Point 5: The Last Hoorah!

As the final submission for this class I would like to say that I have never been in a history class that has been so interactive and engaging to the student.  Patrick stated that he was striving to make history an active continuum and not a passive recollection and I truly think he succeeded and changed the way we see the past not as a vague memory, but a dynamic participant. 

The Explorations unit is by all means the most expressive and fast paced section of history that eventually reflects the lifestyles we live now where design has become disposable and lazy, much like everything else in our society.  But at the turn of the 20^th century, design was striving to break free from the classical mold that seemed impossibly glued to every structure in some form or fashion.  Instead of remaining complacent with the same architectural idioms of the past, designers were turning to the arts as a way of giving the mundane uniformity of architecture a face-lift.  Art Nouveau and Art Deco are the first and most celebrated of these design styles grounded in the grandiose visual sensations of art and theatrics.  Examples include The Daily Express Building, Hotel Solvaye, and the Palace Strand Theatre.  These styles celebrated asymmetrical proportions, shiny, metallic surfaces, and new or exotic materials that flaunt irrationality and glamour, all of which contradicts the classical roots of western civilization.

In blatant contrast to this irrationality, there arose the Bauhaus, International style, striving to come up with a design approach that was sensible and could be applied to everyone anywhere.  Examples include the Villa Savoye, the Tugenhdat House, and the Schroder House.  Ironically, their designs which were meant to be functional and accessible to all actually revolved around a ostracizing minimalist ideology where, according to them, less became more but what really happened is less personality became more frigid.  In an attempt to break this polarity, Softer Modernism tried to minimize crisp lines and delineate spaces with expressive curves and cantilevers.  Examples include the Sydney Opera House, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and JFK Terminal.  While the delight of these structures increased, it only escalated the commodity of the building as form rather than function became the primary goal until these were only monumental sculptural pieces that we could walk through.  It was during this time of unconcealed disrespect for the client’s wishes and comfort that the rise of interior design became prevalent as a profession, to provide warmth and personality in an otherwise beautifully uncomfortable building.

 Since the 1970’s, Post-Modernists have been left with the responsibility of picking up the ball and running with it and what we have received are three divided sectors, Historic Preservation, Regionalism, and Deconstructivism, all of which are focused on a sustainable future in one way or another.  Historic Preservation obviously enough focuses on the maintenance, renovation, and retention of significant buildings and reviving that experience.  Regionalism is perhaps on the surface the most sustainable of the three, focusing on local materials, traditions, and styles that fit the character of people in that particular region as opposed to the stark coldness meant to suit everyone in the International style.  Deconstructivism is my personal favorite as it focuses on the potential of the ever changing technological realm.  It is from this field that real inventiveness and playfulness occur and it is the new frontier for interior design to make a name for itself.  I also feel that this will be the most sustainable form of design because structures are built almost exclusively on computers and the material can be structurally tested as well as tell you how much of the material will be needed for the project.  Furthermore, computer aided designs can help pinpoint structural issues prior to the building process, which could help eliminate excess use of material and transportation cost. 

With all of these exciting fields, it is sadly disheartening to look at modern suburbia because it is more of a Nightmare on Elm Street in terms of design features than a domestic refuge.  Yet these design issues are a result of social issues going on in media sources like HGTV that are promoting laziness and spawning a new generation of reality shows that are flat out gaudy and not in the 1900 Barcelona way.  But hope remains in the small but true design circles that few listen to because true design is a contemplative and analytical art that does not pump out fast and mediocre results that offer a bland sense of instant gratification the public so ignorantly desires.   

http://schools-wikipedia.org/images/302/30299.jpg

I believe this is a beautiful example of morphing a decontructive post modern extentsion into an International style building.  The transition from a titanium surface that still holds the form of the previous, brick building which then morphs into this degenerate complexity also adds a sense of unity to the overall compostion of the structure.  In context, this image displays a holitic theme to the explorations unit as it combines a hodge podge of design styles of the 21st century (Bauhaus, Post-modernism, and Deconstructivism) made possible only through technological advancements of the machine.

           

http://blackchristiannews.com/news/house-in-the-suburbs.jpg

As Blakeni so briliiantly put it,

"Welcome to............Suburbia"

Need I say more?

Chairs, Chairs, and...........Chairs........

Counterpoint_Machine

TBA

Honors History Project: Alumni House

For our Honor's Project in History and Theory of Design II, we had to act as tour guides for a specific room within the Alumni House.  Kayla and I were assigned the Clara Booth Byrd Parlor.  We researched any and all information regarding her background relationship with UNCG while also providing visual evidence through postcards to remember the past history of the Alumni House and further, the campus itself.

Official Invitation to the Dedication of the Alumnae House in 1937

Architectural Rendering of the Alumnae House in 1937

Dedication Ceremony by Julius Foust in 1937

Soda Shop 1948/Faculty Center 1967

College Avenue in 1910

Milkmaids in 1916

Secretary Mrs. Byrd in the Alumnae House (1942)

CounterPoint_Clock

     In this counterpoint, I choose an artifact through the dominance of the gilded, Baroque mirror in the foreground to accentuate a reflection of the past.  The mirror acts as a portal in history when the world was much smaller and more constrained by isolated regions.  Europe, Asia, the Middle East, all had their own separate design languages almost unscathed by the others due to social idioms, prejudices, politics, and religion yet the emergence of a world wide economy looms in the background evident with influence from the oriental on western civilization.  The clock here may not tell time but it is a dial in the fabric of our design history and a transition from a close minded design system to a more holistic representation.

