THE CULTURAL PHENOMENON OF DESIGN AND ART INDUSTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA

Javier Ramos

【Abstract】The design as well as other type of arts, and in general any socio-cultural phenomenon, is involved in various historical circles or processes of short, medium or long term, In this sense, one could say that the object of design affects us on everyday life. Arts and specifically design has different characteristics that strongly affect the formation and insertion of new ideas into social nets. But, unfortunately, the design development in Latin America is not part of that same process, or at least there is no evidence of it.

【Key words】Art;Design;Latin America

Questions do not end.Why our philosophical aesthetics professionals do not exceed three or four?Why just few professionals dedicated to criticize,theorize and historicize the fine arts?Why there is a lack of publications and the professional level is not very high?Why we lack of specialists in many aspects of the arts,such as education and professional school, market and diffusion?

Why are we still only fluttering around the artwork?

Juan Acha①

Through the history of industrial design itself,which inevitably coincides with the Industrial Revolution and the early Mechanistic thought, design has been transformed according to different historical moments and the way society have been hosting it.The particularity of the design can be understood from its possibility to be seen through the perspective of the historical,technological,socio-cultural,political or artistic view.This feature makes the contemporary design object be inserted in almost all areas and levels of the society and therefore mark an important role in the development,evolution and characterization of it. Design in Latin America arrives "ready to use".Basically,the design came to Latin America without time to be inserted into social life without breaking it. In that moment,based on the social changes experienced during the nineteenth century, the design starts to be part of society in the way we know it now.A sum of socio-cultural burdens that drags to technological and technical developments, does not escape the speed that the mass media have imposed to it.The design object then becomes more complex,not only because it represents the society itself that adopts it, but by affecting the aesthetics of a specific culture.

The design as well as the fine arts,and in general,as any socio-cultural phenomenon,is involved in various historical circles or processes of short, medium or long term, as was suggested by the historian Fernand Braudel②.In this sense, one could say that,the object of design affects everyday life, the passing of a lifetime and the cycles of an ideology and a way of seeing the world.The design from this point of view,is ephemeral and permanent,fast and fleeting as slow and tendentious,anyway,no longer a phenomenon for artistic or aesthetic itself to get included within the complexity of the socio-cultural system.

Taking a historical overview of design principles in the West③(Europe and USA) it is evident that it was conceived not only as an artistic movement or an aesthetic trend, but as an answer to a need of the society at that time.The ways of seeing the world, ideals and expectations coupled with technical and technological developments,lead design to grown in a faster speed and allow it to go directly to the tissues of the aesthetic culture of past times that remains until now.In this order of ideas,other stories about design have different characteristics that strongly affect the formation and insertion of design in social nets.The development of design in Latin America is not a part of the aforementioned process.

While in the West,the design begins to be constructed from aesthetic movements,artistic interests,academic positions,or technical and technological innovations,design in Latin America arrives "ready to use". Basically,the design came to Latin America without time to be inserted into social life without breaking it.It is playing a role in a stage for the historic moment which does not belong to.

This idea does not contradict the latent need of introduce design in our societies in order to search development.What the design represented and represents for aesthetic culture of the West should and can be seen into Latin American culture, not only in an artistic level or as an aesthetic movement,but also as a booming force for technical,industrial, commercial and socio-cultural development.Design,contributes to development,as it can act in the same direction as other components of the host society,and it becomes part of the socio-cultural phenomena surrounding it,Industrial design and other design in a broad view,enrich aesthetic culture,improving the quality of life standards and pushes the industrial,technical and technological sectors toward innovation and productivity.

The design as part of society has effects that unfortunately for our communities(Latin America) have not emerged.In part,because the efforts to build a culture of design in Latin American come from very limited and small sectors,since the chance to think about the future has not emerge well.An industrial sector characterized by the only the interest of sell,regardless its competitiveness will have a negative effect over our communities and requirements.

Latin America has an invaluable aesthetic richness,a recognized collective aesthetic sensibility,but its material production does not seem to come from the same socio-cultural circle.Our culturedoes not yet include aesthetic design(graphic,textile,fashion,advertising,industrial,etc.) as one of its sources, and therefore,design does not play an important role in the socio-cultural marketplace.