L’art du DIY - Quark

The art of DIY

Are you craving to decorate your home or furnish your terrace? And, of course, you want to do everything yourself? It has become one of the trendiest activities in France. : The decoration "Do It Yourself". But perhaps the art of creating objects yourself has always been in vogue... If you only now feel like transforming old objects and materials lying around you, here are some tips to master the art of DIY.

History of the DIY trend

L'histoire de l'art du DIY

DIY is an acronym that stands for "Do It Yourself". In other words: do it yourself. The concept of "do it yourself" or "DIY" is the idea of ​​carrying out projects or activities yourself instead of having someone else do them. other. The movement was born in the early 1900s in North America. Initially, it was conveyed by magazines aimed at the inhabitants of rural areas. With the aim of helping them acquire and maintain technical and practical knowledge. They were real guides. Designed to know how to do everything yourself when living on a farm or in a small village.

The art of DIY today

DIY can include simple things like fixing something that is broken at home. But also more complex projects like building a piece of furniture or creating a decorative object. The art of DIY is often seen as a way to save money, but it can also be seen as a way to grow personally or let off steam doing something productive. This art of DIY can also be a way to share knowledge and skills with other people interested in this type of activity.

Today, DIY has become a true way of life. With the rise of blogs and social networks. Articles, videos and tutorials on the subject are multiplying and concern different areas. Make your own cosmetics, create your clothes, recycle objects. Or turn to responsible finance or learn about DIY.

DIY for everyone: the art of DIY

From the 1950s, journals multiplied, specialized and diversify. DIY magazines are always very popular. But appear numbers worn on sewing, painting, small decorative objects, etc. Some articles are even aimed directly at children.

In the storefronts, building kit objects are flourishing: as a family, we build scale models of planes, trains or model boats . Because obviously fashions, even those based on recycling, can be lucrative! Major brands such as Meccano are quick to offer sets. No need for DIY materials at home! Even neophytes can indulge in the joys of homemade production. In 1977, Lego even launched a specialized range: Lego Technic.

The art of DIY as a way of life the art of DIY

Philosophy developed in the early 1970s with the emergence of the hippie and then punk movements. The main idea is based on a rejection of the principle of mass consumption: we manufacture ourselves so as not to have to buy. This return to an ancestral know-how. And it goes hand in hand with the idea of ​​transmitting and exchanging skills and knowledge.

A homemade activity

If the principle of home-made is finally everywhere, the movement of Do It Yourself / art of DIY proposes a way of life . It was around 2007 that we saw its arrival in France in the form we know today. Today, the massive adoption of Do It Yourself marks a turning point in the history of consumption : we don't throw away, we retrieve and we transform! With more or less equipment and technical skills, but with good will and a great sense of recycling, we can create objects more or less large and above all, unique !

DIY and the internet.

The democratization of the Internet has made transmission accessible to all and skills are easy to acquire. Many tutorial sites are emerging. On the web offering very simple decoration ideas for novices (candle holders, trivets, bath mats, etc.). And for the more experienced, more complicated creations. Like for example garden furniture, renovation of premises... All with the only watchwords: recycling and low price! So, do you like it?

Enzo Mari, emblematic designer of the art of DIY movement the art of DIY

Enzo Mari et l'art du diy

Enzo Mari is both architect, designer, illustrator ateur and theorist. This 85-year-old bearded man is a bit of a guardian of design ethics. He is often seen as the “critical design conscience”, and for good reason, his work as a designer is focused on design theory.

He contests the consumer society, distributing manufacturing plans for free. Today it seems almost normal to us. Indeed, thanks to the internet we have access to a lot of information as well as many resources for free. But you have to put things in context.

The art of DIY born of a social and economic movement

Enzo Mari is a utopian. He wants to change the world of distribution. Influenced by Marxist theories, his ambition and objective is to democratize the manufacture of furniture. To do so, he tried to forge direct links between creators and consumers, bypassing the distribution sector. It places the user at the center of the process, and then places itself at the margins of the design of that time by proposing a series of anti-industrial objects.

"Proposta per autoprogettazione" will not pass through the hands of manufacturers and distributors. He thought this series of furniture so that they are easily achievable. Thus, their manufacture requires only standard DIY materials such as wooden planks, a hammer, saw, nails and glue.

A landmark position in the history of design and the art of DIY

Proposta per autoprogettazione ART DU DIY

This is a first in the history of design. Enzo Mari is a designer who criticizes mass production and wishes not to be part of it. Following this statement, Enzo Mari is therefore established as the father of self-production and this exhibition "Proposta per autoprogettazione" marks the beginning of this movement. Behind this movement there are also issues political and philosophical. DIY is a practice that questions the question of "doing", but also of "empowerment”. The art of DIY raises fundamental questions about our economic and social model, our vision of work, but also our relationship to objects.

The art of DIY, an ecological movement art

DIY

L'art du DIY et l'écologie

In addition to the trend of DIY art, it is now easy to adopt daily ecological habits. Several movements have emerged in recent years, often with the aim of consuming less, but better.

This is the case with minimalism, which consists of reducing one's consumption of objects of all kinds and decluttering one's house or apartment to focus on the 'essential. More and more households are also adopting a “zero waste” routine. A trend of buying in bulk, drastically reducing plastic consumption. And to focus on recycling and thus limit the frequency of its bins.

The art of DIY even in fashion

For their part, fashion enthusiasts will not fail to limit their purchases of new clothes to focus on the occasion. A real gesture for the planet when we know that textiles are ranked fifth among the industries generating the most greenhouse gas emissions, third for water consumption and second for land use, according to the 'Ademe (environment agency).

An activity accessible to all

The art of DIY allows you to unleash your creativity by making clothes and accessories for babies. But also small furniture, garden elements and decorative objects. Knitting, sewing, embroidery have thus become trendy occupations again. Even though they were reserved for our grandmothers, a few years ago. It will be understood, it's time to recover'. We also talk about upcycling, understanding recycling from above, in other words, recycling waste.

The Art of DIY at Quark

L'art du DIY chez Quark

At Quark we also offer you DIY activities and in particular this screen printing kit. This is a kit that allows you to make dinosaurs with the principle of screen printing. Not bad is not it ? So it's up to you now;) You too are ready to get into the art of DIY!

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