Calligraphy as a Metaphoric Tool for Basic Design Courses

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to show that works of art (painting, music, sculpture, literature, etc.) can be used as means of guidance for the designers, and triggering creativity. On the other hand, the secondary purpose is to prove the mettle art of calligraphy as a tool of guidance for the freshmen and a trigger for creativity in the context of basic design discipline. During the fall semesters in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, the main theme for Basic Design Course at Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Architecture was chosen and determined as “Anatolian Arts”. Within the context of the chosen theme, it was tried to reveal the potential relationship between “Anatolian Arts and Basic Design Elements and Principles”, moreover, the usability of Anatolian Arts as a tool of design. In this aim, from the whole semester, only one sample of practice has been chosen to put forward the hypothesis of relationship between arts and education increases the creativity in terms of basic design elements (dot, line, direction, shape/form, distance, size, proportion), for this study; a sampling through “basic design elements” with the “art of calligraphy” has been made. Within this hypothesis, the “art of calligraphy” and its characters were introduced briefly and this characteristic situation was questioned in the given design problems by means of “basic design elements”. In short, this study, which exemplifies the state of calligraphy as a metaphoric tool in design education, focuses on the partnerships of calligraphy and basic design elements. Design elements such as “dot”, “line”, “direction”, “shape/form”, “distance”, “size” and “proportion”are reinterpreted in the context of the characteristics of calligraphy. Thus, the art of calligraphy has become a metaphoric tool.

Keywords

• design education, basic design, anatolian arts, calligraphy, metaphor.