Revolutionary Furniture

Furniture in the early 1700s can best be described as being ornate and organic. There is special attention  paid to the overall detail in most of the furniture pieces in the early 1700a. Organic line and curvaceous forms give freedom from the symmetry challenges posed from lack of sophisticated technology.

Post American Revolution furniture was more modern and sophisticated. Technological advances deliver straighter lines and smoother surfaces with tiny details that draw the viewers attention to specific areas, without over oversimulation. More focused on purpose as opposed to the deterrence that occur out of overly decorative elements.

In Montgomery's reading, the author summarizes that furniture in a pre colonial context reflected the stylizations of British made furniture by each separate colony. The styles usually depended on use and aesthetic. As the colonies undergo a call for unification and freedom from the imperial Britain, we see them also breaking away from predisposed ways of thinking about furniture from their British counterparts. They modernized their outlook on how they wanted to be identified in terms of being associated with the British empire, and their furniture followed suit.

The French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period in time when we see a significant impact of the mass of common folk against the upperclass, which stemmed from the age of enlightenment. It was a time when educating society on subjects that only the wealthy had access to had consequences to the priviledged that inspired subsequent changes relative to the entire world.

In reference to the design cycle, the shift in what was important to the commoners was the fact that the enlightenment gave leeway for thinking beyond what life was for the people who supported the imperial, the clergy and the nobility on their backs. It offered new ways of thinking about things as they were and how they could be challenged. This was an observation of the American revolution and borrowing that idea of breaking free from power hungry royalty.

One object that best defines the result of this way of acknowledging the power of the commoners to a society is the Flag of France. Displayed on the flag are three colors, which is why it is identified as the Tricolor. The flag itself symbolizes the liberation of the people from the unjust demands of their rulers. I think that the flag with the equal three colors and the classic white in the middle definitely relay that message of modernization and the lack of religious symbolism shows the breaking away of all forms of oppression. It shows borrowing from the history and reestablishing society.

Unit I Summary

In this unit, we focused on the "foundations" of architectural design concepts throughout our history. What is found universally in building structures throughout time are circles, stacks, and groves. These shapes repeat across the globe with renditions varying from culture to culture. They bring a sense of interconnectedness the human race shares with one another. This interconnectedness relays the idea that we express ourselves in similar ways when we approach design concepts that feature prominently in our daily lives, whether ritual or religious.

They begin not having a residential purpose, but serve to the public what we gather, as a means to communicate with the cosmos. If you consider pyramidal structures and circular structures in different parts of the world such as Egypt and England, you find that these were not habitable spaces, yet they were fantastical feats that took time and effort to construct.  It is evident that their unique purposes were not taken lightly by the ancient people who erected them. These structures were to withstand destruction, yet living headquarters were not built with the same stability. Moreover, the fact that ancient people had the same ideas in mind for ritual spaces is something worth contemplating.

Moving on, as recorded history progresses, stacks, groves, and circular structures increase in sophistication and stability as we develop smarter techniques and expand choices of materials to use. Mankind continues to build upwards to communicate or establish a relationship with the Gods. There purposes become more clear and it is evident that borrowing from ancestors takes place.

 In Greece and on into Rome and western civilization, more detailed thought is developed in the symbolism of the structure itself as well as the story that is told about the relationship of corresponding buildings. Architectural feats such as the arch and dome revolutionize the shapes that continue but shift that were ever present in the ancient world. Western architecture borrows from the origins of Grecian and Roman building types and styles to portray a developing society of order and importance.

Building types become more common in different areas of the world as means of trade and transportation become refined. Ideas are borrowed and then reconstructed but in the cultural stylization of the civilizations that encountered them.

Religious constructions are still the main front for society as time progresses, but we see an new form of spiritual space take place as religion goes from polytheism to christianity. Again building up to distinguish the physical plane with the astral, but this time incorporating grandeur design elements such as light and glass manipulation to transfer the cosmic power of the otherworldly onto mankind as opposed to assuming mankind is in favor of a Gods benevolence based on structure alone.

Foundations in a nutshell consists of blueprints for basic building types in the West and the East. They are a source of globalization in a sense that it is where we all have a connection and to borrow and improvise would be a way to shape and influence culture. Still keeping in touch with our innate desires to be at one with what we don't understand.

Palladio's legacy and the Kentucky State Capitol

Palladio turned architecture on it's ear when he introduced the idea of creating a place of residence using the air of a religious institution. This idea of turning a building that had religious precedence and making it secular was a huge shift of societal ideals and is evident close to home when considering the Kentucky State Capitol.

Palladio borrowed from royal and orthodox structures prominent features such as columns and domes, that really signified to society a place of importance and rule over the general public. When looking at the Kentucky State Capital, we see the Romanesque columns and domes that were used primarily for religious structures in the more ancient world.

