A sinister pattern  

It's ugly...
and in bad taste, but nobody seems to want to call the emperor naked. Snobery is not an unusual reaction in art circles...it's so much easier to follow the in-crowd than to be honest.
To a large extend it is a blatent lack of creativity and a painfull attempt to attract attention. I am not against decoration as such. There are beautiful ones in almost any culture and even the early Russian modern mouvement decorated plates. It is this attitude of justifying design by answering the important question: "Why does this product exists ?" by: "...Oh, just because I did it!.." that strikes me as too shallow to be called design.
What it comes down to, I guess, is that in a situation of social and cultural decline,one can choose to embrace the destructive pattern and let Rome burn, or one can prepare for re-building after the ashes have cooled...

The artist's hand
I find that I am attracted to these laser cut things because of the color. Usually they are very graphic designs done in strong bold contrasts. But, ultimately, I reject them because they are just too computer generated. Yes, I know most design is such these days, but they don't have to feel like it. I think I miss the artist's hand in, not only laser cut patterns, but in a lot of what is out there these days. Koen, you are right as usual. Lots of 'design' these days seems empty and soulless, not to mention awkward, impractical and non-ergonomic. There is hope, though. Here's a link to a local (to Boston) design team that creates interesting useful stuff that still bears a human connection.
http://www.vesselinc.com/

Creeping ornament
Thanks for the Vessel link, Olive. I love the big portable lamp; at my house, it would be plugged in permanently on a side table. But I can just hear some marketing guy saying, "It's so PLAIN. Can't we just imprint some, like, fern leaves or paw prints on it to convey green-ness and, you know, let people EXPRESS their PERSONALITIES?"
Oh, wait, I got it: a little gecko silhouette.

Would someone please post a link...
to some lazer cut designs and applied decorations that demonstrate the negatives you are talking about? Thanks in advance.

Funny
this link has both the wonderful candeloos by the folks at Vessel and the stupid lamp by Tord Boontjie
http://www.mimmobaby.com/index.php?cPath=1_65_153

Think that Tord must be...
Think that Tord must be working for Moroso now...
http://www.moroso.it/

Ornament-o-rama
Or check designsponge. I admire her energetic reporting, but lately I've found less and less to satisfy my geometric-minimalist soul. Is some strange new successor to Postmodernism emerging? I feel like Kevin McCarthy in the last scene of _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_.
http://designsponge.blogspot.com

Now those are foul, Olive...
I fully understand your complaint. Is Jeff Koons operating under an alias? 🙂

Geo. H, that is REALLY awful....
I'm convinced there is some kind of Jeff Koons conspiracy. Has he started sleeper cells in all of the design centers of the world?
Look at this link and tell me he isn't behind this. 🙂
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91491847@N00/157233458/

Is this another sleeper cell work...
Or is this the real retro dada JK? 🙂

Jeff Koons
Cute and precious modern design is wretched, but laser cut cute is...well...ummmmmm...I can't think of a vivid enough word.

Word of the day
BEDIZEN v. To trick out; to decorate, ornament, or dress up with more ostentation than taste.

Yiddish word of the day
Ongepatshket: adj.: Cluttered, disordered, muddled, overly-done.

Dangerfield's Dictionary...
That things so ugly, the flies are trying to mend the screen door so they can't get in. (rim shot)