Essays

The very desk and chair that I am using when writing this essay must have been designed by somebody. The designs are simple and crude, and can hardly be called works of art. Nevertheless these humble desk and chair serve their purpose well enough.

Looking around myself in the classroom, the school and, in fact, that whole world, I come to realize that almost everything has a certain design of its own, especially man-made things.

My school was built long before I was born and the architects of those days must had very different views about how a building should be like. The walls are a foot thick, the pillars gigantic and the elaborate arches and angles on the building are so markedly different from the buildings being built these days. By contrast the school's new science block looks so simplistic and bare. Modern school buildings are designed to be functional only. There are no fancy artworks, only the barest minimum prevails- The old buildings have a certain charm of their own. The new cheaply made science block seems so cold and lifeless.

Simplicity seems to be the trend of modem buildings, as compared to the elaborate designs of yesteryears. The Old Delhi railways station stands out distinctly among Ac ultra-modern high-rise buildings surrounding it. Although dwarfed by these skyscrapers, the railway station still retains its beauty and antique identity. It is always pleasant to look at its various structures and designs and wonder why we do not make such buildings anymore. Maybe it is too expensive or maybe it is because it has become unfashionable to do so.

The clothes that we wear are also the results of the efforts of the designers. While most of us would go around in simple clothes, there are others who would spend a fortune on designer-clothes, that is, clothes especially designed by certain well-known designers, which do not come cheap anyway. However, for the price paid the wearer gets to 'stand out' from the crowd- I, for one cannot distinguish between a thousand $ shirt and a hundred $one, unless of course I see the labels. Still I must admit that some of the outfits sported by some daring souls look very nice indeed, on the other hand some of them look absolutely outrageous. I am no hero, so 1 stick to more conservatively designed clothes.

Book and magazine covers are designed with one thing in mind, that is, to catch the eyes of the reader So, nowadays, we see most books and magazines with glossy artworks on their covers. The covers make extensive use of colours so as to be attractive. Some of these covers are indeed beautifully designed. The artists must be congratulated for their good works. The same cannot be said for the contents of some of the books, though.

In other areas of human enterprise, design again plays an important role. Cars are designed to look beautiful as well as functional. Towns are designed to look beautiful as Well as liveable. Modern townships are designed for ultra-comforts. Roads are designed for faster and safer travelling. Shoes are designed for durability and comfort. Development projects are designed for progress, etc.

All these man-made things are designed for specific functions. How much these things can be considered 'art' depends solely on the beholder Other than paintings and other especially created art-objects, most man-made things are not meant to be art. They are meant only to serve a specific purpose.

If we want to look at works of art in everyday life then we will have to fall back on the Mother Nature. Golden sunsets and clear blue skies can never be created by any man. Deep red roses, fluttering butterflies, chirping birds and rolling thunder never fail to impress anyone. Nature's perfection and spontaneity are really works of art. They occur everyday for us to behold and get amazed. AU we have to do is to learn to appreciate and relish them.