Čičmany ornaments in graphic and product design

Abstract

The aim of the article is to map the development of ornaments from Čičmany village, their “journey” from the past to the present day, as they are currently the most used Slovak folk pattern, especially in the graphic and product design. The author starts with an introduction of the topic and explains the basic terms. Then the village is briefly presented, which is followed by the description of ornamental decorations on the outer walls of log houses in Čičmany. The next section explains the origin and function of this particular tradition. The decorative paintings on houses were linked to the local con-struction and can be divided into three stages which were defined by ethnographer Vilém Pražák. The following section describes the historical events due to which the tradition might have ended; fortunately, it did not happen, thanks to the influence and initiative of Dušan Jurkovič who also helped to increase the “visibility” of the village. Besides construction and history, the author also explores another local tradition—embroidery—that currently inspires the ornamental decorations on houses. Some of the basic symbols have been analysed using semiotic analysis. The section before last presents examples of the use of Čičmany motives in several areas of design, ranging from textile products through books, graphic applications—logos, fonts and posters for local events to tasteful souvenirs. In the conclusion, the author presents opinions of a designer as well as a former mayor of the village on the topic of Čičmany ornaments, assesses the use of this source of inspiration and offers a vision for the future.

Keywords

• ornament
• čičmany
• symbol
• tradition
• log house
• embroidery
• design