A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Homely Affinities
Adrian Forty in his book Objects of Desire: Design and Society since 1750 (1986) drew on social anthropologist Mary Douglas's remarks about dirt in Purity and Danger (1966) to help explain the appearance of a wide variety of modern objects and spaces. Forty worked from Douglas's definition of dirt as ‘matter out of place’ and showed that product design played an especially important role in purifying efforts in the home. This essay considers how Douglas's work relates to Forty's. The relationship was not a personal one: even though Douglas was something of a legend when Forty was at UCL, he never actually met her or heard her lecture. Indeed, when one goes back to Objects of Desire to search out Forty's references to Douglas, they are surprisingly slight given their impact. In this sense, this essay speaks less about influences and more about affinities, for what is most interesting about reading Douglas's and Forty's books today is how they resonate with each other. There is a kind of shared sensibility: both books are ‘homely’, in that their authors discuss home – though they mention nondomestic spaces as well – and express ideas in a plain and unvarnished way.
Homely Affinities
Adrian Forty in his book Objects of Desire: Design and Society since 1750 (1986) drew on social anthropologist Mary Douglas's remarks about dirt in Purity and Danger (1966) to help explain the appearance of a wide variety of modern objects and spaces. Forty worked from Douglas's definition of dirt as ‘matter out of place’ and showed that product design played an especially important role in purifying efforts in the home. This essay considers how Douglas's work relates to Forty's. The relationship was not a personal one: even though Douglas was something of a legend when Forty was at UCL, he never actually met her or heard her lecture. Indeed, when one goes back to Objects of Desire to search out Forty's references to Douglas, they are surprisingly slight given their impact. In this sense, this essay speaks less about influences and more about affinities, for what is most interesting about reading Douglas's and Forty's books today is how they resonate with each other. There is a kind of shared sensibility: both books are ‘homely’, in that their authors discuss home – though they mention nondomestic spaces as well – and express ideas in a plain and unvarnished way.
Homely Affinities
Borden, Iain (editor) / Fraser, Murray (editor) / Penner, Barbara (editor) / Penner, Barbara (author)
2015-03-24
6 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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