COSMOS Leonardo Da Vinci & Buckminster Fuller
Edited by: David Gurita Executive Coordination: Jaques Morelenbaum Graphic Designer: Jorge Alves Revision: Paulo Maldonado Pedro Silva
Printing: Eyeimage ISBN: 9729894310162 Printing: Eyeimage Sponsors: Buckminster Fuller Institute Universal Leonardo 4
速 Cude Mine Publishers
The participants in this project would like to express their thanks to those responsible at the Buckminster Fuller Institute and at the Universal Leonardo for their ever greatest interest and participation in our project; and for their readiness to grant us access to their holdings.
Index COSMOS
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Leonardo da Vinci / Buckminster Fuller
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Exhibition
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Projects
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Bibliography
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Since the first atom of the first element up to our Solar System, the Universe expands, today ,exponentially. But it was the structure of that first atom that dictated what we now call COSMOS, by its immensity . This atom has reached perfection in its structure: the ideal balance between protons, neutrons and electrons, which gives rise to the elements, molecules, chemical compounds, matter and life - in fact, the entire COSMOS, all of us are descendants of this atom. Thus, the COSMOS represents the microscopic and the macroscopic, everything and nothing, what happened and what is to come - to perfection. Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Buckminster Fuller were successfully conceive visionary minds far beyond the limitations of their time , and far beyond what we did in his time ( and perhaps today ), reaching an unusual level of thinking and reasoning among mortals . Both cases, by their geniality, depth and scope, occurred at intervals of very distant time, but their desining method, based on the conception of the Universe, united them in their legacy, your COSMOS.
Self-portrait, red chalk, 1512-1515
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LEONARDO DA VINCI, 1452 - 1519 Leonardo da Vinci developed, throughout his life, skills and technical knowledge in several areas: although, in reality, it was through painting that he became widely recognized (having worked for many clients), his work is a reflection of his scope painting, sculpture, architecture, engineering, mathematics, geometry, astronomy, hydrodynamics, anatomy and optics. The depth of Leonardo’s studies was closely related with the way he pictured the universe - his main object of study . Through his drafts and manuscripts, Leonardo da Vinci could, with his determination, understand and analyze the complexity of the human anatomy, as well as the nature around him, and apply his bases in the production of ingenious works - trying to challenge the limits hitherto known . Although many of his projects were not materialized, there are now studies and reinterpretations of his great work. At this exhibition, his visionary nature is exalted by the innovations recognized in his time. Based mostly in engineering systems, that prior inventions long before its creation. The combination and concern for the aesthetic aspect of his work is also an important safeguard: Da Vinci didn't just wanted to create complex systems, but rather to adapt them to the daily life of his time. His work is a masterpiece of design, creativity , projecting, invention and innovation. Source: J.J. O’Connor e E.F. Robertson - www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk
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Fotografia por Hans Namuth, 1967
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R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER, 1895 - 1983 Hailed as one of the greatest minds of our time, Buckminster Fuller was distinguished for his comprehensive perspective on the problems of the world - developed, over more than five decades, pioneering solutions that reflected his commitment to the potential of innovative design, creating technology that does more with less. His interest in technology made him project his Dimaxion range: the House and the Dymaxion Car, the Dymaxion Map, among others, always with the intention of helping humanity to deal with the problems of the world, thinking comprehensively about the planet. The Geodesic Dome dominated the life and career of Fuller, a result of his revolutionary discoveries about balancing compression and tension forces in building - after his death, was discovered a carbon molecule with a structure similar to a geodesic dome, Buckminsterfulleren molecule. After being rejected at the beginning of his career, Fuller was later recognized with many major architecture, science, industry and design awards, and also published the magazine Shelter and has been a consultant on science and technology for Fortune magazine, professor at several universities and author of nearly 30 books . In this exhibition, his work will be exalted in parallel with the work of Leonardo da Vinci - Fuller has often been described as the Leonardo da Vinci of modern times - both wanted to innovate and provide solutions (due to the war, for example) that could potentially lead to a new way of being in the world: in communion with the Earth . Fonte: The Estate of Buckminster Fuller - www.bfi.org
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EXHIBITION This exhibition will take as a guiding principle the analogy between the chosen pieces and its design while existing structures in Nature / Universe - the point of connection between the authors. The helical arrangement will allow the completion of a course that gradually goes from the first studies to the first structures, from the first structures to the models, from the models to the completed works. In the middle of the space, the instalation with two objects emblematic of the authors - the Geodesic Dome and the Flying Machine - representing the ideal to accomplish more with less; also serving the guide lines. As each object is displayed, its relationship with the structure of Nature/Universe/Cosmos is also presented in order to engage the audience throughout the design of the pieces so that they are understood and seen as more than structures more than utilities more than utopia as ideal for representing the COSMOS.
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Flying Machine (1488-1489) - Leonardo da Vinci In his fascination with flying, Leonardo attempts to combine the dynamic potential of the human body with an imitation of natural flight. In the drawing for this flying machine Leonardo does not include the wings, as this is mainly a study of the mechanism for the folding of the wings. This occurs thanks to a system of pulleys and rods which is activated by the feet of the pilot.
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Codex on the Flight of Birds (1490-1505) - Leonardo da Vinci As suggested by the name, this manuscript deals primarily with the flight of birds, which Leonardo analysed closely in his efforts to build a mechanical flying machine. Here the mechanics of flight, air resistance and the effects of wind on the wings and flight of birds are all considered in great detail. This codex consists of 13 pages out of an original 18 and was originally part of Manuscript B.
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