DOI: 10.25136/1339-3057.2020.1.31877

Abstract: This article is devoted to the combined use of concrete, lacquer and varnish for production of designer products. The author’s examples are the projects “Leaves and birds” and “Laboratory glassware”. The study describes the characteristics of Chinese lacquer, concrete, and features of Chinese lacquer technology. The two projects have different objectives. In particular, the first project shows that a new embodiment of the development of traditional lacquer crafts is possible by means of the work with modern material – concrete. The second project is the implementation of the “environmental protection” concept through reuse of materials within the framework of artistic creativity. We use an integrated approach in the design as an interdisciplinary scientific field. Particularly, various research methods were applied from materials science, cultural studies, chemistry, and art history. Both projects were very successful due to the low cost of materials and their practical application in many areas of technology and art. Moreover, the idea of the combined use of materials with different properties, quality and time of the invention has shown its advantage. For example, in the course of experimental practice it was discovered that it was possible to improve the quality of porous material concrete (namely, to solve the problems of its water resistance) by coating it with a polymer material lacquer or varnish.