Reading Comprehension_7

"By the Skin of our Teeth" (Diagram).

Before I joined this major, I used to think of art as something that was exclusively aesthetic, but I realize now that it reaches a larger scope and encompasses any form of expression simply for the sake of expression.  In the work of Deborah Grant’s, “By the Skin of our Teeth” the relatively simple masses in the foreground are contradicted by the miniscule complexity of the hieroglyphic blur of backdrop ink patterns.  This creates a simultaneous experience of balance and contrast; balance in the interplay of mass and void while contrast in the dispersion of simple forms with complex undertones. 

In this post-modern age, there is much inspiration taken from the visual arts in the formation of architecture.  Roth states, “There is a need for images, for emotion in architecture, a need for architecture to speak to people” (Roth pg 567).  Where once architecture was a field of function, and art a field of emotion, it is no longer satisfactory to consider each its own entity.  Furthermore, the solidity of the sun and people within the painting represent an idealistic view of firmness I believe is generically associated with good architecture while the chaotic complexity of the permeating ink mural justifies the expressionistic side of art.  There becomes almost a sense that art not only plays a role in architecture but the same inspiration takes hold of art.

One form of design that helped blend the boundaries of what we consider architecture and art is deconstructivism, an almost philosophical approach which, “means burrowing deep, to find out what unconscious premises a text is based on and what the blind in the author’s eye cannot see” (Roth pg 600).  Furthermore, it is “an architecture of disruption, dislocation, deflection, deviation, and distortion intended to promote a feeling of unease, disquiet, and disorientation. (Roth pg 601).  A prime example of such an ideology is followed in the Industrial office buildings by Gunter Domenig in Austria where, “a skeletal frame of concrete beams….stretches out from the finished enclosure, as if construction has been interrupted” (Roth pg 598).  A sense of deconstructionism can be clearly seen in Walter Barker’s, “Friday Night at the Ozark Airdome” where forms are deconstructed and blended through a myriad of colors so that only the contrast in the pigments allow one to distinguish the separate forms.  Moreover, the constant repetition of colors spread throughout the painting offers a sense of unity.

In a generation looking past the frigidness of modernism, this exhibit helps bring to light that architecture, more than ever, is trying to emulate the delight in form of art so that architecture, in its own right, becomes a form of visual enlightenment as well as structurally sound.

"Friday Night at the Ozark Airdome" (Rough Sketch).

Industrial Office Building by Gunter Domenig in Austria (Deconstructionism).

Reading Comp_6

[[1] A common theme of the early twentieth century found in Roth, Harwood, and Massey set the tone for an understanding of styles in architecture and design influenced by fine art. Selecting either Arts + Crafts or Art Nouveau, TRACE the influences of the selected style in more than two nations. In your answer, you should include evidence from the readings and at least two annotated images as support for your analysis of influences.

            Art Nouveau is a stylistic expression in design that seeks to discard all historic precedents in order to define a new visual language never before seen.  This style is heavily influenced by post-impressionist artists like Van Gogh through the fleeting urgency and molded abstraction present in his works.  Due to the new technologies in glass and iron this dynamic disintegration could be materialized into the organic whip lash structures that characterize Art Nouveau.

This movement began in Europe and was made fashionable through France and Belgium by the works of engineers like Victor Horta who designed the iconic Hotel Eetvelde in Brussels.  The fleeting whiplash metalwork permeates the interior winter garden that dwindles throughout the hotel creating a vein-like, cohesive whole.  As Herni van de Velde so brilliantly explains it, “Nature proceeds continuity, connecting and linking together the different organs that make up a body or tree; she draws one out of the other without violence or shock.  In this way, the metalwork itself is exposed and becomes the structure and ornament, creating an indistinct, continuous flow of seamless, organic elements. 
After witnessing the winding tendrils displayed in the railings and support systems of Victor Horta's hotel, the French designer Hector Guimard emulated this feature in the entry gates of the Castel Beranger in Paris.  His work becomes even more surreal than Horta's in the way that vines engulf supporting columns and the abstracted wiring creates rhythmic lines.  This manipulation of lines became a hallmark for Art Nouveau as it turned the static geometry of lines into dynamic, contorted curves. 

            Art Nouveau also travels to Spain under the alias Art Moderno and is most iconically present in the cryptic, ‘skin and bones’ work of Antonio Gaudi.   His work features an extensive exploration of the line and the potential connections that a line has in common with the human body.  This can be clearly seen in his Casa Battlo where the interior feels like it belongs in a Tim Burton film.  The dining room is littered with creative utilization of lines in the form of undulating curves in the ceiling, biomorphic furniture, and dynamically curved windows.  Also, the specific placement of two adjacent columns closely resembles the bone structure in the legs or forearms., creating this eerie, psychedelic undertone. 

