I've been reading articles on place and experience, and am attaching to certain arguments presented by J. Gillis and B. D. Wortham-Galvin (among others, including Norberg-Schulz). When framing the thesis as site exercise, I'm trying to consider the mind, and how space exists in both the physical and emotive sense. Gillis discusses how the people we surround ourselves with and model our lives by (families specifically) are really separate entities. One is physical, the other is a construct. Similarly, Wortham-Galvin describes this theme in terms of place- that place is both physical space and the mental associations that come with. Further, Norberg-Schulz discusses that place is composed of both "structure" and "character", again referring to the doubled sided construct of space. I feel the site for my thesis then is both one that is real and one that is imagined/constructed/experienced. The site seems to unquestionably need dual dimensions.
*J. Gillis, "A World of Their Own Making"
*B. D. Wortham-Galvin, "Mythologies of Placemaking"
*Norberg-Schulz, "Genius Loci"
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
[reflections].
Following the first pinup of the year, I wanted to distill comments brought up in the critique and also to talk through ideas on moving the work forward.
First, I seem to be struggling to define a clear objective of this year's research. For this past project, I spent more thought on the house/project itself, rather than the larger conceptual frameworks that surrounded the work. Therefore, I felt a bit behind not having nailed down these concepts, not having a site/region chosen, and not having worked through some of the specifics. I realize that a thesis is not a studio project- but rather a set of ideas and topics of discovery that might produce 10+ studio projects. So, reframing, perhaps I'm just having a difficult time knowing how specific I should be at this point in the process, or how general my ideas should come across.
Following the discussion on Wednesday, I am also concerned that my topic is not original enough. There is a large body of work regarding memory and space, which causes me to further question the originality of this topic and its worth as a U of M thesis project.
Conversation was raised as to the purpose of architecture in the realm of memory that I feel is important to restate here. Should architecture act as a repository of memory or a space to elicit memory? (eliciting memory seemed to have the panel more excited).
Looking ahead, I now need to proceed with the DEMO assignment to capture ideas on how to break the work down and build it anew.
First, I seem to be struggling to define a clear objective of this year's research. For this past project, I spent more thought on the house/project itself, rather than the larger conceptual frameworks that surrounded the work. Therefore, I felt a bit behind not having nailed down these concepts, not having a site/region chosen, and not having worked through some of the specifics. I realize that a thesis is not a studio project- but rather a set of ideas and topics of discovery that might produce 10+ studio projects. So, reframing, perhaps I'm just having a difficult time knowing how specific I should be at this point in the process, or how general my ideas should come across.
Following the discussion on Wednesday, I am also concerned that my topic is not original enough. There is a large body of work regarding memory and space, which causes me to further question the originality of this topic and its worth as a U of M thesis project.
Conversation was raised as to the purpose of architecture in the realm of memory that I feel is important to restate here. Should architecture act as a repository of memory or a space to elicit memory? (eliciting memory seemed to have the panel more excited).
Looking ahead, I now need to proceed with the DEMO assignment to capture ideas on how to break the work down and build it anew.
Friday, August 27, 2010
[family chapel].
EXiT architetti associati's Family Chapel:
http://www.archdaily.com/74718/family-chapel-exit-architetti-associati/#more-74718
Inspiration for what I'm currently working on for my "house as thesis". A space that isn't about space, but rather what the space allows people to feel and experience. A blank canvas for thought, recollection, and discovery.
http://www.archdaily.com/74718/family-chapel-exit-architetti-associati/#more-74718
Inspiration for what I'm currently working on for my "house as thesis". A space that isn't about space, but rather what the space allows people to feel and experience. A blank canvas for thought, recollection, and discovery.
[the senses].
I've been giving thought to the presence of the senses in nostalgia and memory. Memory is kept alive in the vessel of the body through what I understand to be mainly a sense of feeling and visual recollection. In other words, you remember an event through how it made you feel, and how that event looked in the mind. But, can you remember how something smelled or tasted? I for one, cannot draw up a memory of an exact scent or taste. I know that I could recognize it if it occurred in the present, but scent and taste seem to be more elusive in memory. Sound and touch are a bit more complicated. I can recall how something sounded or felt, though I cannot actually hear it in my head or feel it in my fingers with the same effect as in the present.
"Allegory of the Five Senses" Gerard de Lairesse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1668_G%C3%A9rard_de_Lairesse_-_Allegory_of_the_Five_Senses.jpg
"Allegory of the Five Senses" Gerard de Lairesse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1668_G%C3%A9rard_de_Lairesse_-_Allegory_of_the_Five_Senses.jpg
Thursday, August 26, 2010
[the bridge].
With the completion of the readings and the development of my lexicon in place, it is time to reveal some of my thoughts and inspirations toward the semester's work.
I entered the summer with a broad idea of my interests and fascinations within the discipline and through self investigation coupled with summer readings, I've begun to hone in on certain concepts for the development of my thesis. More specifically, my general interests include history and psychology. More specifically, I'm interested in Classical and Renaissance history and space psychology. More specifically, I'm interested in the idea of nostalgia and memory and how it is elicited by design, captured, or recreated.
