Baudrillard - Post Modern thoughts.

What is the difference between art and design?

In this post I will continue with my musings on this question and try to come a tiny bit closer to understanding what both words are really on about, if they are the same thing and if not then what do they mean?

During class last week we were given a chance to express our thoughts in response to the question that was posed the week before, ‘Is there a difference between art and design? And if so what is it?’ Now, you can see that I have written considerably on my thoughts regarding this issue but perhaps it is worth my while to discuss a few of the ideas that were suggested in class.

The discussion in class was geared in the direction that there is an inherent difference between the two, though quite clearly in my writings I believe that they both work together complimenting each other in synergy. Though I have just suggested that they both are very similar if not the same I realize that it is really open to personal interpretation, as are most things.

One notion that was suggested in class was that the definition of ‘what is art?’ is dependent upon the society in which we live. What has existed previously and was not considered art could perhaps in today’s society be considered art. ‘What is art?’ is strongly dictated by the culture and politics of the society in which we live.

It is quite a challenging question, one that is no doubt open to many answers. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to interpret each word as they like. Yes, there are common understandings of each word though even with these one can take them and read them, as they themselves understand them, in some respects a stage in the process of Baurillards Simulacrum and similarly in Saussurean semiotics.