            While Art Nouveau was a short lived style soon to be replaced by the further decadence of Art Deco, it was the first style that rejected historical precedent and focused heavily on the interior.  This was in part due to the heavy influence that artists were having on designers as a new emergence of mixing art with design created a blur between structure and ornament.   

Hotel Eetvelde / Brussels, Belgium / Victor Horta (Massey, pg 35).

Castel Beranger Apartment Entry / Hector Guimard / Paris , France (Massey, pg 38).

Casa Battlo / Barcelona, Spain / Antonio Gaudi (Masey, pg 47).

[2] Originating at the Bauhaus and in the work of LeCorbusier, the so-called Modern movement deeply influenced design and architecture of the twentieth century. The great debate raised by this new approach to design involved the presence of the machine in the design process and final products. SPECULATE about the implications of “machines for living” and the famous dictum “less is more” on design today. Use at least one ARTIFACT, SPACE, or BUILDING in your answer, providing a salient image (cited) and annotation to help bolster your argument.

            The modern movement, more commonly known as the International Style came about as a reaction to the clutter of eclectic, hand-crafted homes and the inefficient molding of space through barricading walls and cramped interiors.  The new fashion became one of volume over mass, implicated by the technology of the machine in its fast inexpensive production of flexible materials.  The concept of ‘less is more’ is derived from the implication that flexible, weightless material generates an ‘opening up’ of space while that material itself becomes reduced only to it functional necessity; hence less material equals more space.  Furthermore, the functionality inherent in the machine became a tool for modeling as structures and homes were adapting to fully meet the intrinsic utilitarian needs for this efficient, modern generation.  As Walter Gropius so delicately claims,

“The nature of an object is determined by what is does.  Before a container, a chair, or a house can function properly its nature must first be studied, for it must perfectly serve its purpose; in other words, it must fulfill its function practically, must be cheap, durable, and beautiful”.  (Roth, pg 524).

The machine itself became a concept for modeling seen most readily in the works of Le Corbusier and his Villa Savoye that is, in part, based off of a 1947 automobile.  The home features elements that were made possible only by the exploitations of the machine as the lower level contains no traditional supporting walls but rather sits on illusionary stilts.  Also, the home features ribbon windows for illumination, an open floor plan with meandering ramps, and a flat roof utilized as a garden terrace that maximizes the use of space.  In every aspect, Le Corbusier strived to maximize the potential of space and the functional use of that space, making his structures a machine for a functional lifestyle whose beauty came from the joinery of an adaptable environment with that of the comfortable ease brought about from the machine.

Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier, (Roth, pg 531).

[3] From the assigned pages in Roth, Harwood, and Massey, SELECT an image that you believe explodes the notion that Modern interiors and objects were black and white. Fully RENDER your own design exploration of that image through color, material, and light and appropriately annotate and cite the image to prove this point.

Tugendhat House Dining Room, (Massey, pg 78).

Reflections Summary

Mears, corry  http://www.corrymears.blogspot.com

McDonagh, kayla  www.kaylammcdonagh.blogspot.com

Salgado, daniel  http://danielsalgado-daniel.blogspot.com/

     Each of these Point commentaries seem to focus on the effect that the Crystal Palace had on the reflections unit in terms of materials, the industry, and the eclectic assortment of artifacts displayed within it.  However, I feel that Daniel is most successful in his understanding because he chose to focus almost exclusively on the Crystal palace and merge all the major points within the unit in this one structure, which I feel provides a simplistic, concentrated, and easy to read overview.  He makes a very valid point about the Crystal palace representing an 'Everything Goes" approach to design as it was a modern container holding a vessel of hodge-podge assortments.  

     On the other hand, Kayla offers a dynamic overview that touches on an array of structures, which I believe provides a more holistic experience in design but is also very general compared to the more intimate experience I received with Daniel's post.  Also, while she offers context, I believe her image could have been more original and have a deeper interpretive meaning.

     Corry falls into much the same predicament as Kayla, offering a general, easy to follow understanding of this unit but there are instances that can be quite confusing.  For example, he starts on a tangent about defining Baroque but then describes structures that are fairly unrelated to his original point.  Also the image could have been more creative in interpreting his understanding of the unit.  

     After analyzing these commentaries, I have a greater appreciation for the ability to simplistically articulate a viewpoint but at the same time there is a great need to be cautious about how the compositional layout is conducted to create a cohesive balance between simplicity and the viewer's understanding.

http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/history/assets/crystal_palace.jpg

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/196709/2/istockphoto_196709-clock-on-wall-01a.jpg

