Opposing views in Design Theory

Washstand 1879 by William Burges

This washstand, designed by William Burges, epitomises how he thought furniture should look. Brightly painted, using rich materials and with complex fitments and references to literature and myth, the washstand was nonetheless highly functional. It has a water tank in the upper castellated section with a tap. The marble basin, inlaid with silver fish motifs, is fitted with a tap in the form of a bronze animal. The basin swivels so that the dirty water can be tipped into a bucket in the cupboard below.

William Burges was an architect as well as a designer of furniture, metalwork and jewellery. His style was heavily influenced by medieval art. He never married, was a freemason and a collector of armour, and was described by the wife of his patron as 'ugly Burges who designs lovely things'.

Evening Coat 1937 by Elsa Schiaparelli

Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973) was famed for her attractive and wittily designed evening ensembles. Her clothes were smart, sophisticated and often wildly eccentric, and she had a huge following.

Her ideas, coupled with those she commissioned from famous artists, were carried out with considerable skill. She had close connections to the art world, and to the Cubist and Surrealist movements in particular.

The design for the evening coat reveals Cocteau's preoccupation with the double image, a motif he consistently returned to in his work. The double image held particular fascination for several other artists associated with the Surrealist movement, including Dalí. The strong linear design on this coat can be read as two profiles facing each other, and in the negative space, a vase of roses standing on a fluted column.

Comparison of Designs

Both designs are unique in different ways. The Burges washstand is an elaborate design with lots of little sharp details, while the evening coat is a simple, classic and timeless piece.

WEEK 5 : V&A museum

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