Historicizing Shininess in Design: Finding Meaning in an Unstable Phenomenon

摘要

Our day to day experience can convince us that we live in a world comprised of stable materials: surfaces appear hard; structures seem permanent; our perception feels authentic. This Special Issue argues that shininess is a paradoxical phenomenon: despite its perceptual and linguistic slipperiness, when placed in specific historical context it can be conceptually pinned down, though often momentarily. Light, surface and perception act in concert, both betraying objects' physicality while suggesting their cultural significance.