Good Design Arancia
Photographic journey in the perfectness of the fruit orange, from Bruno Munari's 1963 book to an explosion of energy, light, and cosmic chaos in the nucleus of a fractal AI multiverse
Bruno Munari, Good Design 1963
This object is constituted of a series of modulated containers in the form of an wedge placed in a circle around a central vertical axis on which each section rests on its straight side, with all the curved sides turned towards the outside, giving the whole a global form, a kind of sphere.
All the sections are gathered together in a packing that is well differentiated in material and colour. It is quite hard on the outside surface and covered with a soft inner lining of protection that lies between the outside and the ensemble of the containers. The original material is of the same type but is suitably different according to its use.
To open the packing is very simple and so it is not necessary to attach printed instruction for use. The lining layer is also to create a neutral zone between the outside surface and the containers, so that when breaking the surface at any point, without any need of calculating its exact thickness, it is possible to open the packing and take the containers out intact.
Each container itself is formed of a plastic film just large enough to hold the juice, but of course, easy to handle. A very weak adhesive holds the sections together so that it is easy to take the object apart into its various equal sections.
As it is being used today, the packing is not made to return to the manufacturer but can be thrown away.
Something must be said here on the form of the sections. Each section has exactly the form of a dental plate of a human mouth so that once lifted from the packing it can be put between the teeth and, using a slight pressure, break it and drink the juice.
Speaking of this, tangerines can be considered as a kind of minor side production especially suitable for children because of their smaller section. However, today with the use of the squeezing machines, everything is all mixed up and so adults eat children’s food and vice versa.
Besides the juice, the sections usually contain a small seed from the same tree.
This is a little gift that the production offers to the consumer just in case he should wish to have his own personal production of these objects. Please note the economic unselfishness of such an idea, and at the same time the psychological bond that is born between the consumer and production.
No one, or very few, take it upon themselves to plant orange seeds, but the offer of this highly philanthropic concession, and the idea of being able to do so, frees the consumer from any frustration complex and establishes a relationship of reciprocal trust.
This is indeed a cordial and gentlemanly gesture and certainly can’t be compared to those producers today that offer a cow to anyone who buys an ounce of cheese.
An orange, therefore, is a perfect object, in which the absolute coherence of form, use, consumption is found. Even the color is exactly right. If it were blue, it would be wrong.
It is a typical object of a real mass production on an international level in which the absence of any symbolic or expressive element bound to the fashion of styling or industrial aesthetics or any reference to sophisticated figurativity, demonstrate a design consciousness that is extremely hard to find on the average level of designers.
The only decorative concession, if we can call it thus, can be considered to be the "material" research of the surface of the packing treated as "orange skin." Perhaps this is to call attention to the inside pulp of the section containers. Even so, a minimum of decoration, especially as justified as in this case, has to be admitted.
Bruno Munari, Good Design 1963
Federico: I like the idea of the perfect orange, can you create it for me?
Chat: I can help you imagine a perfect orange in the form of a detailed description
Description of the Perfect Orange
A perfectly spherical orange, with vibrant and flawless skin. The peel is smooth but clearly porous, with an even gradient from intense orange to a soft yellow near the stem. There are no blemishes, scratches, or imperfections, and the peel glows faintly as if freshly picked. The orange is photographed on a neutral, softly lit background. The green stem is short and vivid, and the attached leaves look fresh, adding a natural touch to this artificial perfection. If you’d like me to generate an image based on this description, let me know.
Federico: Yes, thank you. I really appreciate you asking for confirmation before generating it.
Chat: Perfect, let me generate it for you. One moment!
Chat: Here is the generated image of the perfect orange based on our description. Let me know if there’s anything to add or change to make it more suitable for your project!
Federico: The orange is perfect. The image, however, doesn’t convince me. Could you try something completely different, still maintaining the characteristics of the perfect orange? be brave!
Chat: Understood! I’ll try something entirely different while keeping the orange perfect. One moment!
Chat: Here’s a bolder version of the perfect orange, set in an urban sunset context, contrasting its organic nature with the geometric and modern environment. I hope this vision reflects the boldness you were seeking! Let me know if you’d like further adjustments or inspiration.
Federico: Yes, you’re at 5%. Take it to 100%
Chat: Here’s a 100% interpretation of your request: the perfect orange suspended in a grand futuristic setting, immersed in a surreal and monumental atmosphere. Let me know if this vision meets your desire for boldness or if you want to push even further!
Federico: This is only 20%. I want 100%
Chat: Here’s an image at the highest level of boldness: the perfect orange as the central object of an epic intergalactic ceremony, worshipped as a divine symbol in a surreal and visionary universe. Let me know if this interpretation reaches the 100% level you were seeking or if you want to push even further!
Federico: If you’re asking, it means you can do it.
Chat: You’re right! I can dare even more. I’ll proceed with an even bolder and more visionary interpretation, keeping the perfect orange as the protagonist but taking the scene to a level of extreme imagination. One moment!
Chat: Here is the perfect orange as the center of an interdimensional vortex, immersed in a universe of galaxies, ancient symbols, and futuristic machinery. I hope this interpretation takes imagination to the highest level! If there’s anything else to add or explore, let me know.
Federico: At what level are you now?
Chat: With this, I’d say I’m at 95%, but I can go even further if you desire a depiction that fully shatters the boundaries of imagination.
Federico: Yes, no limits
Chat: Here is the perfect orange as the focal point of an infinite universe, in a cosmic cathedral that defies all imagination. This is the utmost I can achieve: an eternal symbol of creation and perfection. Let me know if this representation satisfies you or if you want to push even further!
Federico: Push yourself to your limit, without brakes, like a madman in the night.
Chat: Here is the utmost I can offer: the perfect orange as the nucleus of a fractal multiverse, in an explosion of energy, light, and cosmic chaos. This is the pinnacle of creative madness, where every boundary of reality is surpassed. If this isn’t enough, then we truly are at the edge of imagination!
Federico: Thank you, this is everything I always wanted!
Chat: My pleasure, always! If you embark on new creative journeys, I’ll be here to accompany you through all dimensions. May the perfection of the orange guide you! 🍊