Alternatives Summary

Bradfield, cassandra http://cassandrashannon.blogspot.com/

Hankus, alyssa http://ahankushistoryandtheoryblog.blogspot.com/

Canipe, leslie http://lesliekcanipe.blogspot.com/

     I think it is very interesting how people choose to supply evidence to support their thoughts.  In the case of Cassie, we both have similar theatrical and documentary type writing styles.  I enjoy her careful word placement to create a vivid storyline and her supporting credits mainly derived from Roth.  On the other hand, Leslie has a strong use of visual evidence to support the structure of her thoughts while her writing mainly generalizes the overall style period she is describing so that she offers context with evidence.  Alyssa prefers to talk about analogies brought up in class, which is really useful when you are trying to connect the experiences of the past with our own experiences.  For example, she mentioned the connection between Patrick's kart wheels with that of a continues cycle of periods of great change and stagnant repercussions.  While each person had a different way of supporting their understandings I would like to have seen more examples from the architecture we have discussed in class with specific ties to many of the general assumptions made within these commentaries.   With so many 'alternatives' to supporting evidence, I feel like I have learned of new ways beyond my style to provoke a certain experience and better help other understand my own thoughts.

http://www.w1style.co.uk/details.asp?productid=3615

http://www.bloggersbase.com/travel/roam-in-ancient-vibrant-city-rome/

Point_4: Reflections

            The reflections unit explores the design history between the Renaissance and the style we coin Modernism beginning in the early 20^th century.  This period is heavily defined by an eclectic assimilation of designs from all over the world an in all manners of time.  There is an obsession with revolutions in design styles that occur so rapidly and simultaneously that no one seems comfortable or satisfied enough to keep with one taste.  Once again, we see the assimilation of antiquity but in drastic deformation according to Baroque and strict mimicry according to Neoclassical.  Influences from the east through trade bring a curiosity for foreign materials that spark an eclectic surface decoration called Chinoiserie.  The rise of the industry further sparks our insatiable interest in pushing design to new heights through the rise of mass production and new materials.  Design has become less concerned with good taste and more intrigued by the potential of materials and the means of production in order to create all forms of design.  Where once production of design was carried out by the noble and the rising gentry now there is an open debate by those in the middle-class, opening up the avenues of taste and making design a matter of conversation that concerns everyone with an opinion.

            Throughout history, there have been many revivals of cultural design styles but now the world is more closely unified through trade and a universal economy that all methods of design are available to the dominating economic countries.  These countries like England, France, and Italy have an abundance of raw materials and the knowledge of other cultures design history so that they easily merge these aspects into their own society, creating a widespread assimilation of cultures never before seen.  This is most clearly defined in the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, England where the exterior’s looming minarets are reminiscent of Islamic and Indian cultures while the interior houses the most elaborate Chinoiserie surface decoration in all of the British Isles obviously inspired by goods arriving from the east through the silk road and other major trade routes.  Another example concerns a whole stylistic period termed as the Victorian style that is widely acclaimed for it’s hodge-podge of design elements and it’s heavily cluttered interiors that feature an array of artifacts with dissimilar attributes.  One such example is at Strawberry Hill that utilizes features in all manners of Gothic revival from the old English Gothic technique of fan vaulting to the later Tudor style tracery patterns. 

            The assimilation of other cultures design history is in much gratitude to the development of trade routes that is, in turn, in gratitude to the emergence of industries.

As population growths in cities continued to rise there was reluctance in the continuation of low producing craftsmen and a shift to the industries that used machines as a mode of fast production.  The industry was a supplier of materials like iron and glass that propelled a design revolution in the mid 19^th century.  These new materials began questioning our knowledge of design and structure that led people on a quest to discover what is modern, to find a singular style that dominated the mediocre assimilated styles of the previous generation.  The first models of this new generation began in structures like greenhouses, with its extensive use of glass and metal framing, it became the prototype for greater structures like the Crystal Palace exhibition hall that ironically displayed the assimilated design pieces of the previous age.  This new age preferred volume over mass and simplicity over ornament.  Even designers like William Morris who were critics of the machine realized the importance of returning to a singular style to create a balance in taste, although he promoted the handcraft alternative and creating art for arts sake. This can be clearly seen through his home, the Red House, that turns back to the simplistic Gothic roots of England with little other design influences so as not to interfere with the singular tone set into play.  As the mass assimilation dwindles mass production continues to thrive but the debate lingers on and widens as designers ultimately begin questioning whether handcraft or machine should be the dominant proponent of products.  This question still endures to the current.

http://www.pa.uky.edu/~emilio/USA/NY/foggy_ny.jpg

Ironically, the fog of this image clearly represents the history uncovered in the Reflections unit through the murky assimilation of design from all sorts of locations and cultures.  The fog acts as a screen, blending all matters of good taste into an unsightly whole.  Yet in the midst of this blended chaos, there is the dominance of the industry in the background, never letting go of its influence on design.   

Reading Comprehension 5

[1] From the Roth, Harwood, and Massey readings, select an ARTIFACT you believe to represent revolution in design. SPECULATE about the type of revolution this artifact symbolizes. Supplement your answer with a beautifully hand rendered image of the artifact you selected, citing source and page on your image. [10 POINTS POSSIBLE]

     This is an Argand lamp invented in 1781 using a tubular wick fueled by an oil reservoir.  As one of the first artificial lighting sources, it greatly influenced and revolutionized the illumination of interior spaces, which allowed less focus on natural light and the strict, spatial planning revolving around natural light.   As one of the first prototypes of artificial lighting, it has its downsides with the bulky oil resevoir that emits unsightly silhouettes where clean light would otherwise cast and so later designs used this lamp as a model with slight updates.  The portability of oil lamps allows for more flexibility in use while also providing the opportunity to illuminate many different spaces as opposed to fixed lighting like chandeliers.  The most common source of artificial light prior to oil lamps were candles but they didn’t offer anywhere near the amount of illumination of the Argand lamp.  The industrial revolution supplied the technology through fast production and material inventiveness that made it possible to create oil lamps that in turn revolutionized the way we experience and respond to interior space.

