This is the third in a series of exhibitions that put the spotlight on manufacturers and designers who embrace plastics as a material of value. This exhibition celebrates the work of 11 designers who have used plastics in their work to some extent.
What's in a name?
- Does it matter if we know who has designed an object?
- Do we feel differently about an object when we know who is behind the design?
Many plastics objects that we, as consumers, encounter daily have no maker’s mark on them. This means that we don't know who took the time and effort to design them; sometimes we don't even know who manufactured them. Because this effort or value is hidden behind a barrier of anonymity, we can't see it. As such, the object may be perceived as valueless especially when the product has been mass produced as in the case of many plastics objects.
If a designer’s name is associated with an object it shows that they value it. That the manufacturer values the product and values the designer. The object is no longer anonymous but has additional biography that helps us to understand it better.
From a museum perspective, knowing the designer and the manufacturer of an object means we can tell more engaging stories about the object. We can find out more about the designer as a person, what motived them, who they worked for, when they were active in their field, what opportunities they had to succeed, or, in the case of some of the designers in this exhibition, what obstacles they may have faced in their career.
Visit to the MoDiP website for more information about this exhibition.
