were mostly used in an ironic and playful manner, designers in the modern eclectic style employ quotations as a means of deriving new design interpretations and, ultimately, new designs. SCULPTURE ⁄ SCULPTURAL A sculpture (from Latin “sculpere” = to carve, create, chisel) is a three-dimensional body (mostly a piece of art) which has a powerful and symbolic appearance from several perspectives and which clearly distinguishes itself from its environment (compare: Plastic). A sculptural design element delivers its own, autonomous statement, is independent of its environ- ment and has a strong influence on the viewer’s perception of a space (compare: AXOR Edge). SENSUALITY ⁄ SENSUAL Colloquially, sensuality means turning the senses or the receptivity of the sense organs toward outer impressions. Perception makes it possible for us to distinguish our environment for its materials and forms, and to recognize and categorize things from their characteristics. Often sensuality is associated with eroticism, but also with sensual driving forces, preferences, desires and passions, needs, and feelings of pleasure and displeasure. Sensual as an adjective describes something “happening through or recognizing something by senses” or “belonging to the senses”. The term sensual is also used in the context of “concentrating on senses”, if the product focuses on the human senses. Design can be sensual, if it attracts someone in an emotional way and if touch, sight and taste are triggered in a positive way. Sensual design is often combined with a comfortable feel and ⁄ or balanced look (compare: Golden Ratio) (compare: AXOR Starck Organic). STYLE Style is primarily the expression of personality. It is not restricted to individual expression and can also signify the presentation and expression of an epoch (such as Jugendstil), a region (like the Italian “Bel Design”), or an artist ⁄ group of artists or designers (Bauhaus, Memphis, etc.). A style is identified by recurring, characteristic features and by a particular choice and use of forms. In fine arts, it is called a style if these features form a pattern that appears in numerous individual works. These characteristics can develop into a personal style (also called individual style) found in art, design or in fashion. However, a style can be considered archaic, idealist or naturalist, independent of personalities or time periods. In
American cars seem overproportioned to Europeans, but still harmonious as a whole. Extra-long necks, considered an ideal of beauty in some African cultures, challenge our perception of proportions. In fashion, taste changes faster than in other areas, whereas in architecture it is relatively more constrained by structural requirements. PURISM ⁄ PURISTIC Today, the term purism (from Latin “purus” = clear ⁄ pure or French “le purisme” = the Purism) is mostly used as a synonym for simplicity and frugality. Purism is a style within the modern art and architecture of the 20th century. It was originally used in the sense of linguistic purism, which advocated a pure, unaltered style, free of any foreign objects. Purists want to keep a cultural characteristic as authentic, original and pure as possible. A strictly classical design can also be considered purist. Purism is therefore always associated with a certain sense of stringency. As a design movement, purism developed from an aesthetic trend which itself derived from Russian constructivism, a style which called for clear, austere art modelled on the basis of purely architectural and geometric forms. The ideal is a composition of elementary geometric forms that avoid purely decorative effects. In contemporary design terminology, purism stands for the extremely reduced use of forms with an almost ascetic character. An ethical component can also be perceived: modesty in outward appearance meant to convey a nearly sacral concentration on intrinsic value. Since purism also represents the ideal of authenticity, nothing is concealed (as opposed to minimalism) to achieve a more homogenous and harmonious appearance. All elements should speak for themselves. Typical features of purism include a minimal combination of materials, untreated surfaces, clarity through sharp lines, geometric or archetypal forms (including traditional, simple forms), strong contrasts with few primary colors and combinations of black, white and grey. Purism is characterized by structure, timelessness and substance (compare: AXOR Uno). QUOTATION In general usage, quotation refers to the literal repetition of a part of a text. In the context of art, architecture and design, quotation describes the reclamation of parts of an older work in the process of creating a new one. Quotation is a technique that has been popular in many periods in art history and was revived in the 20th century, particularly by postmodernists. While in postmodernity quotations
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