For the most part of the 20th century, good taste was all about clean, austere surfaces. Following the ideas of extreme modernists such as Adolf Loos, decoration was banned from highbrow design and declared an attribute of the tasteless lower classes. In recent years however, ornament has become ubiquitous and, once again, a dominant part of visual culture. Not only consumer goods or popular culture suddenly went floral, but also the fine arts and architecture.

For my graduation thesis, I analysed this historical context and demonstrated the deeper cultural and technological significance of the ornamental resurgence, as opposed to common retro trends. Various designers from different disciplines substantiate the arguments presented.