With that in mind, I plan to begin my thesis journey with an investigation of memory and space. I'm fascinated by the emotive qualities of the mind and how we hold onto certain memories of time and space, while excluding others, and how space, design, and environment shape those memories and recollections.
I entered the summer with a broad idea of my interests and fascinations within the discipline and through self investigation coupled with summer readings, I've begun to hone in on certain concepts for the development of my thesis. More specifically, my general interests include history and psychology. More specifically, I'm interested in Classical and Renaissance history and space psychology. More specifically, I'm interested in the idea of nostalgia and memory and how it is elicited by design, captured, or recreated.
With that in mind, I plan to begin my thesis journey with an investigation of memory and space. I'm fascinated by the emotive qualities of the mind and how we hold onto certain memories of time and space, while excluding others, and how space, design, and environment shape those memories and recollections.
Friday, August 13, 2010
sloterdijk [air/condition].
TERM [surrealism].
"Surrealism," as a period of artistic and theoretical thematics, can be viewed as visualizing modernistic impulses. In other words, the surrealist movement provided a physically present reading of an evolving creativity in thought, social culture, and of course art. The artistic work represented visuals collected from the unconscious; the work broke free of creative latency in a "revolution" of sorts. Sloterdijk explains that surrealism's purpose was, "to render the content of dreams and deliriums objective" (p. 76), and to use, "technical objects not in the conditions specific to them but as symbolic draperies" (p. 74). This methodology resulted in artistic creations that challenged mediocrity and rivaled normalcy. In short, surrealism gave the arts a, "right to be mad" (p.83).
TERM [psychoanalytic].
Perhaps the term "psychoanalytic" can be used in the definition of "surrealism." Likewise, concepts that collectively define a surrealist idea can also be applied to the definition of psychoanalytic. Though, one term is not a synonym for the other. Psychoanalytic can be differentiated by its roots in Freudian psychology. Psychoanalysis can be seen as a, "strategy for reading signs and manipulating background givens" (p. 82). It is a topic which delves into the explainable and unexplainable past and provides subjective readings into the confused present. Yet, similar to surrealism, psychoanalysis delves into the "unconscious" to produce explanations, connections, and symbolic attributions in revolutionary ways. Like surrealism, it becomes a methodology to explain the unexplainable and make sense of the mind's madness.
ADDITIONAL NOTES.
Though I chose two terms that occurred in the first portion of the reading, I wanted to briefly address the latter half of the text which dealt with authorship of the atmosphere. Sloterdijk discussed the collective atmospheric organ which is controlled by all creatures at all scales. The atmosphere's life is given through each organism, meaning that the whole is comprised of many small assemblies. Yet, the atmosphere's condition is entirely out of one individuals control, since a simple change can have a ubiquitous effect on the whole. Thus, holding control over the all-encompassing entity (authorship) seems entirely possible and impossible at once.
"Surrealism," as a period of artistic and theoretical thematics, can be viewed as visualizing modernistic impulses. In other words, the surrealist movement provided a physically present reading of an evolving creativity in thought, social culture, and of course art. The artistic work represented visuals collected from the unconscious; the work broke free of creative latency in a "revolution" of sorts. Sloterdijk explains that surrealism's purpose was, "to render the content of dreams and deliriums objective" (p. 76), and to use, "technical objects not in the conditions specific to them but as symbolic draperies" (p. 74). This methodology resulted in artistic creations that challenged mediocrity and rivaled normalcy. In short, surrealism gave the arts a, "right to be mad" (p.83).
TERM [psychoanalytic].
Perhaps the term "psychoanalytic" can be used in the definition of "surrealism." Likewise, concepts that collectively define a surrealist idea can also be applied to the definition of psychoanalytic. Though, one term is not a synonym for the other. Psychoanalytic can be differentiated by its roots in Freudian psychology. Psychoanalysis can be seen as a, "strategy for reading signs and manipulating background givens" (p. 82). It is a topic which delves into the explainable and unexplainable past and provides subjective readings into the confused present. Yet, similar to surrealism, psychoanalysis delves into the "unconscious" to produce explanations, connections, and symbolic attributions in revolutionary ways. Like surrealism, it becomes a methodology to explain the unexplainable and make sense of the mind's madness.
ADDITIONAL NOTES.
Though I chose two terms that occurred in the first portion of the reading, I wanted to briefly address the latter half of the text which dealt with authorship of the atmosphere. Sloterdijk discussed the collective atmospheric organ which is controlled by all creatures at all scales. The atmosphere's life is given through each organism, meaning that the whole is comprised of many small assemblies. Yet, the atmosphere's condition is entirely out of one individuals control, since a simple change can have a ubiquitous effect on the whole. Thus, holding control over the all-encompassing entity (authorship) seems entirely possible and impossible at once.
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