Cheap Ass Elites by Saran Yen Blends Highbrow and Lowbrow Items
Marissa Brassfield — June 5, 2011 — Social Good
Cheap Ass Elites by Saran Yen is a clever installation that fuses mass-produced items like shopping baskets with design cues from highbrow furniture to create a hybrid piece that makes a social statement.
Yen says of his work, "This project is a critic on the gap between the rich and the poor, good taste and bad taste, and social hierarchy in modern society." The chairs in the first image, for example, blend plastic "working-class objects" with chair legs that are stereotypical of opulent classical furniture. What should be the ideal blend of highbrow and lowbrow culture -- a chair suitable for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds -- is instead an out-of-place eyesore.
Saran Yen is a student at Stockholm's Konstfack Design School. Cheap Ass Elites is a fascinating look at how design is differentiated by social class, even in our modern society.
Yen says of his work, "This project is a critic on the gap between the rich and the poor, good taste and bad taste, and social hierarchy in modern society." The chairs in the first image, for example, blend plastic "working-class objects" with chair legs that are stereotypical of opulent classical furniture. What should be the ideal blend of highbrow and lowbrow culture -- a chair suitable for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds -- is instead an out-of-place eyesore.
Saran Yen is a student at Stockholm's Konstfack Design School. Cheap Ass Elites is a fascinating look at how design is differentiated by social class, even in our modern society.
Trend Themes
1. Hybrid Design - There is an opportunity to create hybrid pieces that combine elements of highbrow and lowbrow culture to make a social and artistic statement.
2. Social Critique - Artists and designers can use their work to critique societal issues such as the gap between the rich and the poor and social hierarchy.
3. Design Differentiation - Designers can explore how design is differentiated by social class and create pieces that challenge these differences.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture - The furniture industry can embrace the concept of hybrid design and create pieces that appeal to a wider range of socioeconomic backgrounds.
2. Art - Artists can use their artwork to provide social critique and spark discussions about issues such as wealth inequality and social hierarchy.
3. Design - The design industry can explore ways to challenge and break down societal design differences based on social class.
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