First Things First Manifesto

Although Ken Garland’s manifesto is inspiring it feels a bit hopeless. It’s true, our current economic system fuels design for the single purpose of profit and almost nothing else. You know we have a problem when we create beautiful artworks to convince people to buy their own deaths. Soda companies? Terrible. Tobacco companies? Terrible. Drug companies? Not only terrible but most of them need to be tried for crimes against humanity. Not only because they made it nearly impossible for natural cures to exist legally but also because they create cures for diseases that don’t exist. ADHD for example cannot POSSIBLY be a disease. Yet we prescribe adderol like it’s candy. (Adderol has a healthy does of amphetamines) Yes there are extreme cases in ADHD that might benefit from it but the majority of people who “have it” are in no way helping themselves.

That is the reason his manifesto feels so hopeless, it simply has no grounded reality unless designers suddenly decide to do charity work on a massive scale. Government action would be the best hope for this manifesto, but why would the taxpayers agree to fund artists? The average person does not look at minimalism and think “wow how refreshing” but something more along the lines of “wow is this a scam?” Not to mention the fact that government is often mismanaged, corrupt, and funds the dumbest projects. This is why artists do not have government funds in the first place. (Who was the genius who approved piss Christ?) Modern art has disenchanted people and caused them to lose faith in artists. The last century has made little progress in regards to beauty.

On a brighter note, I completely agree with the manifesto despite its bleak prospects. Design can change the world and it has. It has been for thousands of years from the time pharaohs decorated their palaces with symbolism of domination. More importantly, I love the idea that we can walk down a street and feel sensual bliss because it is decorated with sculptures, colors, designs, and has a nice melody playing in the background, but how can we achieve this? I have no doubt in my mind it is something we’ll achieve one day but not anytime soon.