A continuing interest in the relationship between the 'decorative' and the 'technological' is a key area that underpins the author's artistic practice. This paper surveys the historical links between the production of applied and decorative art and the emergence of associated technologies as it relates to the author's Art practice. The focus is on Asia's influence on European applied and decorative arts as resulting from the trade relationship evolved over many centuries. Particular emphasis is placed on the period between 17th-19th centuries and with specific reference to textiles. This trade relationship affected European taste, the supply and demand of luxury goods, and introduced technological developments, which in turn had a marked effect on the European social and cultural environment. A brief comparison is made with contemporary trade and production relationships between the West and developng nations, particularly in the East-looking at parallels in trade patterns and systems, which were laid down during 17th-19th century period and are still present today. / Master of Arts (Hons) Contemporary Art

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Anthropology, 2006. / "This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Adobe Acrobat"--ProQuest document view. Includes bibliographical references.

The Canadian firm of Jacques & Hay was in business for fifty years, during which the company, if The Globe (Toronto) is to be believed, furnished the Province of Canada. This was a stunning and largely undocumented success. Jacques & Hay was one of the largest employers in the province and dominated the cabinet-making trade from 1835 to 1885. In 1871, Jacques & Hay employed 430 men and 50 women in a vertically-integrated operation that included a sawmill, two factories and a showroom. Jacques & Hay produced abundant furniture at reasonable prices. The availability of such household furnishings greatly enhanced domestic life in nineteenth-century Canada, providing scope for a more elaborate social life and allowing more people to achieve a greater sense of comfort and decency in their living arrangements.

The Canadian firm of Jacques & Hay was in business for fifty years, during which the company, if The Globe (Toronto) is to be believed, furnished the Province of Canada. This was a stunning and largely undocumented success. Jacques & Hay was one of the largest employers in the province and dominated the cabinet-making trade from 1835 to 1885. In 1871, Jacques & Hay employed 430 men and 50 women in a vertically-integrated operation that included a sawmill, two factories and a showroom. Jacques & Hay produced abundant furniture at reasonable prices. The availability of such household furnishings greatly enhanced domestic life in nineteenth-century Canada, providing scope for a more elaborate social life and allowing more people to achieve a greater sense of comfort and decency in their living arrangements.

This report is a case study of the presentation of craft at the Renwick Gallery, the craft museum of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). The Renwick, founded in 1976, is a curatorial department of SAAM, focusing in modern and contemporary American craft. Through an examination of the museum’s galleries and exhibitions, interviews with staff, and an analysis of educational programming, this thesis explores how the Renwick defines craft implicitly and explicitly. Giving a context for this study is a history of the Renwick Gallery, as well as history of craft and its definitions. With these histories as background, the ways that the Renwick, and thus its visitors, understand craft is explored. The qualities specific to craft in the literature and manifest at the Renwick are examined in order to determine how they influence the presentation of craft at the Renwick. / text

Attempts during the late twentieth century to create an office/work space containing an appropriate amount of flexibility, combined with generic specificity (to make speculative developments economically viable) have failed. High-rise workplaces no longer work [there's no room for fun and just being there is a drag]. The nature of work is changing [the nature of work is change]. As early as 1993, 21% of Fortune 500 companies had telecommuting programs in place. By 2000,80% of all jobs in America will involve knowledge work. Today, 15% of active people work 50% of their time at home [or outside of what would be considered (traditional) office space]. Lines between formal and social programs within the workplace are beginning to blur. The product of these changes in the economic climate, coupled with the continued advancement/development of mobile and information technologies necessitate evolution of the workplace.

<p> As e-commerce becomes an increasingly large industry, questions remain about how the isolated effects of design elements on websites influence consumer perceptions and purchasing behavior. This study used a quantitative approach to measuring the effect of a ubiquitous element of design, white space, on the perception of the monetary value of individual items. White space is a key component of design and website usability, yet it has been shown to be related to the perception of luxury. Little is known about the direct relationship between manipulation of white space and the outcomes on consumer perceptions of value in an e-commerce context. This study found no significant difference between two levels of total white space area (large vs. small) measured by participants' perceived cost of items (chairs). In contrast, while holding total white space constant, the effect of white space distance between images was significant for males but not for females. Additionally, no significant relationship between gender and frequency of online shopping behavior was found, &chi;²(1) = 3.19, <i>p</i> = .07, &phis; = .17. Gender and amount of time spent per month online were significantly related, &chi;²(1) = 6.21, <i>p</i> = .013, &phis; = .24.</p>

The Canadian firm of Jacques & Hay was in business for fifty years, during which the company, if The Globe (Toronto) is to be believed, furnished the Province of Canada. This was a stunning and largely undocumented success. Jacques & Hay was one of the largest employers in the province and dominated the cabinet-making trade from 1835 to 1885. In 1871, Jacques & Hay employed 430 men and 50 women in a vertically-integrated operation that included a sawmill, two factories and a showroom. Jacques & Hay produced abundant furniture at reasonable prices. The availability of such household furnishings greatly enhanced domestic life in nineteenth-century Canada, providing scope for a more elaborate social life and allowing more people to achieve a greater sense of comfort and decency in their living arrangements.

This is an attempt to understand the interaction of meanings of brand identity and &amp / #8216 / designed&amp / #8217 / product from the consumers&amp / #8217 / viewpoint. Brand Identity is taken as the &amp / #8216 / conceived&amp / #8217 / identity, which overlaps with concepts of brand image and brand associations. &amp / #8216 / Designed&amp / #8217 / product is analyzed via dimensions of function, form (aesthetic) and symbol. The aim of the thesis is to find patterns of interaction of functional, emotive and symbolic associations for brand identity and the functional, formal (aesthetic) and symbolic communication of the &amp / #8216 / designed&amp / #8217 / product. A qualitative research paradigm is followed in the thesis, given the emphasis on consumer-constructed meanings. Projective tasks based on dummy models and word associations are used as research tools. The product group included in the study is mobile phones because of high awareness levels and wide interest of the consumers. The context of the interaction is constrained by the nature of product group (fashion and high-tech item) as well as the properties of brands used in the study (Nokia, Motorola and Samsung).

In this article are the results of research of empirical data from two pedagogical experiences using Mathematical Modeling with two groups: one with 28 students from the last period of a course of mathematics teachers, and another with 21 teachers of a course of continuing education. The objectives of the course were: teach Mathematical Modeling, and in sequence, modeling as a method of teaching. The data about the interest for the proposal and the need of the two groups in learning modeling for use in practice was raised from interviews and issues raised and works done by them. Even though the importance of Mathematical Modeling as a method of teaching is not underestimated, some aspects exemplify the difficulties for the participants in changing the concept of teaching and learning: formation of the participants and the need for formation. Key-words: Mathematical Modeling, possibilities and challenges.