02 / Art of Utopia / Methodology
Barrett Ratcliffe has tendency to operate from a self-devised philosophy akin to, but not originally inspired by, Wabi Sabi – (The Japanese Art of Impermanence). Additionally with reference to the Arts and Crafts Movement, focusing on life itself as ‘design’ for living artfully, yet, also artlessly. Ethics integral within the methodology & products of this practice.
Material Processes, by hand, machine & nature crafted techniques, controlled as well as unconstrained.
Focuses include deriving function from the defunct, a utopian ethic with an existentialist core. A process defined as De-Signing; De/ re-stabilisation of the senses via displacement, transition, the alternative or absurd, for purposes of re-educating and re-programming.
“Design is that area of human experience, skill and knowledge which is concerned with man’s ability to mould his environment to suit his material and spiritual needs.”
The Need for Design Education. Royal College of Art. Archer, B (1973)
Barret Ratcliffe relates Utopias to be located within the meditative act of crafting. Creating, as mindfulness. Emptiness relating phenomenology and the transformative and empowering realisation of subjectivism, ultimately regards no-thing or no place, otherwise relating as a lack. Further defined as the self termed Spectrum Void, acting as catalyst & inspiration to the new, alternative or even enlightenment. Within such realms lies the transformative power of the creative act, the very reference points and seeds of this artistic process and the reasoning behind citing this practice as genuinely, not fashionably, Utopian.
Ou Topos – No where/ Now here.
Transit, translate, transact.
Further reading on this arts based philosophy can be found at:
www.generalmagnetic.wordpress.com The Art of Utopia.
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