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My
current, ongoing project is the development of the Trans-Global
Highway. Details about this can be found on a special website that I
set up for this at TransGlobalHighway.com
This
project can not be considered art, but some may say that the concept
is creative!
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"Artist"
Statement
I do not think that any person can refer
to themselves as an artist, or for that matter, a designer, but
rather others must bestow such a title upon an individual. I am also
under the belief that a person can not be taught to be creative or
innovative. I do think that a person can learn the existing
techniques and methods used in the field of art, but the mere
knowledge of available techniques, does not necessarily lead to
creativity. Creativity can not be taught, though technique can be. A
person can potentially train themselves to be a critical thinker,
which may lead to fulfillment of the objective. Some people say that
that anything that is created by humankind can be considered art. I
disagree with this. Many beautiful objects that are created fall into
the category of a craft or craftsmanship rather than art. Further, I
feel that when something is being created, a specific goal or purpose
should be in mind and further, what is created should be accepted as
creative by others, in order for the created work to be considered
art. A person merely smearing paint on a canvass could not be
considered an artist, under this definition, unless the smearing of
paint had a specific aesthetic goal or function in mind. Arbitrary
yes, but still not everything concocted can be considered art, at
least from my point of view.
When considering any new project, I try to
take a fresh look at everything that is presently available and what
has been designed and created in the past, but has somehow been lost
to every day use. To facilitate this research, I carefully read as
much as possible on the internet and in local libraries. I also
maintain a personal library of reference books and journals that are,
for the most part, not available over the internet. Some of the
technical books date from as long ago as the mid 1600's, though
primarily I study what has been created over the past 50 years. I
believe that my designs, are a combination of physical appearance and
technical functionality. The purpose of any of my designs and art is
not to make change for the sake of change but rather to create a new
and better approach to a particular need. The designs incorporate the
latest design and technology elements that I can get my hands on. I
often spend many weeks, if not months developing improved technology,
materials and know-how for the particular project. I write details on
my techniques and technologies so that other may benefit. Conveying
new ideas is the only way that society may progress, rather then
recreating the same thing, over and over again.
In my designs and art, I try to use the
best materials for the job that are reasonably available to me. These
materials include, though are not limited to steel, aluminum, carbon
fiber, fiber glass, plastics and wood. In the case of functioning
designs, the specific end use in mind. The design must function well,
be comfortable to use, reliable, easy to repair and, be safe. A
strong attempt is always made to make the vehicles aesthetically
pleasing, though function always take precedence over form in my
designs. As a matter of course, design decisions and to a certain
degree, compromises are made throughout the development and
construction of every new element. Compromises include form versus
function, strength verses weight, cost versus speed, to name mention
just a few. Safety, however, is never compromised.
Frank Didik, March 2002
Revised December 2006 |
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