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.

Branding the Individual

After reading about the effects and purpose of design, I was able to understand myself better and how/why I select the things I buy. Consumerism is a two-sided argument; one celebrates it and encourages the individual's exploration of his/her identity while the other side thinks it is merely "a process which strips away individuality." The consumer is usually driven and evoked by a feeling of longing towards an object. I find that the viewpoint which goes against consumerism is sound, however it is also understandable of how consumerism can An interesting point made in this article about material goods is that they carry social meanings. This is absolutely true, and must be considered by designers of these goods.

Willem de Koonig's "Attic"

The artwork chosen for analysis is Willem de Koonig's "Attic", which is hung in the Modern Arts section of the Metropolitan Museum of the Arts in New York City.

Imitating Nature's Design

I'd always appreciated nature, but not been aware of its many intricate designs and how they can save the world. After reading this article, I imagined the numerous functions of various organisms and the lengths they must go in order to survive. I absolutely agreed with Janine Benyus that humans are moving in great spans to live in a more 'futuristic' and technologically advanced world, where everything is fired up and ready to go in a jiff. What Janine proposed was simply to move in a slower pace and allow the world to breathe for nature is not capable of keeping up at our speed. While nodding at this proposal, I was concerned for the one belief I'd always carried about people, which is that they are generally impatient. However, as Janine said, perhaps when things look really bad, humans will finally cool their fire. I feel that right now, human-beings are starting to feel helpless, in a way that it's too late for the damage is already done.

In the article, she gives some examples of greater sustainability inspired by some of nature's finest works. This article was an eye-opener for me as a designer and a human-being to see what nature has to offer. As good designers, we must be tree-huggers at some level. It is our responsibility to use the schemes that drive the material world (marketing) to the world that needs peoples' attentions most in order to save it. Otherwise, we are only helping to damage it.

Confessions of a Sixties Idealist

In this essay, Susan Szenasy talks about sustainability, which was disputed briefly by a student at Parsons. She brings up names of designers who made a big impact in the design world, emphasizing the importance of sustainability. The subject of the World Trade Centers was an unexpected turn in the essay, however made clear sense. This made me jump back to the early decade of 2000, when this was written, and imagine the impact of this incident as a NYC dweller and designer. Nothing mattered but our own values; we become more aware of ourselves and our surroundings. I believe this is where we designers must stand at all times- in this circle of networks that are altogether aware of what is truly important and at the same time trying to create a better world.

Two terms Susan was quite keen about in her essay were "interconnectedness and relationships." This goes back to the previous paragraph, where I mentioned circle of networks. Without this, designers would be stuck doing the same old thing; adding and improving the material/plastic (AKA fake) world. Susan is leading her readers and fellow designers to step out of this bubble and take [responsible] action for improving the real world.

Blatant American Apparel

This essay by Anna Kealey touched on American Apparel's not-quite-ethical standard that is the sexual imagery placed on their ads. It's not really an issue of "what" so much as "how" they put themselves out there. Despite their slogans that portray their good ethics in production, they are a bit too forward with what is "sexy", perhaps taking it a bit too far. I also noticed while shopping in their online store that they do not shy away from rendering their models in promiscuous positions. It was a bit shocking to see so much of the body under sheer fabric or even the contours of the bare bottom in selling some product.

Byker Wall

As I watched the short clip of documentary on Byker Wall, I noticed a clear difference in space and atmosphere from that of Pruit Igoe. The fact that it is so architecturally accessible to the community may have contributed to its own success. More open spaces allow people to enjoy the essence that is Byker Wall, and really get to appreciate that with others. Although the building's structure is so hard, there is indication of life and peace within its surrounding space; recreational parks, airy stairways, and

The short-lived stand of Pruit-Igo

Pruit Igoe was a large urban housing project designed by Minoru Yamasaki in early 1950s. It consisted of around 30 tall buildings-some housed less than a thousand people and others were 'boarded up'.

