[Re]actions

This is a rotation showing the cycle between these three time periods.

Rotation [Baroque, Palladian, Rococo]

It is crazy to believe how something can change by just moving it from one side to the other. Many times in class we rotate things to look at the different perspectives. It is always important to rotate something because you can always tell which way you would rather see it. This always helps because by moving something or rotating it you may find that it ends up working better then it did before. However, in History as we began talking about the age of enlightenment, I realized that is was more of “ a cycle of interrelated sweeping reorganizations and upheavals that collectively can be labeled “revolution”.” (Roth 439) By this we see that each organizations is operating in a circle in which it rotates some kind of similarity or information into the other. However, rotation can also mean revolution. Revolution has many meanings, but when focusing on Blakemore’s point of view I realized that revolution concentrates on a drastic change in design due to the new period. “The plan by Louis Le Masson for Abbots Palace at Royaumont, constructed… represents changes in the plan that became prevalent just before the Revolution.” (Blakemore 336) When looking at these plans we see how the concentration was more on circular rooms. These rooms consisted mainly of a dining room or library. These characteristics remained until proceeding, showing a rotation deeper into time, into the French Revolution. In a similar way, Massey shows the rotation into the Industrial revolution as being an “impact to economical and social structures.” (Massey 7) This was by dictating a new way of life due to the industrialization and urbanization. Before upper class were the only ones allowed to input their thoughts about interior design, but when the new capitalist ruled, middle class was also allowed to express their thoughts. When comparing all three of these authors we can connect to each one in similar ways but rotating into different times.

I decided to put this image up for 2 reasons: one being that it reflects back to one of my favorite projects and also to show that it reflects color on each level.

Reflection

When thinking about reflections many things come to my mind. The mirror image of something, or the state of thinking about something in the past and analyzing it. Both of these relate to many things we’ve done in class. When looking at the words from this week, it immediately drew me back to a couple weeks ago where we had been assign several words that were the same. The reason I am stating this observation is because it causes a reflection where you reflected back, into the past in order to remember the words. Also when thinking of reflection, a mirror comes into mind. When reading about the tables in the late French neoclassic period it impacted me to see the ways mirrors were used. “A mirror placed at the back created an impression of greater sized because of the reflection.”(Blakemore 349) This shows us the other purpose of reflection. When structures such as the table are placed against the wall on a mirror it causes it to look even bigger. Also, when thinking about the other meaning of reflection we see how Roth uses his paintings to make people reflect on the certain time that is being shown. “ Besides taking in the re-created pastoral environment, the visitor to the park could sit on a bench, face the pantheon across the lake, and reflect on Virgils pastoral Georgics…”(Roth 454)

When working on this project we were to use 4 different sources. These sources being 4 different types of paper. Copy, Marker, Watercolor and Layout bond.

Source
When talking about sources, the word iteration immediately comes into mind. We often look up sources to come up with ideas. This week we concentrated on creating a lighting fixture that represented 2 sources; one source being a flower of your choice and secondly a memory that you treasure. I decided to talk about my 15th birthday party and a pansy. These sources helped me come up with many different ideas but at the end concluded with one. Going into more literal terms, in the early Georgian period we see how Palladio undergoes a series of investigations where he looks at different sources. He presents the Whigs tried to reintroduce the “classical concept of harmonic proportion based on mathematics.” (Blakemore 248) Also, source doesn’t always represent different forms of something but can also mean the main of something. For example, Massey talks about the Arts and craft movement where they focused on the Middle class. We read about how the industrial revolution caused a “thriving middle class. Where previously decisions about the styles of interiors had concerned chiefly upper-class.” (Massey 7)

This was the 3rd skin layout project in which we were to create a light capturing structure. I feel that my design illuminated each rectangular cutout with light.

Illumination

Moving on from sources the 3rd skin project that we worked on this week involved illumination. Illumination in this project was used through natural light. I created a light fixture that could be hung or put on a stand. When the light hit it, it illuminated the slits that were cut into each pedal and created a reflection below. Blakemore talks about illumination through the arcaded cortile in the Palazzo Doria Tursi. “The intense illumination of the arcaded cortile, open to the sky, was shielded by the upper floors.” (Blakemore 96) This part of the buildings interior was strictly important because it was the “organizing element of the palazzo.” The sunlight hit and illuminated all areas through the windows and arcaded cortiles. In a similar way, Roth talks about the illumination of paintings in the Altes Museum. The architect Schinkle was very concerned with the paintings being illuminated so he “advised system of galleries arranged around light courts.”(Roth 474) Where Blakemore talks about illumination through the arcaded cornices, Roth talks about illumination by creating outer walls that are opened up with tall windows. I feel that illumination is very important because when you want to emphasize the importance of something you illuminate it to make it stand out.


Movement

When thinking about the past projects in all classes it is important to think about process. It shows the movement from where you begin to where you ended. It is very important to for professors to see your process because that way they can understand your learning process and see the much intent you had when constructing your idea. However, movement can be talked about in many other ways. For example, Massey talks about movement as an event that occurred. the movement of arts and crafts. Here we see where many people wanted to change the different directions of design due to the mass production and lack of quality of design. Another movement Massey talks about is the Aesthetic movement, which was an “alternative style of reformist design in Britain which was to have a great influence n America.” (Massey 25)


Architecture is like a rotation of time, where different movements come into place and illuminate the minds of many other people to create different ideas. Some ideas may reflect ideas of the past, in which they use this source to come up with many more ideas.