PedalCulture: The Guitar Effects Pedal as Cultural Artifact
PedalCulture demonstrates how manufactured products both affect and reflect the culture at large. Understanding this relationship is key to our looking at designed objects more deeply in search of discovering the underlying values and culturally significant properties embedded in the design of the things we touch and use everyday.
“Beyond the wildly expressive tones produced by guitar effects pedals and their outrageously arty outward appearance, pedals become a fascinating study when viewed as cultural objects,” Light (B.A., Anthroplogy, ’71) says. “When I began to observe how guitarists obsessively collect effects pedals and the way their tend to fetishize these objects by imbuing them with a sort of supernatural power, that’s what so surprised me and made me want to organize the exhibition.”
DesignSpace
The DesignSpace, launched in 2016, provides a public forum for deeper engagement in design, its practices and discourses. The gallery also serves as the primary campus showcase for student work in graphic design, consumer product and industrial design, interior design and apparel design.
Links
- PedalCulture: DesignSpace Exhibits 60-Plus Popular, Rare Guitar Effects Pedals, news article, November 15, 2017
- School of Design
Image: Holy Wahcamoly wah pedal, by Dr. No of the Netherlands