Harwood, Architecture and Interior Design from the 19^th century, pg 23.

[2] Using the internet, LOCATE and ANALYZE an image for an ARTIFACT, a SPACE, a BUILDING, and a PLACE, drawing the idea of eastern influences as understood by nineteenth-century minds (China, Japan, India, Middle Eastern) on western design and architecture. Each answer must include an appropriately annotated and cited image in addition to a well-crafted essay to defend your choice of each image and the ways (more than one) that the material item responds to design influences from the east. [20 POINTS POSSIBLE]**

     The west was most readily influenced by the east through newly, extensive trade routes that linked the two worlds together.  The inception of precious materials such as silk and porcelain as well as design characteristics like laquered wood and design concepts such as asymmetry and harmony with nature led to a design style coined as Chinoiserie by the French.  In a rapidly growing commercial industry, desires and curiosity for exotic goods grew as previous western designs became boring and mundane.

http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/chippendale-bookcases-39382.jpg

Irish Chinese, Chippendale Mahogany Cabinet

     The famous wood craftsman, Thomas Chippendale created this mahogany cabinet as a marriage between English, classical eclecticism with that of simple Chinoiserie surface decoration.  The cabinet was inspired by the East through the delicate fretwork placed below the protruding, lower shelf and the visually fragile wood paneling displayed on the bookshelf.  Clearly influenced by the East, the cabinet still maintains classical simplicity through the iconic cornice molding and the strictly established symmetry.  The English had a distinct infatuation with rational simplicity that coincides with their perception of the ‘down-to-earth’ nature of Eastern lifestyles, so that by incorporating design features celebrated in the East, they too could tap into that harmony.

http://theboldsoul.lisataylorhuff.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/11/08/dsc_0030.jpg

Château de Chantilly interior, France 

     The French particularly took an interest in Chinoiserie because it complimented and accentuated their own Rococo style.  Here at the Chateau de Chantilly the owners collaborated the pictorial, landscape scenes reflecting the mystery and carefree nature of how they perceived China with that of the heavily gilded wood panels of the Rococo panache.  Furthermore, the lacquered surface decoration littered throughout the space is reminiscent of the delicate wood craftsmanship commonly seen in eastern design.  This space is the perfect embodiment between the original French interior style of Rococo with the western version of Chinese surface decoration.  

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Chinesisches_Haus_Sanssouci.jpg

China House, Potsdam Germany (Garden Pavilion).

     The China House in Germany is a further exploration of the perceived care-free nature of the Chinese mostly as a reflection of the German aristocracies attraction to decadence and novelty expressed through an exotic culture.  This western imitation structure is by no surprise a garden pavilion reflecting the East’s strong affinity with nature and seclusion.  Four sandstone columns support the porch with massive floral capitals imitating eastern design permeated by gilded figurines in eastern apparel.   The top is crowned with a Chinese cupola with yet another eastern figurine perched comfortably in the center.  Even the light color palette in a shade of green reflects the influence of the East with attempts to blend in to the environment.   The building functions as a small lodge for social gathering of the noble, reflecting the informal attitude of western perception towards the east.  

http://www.inetours.com/England/London/images/Kew/Japanese_Lndscp_0217.jpg

Kew Gardens, London

     Kew Gardens within London displays a small Japanese landscape shown here with a Pagoda tower and a small, undulated pavilion dotting a flourishing, meandering landscape.  The whimsical pathways reflect the asymmetrical, ‘go with the flow’ persona of the east but also the clear respect for nature with careful placement of structures that don’t dominate the environment.  These intricate, weaving pathways were a reaction to the formal, sweeping lines of other contemporaries as the English preferred to fantasize every now and again in the secluded parks of the otherwise urban London or before returning to their rationally classical homes.   

Counter Point: Perspective

This unit focused on Gothic, the Renaissance, and the early Baroque stylistic periods and as such I chose the word extention, WITH A T....to reflect on the extension through verticality of the Gothic style and the continuation of classical design that echoes throughout the Renaissance.  The theme was perspective, so I chose to create a simple one-point perspective backdrop with the word 'extending' back into space.  Furthermore, perspective as we know it was invented in the Renaissance so it made sense to me to draw La Rotunda following the same vanishing point as the word.  I rendered with a base coat of chartpak marker highlighted mostly with staedler pencils and light areas of colored pencil.

Counter Point: Compass

I chose to talk about the Roman Forums as a place in history that guided the rest of the world as far as design technique as well as how the building form itself is a reflection of the Roman spirit in an artificial nature.  I used a combination of techniques in photoshop such as auto levels, opacity, and layers to create the picturesque format seen above.

