What Would Wall-e Do?

During our first lecture, students watched Disney's Wall-e from a designers point of view. There are many hidden thoughts and stories one can learn from this cinimatic adventure. Ideas such as: Sustaninablility, Awearness of one's surroundings, Be willing to make a 3rd space, consider what has value, Don't design out the experience! and so on...

Final President Analysis

Unit Summary: Explorations

Here is a really neat picture of a tree that I found on the Internet. I chose a tree because trees have a lot of spiritual meaning to me. In my younger years, my grandfathers would take me on picnics always by the same oak tree. Later, as I entered college I began the practice of yoga where tree pose was the most difficult for me to master... the tree has been a huge part of my life and will continue to be as it roots itself into the ground while continuing to stretch towards the sky.


This composition can be found in the Reading Art Museum. As fate may have it, I literally stumbled upon this picture and could not stop looking at it. I still haven't made up my mind whether or not it was because of the color, great detail, or a similarity I feel with the masked women in the picture... she is trying to fly with the rest of the birds but is being tied down, and yet a smile remains on her face?


Polka-dots and shoes. I love polka-dots and always thought of shoes as some of the best architecture and design.


San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane has always been on of my favorites. I immensely enjoy how the designer was able to create a fluid movement throughout the use of a solid material.


The female body is seen as beautiful; I find it interesting and a bit amusing that Architects used sculptures such as these seen here on the porch of the maidens as visual directors to other buildings on Acropolis.


The Nebula, the colors and shapes that are created by burning gasses and matter millions of light years away is unreal to me. How could something so majestic be so fair out of reach?


The fish hock necklace. This piece is special to me for several reasons. The fish hock is a Maori tribe symbol for safety over waters, adult hood and strength.


Make up-the most common way to mask ones face.


Bar harbor, Maine



Alice Focht United Methodist Church. This was the church where I grew up in... literally my mother, brother and I practically lived here sense I was five.

Coming full circle:
Besides spirituality and deeper meanings of why I like things; the most common element between all of my chosen designs are: color-which is vibrant yet dark, shape-which is made to look like something its not [stone appears to move, women made of stone], and pattern- several times the polka-dot pattern has shown up in one of these compositions.

Coming full circle

Community:
Massey, (2008) “Architects have become more interested in interior design, and artists are exploring the built environment as part of their creative practice…” (p.219)

In the past this was unheard of. Architects stuck to what they new: structures and support; whereas Designers focused manly on interior “fluffing.” Today, as Massey suggests, architects and designers have come together to create a super group where both ideas of decoration and factuality can come together.

Stewardship:
Massey, (2008) “Today, interior designers are acutely aware of the need to use woods from renewable sources- materials regarded as exotic in the Art Deco era, such as ebony, are now banned in an attempt to halt deforestation in tropical and temperate rain forests.” (p.219)

In an effort to help our environment as well as the newly global GREEN kick, designers are researching new materials that can be used in our homes; materials which have little or no affect on our natural environment. One of which is bamboo- which is an invasive plant that grows rather rapidly and acts as a durable replacement to other woods like ebony.


Innovation:
Massey, (2008) “One extreme example, the Icehotel in Jukkadjarvi, Sweden, runs an annual competition in which entrants are invited to design ice interiors for its lobby and bedrooms.”

The Icehotel is a genuine yet rather whimsical design development which melts every spring then is commissioned to be redesigned each winter. This is quite the wonderful imaginative design which is mad of pure organic forms. The amazing thing about this space is that it’s locating is the same but its shape and structure differ from year to year. This building was built with its geographical location and local materials in mind: as all buildings should be.

Authenticity:
Roth, (2007) “An architecture of true meaning, substance, and enduring authority arises not simply form exploiting new structural techniques or materials; nor it is created solely through the refinement of abstract form or the playful manipulation of now-fashionable details.” (p.611)

This quote is suggesting that architecture doesn’t just happen but it rather is an expressed inner spiritual from responding to the architect itself as well as the culture in which it is built. Thus, making all architecture especially genuine to its own individualized geographic location.

Reflection:
As if the etch sketch isn’t hard enough some overly talented individual with a lot of time on their hands decided to go ahead and recreate an image of Jackson Pollock creating one of is many master peaces. Pollock, like the etch sketch is authentically American. The etch sketch was and innovative new way of drawing which is possible thought the use of magnetic materials and knobbed gears. A many thanks to our early 19th century inventers and their stewardship to their craft has lead to not only creating a fun toy but perhaps even a new medium of art.

Pictures Credited:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22851673@N04/2200823530/

http://images.forbestraveler.com/media/photos/inspirations/2007/08/theme-hotels-05-g.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/etchasketchist/780280402/

[Pair]ing down

Meditation/Celebration:
Light/Shadow:
Transpose/ Juxtapose:
Literal/Abstract:
Monologue/Dialogue:

Reflections Unit Summary

Light project