Ornament and Design: Space, Self, Future
Abby Lee
This thesis investigates ornament as a dynamic design element, tracing its evolution from the Latin ornare to its
contested status in modern design. Often dismissed as mere decoration, ornament reflects cultural narratives, societal
values, and labor dynamics. Using Adolf Loos’ 1908 essay "Ornament and Crime" as a critical starting point, the research
unpacks modernist biases and reevaluates ornament's communicative potential across architecture, jewelry,
self-adornment, and digital media. Framed through past, present, and future lenses, it challenges utilitarian
definitions of function, emphasizing ornament’s aesthetic and rhetorical roles in shaping meaning within both physical
and digital design contexts. Following a long tradition of the study of material objects, this thesis celebrates
ornament as a dynamic and transformative element in design, bridging historical roots with modern narratives.
Thesis Book
I approached my written thesis through a framework of art and design history, material culture, and visual and rhetorical analysis. It is a heavily research-based project, so I chose a somewhat “traditional” approach to my book design in order to emphasize my writing and research, and the multitude of photos and archival material I had collected as visual research during this process.
Wrought & Worn
This series investigates cast and wrought iron forms through layers of translation, beginning with photographs of physical fences, then moving through processes of scanning, layering, and distortion. These constructed patterns were printed onto sheer crepe fabric, creating a deliberate juxtaposition between the hardness of metal and the softness of textile. The fabric was further evolved into wearable forms, blurring the boundary between image and body, surface and self.
Lucky Foot - Zine and Poster
This zine curates a visual taxonomy of charms and amulets from digital archives, organized by recurring motifs across cultures and eras. Framed through visual communication, it explores how ornamental design encodes belief and identity. The reverse side features a poster assembling a selection of the charms. Risograph printed.
Homage to Queen Victoria
This series of postcards, printed using four-color Risograph ink, explores the cultural continuity of ornamental charm objects. By juxtaposing a portrait of Queen Victoria--whose reign helped popularize sentimental jewelry and charms--with a low-resolution, Y2K-era photo of a flip phone adorned with dozens of decorative charms, the postcards draw a visual parallel between historical and contemporary expressions of personal adornment.
Charming Keychains
Exploring the current charm trend and Marx’s theory of commodity fetishism, I sourced keychains and objects from eBay, hardware stores, local discount shops, and Temu to create my own constructed charms. These works blur the line between function and decoration, existing in a space where usefulness is ambiguous and meaning is left to the user's interpretation.
Ornament Embodied - AR Face Filter
I created an augmented reality (AR) face filter inspired by and adapted from traditional metal work motifs and designs. I adapted sketches into 3D models, constructed the digital materiality, then imported them into Lens Studio, the AR filter creation software made by Snapchat. The filters can be used within the Snapchat app or on a phone or computer browser through this link