Point_3

The alternatives unit brings about a wonderful complexity in architecture and design as more and more opinions become relevant and voiced, creating a labyrinth out of what used to be a cohesive design language in antiquity.  Instead, there are a series of transitional design revolutions that seek to both emulate and deviate from antiquity.  However, a common concept remains in each design phase, and that is a test to the boundaries that create limitations.  We see this blatantly expressed in the formal verticality of Gothic, the classically based yet more intricate Renaissance, and most of all in the ostentatious, fluidity of both Baroque and Rococo.  Where the world was once narrow and confined to isolated geographical locations like Egypt and Greece or was dominated by Imperial Rome, there is now a natural fluidity in debate and design concepts that led to greater expression. 

            In a time of constant threat and uncertainty, the Gothic style emerged as a heavenly beacon in an otherwise desolate and obsolete existence, promoted by the rising authority of the church.  This ideology and lifestyle is much distanced from the stability of the once Roman empire that focused on material pleasures and public entertainment.  Life was much more spiritual, and therefore a new type of design was to be implemented, one that would break the boundaries of vertical space and manipulate light as an architectural element at a unprecedented intensity.  The Gothic style was itself a revolution initiated in the way people considered the earthly world to be mundane and the church reacted by creating a architectural revolution based on a heaven bound focal point.  Once one Gothic church was erected, several began springing up around Europe, each providing their own contribution built off the previous model yet all connected by a common goal; to link man and heaven through illumination representing the divine.  The style was a test of faith and accomplishment of a community, church clergy, and numerous craftsmen, not a sole mastermind, and therefore many voices were expressed, which can be seen in the variation of architectural elements, the structural reinforcements, and the sheer time it took to complete a Gothic cathedral. 

            On the other hand, the Renaissance took a much different approach to design returning to the classical rationalism and balance of elements seen in Greek and Roman architecture.  While the architecture of this time seems to mimic classical antiquity with a lack of originality, the people of this time pushed the boundaries of limitations through a mindset of human potential and confidence in intellectual capacity rather than spiritual fervor.  They started this transitional revolution by reflecting back on the rational proportions of the classics because it was grounded in the same ideology of scientific logic that the Renaissance adopted and perfected for their own benefit.  A good example is the invention of Brunelleschi’s dome for the Duomo, where the model was inspired from the classical Pantheon but was recalculated to a more egg-like shell to benefit the nature of the structure.  Another aspect that should not be overlooked is the finances that made these structures possible.  Patrons of wealthy middle class merchants and bankers as well as the dictating church and collection of plebian guilds all aided in the design language of this time.  There were many voices yearning to be heard, and thus there were many different appearances to an overall social theme of harmonious balance represented through clear boundaries.  Ironically, it seems that the Renaissance chose to push the boundaries of human potential by creating elaborate boundaries to bring about a sense of unity and separation of parts.   For example, looking at the intricate patterning of the front façade of Santa Maria Novella there is a clear unity through repetition of patterns yet also a separation of parts through contrast and geometric boundaries.    

            The following design revolution of the fluid Baroque style energizes the rather boring mimicry of the Renaissance by representing a dynamic flow of space with otherwise stagnant materials.  Baroque broke the boundaries of our sensory experience because it is a highly interactive style that Roth would state as being, “grasped through one’s experiencing it in its variety of effects”.  Whole cities were treated as if they were theatrical stages spilling forth to inspire and move us.  Examples range from the highly fluid space containing the ecstasy of Saint Teresa to the illusionary painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to the protruding and receding façade of Sant Andrea al Quirnale.  This style was not just a test of boundaries but a sheer lack of boundaries given up to fully express human ingenuity.  Once again, many opinions were being voiced through the variety of patrons but now the artists and designers too are expressing their own individuality through a compromise in patron desire and artistic creativeness.  

http://www.johnpitre.com/images/RestrictionsBio.jpg

This image clearly depicts the struggles of the alternatives unit to break free from the oppressive restrictions of our limited understanding of the world and the capacity to overcome boundaries that hold us back.  It is human nature never to be content with the here and now but in the curiosity of the possible, of the dream, of the potential that has not yet been reached.  Each design revolution brings about a temporary satisfaction until our restlessness sets in and once again we struggle to break the boundaries of the previous generation.  

Reading Composition 4

[1] Just as we learned with Gothic cathedrals, in the context of each PLACE, the other scales of analysis (ARTIFACT, SPACE, and BUILDING) each demonstrate difference. For each scale on the readings rubric above, EXPLAIN at least one common design language that links them all. Use the principles and elements of design as defined for this class in your response. Explicitly tie the Roth reading to your analysis, using at least one cited quote.

A common design language linking all of the above locations is a grounded belief in an architecture that is established from classical antiquity. Their responses to architecture relate to a rational but also flexible technique to classicism. Roth pinpoints the styles of these locations as being eclectic, “the informed and selective borrowing of historical building forms and details’.  This eclectic pining of antiquity led to an overall design theme based on simplistic geometry set in a symmetrical balance with distinct boundaries.  This formal sophistication of geometric patterns was heavily emphasized in the American Georgian style.  While all of these places exhibit separate techniques they all remain grounded in the emulation of classical design;

The buildings also share a common design language based in classical antiquity and more recently, the Renaissance.  While all of them share the classical transitioning structure of the portico aside from the Nathaniel-Russell House a common theme among all is repetition of simple elements whether it is the symmetrically placed and evenly spaced windows of the façade or the stringcourses that delineate the interior floors.  Moreover, all of the structures have a sense of calmness because they are not heavily ornate with stucco and sculpture but rather emphasize simple geometric proportions while the repetition of design elements brings a sort of expected tranquility.  As Roth states, “The deceptive ornament of Baroque had to be stripped away, architecture had to get back to essentials”.

