“Ornamentation and decoration, geometry and pattern have been used for centuries as a way to convey something about cultural identity and references to history.”
– Abraham Thomas
What does an eighteenth-century silver candlestick have in common with a 1980s Alessi teapot and an East London pumping station? The secret lies in a shared language of design, ornament and pattern that has persisted throughout history, encoding even the most functional objects and spaces with a sense of the provocative, subversive and expressive.
Abraham Thomas, Daniel Brodsky Curator of Modern Architecture, Design and Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York traces the fascinating arc of ornamentation in architecture and design, exploring how designers have continuously negotiated the boundaries between beauty and utility, scale and intimacy, and the public and domestic realms.
This video has been produced as part of Observations – NGV’s annual program of events that invites close examination of the NGV Collection, and unlocks its stories through the eyes of international researchers, curators, and writers.
Observations is generously supported by an anonymous donor.