Reading composition 7

Steinway Ghosts, a painting by Claribel Cone, follows the principal and elements of design although it is abstract. Because it is abstract art it operates with a range of forms in order to portray “the many contemporary expressions of modernism” (Roth, pg. 612). This unique piece of art is about “Ghosts of music and adventures and memories…” says the artist who also states that “in this painting shape and windows and air and figures”.

The forms within this painting are brought together using no distinct lines but a series of repeated brush strokes. Everything seems unpredictable yet it fits together as if there is a purposed behind each abstracted piece in respect to another. The vibrant colors and irregular lines and forms come together in harmony with an emphasis on the painting as a whole. There is no one thing to be admired. All of the notes to this musical piece unite in order to create an abstract yet controlled representation of a person’s expression. Art is not the only thing that deals with form. It is very prominent in a lot of architecture, “architects use of forms that are widely and instantly recognizable, drawing on imagery that is comforting and reassuring in a destabilizing world”( Roth, pg. 584) is a way to create art that is not necessarily viewed as are to the average person. All of this also applies to Al Held’s painting the Giza Gate, he abstractly portrays a gate using form but using a different method compared to Caribel Cone. His lines are very distinct and the use of black and white is used to emphasize and unite the forms created. Although both paintings are completely different the design elements and principal are quite similar.
People are looking forward and backward and exploring ways in which to express themselves but they are also looking for inspiration for architecture through the form of art. Architecture is said to be “the art we cannot escape” (Roth, pg. 612). In one way this influenced the commodity of building. Generally buildings were meant to be functional for their purposes but when looking to art as inspiration this point of view changes. Art is mainly viewed for delight, therefore architectures purpose was skewed. Form becomes so important that the function no longer matters. For instance the Sydney Opera House, by Jorn Utzon, is meant to be sculptural and portray sales off of the ocean and it accomplishes this but as a concert hall it lack in some important areas. The interior is problematic when it comes to sounds and due to its end product being an opera house it is useless. This is considered satisfactory because it fulfills what the designer intended the building to look like and not what the building was supposed to be used for but it had to be done “ the image was simply too compelling not to build”.(Roth pg. 554)
“I believe that today there is a need for images, for emotion in architecture; a need for architecture to speak once again to people, to become “presence” once again, to become material, to reacquire a meaning that can sometimes be erotic; a need to reestablish a partnership with people, after decades in which architecture was so antiseptic, distant, after the international style ruined all possibility of communication.” These are the words of Mario Botta which depicts how explorations do not always turn out well because architecture must be intended for the use of all.



Reading composition 6

[1]
The Art Nouveau stylistic period was about new designers “replicating past styles but incorporate them into a new, young look” (Massey, pg.175). This style brought a sense of fun into the spaces with the sense of movement. This style was also not focused in a specific location it touched all over the world. Two great example of this style are the Casa Batllo by Antonio Gaudi and the Hotel Tassel by Victor Horta.

The Casa Batllo is located in Spain. It is very different from what people are used to seeing at this point. Gaudis design is very different from the past, since he has a fascination with the human body he incorporates it into his design. Due to the fact that he is working with an already existing building he in a way removes the original skins and applies a new, more surrealistic one. This new façade although smooth, still uses the idea of undulating the façade. Columns are used for support and are visible but they are entirely different from what has been seen in the past, these columns mimic human bones. In a way this building is very baroque considering that it is made of concrete around a metal frame as well as the surface material, in this case it is glass but it is basically portraying art for the sake of art.
The Hotel Tassel is located in Belgium. Victor Horta was able to capture the essence of Art Nouveau through the many curvilinear and moving lines which began with the iron columns which led into the ceilings and walls and made its way across the floor. Design in the past has taken characteristic of nature, Horta in a way does the same although he goes in a completely different direction he gains his inspiration from the machine and translates that into the building itself.
As mentioned previously the Art Nouveau style is not at all focused in one area, Spain and Belgium are only two of the many nations that took part in movement to express are within architectural design. Art for the sake of art is the best way to understand what was going on in terms of design at this point.