This infamous complex began to decay in the late 60's due to crime, segregation, and poverty. What could have caused such transgressions in this world? When I watched this clip, all I saw was a post-apocalyptic world that sat beneath stormy clouds. It could have been the stoic atmosphere of tall buildings standing so grim next to and behind each other. This reminded me of Batman's Gotham city,

BRAND ON THE RUN

This article frightened and inspired me, especially in the end when it warned the reader about this new tactic super brands use for marketing called "guerrilla marketing". What's even more frightening is that this article was written a decade ago and they have been rapidly successful in finding new and improved ways of luring customers in. To think that subvertising would be an effective tool in marketing is kind of sick, albeit clever. Perhaps the Adbusters will come up with a more witty comeback to this sort of reverse-psychology tactic as a means to open the eyes of society to the (mal)intents of super-brand marketing. While reading this article, I couldn't help but refer back to the First Things First manifesto as the objectives clearly state that design should be used for good. The Adbusters are crusaders of this manifesto, spreading awareness of the iniquitous activity of super-brands. Radiohead is also a part of this mission in letting its audience see them as a band alone. By prohibiting ads on their stage, they are allowing their music to be a pure form of art instead of some gateway to all sorts of products that are totally unrelated to their music. This piece is not just to make designers aware, but it's also a plea for them to fight back.

HELVETICA

Of the remaining time we had in class, I was glad we were able to watch some of this film because I heard other professors talk about it and I'd been wanting to see it. The film included many important graphic designers today such as Rick Poynor, Massimo Vignelli, and Michael Bierut, who shared their opinions on Helvetica as well as a tour of their workspaces. Many designers believe that Helvetica contains a meaning and style that no other font could match up with because it is so unique in its own. Nowadays, it is used in public everywhere- from buses to billboards to everyday signs because it is increasingly recognized as a great-looking font. One popular and recent brand that uses it as part of its character is American Apparel.

There is some tension from the apparent 'overuse' of Helvetica, however. Even though it is such a wonderful font, the constant use is thought to depreciate it. Also, I think that slapping Helvetica on anything to display a pleasing image is just playing the safe card. There should be more variety and risk attempted with type as a means to create something great.

Nevertheless, Helvetica will always be one of greatest fonts of all time because its freshness, wherever placed, is contained at some level.

We need to be BAD

Bad, that is, in reference to design. This article from PRINT magazine provided a unique, unusual layout and an eye-opening perspective to the world of design. Although I always knew that Mercedes was a symbol of wealth, it never crossed my mind as to how the spread of that symbol affected our culture. This status of power and wealth burgeoned ever since design had been recognized as a major benefactor in marketing, by the marketers. I've always looked up to and strove to emulate professional designers during my career as a designer, because they are successful and happy in what they do. As I admire the encouragement of this article to go henceforth with the 'right thing' to do, another part of me is reluctant to believe in this. This is probably because I'm afraid that clients will automatically turn the freethinkers down and move on to the next designer who will accord to their wishes. Then again, there would have to be at least some faith in this way of designing in order for it to flourish. I think that due to the economy now and the unknown future, it is hard to accept and believe in this article's said 'idealized' way of marketing.

Pioneer Modernism

In Paul Greenlhalgh's book, he talks about the two phases of Modernism and their purposes. The first of the two was called Pioneer Modernism, a phase that "was essentially a set of ideas, a vision of how the designed world could transform human consciousness and improve material conditions." To have been only a set of ideas could mean that this phase was not taken far enough to be recognized as "the" Modern movement. The objective of this phase was to 'transform human consciousness and improve material conditions'. A distinct trait of Pioneer Modernism was their belief in theology that was integrated into this concept. This was deemed appropriate and highly beneficial to preaching universality in design, however, it was not successful in being carried out by constructional means. Instead, this was widely spread throughout manifestos in Europe since literature seemed to be the medium that allowed that concept to be understood.

Media, Gender, and Identity

David Gauntlett discusses today's societal issues of media, gender, and identity in an excerpt from his book. For the sake of this discussion, I think that gender and identity should stand as one because they are both affected by media. To answer the question: are we victims to branding, advertising, and media? I believe that we are, to an extent. However, David makes a point that we design our own lives and that media serves as a guidance in that process.

There is some influence from what is advertised and displayed, but we also hold our own ideals of individuality. This seems to be a catch-22 situation, however, because individuality is derived and driven by media. Older generations are probably not as much victimized by the media, as David mentions that they are so mindset about the 'traditional' standards. I think we can all admit that there is at least some dependency on image--even people in their mid 40's and 50's like to buy expensive cars as a status symbol. Image affects not just the person who wears it, but everyone around them. If someone bought a Hummer (albeit gasguzzling & wasteful to environment) it is likely that the car in front of them in the speed lane will make way because of its intimidating size. Many people feed on their own image to feel better about themselves, to feel happier, powerful, and more in control. It was amusing to read how magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour repeat the same advice, each time in a more surprising way. This can be viewed negatively or positively, depending on the reader's self-esteem, I think. I feel that there is an inevitable relationship between people and the media- the media feed off us and vice versa.