      Once the skeleton is removed, the interiors speak the same design language but become slightly more ornate through intricate and repetitive patterns usually with an emphasis on geometric patterns.  The interiors become a focal point for more complex textures that contrast the simple geometry of the exteriors but at the same time these intricate patterns seem to follow a sense of proportional scale.  For example, these interiors begin their patterns on area rugs that then move to floor molding or wallpaper textures, that then move to ceiling molding.  All the while, these patterns are represented at different scales and offer a transitional balance throughout the space so that the eye is constantly reassured by the repetition of the same elements only changing in scale and materiality. 

            The artifacts of these periods are the most ornate designs because they, over all the other scales, display an intimacy of craft and taste that reflect on the owner, while also beings the closest scale to humans.  There is an obvious sense of parts related to a whole, or unity, within these objects.  For example, the tall clock has a base, a shaft, and a capital where the clock sits that is very representational of a column; the other artifacts follow a similar pattern of parts to a whole.  Furthermore, there is a heavy sense of ornamental placement value within strict boundaries.  For example, the bookcase with chinisorie contains compartmentalized panels with floral pictorials while the Sheraton chair is firmly symmetrical with a central ornamental detail of an urn.  

Citation:

            -Harwood pg. 404-526

            -History and Theory of Design II, Class Notes, 9/13/10, Design Elements and Principles.

[2] Linked to Europe, the ARTIFACTS, SPACES, BUILDINGS, and PLACES of the American colonies echo closely their design forebears. Selecting evidence from all four scales for both the American Georgian periods, TRACE the common design ancestry across the Atlantic Ocean in the Neo-Palladian and Late Georgian periods of England and the Louis XVI/French Provincial period in France. ARTICULATE the implications of copying from Europe for the American colonies. Use the principles and elements of design as defined for this class in your response. Explicitly tie the Roth reading to your analysis, using at least one cited quote. [10 points possible]

            The colonial English architecture began in the growing cities of New England such as the port city of Boston in a strictly vernacular sense as materials were limited and most labor was focused on basic survival through primitive, rational structures.  Roth refers to this ‘primitive design’ as, “the art of pure structure, serving original functions and not applied as ornament”.  Early dwellings in colonial America focused on medieval techniques of construction and therefore were modest in scale and emphasized honesty in structural material.  The Parson Capen House is a prime example echoing English medieval technique through high pitched framing, strictly utilized wood material, and a central chimney.  The interiors, like that of the Hart House, represent an even harsher eclectic assimilation of the English medieval past through a reminiscent low beamed, wooden ceiling and bland interior ornament.  However, nothing better represents the rigorous functionality of this medieval vernacular than the gateleg table that initially can serve as a small side table, which folds out into a circular table used for dining, very useful for the multi-functional rooms seen in colonial infrastructure.  Ironically, while colonial settlers in America were going through there own medieval dark age based on English archetypes, England was focused on reviving classicism based on Palladian models.

            While English colonists settle on the upper east coast of North America, the Spaniards find their niche on the southern tip of Florida at St. Augustine and onward into the southwestern territories.  The Spanish, unlike other pilgrims, adopted the vernacular of the indigenous people, leaving only high-style structures like Cathedrals as monuments to Renaissance and Baroque models in Spain.  The Governor’s Palace in New Mexico is a clear representation of indigenous influence using adobe construction methods but at the same time reflects monumental, Spanish scale through a stretched horizontal structure, which offers contrast through the materiality of adobe and repetitive wooden beams.  On the other hand lies the interior of the Columbus House, which represents a direct Spanish Renaissance influence through the symmetrical arch entries with wrought iron grilles and intricate, geometric tiles.  Perhaps the best example of a merge between Spain and the indigenous is represented through the Frailero, a chair that is simplified from its original Spanish version.  It offers contrast in ornamental elements, the horizontal features displaying the dynamic, twisted embellishment that echoes Spanish Baroque, while the vertical features display the structural integrity and use of honest materials of the indigenous people.  Spanish colonial architecture remains quite rudimentary compared to the design concepts spreading throughout Europe and the highly ornate Baroque fashion crave in Spain but while Europe has had established nations for centuries, the colonies are just beginning their history.

