This tendency is certainly comparable, if not a direct outgrowth of the idea of site-specificity by 20th century movements such as Conceptualism, Minimalism, and Land Art. The idea behind site-specificity is both crafting a piece and selecting a set place where the piece will be displayed (either permanently or temporarily), in such a way that the piece either cannot be displayed elsewhere or that the piece will have its meaning significantly altered if moved. Perhaps the most famous version of this is Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, a fifteen hundred foot long and fifteen foot wide spiraling pathway constructed over a period of months that juts into the Great Salt Lake. To even reach Spiral Jetty, one must travel a long way along the shore of Lake, as it is far away from any main road or town. Furthermore, Smithson did not just choose a random, remote location along the shore, but painstakingly chose the best spot for the longevity of the piece, avoiding soft muds while allowing for an easy approach from the beach. Finally, Smithson holds that the piece echoes the chemistry and geology of its location. In his written accompaniment to the piece also titled …show more content…
However, Goldsworthy departs from Smithson in how much he plans before he arrives at his site. When Smithson might have spent months sketching out, calculating, and planning out his piece in order to find the perfect place to put his piece, Goldsworthy would instead wait until he comes into contact with the site, and then let the site inform his actions. The difference is in the goals of the two artists: Smithson desires to create a stunning piece of art out of the land, while Goldsworthy attempts to work with the land so that his piece is not valid unless it is primarily informed by the selected location. Kosky also comments on this,
James Howard Kunstler begins his work, “The Geography of Nowhere,” at a top speed and continues from there. He starts chapter one, Scary Place, by describing the story of Judge Doom from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, which is the fictional character that is supposedly responsible for Los Angeles becoming taken over by the freeways. He then continues quoting Lewis Mumford, who was basically the dean of American urban academics in the beginning of the 1900s. He gloomily predicted, would completely demoralize mankind and lead to the nuclear holocaust (p. 10).
Edward Burtynsky is landscape photographer who focuses on finding unique locations that are barren with environmental degradation. He is concerned with the current state of our world and wants to change it by using photography as a medium. Burtynsky 's photolistic style often shows incredible scale and detail within his photos by using multiple vantage points. Burtynsky approaches his subject in a very urgent manner, each and every photo is taken to create a deep impression from its viewer. His work is housed in more than 50 museums including the Guggenheim Museum, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.
Where does art-making begin and end? Andy Goldsworthy, a 40-year-old British artist who uses nature as a partner, raises this question with his works of amazing art; some of them are temporary, some meant to last. Goldsworthy creates works of extraordinary beauty using natural materials, stones, wood, water, which then disintegrate naturally or are deliberately dismantled. Andy Goldsworthy, a non-traditional sculptor, was born in Cheshire, England in 1956 and raised in Yorkshire. Currently, Goldsworthy resides at Penpont, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. While attending Harrogate High School, as a teenager, photographer and sculptor, he worked as a hired hand on farms outside Leeds, England.
Landscape architecture has been around since the beginning of time, but it was not until Frederick Law Olmsted came along that the idea of integrating design into the landscape with plants, water, and structures that it turned into a thriving profession. To many, Olmsted is considered “a pioneer in the profession of landscape architecture, an urban planner, and a social philosopher, one of the first theoreticians and activists behind the national park and conservation movements” (Kalfus 1). Growing up, he did not ever graduate from formal schooling and just sat in on a few classes while at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut. Instead, he acquired his education from being out in the world through traveling and reading. He had a hard childhood. His mother died when he was just four years old and on his journeys around the world to Europe and China, he became sickly with seasickness, paralysis of the arm, typhoid fever, apoplexy, sumac poisoning, and at times suffered from depression. For many years he went on a journey within himself to find out whom he really was and what he wanted to do with his life, career wise. Frederick had one brother, John Hull, who died in 1857. This left Olmsted feeling empty and at loss of what to do. That was when Calvert Vaux came and filled the space in Olmsted’s life that his brother left. Vaux convinced Olmsted to enter the Central Park Commissioner’s design competition with their design entitled the “Greensward Plan.” With the success in that project, Olmsted figured out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, which was to become a landscape architect. Olmsted practiced from the years of 1857 up until he retired in 1895. Olmsted’s two boys, adopted son John Charles and biological son Frederick La...
Art Deco was heavily influenced by mass travel and the ‘mysticism' it represented. As travel wasn't as widespread and easily accessible as it is today, the fantasy of far of lands with exotic people, cultures and fashion became almost an obsession, and motifs which represented far off reaches of the globe like the sunburst from ‘the land of the rising sun' Japan, zigzag and chevron patterns from the Aztecs, Triangles and hieroglyphics from Egypt, as well as tribal patterns from Africa, as a few examples.
A man named Robert Laughlin once said, "The Earth is very old and has suffered grievously: volcanic explosions, floods, meteor impacts, mountain formation and yet all manner of other abuses greater than anything people could inflict. Yet, the Earth is still here. It's a survivor." Laughlin clearly believes in this quote that the Earth can take care of itself. The Earth has been through worse disasters than just pollution, and extinction of species and plants. Roderick Nash, an environmentalist and activist, says otherwise.