The buildings that emphasized these elements were doing so in terms of a higher power outside of the natural world. To take the symbolic nature of those buildings and use them for political institutions was showcasing to western society that a new rule was taking place. This was political power, more organized and more focused on the physical plane and not the astral. A sort of evolution of mankind coming into a state of logic and rationality birthed from religious viewpoints. These buildings that were spun out of those buildings stand as a sort of permission from the Gods to have his dominance over the lesser of the public.

Cologne+Salisbury Prompt

In looking at the Salisbury and Cologne cathedrals, it is clear that light is a very prominent feature. I believe that light is such a fundamental component in the structure of these cathedrals and many others of the gothic era because light has a very impactful impression and has rudimentary ties to the christian religion.

The light is achieved in a sustainable way through large windows and stained glass. It is manipulated through openings in the ceilings and consideration of the movement of the sun. I think that the conscious placement and presence of light in these cathedrals is symbolic of the christian god and the christian faith.

In referencing the christian god and the son of the christian god, he is often considered a "light." A light that shines the way to righteousness and a holy life so that one may have the privilege of an afterlife in a luminous heaven in the skies. What better way to depict the presence of God in a place of worship then to have natural light from the very origin of heaven, bouncing and shining through many crevices onto all who become involved in that particular place of worship.

I think that light was a way to better justify the existence of an almighty. Light used in a very distinctive way such as that found in "dark age" cathedrals is a powerful statement, no matter what the space is intended for. It was a persuasive choice to deter polytheistic thought on into a new era of christianity.

Pence Hall Reading

In observing Pence Hall, one will notice the heavy influence of classical elements prominent in the tuscan columns, and the use of value composition, rhythm and balance that Hersey would attribute to a primitive sacrificial influence.

I think classical elements were chosen by the architects and designers for the making of Pence hall because several elements from the classical period such as towering columns and tall archways for a "porch" give a powerful visage, one of importance and sophistication. As an institution of secondary education, a more refined approach for first impressions draws attention from passerby, however, the neutral colors that mimic the surrounding buildings tie it back to the rest of the university, forming unity.

The repetition of windows that repeat back to the rectangular space above the arch gives a sense of order and the balancing structures protruding on both sides do the same as well. This is also important for a building of this type for the students attending as well as the instructors who occupy the classrooms within.

Disagreement

In reading "The Elements and Principles of Design" by Sidney John, the objective of the writer is to make anyone who happens to come upon the article, into a superior painter or decorator by simply educating the reader of the elements and principles of design.

I  think that the main issue at hand is the fact that it's too simple. A lot of careful thought and supreme imagination comes into play when it comes to great works of art and designed spaces. Its not just about aesthetics, its emotion provocation and comfortability, especially when it comes to your living space.

In terms of space, you can incorporate every design element and principle into a magnificent thing of beauty, but if you can't relax and be in a state of serenity in your bedroom,  sit comfortably in your living room and transition into your kitchen easily, what then is the point of being surrounded by beauty and such interest? A well designed space reaches the full function of the area, as well as the aesthetic value of its particular purpose.

John ignores the fact that while you can obey these elements and principles in creating art and designing space for good visual outcomes, at the end of the day, what really matters is how yourself and others respond to the finished product.

Design across time and Space

After exploring the British museums Rome and Greece exhibit, it is clear that Rome was inspired by Grecian sculpture and which was then in turn inspired Indian sculptors, and then later to Renaissance artists. All playing a part in shaping different cultures throughout time and across different spaces.

This notion of mimicking other techniques and strategies is useful in understanding the conclusive visual nature of architecture and design as we know it because we see it done throughout history and is true in present day.

Designers and architects borrow and compliment and innovate based on the foundations set before us. We can easily determine what works and what doesn't based on the history of former like ideas that deal with our everyday lives.  This is what artists and architects have been doing since the beginning of time. History just repeats itself.

Reflections on class discussion and reading assignment

In reading "Reaching for the Sky" by Charles Moffat, conclusions can be assumed that there is a direct relationship between the past and present. Although ambiguity exists in determining the purposes of architectural feats such as the pyramids of Giza and Machu Picchu, the drive to essentially "build up," or build to battle against the forces of nature, is characteristic of human nature then and now.

Relating back to class discussion in terms of scale and interconnectedness, Moffat mentions that structures nearly identical in design and material are found in different parts of the world, in roughly the same time frame. What is astonishing about this fact is that language barriers and lack of sophisticated communication during those time periods, leave an interesting concept to consider. That concept is that humans operate on a grander scale of the universe than just our immediate time and space.

Although we are influenced by our past and our individual subsidiary cultures to construct the present and proceed into the future in our immediate environments, there lies a connection between our beings and the outside universe, in real time. We operate in unity on all levels of scale, in the past, in present, and will continue to do so in the future.