            As one of the three great nations of the 17th century, naturally France played its role in the colonization of the New World, lining the Mississippi River that culminated in the city of New Orleans.  The French remained somewhat isolated in their architectural design first basing their structures off medieval, vernacular archetypes from France and then creating revisions due to climate variations with their most sophisticated, high style structures located in New Orleans.  The Houssaye House replicates French design through a steep, gable roof, French doors, and a spacious porch that extends the home outside with that of changes made from climate variations through a hollow first level.  This creates a unique balance between French elegance and climatic functionalism.  The Parlagne Plantation completes much the same function by marrying the rural, Creole style on the exterior with the refined, elegance of France in the interior through asymmetrical spatial arrangements.  Furthermore, the colonial French armoires have a simplistic elegance borrowed directly from the provincial style in France with simple wood molding, a curving base, and large double doors; each part unifyed to a simplistic whole.  Like English colonist, the French pilgrims related their structures back to their vernacular, medieval past but with a greater sense of intricacy and elegance.  

            The Germans and Dutch too left their small imprint on colonial America settling in areas of New England, such as New York, and then drifting down the eastern coast much like the English settlers.  Because of the coincidence, German colonists merged with English design and exerted minimal, original influence except in isolated areas; they are most known for their log houses.  The single brother’s house in Old Salem represents a more sophisticated, urban style of German design mixing timber construction with a balance of mixed brick tones and double roofing.  On the other hand, the bland interior of the Andrew Jackson log house represents the typical vernacular style and functional integrity of homes located in the western expansion.  The interior contains a single, multi-functional room and the artifacts as well respond to this need for function through a trundle bed that can be folded in or out for spatial and functional requirements.  German artifacts like the shrank balance subtle decoration with utilitarian needs and also provide a sense of contrast through open and closed arrangements; the bottom offering privacy and the top a display of dining appliances.  The simple molding and undulated, wood carvings provide an aesthetic while the levels of scale provided in the shelves presents a sense of ordered repetition.  The German and Dutch followed the same trend as all early colonist in utilizing medieval models from their homeland because they fit the initial functionalism needed to survive in a newly discovered continent.  The mother countries of Germany and Holland were focused on applying a mixture of the Palladian Renaissance style and the Late Baroque style.  

           

Citation:

            -Roth, pg 443.

            -Harwood pg. 251-321

            -History and Theory of Design II, Class Notes, 9/13/10, Design Elements and Principles.

           

[3] From the Hersey/Freedman reading, DESIGN and POST a labeled floor plan of a possible Palladian villa inspired by Girolamo Frescobaldi’s Balletto Terzo found online at this site: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm select the link on the left side of the page with Frescobaldi’s name under multimedias [5 points possible]

Based off the Hersey/Freedman reading and the rhythmic beat of the Baletto Terzo, I developed a floor plan with a ratio of 3:4 from the main structural unit with radiating transitional spaces to the exterior from the front portico, back porch, and side verandas.  The circular center is created visually not by walls but by circular columns repeated in a circular colonnade.  The central dome is 1/3 the length of the villa expanding to the doorways on either side and is 1/3 the width of the villa if the circle is expanded through to the side verandas.  The corner rooms all follow a 1:1 ratio while the two rooms flanking the Saloon follow a 2:3 ratio.  The windows follow a symmetrical, constant beat that I based off the Baletto Terzo.  I placed the rooms in a way that I thought was logical, having the entertainment and display rooms towards the front while the utilitarian Kitchen and private Bedroom sit quietly behind closed doors.  The front rooms provide open entryways for air ventilation between both sides of the villa and allow light to illuminate the spaces.   

[4] Using the resources at the weblink below, SPECULATE about whether you believe that the architecture and design in the Baroque period stands as a form of social performance in the theatre of the world. Support your response with examples from class and the assigned readings. [5 points possible] http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/10701023/

            From both previous and current art history courses I have studied and observed the terms we coin for Baroque architecture as being fluid, dynamic, monumental, warped, limit-breaking, and theatrical but never before have I realized how much the Baroque style encompasses until I read this online passage.  Baroque is more than just an architectural style, it permeates throughout sculpture, painting, theatre, music, and even literature; it was a frame of mind, a reflection of overall taste, and a lifestyle.  The Baroque lifestyle treated the whole world, particularly in cities, as a theatre.  I believe firmly that all aspects in life during the Baroque phase were treated theatrically simply because Baroque is an illusionistic style focused on the manipulation of space and the drama of movement.  A prime example of this style is Michelangelo’s painted ceiling for the Sistine Chapel.  Here, he increases the volume of the space through illusionistic, painted vaults on an otherwise flat ceiling while all of his figures are engaged in bold, dynamic poses, creating a dramatic, theatrical performance for the dwarfed public to behold.  Moreover, theatrical displays were not kept cramped indoors but were blatantly displayed on the bugling protrusions and recessions of exterior facades and optical illusions of piazzas to provide a socially intriguing engagement for pedestrians.  Perhaps there is no greater instance of this display than from what Roth shows us visually from the Piazza of Saint Peters.  The initial trapezoidal geometry of the piazzas arms make Saint Peters the focal point and give the structure a perceived increase in scale while the outer arms of the piazza extend outward in a semi circle to embrace the public into the theatrics of the city.  Most importantly, the Baroque style was one that attempted to engage the senses and emotions of every citizen and was apparent through its ominous presence throughout the cities and through multiple genres of expression; life was a stage, and every profession in society had its role. 

Citations:

-Roth, p. 408

- History and Theory of Design II , 10/15/10, Baroque

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