ARCHITECTURE EXAM - ESSAYS

1. How did the Nazis use architecture as propaganda? Give specific examples.

Hitler believed in using architecture to project a monumental image of the Nazis. He emulated Roman architecture, which served as a foundation of the Roman Empire, in attempt to reflect a similar image on the Nazi regime. This was succeeded by setting rallies within a large space, for example, the Zepplenfeld. The large scale of their architecture allowed to create a deep impression on the masses of people. Some of the elements of this style include clean edges, heftiness,

3. What does it mean that Louis Kahn reintroduced history and monumentality to modern architecture?

- From his trips throughout Egypt and Greece, he took some of the most basic structures of architecture and incorporated the devices of axial organization, hierarchy, and composition, giving that fresh and modern feel to it. He wanted to create a hefty look in his architecture through using the highest quality of concrete as one of the main materials. This also creates a "timeless" effect, as architecture from history did. One example is the Salks Institute for Biological Studies at La Jolla, CA. This celebrates what is human-made and connects with nature despite its unnatural appearance. In contrast with Frank Lloyd Wright's views, Kahn did not believe solely in pure geometric forms such as the circle, rectangle, and circle but rather extended his beliefs in

4. Compare the arch of Kahn, Rudolph, and Saarinen. Be prepared to discuss specific examples.

- Kahn introduced history and monumentality to his architecture and considered axial organization in his plans.

5. What is new urbanism (neo-traditional house planning)?

- Some principles of this planning include walk-ability, connectivity, sustainability, diversity, and mixed use. The interconnectedness

6. Compare & contrast the Seagram Bldg and the Lever House. And compare & contrast those two to the WTC.

- The seagram bldg & lever house are very similar in that they are both skyscrapers with curtain walls. This is glass-box effect is achieved through the use of marble, travertine, glass, and steel. These two buildings contain space

7. Describe Venturi and Scott Brown's concept of the Duck and the Decorated Shed.

- The Duck is a poultry shop which is quite literally the shape of a duck on the exterior. The shape of the duck is meant to indicate or foreshadow the activity carried on within. Even though the image itself is not appealing, it is unique in a way that it pops out and sends a direct message to drivers and by-passers of what it is for. The decorated shed pertains to mundane buildings such as hotels and restaurants.

8. Who would you have chosen in the Rutgers architectural competition? Defend your answer with specifics.

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9. Compare and contrast the late work of Le Corbusier with the late work of FLW.

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10. Analyze the critique of modernism presented by Venturi, Scott Brown, and Izenour in Learning from Las Vegas. What did they learn from Las Vegas?

Full Fathom Five - Pollock

The painting I have chosen for analysis is Jackson Pollock's "Full Fathom Five", which hangs on the fourth floor with his other paintings, "Autumn Rhythm" and "Lavender Mist No. 1". This painting is a representation of gestural abstraction, which consists of the application of paint in a spontaneous and sporadic manner. In comparison with his other works, this painting is smaller in scale. The palette consists of mainly black, white, and blue/turquoise, with speckles of orange. Besides paint, Pollock also included solid items such as nails, keys, cigarettes, coins, and buttons. These do not draw attention to themselves, but rather emulate the paintwork in attempt to portray the emotion of the artist.

Clement Greenberg would have described this style as "Painterly Abstraction" or "Abstract Expressionism", which crosses between a painterly and abstract style. Some qualities of this style involve linear clarity and a more physical approach to the application of paint. In Full Fathom Five, both are inherently connected with each other as the movement of each application transforms the artwork in its entirety. The rapid movement and direction of the paint causes the painting to appear open and infinite.

Greenberg came up with a term called "Post-Painterly Abstraction" which signifies the step-up from the painterly style and keeping the impression of 2-D flatness of the canvas. This is certainly not the case with Pollock's painting as there are multitudes of layers of splatters which, as a result, creates depth. This also renders the painting to give the sense of infinite space to the viewer; even though it is restricted to the particular canvas size, the audience is able to picture the piece in a broader view. Greenberg may have initially praised Pollock for his painterly work that defined the abstract expressionist style, but would have later found it too mannerly. Its glory was short-lived before it later gave the impression of standardization, which was too school-like.

