Blog 5: Locovisual

Opened by the Governor General, Vascount Galway in June of 1937, the "gate-way" to Wellington, at least for commuters such as myself, the “Wellington Railway Station”. 

Both Neo-Classical, Victorian and rococo influences reside In the embodiment of Wellington Railway stations architecture, which has also been nationally recognized with the architectural significance due to the design and development by Gray Young, Morton and Young, and physical construction by Fletcher Construction.

"Much of New Zealand's architecture has been strongly influenced by overseas trends. In the mid 19th century, British immigrants favored the building types they had left behind" (Swarbrick. N., ‘Creative life – Architecture’. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.). "Wellington Railway(train) Station" shows emphasis on this quotation, as it has it has strong links to the Neo-Classical architectural style.

The station portrays similarities of that of the  "Parthenon" which can be described as "The baseline for Neo-Classical taste and the greatest piece of ancient architecture",(J. Petty, personal communication, March 14, 2012.). As we see in the images below and above, a light, creamy exterior, smooth stone texture upon its classical, Parthenon throne.

 

Though classicism is the baseline influence, stated in the introduction, the "Rococo"  and Victorian styles also evident. Within the mantle of the station abides a Victorian, almost Gothic revival style clock of which rococo trim occupies the outer curb.  The rococo style was the ignition that pushed the limitations and boundaries of classical design with organic, curvilinear forms as we see trimmed around the clock evidence of this by leafy organic accents and ridged texture.

Though there many examples of mixed architectural design residing around the streets of Wellington, the Railway Station remains to be one of Wellingtons prides, historically and architecturally. 

Cracken, H. (2008). Wellington Railway Station. New Zealand Historic Places Trust Pouhere Taonga. 

Retrieved from: 
http://www.historic.org.nz/TheRegister/RegisterSearch/RegisterResults.aspx?RID=1452&m=Advanced 

Jason,P. (2012) The continuing Curve: Baroque and Rococo design [ PowerPoint slides]

Retrieved from:
http://schoolofdesign.ac.nz/mod/folder/view.php?id=434.

Nancy, S. 'Creative life - Architecture', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 15-Jun-10.

Retrieved from:
 http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/creative-life/4 

Sarah, C. (1730-2008).Rococo: The continuing surve. New York, NY:Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum.

Blog 4: Curatorial

Aluminum, the third most abundant element, the most abundant metal, used in architectural context like planes, some of our cars. Used and perceived a strong metal, an architectural strength, reduced to nothing  but , a spiraling imitation of draining liquid though spiral forms, a liquefied element.

 "Growth is a spiral process, doubling back on itself, reassessing and regrouping." - Julia Margaret Cameron 

Eddying spirals create fluid formality as a vortex of monochromatic aluminum gracefully flow throughout the object, surrounding , almost dominating but a sole strip of darkened wielding wire, which binds the spiraling vortex from falling asunder. "Growth is a spiral process, doubling back on itself, reassessing and regrouping." This emphasizes, the coil as it begins as one a singular entity, only  to stray from one another, not touching but simply hovering throughout while ignoring a simple wire which strives to match in shape and form, existing only to reassess and tame the unbound.

 

Fluid, the liquified Element

Weave

Fluidity is fabricated though spiraling curves. President image "The Liquefied Element"  was a  strong influence in the overall production of the model, the idea of turning fluidity into an element, line and curve constantly spiraling though out each other but never making contact, it's almost metallic, shiny surface encouraged me to use metal type materials, to capture light within the model

 "weave" influenced line. A line that gracefully passes though curvilinear forms changing path were it would otherwise touch and cause conflict between the two, the idea of an intellectual line, an intelligent form, awareness.

 

Quote received from: Brainyquotes, 2001. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/spiral.html. Bookrag Media Network
 

Artist unknown.(c. 2005)."Fluid, The Liquified Element."(Digital Art, Online Image), http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=Fluid+The+Liquified+Element#/ddxpbd

Artist unknown.(c. 2011)."Weave."(Digital Art, Online Image),http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=s0nova+weave#/d47fi9q

Blog 3: Antiques Hunter.

The vintage object I've selected from Trade Me is a Large French black mantle clock, which has been listed as an object from the 1880s. The object has been crafted in  neoclassical form, the opposite of its more feminine sister, Rococo, the art motif of said time period(1850-1900). 

Neoclassicism, known for masculinity, white space and rectilinear, geometric shapes spanned from the 1760s to the 1850s and incorporated the ideals of classical Greek themes  after the archeological discoveries, such as the city of Pompeii. 

These archeological findings began to ignite a new interest in Greek and Roman culture, which lead to cultivating classical interest. Early neoclassical paintings exhibit the organic form and beauty associated in the Rococo style but portray Roman and Greek themes, which helps to explain the gold, almost soft, organic like spirals that add ornament to such a strong Parthenon shape as if the artist has tried to make a muscular form seem somewhat feminine or inclusive, not only as the artist done this, but also replaced the traditional white space of Neoclassicism with black marble, which ruins the purity of classical design and the idea of the minimalistic approach, a corrupted form, a resurrection gone wrong.