There are seven different design principles, which Olmsted incorporated into his projects that start with the letter S: scenery, suitability, style, subordination, separation, sanitation, and service. The scenery aspect of design is about “the small spaces and areas [that are] intended for active use. [It is the] creation of designs that give an enhanced sense of space: indefinite boundaries [and the] constant opening up of new view.” Olmsted also wanted to avoid the “hard-edge [and] specimen planting” because these make the landscape seem less natural and more manmade. Suitability is the “creation of designs that are in keeping with the natural scenery and topography of the site: respect for, and full utilization of, the ‘genius of the place.’” Style has to do with “designing in specific styles, [because] each [various style will create] a particular effect” on the entire area. Depending on what is done, a calm place can be created that is full of richness or even a place that seems uneasy and full of mystery. Subordination is the overall design and the effect it is intended to achieve. Separation deals with “areas designed in different styles.” Each one needs to be set apart from one another “in order to insure safety of use and reduce distractions for those using the space; separation of conflicting or incompatible uses.” Sanitation is about creating a place that has “adequate drainage and other engineering considerations [that] promote both the physical and mental health of” people who occupy the space. In service, the designs should “service a
Growing up in the Bay Area next to San Francisco ha slead me to become fascinated by the complexity of the cities of the world and how they affect so many people. I love the idea that these cities were all planned and thought up of by individuals working together for a larger goal. The planning of cities affects all its inhabitants in ways that they probably do not even realize which makes these plans and the planning process even more compelling. I am also interested in what makes cities unique. Cities are all made up of roughly the same things: blocks, big buildings, parks, cars, and people. Even though the basic elements of cities are the same they all still have there own unique character. I think one of the most distinguishing factors of cities is how they were designed to accommodate certain needs of their inhabitants outside of where they live or work. Cities can easily be overwhelming or a harsh place to live, which is why certain areas need to be set aside to offer some kind of escape. In addition to being a place to withdraw, parks and recreational areas can be a distinguishing characteristic of a city. In San Francisco, the Golden Gate Park, Union square, the Presidio, the wharfs and many other areas set it apart from all of the other cities of the United States and the world. How the planners of San Francisco thought about the areas that the inhabitants needed outside of work and home helps give it its individuality as a major city. Just like how someone must plan all cities, people planned all the parks and recreational areas of cities that have such a widespread effect. By looking at Fredrick Law Olmsted and the Urban Design and Social Context approach he represents, one can learn more about landscape architecture in...
He created a style of architecture to reflect America’s character. The central themes of his style were the landscape, people, and democracy in America. His style was heavily influenced by the midwest, the region where he grew up. His houses aimed to encourage the inhabitants to connect and communicate with one another. The hearth, dining room, and terrace all exemplify this, creating, and open, warm and welcoming space.
However, both writers do agree on one issue: the New World should be inhabited and settled, while hard-working white men should fill it. But both go in different directions of how the new found land should be used. John Smith dreams of making businesses and factories and conquering the Natives; on the other hand, William Bradford wants New England to be a place of refuge for his
Here, Fallingwater is a manifestation of Wright’s Organic Architecture. The latter term refers to one of Wright’s philosophies of design in which he describes in 1954 as portraying six principles of design. These include “the integration of the house and its site, space as the reality of the building, emphasis on the articulative nature of materials used, the logic of the plan, plasticity and continuity, and grammar of all elements forming the whole”.13 Although the relationship between building and nature is evident, some scholar go as far as to describe the features of Fallingwater as “references to the four prime elements of Pythagorean philosophy: living room represents Earth; skylights, air; the fireplace, fire; and the steps down to the stream, water.”13 Relating it to Pythagorean philosophy, Fallingwater is thus perceived as a tie between heaven and Earth. No wonder the Kaufmanns wrote to Frank Lloyd Wright, “…We…are more than grateful for the joy you have given
For my career opportunity project, I have chosen to take a look at the profession
To counter balance Cartesianism Hirsch puts forward Vico’s argument of ‘sensory topics’ which places imagery of shared identities and interactions at the heart of the landscape. The relationship between the physical and the metaphorical whilst very separate can be united. Only when the physical place or subject oriented (‘indexical’) place can be examined then the metaphorical space, non-subject orientated (‘non-indexical’) can begin to be understood (Gell, 1985). Thus the development of the indexical (e.g. maps) can lead to the understanding of the non-dexical (e.g. images). Mutually related.
A city has to be beautiful, though the definition of “beauty” is so vague. The beauty can be physical, such as enjoyable parks, streetscapes, architectural facades, the sky fragment through freeways and trees; or it can be the beauty of livelihood, people, and history. As landscape architects, we are creating beautiful things or turning the unpleasant memorial.
I think that, these kinds of places are meaningful to people because they are natural and people can be there alone, away from their everyday life.