This connection allows designers to become more aware of the purpose of their work and how it affects not just what/who they are working for, but society as well- more specifically the gender and identity issues. We need to ask ourselves how a piece of media relates to others as we seek what is beneficiary to society and what is not.

Since we (the younger generation) already live in the age where new traditions are more liberal and accepting, I wonder if we will be further accepting to new trends over time. Not that I disagree, but I am curious of David's theory that "conservative attitudes develop throughout population as we get older."

First Things First... Then & Now

Ken Garland's manifesto "First Things First" (1963) calls for graphic designers to use their talents for the better of society, instead of making crass visual displays for materialistic things. I agree with the notion of thinking outside the materialistic world and considering what will benefit society in the present and future. This reminded me of my trip to Korea during the summer of 2009. Besides the very different manners of Korean civilians, the environment was a great factor of the culture shock that ran over me; one example is the signs of public transportation that communicated to civilians the intent of cleanliness and respect. It was honest and respectful by itself. During my time there, I have noticed minuscule littering on the streets and waiting areas compared to New York or any urban cities in the states.

Besides the betterment of environment, I believe that our skills in graphic design should be applied to textbooks and educational tools to encourage and rev up students' learning. Many of the textbooks that students buy provide information but lack enthusiasm or interest, in a visual manner. For instance, I'm using a book for my 20th c Architecture class called Modern Architecture since 1990. At first glance, the overall look of the cover is pleasing to the eye. The structure and form of text is rendered in a way that allows some ease in reading. There is also a nice alignment in the columns of text from each other and from the edge of the paper. In my opinion, however, I think they could have done more to add some 'zing' to the book because the ongoing format tends to make me tired. I personally think that a visually-enhanced material will boost the students' interest in the subject and provide an easier learning experience.

The First Things First Manifesto was updated in the new millennium. This new version was published in Emigre magazine by many designers, including Ken Garland. A little change I found amusing in this version was the list of products used to identify the material world in which graphic design worked for; in the 1964 manifesto, the list included "cat food, stomach powders, detergent, hair restorer, striped toothpaste (haha), aftershave and beforeshave lotion, etc..." In this updated version, the items are the following: dog biscuits, designer coffee, diamonds, detergents, hair gel, cigarettes, credit cards, sneakers, butt toners, light beer, and heavy-duty recreational vehicles. This change of the manifesto signifies the importance of graphic designers becoming aware of design from the old to the new. This does not, however, stray away from the issue of graphic design being applied to commercial value. The new version encourages change of priorities in graphic design so as to increase the value of "more useful, tasting and democratic forms of communication." Advertising will always be there for designers to depend on because it is vital for marketing any product.

Great works by a great graphic designer: Jason Little, Creative Director of Landor Assoc., who won 48 awards from the likes of D&AD, The NY Type Directors Club, Graphis, and Wolda:

http://www.behance.net/JasonLittle

And some extra inspiration on the side...

NO LOGO by Naomi Klein

In terms of marketing, production, and branding, I knew very little. This article by Naomi Klein gave me some insight as to how they worked together, or, how they don't work together. It rarely occurred to me that there would be some big distinction between these two because I always saw them as the same thing. It is good to know that difference because it lets me as a designer understand what works for the consumer, the company, and the designers themselves. The issue arises, however, of what counts more: the quality of the product or the brand.

A brand creates a world, or an idea, that welcomes people into that world. There is a debate over whether the brand marketing is a way of tricking or luring people into their brand or it is just a pure form of expression. As a designer, I believe that there is some intent in grabbing the consumer's attention during the process of expressing the product's identity. After all, it must strive for survival.

The brand is a world that people live in; it is an identity in which they can express themselves. For the brand to survive, there must be consistency in the positive link between the consumers and the products, especially when starting off. When I say positive link, I mean that the product is what the consumer wants and likes. The brand would eventually live up to this consistency and quality, making itself increasingly known. Lately, however, it seems as if the attention has been concentrated more on the image of the product, rather than the quality. This has become a contentious issue since the budgets of many brands have changed according to this situation.