[2]

            

At this point designers are attempting to design for the good of all…who could afford it. With the people who can afford what is being designed are starting to appreciate the things that facilitate their lives such as the automobile. Le Corbusier takes the modern movement and runs with it, in a way making “machines for living”. This can be seen in the Villa Savoye. This residential building is based off of the automobile and is raised on pilotis in order to allow for the automobile to be part of the house. This is not the only functional space but Le Corbusier made the roof into a flat space in order to replace what the house has taken from the land. This allows for a garden on the roof that is accessible to the people living there. The Villa Savoye is intended to create an experience through progression rather than ornamentation which leads to the dictum “less in more”. Instead of the clutter seen previously the modern movement focuses on flexibility, function, practicality, and efficiency which can be seen in its open spaces with no applied ornamentation (Harwood, pg. 628).

With this being say I believe that design at this point is about creating practical things to enhance life happiness but not in a materialistic way but rather in a way that is simple and functional.

[3]

Pavilion de L'esprit: Le Corbusier

The Gropius Office at Bauhaus

 
Harwood pg  497 and 500
http://www.essential-architecture.com/STYLE/300px-Villa_savoye_avant.jpg
Massey pg 81

VOTE!!!!

Point commentary.

By reading my peers points I have come to understand how the alternative and the reflection units can be interpreted in different ways as well as getting the main point across. As a result I have developed a better understanding of the material at hand.



The alternative unit basically means that the people are taking what has already been built and altering it to create something new by breaking the rules and thinking outside the box. This idea brings many past ideas into the present creating a series of revival styles. These ideas were based off of the foundations which is why they continue to expand and move forward and these past ideas, even though sometimes they are not really noticeable, are seen all over in todays society.


Design is moving forward and I have some to understand that the reflection unit is about the series of revolutions, whether political or social, have led to ideas that started turning the wheels of progression and from there design was starting to change. Design languages began to compete with one another and there was a struggle to understand and discover what “modern” truly was. In order to explore what modern was people looked for influences from other counties And the east begins to influence design in the west. As a result I have come to understand that revolution is always present and always will be and that is why the term “modern” can never truly be defined.

The image I chose I believe can relate to both points. I believe that it is breaking the rules and stepping outside the box because it is different to see s till image that produces the illusion of movement as well as the fact that it reflects the wheels that are turning.

Point4

I believe that the reflections unit is like a cartwheel. First, you start off in a box, meaning you are following the rules. Second, you step out of the box, exploring different possibilities. Third, you turn upside down, breaking the rules. And finally forth, you revert to the box, creating a new set of rules. In other words I have interpreted design at this time to be reflecting back on past ideas then going outside the box in order to create something “modern”.
From one revolution to the next many different design ideas come and go. Many ideas were being revived, but instead looking to Rome as the latest designers have been doing for quite some time people are looking to what Rome based its idea of architecture off of. They decided that Greece was more “pure” compared to Rome therefore reflecting their ideas would most likely be better. Gothic revival was also starting to reappear. A lot of church-like characteristics were being seen in non religious buildings. For instance, Strawberry Hill’s pink room is a perfect example of this with its fan vaults and other similar features.
Not only did people reflect on the past but they also looked to other countries. Since trade was becoming more widespread people were able to experience other cultures. From this, a sense of worldliness started becoming popular. The East was starting to be used as a precedent for design in the West. People in the west wanted to create an “artificial world”, a world of architecture that did not belong and was not normal in its new context. For example the Royal Pavilion in England. This building’s exterior shows great influence from India and even the interior does not look like it belongs in England because of its layers of colorful decorations. Many people were striving for an exotic feel and by pasting other countries architectural ways they are able to create this.
What can you see you reflection in? Perhaps a mirror but for my point I would have to say the Crystal Palace. During the nineteenth century many revolutions arose, one of them being the industrial revolution. With this industrial revolution new materials such as iron and glass come into the field of design. These materials allow for new kinds of structures to be constructed such as the Crystal Palace. The Crystal palace is a show room that in my opinion captures the idea of this unit, it reflects the ideas of the past and the present as well as all of the design languages brought forward from both. It not only reflects the ideas of design though what it carries within it but the Crystal Palace itself is a significant part of what design is leading to.
I believe that this unit draws a very fine line as to what it is trying to express. In my opinion it is like a clock, it is able to grasp the past and move forward in order to create something modern at this point in time. These pictures of clocks in a way show what you would generally think of as a clock and what someone has done to a clock after they step outside the box and go upside down.