In terms of the cultural context of this Mantle Clock, it is an item for the wealthy; a object that only upper-class citizens would have been able to gain in their possession. Gold bares the weight of the marble Parthenon while also showing decorative ornament of organic "growth" of branches around the base. The gold also illuminated the clock face while adding detail in symmetrical manor with accompanying gilt mental adornments on the sides and top, these beg to question the functionality, as the top ornament seems absurd and unnecessary as a bell for such a classical form, rendering it an illogical form.

Listed As:  Large French Mantle Clock

URL: http://www.trademe.co.nz/antiques-collectables/clocks-scientific-instruments/auction-470253968.htm

Listing#: 470253968

 History Of Art: Neo-Classicalism. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.all-art.org/history356-1.html

Age Of Enlightenment - Neo-Classicism. (n.d). Retrieve from http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/neo-classicism.html

Jason Petty. (2012, March 28). Kingdom of Incorporeal Beauties - Neoclassical Design, 1550-1850, Victoria School of Architecture and Design, New Zealand.

Jason Petty. (2012, March 21). The continuing curve: baroque and rococo design, Victoria School of Architecture and Design, New Zealand.

Blog 2: Research Statement and Annotated Bibliography

 Research field: "Development of Bauhaus and its effects on other disciplinary design styles from the nineteenth, leading up to the twentieth century."

Bürdek, Bernhard E. 2005. Design: History, theory, and practice of product design. Boston, MA: Birkhauser-           Publishers for Architecture.

Author states Bauhaus as flagship for subsequent development of design, along with ideologies of technology becoming one with craft or rather, how craft requires aid of technology. Visions from the nineteenth century, dark furniture  to be replaced with new forms of accommodations in brighter twentieth century. Development of students studying Bauhaus, broken down into phases. Founding, consolidation  and  disintegration.

Jeffrey L.M. (1925-1939). Industrial Design in America.  Twentieth Century Limited. 85(5). 39-100.

During 1937-2000, Bauhaus begins to have considerable impacts on academics, critics of design, architects, and commercial industrial designers, especially those who had previously known and studies Bauhaus. Aimed to commercialize Bauhaus, new products become of "Bauhaus attraction" with complete redesign of  working mechanisms. Working alongside engineers and consultants became part of standard practice.

Bauhaus-Archiv,Museumfür Gestaltung (Ed). 2009. Bauhaus: A Conceptual Model. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz.

Claimed to be future-oriented potency which would have huge direct impact on society. Though constantly orientated towards public though appeals, declarations, exhibitions to draw attention, movement criticized for "too much commotion". Bauhaus school becomes victim by design by trying to immortalize the essence of every object. Morality and principles of Bauhaus change, not as return to functional-ism but instead an instance of  exemplary attitude.

History of Graphic design, A Graphic design primer. 1999. Retrieved from: http://designhistory.org/index.html.

The three locations of Bauhaus, weimar, Dessau, Berlin - Germany. Basics of the Bauhaus Curriculum, elementery experiments with form, workshop training by two masters, one artist one craftsman. Bauhaus on   Graphic Design and Typography. Artists, Moholy-Nagy, Herbert Bayer, Joseph Albers. Women in Bauhaus, women were one quarter of the Bauhaus student body. Alma Buscher, Mariaan Brandt.

Rietveld, G. (1919-49) Red and blue chair.

 Retrieved from: http://www.rolandcollection.com/films/?prm=a12-b95-c0-d1-e0

Bauhaus craft inspired chair that is keeping to rules of the Bauhaus style. Clean, geometric, angular, simple and abstracted.Rietveld aimed for simplicity and functionality in his design, with hope it would go mass production(due to simplicity), rather than hand-crafted.

Design+personae.

 

Greetings and salutations to you. I am Chris, a student. Your student, at Victoria University, School of Design, Wellington, and this, well this is me.

It's said that a picture "speaks a thousand words"  sadly, this blog post doesn't so I shall tell you about myself.  As I have stated my name is Chris(Christopher) and I'm a half-blooded Filipino/ English mix, who's studying  towards a Bachelors of Design Innovation with the intentions of becoming a media design student at Victoria University. 

Why media design? Why indeed...

Although these images barely scratch the surface of my collection of conceptual books, these also contribute to the reason why. Not going to lie, I have a video game and cartoon addiction which has basically been the biggest influence on my desire purse the path of  a media designer, I'm basically a closet geek. In year nine art, I had the content to draw using characters I had viewed and  played as in the three dimensional and two dimensional worlds as base themes for my work, mainly revolving around star wars and lord of the rings.

Since studying art in year nine though to thirteen were I split off from fine arts into the disciplinary of graphic design, alongside art history which began in year  twelve broadened my interest, not in video games, but execution of art and design behind the game, behind the animation, as well as various movements and techniques like Impressionism,  the renaissance and modernism via, Bauhaus.

Thus saying, with the basic knowledge that I had gained in college, to the advance I aim to absorb in university, I hope to (as stated) become a media designer, who will hopefully pursue a PhD in computer graphic design and with luck, end up in the entertainment design industry or something similar and exciting.