As quoted by Peter Schweitzer (president of the J. Walter Thompson), "A product is something that is made in a factory; a brand is something that is bought by a customer." When I first read this, my immediate impression was that this could be a good thing because there is interaction between the brand and the consumer; the brand expands through the consumer while the consumer uses the brand to identify themselves. However, it is also be considered a dilemma because the brand has become more reliant on itself than the actual product. This is because of competition between different brands of similar products.

Brand marketing involves the sponsoring of celebrities, the way in which the product is displayed in windows, commercials, etc. Every brand looks to others to find better ways to sell themselves or appeal to the consumers. This is similar to networking sites such as facebook, twitter, and myspace. Even though they don't sell any corporeal product, these three in particular strive to stay mainstream that they feed off one another's ideas to update the structures and visuals of their layouts. The more better-looking and functional it is, the more apt people will stay.

Designers must face this everywhere--especially with their audiences. This pull between product and image tells us just how strong the influence of design is.

Bauhaus Exhibit @ MoMA

Last time I went to the MoMA, I saw the Tim Burton exhibition on a Friday in December. Surprisingly, it was well-paced and I got to see everything. I couldn't believe how crowded it was last Saturday! I went to go check out the Bauhaus exhibit for my Seminar in Design class and am required to write a review on it.

This was a good experience for me because I did not even know what Bauhaus was before my professor mentioned it. It is basically a prestigious school of avant-garde art that existed from 1919-1933. It was led by three different directors, all who ran it at different periods throughout its standing. The exhibit displayed different types of innovative works that varied from sculptures, metalwork, cabinetry, paintings, decorations, printmaking, and weaving.

When I first arrived on the 6th floor, I saw the title of the exhibit "bauhaus" written in gigantic red letters with a modern typeface. It almost looked it could be its own typeface title. The name was placed on a giant white wall, off center, leading towards the actual exhibition. Although there was an arrow followed by the phrase "workshops for modernity" beneath, the design of the title alone gave me some perspective as to what this school might have been about. Once I entered the exhibit, the first thing that caught my eye was a large and long painting hung against a pier. The array use of color really told me how attentive the artist was to scale. This was eventually shown in the workshops that further represented the innovative and creative minds of the artists at Bauhaus.

One individual that must be considered is William Morris, who is probably one of the most influential drives of Bauhaus. As a firm believer in the crafts tradition of the Middle Ages, he suggested that there be no distinction between form and function. I believe this is shown in the majority of the Bauhaus exhibit, especially within the interior design. What interested me most about this exhibit was that many artists collaboratively considered functionality and aesthetics together in the building/creating of art via Morris's logic. Many appealed to the modernity, such as the interior furniture designs (chairs, lamps, tables, etc...). It was surprising to me that the extent of the styles/designs of these products are not too far from the things we desire today, despite them existing almost a century ago.

Although many of the products seen in Bauhaus would be agreeable to Morris, others were purely aesthetics and some others were more concerned with modernity. The aesthetic art had no function but to please the eye. One example is a piece of music for a color theory class taught by Vasily Kandinsky, who translated music into visual form. Typography at the Bauhaus was clearly more modern and simple compared to the typefaces back during the Middle Ages. This opposes Morris's logic, for it reaches out more towards abstract forms. One sculpture I saw that was really bizarre was Lazlo Moholy-Nagy's Lichtrequilit einer Elektrischen Buhne (light prop for electric stage). There were so many forms within one form that collaborated to create one aesthetic visual.

Nevertheless, these artworks celebrate the history of design and tells present artists how great works of art evolved from the old to modernity.

Clean Slate.

Welcome to my new page. I now keep a vigilant eye out for any no-goods that might sabotage my new e-mail add. Kept it for about a year now; So far, so good. Also, it's been a while since I last blogged.

Last semester was insane; I promised myself before fall that I would get straight A's, no matter what it took. Throughout all my doubts at the end, I got em! I think I'm rewarding myself a bit too much with all this food. Looking at skinny models makes me want to throw it all up. Speaking of which...

Krystine and I finished watching a whole Season 4 of Project Runway in 2 days. I couldn't believe how friendly the final 3 were with each other! Where were all the drama and stress and catfights!? I liked it better this way, though. The camaraderie was heartfelt. And despite Christian Siriano's 12-year-old-maturity-syndrome, his winning was well-deserved and he actually made me want to make clothes.