two fields. Some of the objects are made for real world utility (like the MTA card vending machine in the gallery…which actually works!), and some of the objects are…well…less practical (you must see the artificial “Menstruation Machine” to believe it). The study of functionality in design is called Ergonomics. It may help to research this topic before writing your response.

For your paper, you must write about four different works from this exhibit. Two of the works must have “high functionality” and two works must have “low functionality.” Since there is no such thing as “perfect design,” your opinion about an object’s functionality will be somewhat subjective. In your writing, compare and contrast the varying degrees of utility that you assign to your objects. How do you define these categories? What do your “high functionality” objects have in common? What makes the “high functionality” objects so user-friendly? What do your “low functionality” objects have in common? How could you alter these objects to make them more ergonomic? Also, consider whether an object needs to be highly functional to be good design. Are art and design always two separate ideas? If not, where do they meet?

Your writing needs to be 250 words. Post the writing on your Blogger page under the title, “Design in Our Lives Reaction”, and label the post “Field Trip 2”.

At the end of your post, cite the four artworks that you choose in the following format. This information is generally available on the wall near the artwork:

Artist’s Full Name (this may be the name of a design firm or a collective)

“Title of Work” (write this in quotations)*

Year Completed

*When referencing the work in the body of your writing, also be sure to write the titles in quotations.