http://www.conranusa.com/images/default/us/catalogue/large/9052720.jpg

http://www.furniturestoreblog.com/2008/05/20/10_coolest_affordable_retro_modern_wall_clocks_under_300.html

 

Reading composition 5

[1]

During the nineteenth century, as the industrial revolution progressed not only were there new building materials but new ways of thinking were developing.

The bathtub is just starting to become common during the industrial revolution. Since sanitation is becoming more and more important bathrooms are starting to be incorporated within the house instead of the common outdoor privy and wash tub that was being used. This is not only due to sanitation issues but also to the fact that cities are becoming homes to many industrial factories that in turn populate the cities making them less private.
The first bathtubs were wood lines with tin or copper and with new building materials, from the industrial revolution, bathtubs are beginning to be made of cast iron. The bath tubs during the mid 19th century were either plain or had an enameled finish and faucets.
I believe that the bathtub represents revolution in design not only for the new materials that the industrial revolution produced but also of wide spread individual plumbing which allows for privacy and convenience that has not been seen to this extent before.


Harwood pg. 22, fg1-35

[2]
During the nineteenth century the east strongly influence design in the west. The fact that trade route started to develop allowed people to bring artifacts from one country to another, in turn spreading characteristics of their own culture.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_14SRi06tO60/SjayB28w-tI/AAAAAAAACOI/Nv3OotXy7z0/s400/Chinoiserie_affordable-interiors.co.uk.jpg

The French coined the terrn chinoiserie, which means that things contain Chinese qualities whether it’s the intricate pattern of an artifact or elaborate decoration. This chinoiserie wallpaper is a perfect example of an artifact because of its asymmetry and specific pattern. Although it was created in France by a series of craftsmen the design is very Rococo but is strongly influenced by the Chinese. The patterns on this wallpaper resemble the imagery on Chinese ceramics. I believe that the designer had most likely seen an artifact from China with similar qualities and was inspired by it.

http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/peacock/images/peacockswide400.jpg

The Peacock Room in London is a great example of a space that reflects eastern influence. This space leaves no surface untouched, the lattice work, used for shelving, works its way across the walls displaying Eastern artifacts. Most of all you can see the influence of china in the painted motifs. The style in which the peacocks are painted is borrowed from china in order to create a work of art within a room.

http://photos.igougo.com/images/p178425-Royal_Pavillion.jpg

The Royal Pavilion located in England to me seems out of place. If I were to look at this building I would automatically think if was from India. This is what happened when people are able to experience other countries and expand on what they see. The minarets are a perfect example of an architectural idea taken from India as well as the layers of decoration. The ideas behind this building are a sense of exoticism and worldliness and in some ways create an artificial world.

http://nickcgardner.co.uk/portfolio/portfoliojpegs/kewjapanese.jpg

Borrowing ideas from the east does not stop at artifacts or buildings but it also incorporated the place, for example the Kew Gardens in London. The Kew Gardens strongly imitate the gardens in Japan. This twisting landscape is asymmetrical contains many whimsical pathways. As a whole the Kew Gardens seems very tranquil and in touch with nature, which is similar to the Japanese. Even the structure built on this beautiful landscape imitates what you would most likely see in Japan. I believe that the design concept behind these gardens could be something along the lines of experiencing an artificial world as a way to get away from the norm in London.