As any other Abstract Expressionist painter did, Pollock attempted to create something that did not necessarily refer to history. Rosenberg would have praised this painting for its attempt to look "new", more specifically, to portray the artist's personality. The direction and duration of each application is different, but still echoing the character of the artist. Rosenberg describes this as an "action painting", when the artist is the actor and the canvas is his stage. It does not take the viewer to watch a clip of Pollock on Youtube to see how he produced the artwork. The movement of the artist is automatically mimicked in display. To even further push the concept, the canvas represents the mind of the artist and the paint the content of the mind. In the mind of the artist, the canvas is not a canvas anymore, but it is him. The handling of color and paint represents the perception of a feeling or whatever the artist is thinking at that moment.

There are infinite possibilities as to how this painting could have been rendered in terms of direction, stroke, duration, and concentration. Pollock approached his canvas with the intent of giving himself wholly, not trying to portray anything that is necessarily recognizable to the viewer. It is the discovery of the self and defiance towards what is the standard or school of art.

A Question of Design

This article discusses the progression of machinery during the Industrial Revolution in the early 1900's. Speed increased dramatically within industries when machinery was developed, which burgeoned throughout cities. The good effect of this was that it provided a more equitable standard of living. However, there were negative effects of this movement which included pollution and loss of jobs.

We must be careful now since we are already aware of what damage can be and has been done in nature. One simple solution may be to produce less waste by encouraging natural improvement; slowing down. We may not be able to undo the things we did, but we can change our speed and adjust it.

Buckminster Fuller

There was a section in this article regarding nature vs. science that brought me back to another article called The Sincerest Form of Flattery. Regarding my previous post to that article, I felt that technology was running at a faster pace than nature. Because we depend on technology, we are moving just as fast and not acknowledging the natural course of speed. It is true, however, that humans are enduring successfully through the advancement of technology. The only problem is that when tasks become easier, the economy starts to take a shift. For example, Photoshop is supposedly releasing a new version called CS5. On Youtube, the company demonstrates some new 'nifty tricks' of CS5 that cannot be executed via other versions, making the work more effective and quick. Does this mean that everything we have learned in previous versions was just a waste of time? This may demote graphic designers' credibility as clients can potentially become their own designers.

Kees Dorst -- "But, is it Art?"

I feel that my perspective on designers have shifted a little after reading this article by Dorst. He mentions that artists strive to influence the feeling or thinking of an audience. Designers are similar in that way, except they do it promote an idea/place/object, which is the goal. To me, as a student, I feel very little satisfaction with many of my projects, although they were successful in the eyes of the professor. I yearn to make great art like that of professionals, but I still have much to learn. This is probably more towards a personal route.

Art's Little Brother (2005) by Rick Poyner

Rick mentions good points by Norman Potter from his book What is a Designer, which distinguishes design from art. I agree that one of the main differences is that designers must consider function and practicality in their own work. However, that should not totally dismiss the designer the title as an artist. It is not to say that they must be considered artists no matter what, but at least appreciate their work further than just from a glance. Just as there are terrible graphic designers, there are terrible artists! At a higher level, the artist and the designer are both truly giving themselves to their own pieces. I feel that only at a level, when it can be seen, a designer can really be seen as an artist in their work while the artist remains the artist. In the manifesto by Matisse called "Notes of a Painter", he

M/M

This article really caught my attention for I had always wondered if design could be recognized as an artwork, not just a piece of work that was commissioned by a company or other artists. It was nice to see someone who decided to negate the latter and show the rest of the world the true potential of graphic design. What struck me odd at first was when Augustyniak mentioned that the names of the invitation designers were automatically inserted in the invites for the reason that they have made art the same way any artist in that gallery did. It rubbed off as a bit snooty, however, reading from his point of view on art and design, it made sense as to why they did that. They are making a stand for what they are and what they made; the invitation would have been most likely dismissed after being read for a couple of minutes, then chucked in the garbage can or whatnot. I would assume that the designers' intention in displaying their names was to make the invitation one with the gallery and allow for it to be appreciated by the audience just as much as any other artwork in that gallery would be.

In graphic design, there is always some intent by the designer to create a unique piece of work that will simultaneously communicate with the audience easily and promote whatever the event, place, or object. I feel that it should be recognized more broadly than as just a career title. Every design has an effect on the audience just as any "artwork" would, but it is usually a short-lived one for that reason. If the audience really took the time to appreciate every decision and fully experience that relationship with the artwork, then it would fulfill more than any graphic designer would imagine.