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LE TTER FRO M T HE EDI TOR
A E ST HE T I C S Many of Minimalist aesthetics were shaped by a reaction against Abstract Expressionism. Minimalists wanted to remove suggestions of self-expressionism from the art work, as well as evocations of illusion or transcendence - or, indeed, metaphors of any kind, though as some critics have pointed out, that proved difficult. Unhappy with the modernist emphasis on medium-specificity, the Minimalists also sought to erase distinctions between paintings and sculptures, and to make instead, as Donald Judd said: “specific objects.”In seeking to make objects which avoided the appearance of fine art objects, the Minimalists attempted to remove the appearance of composition from their work. To that end, they tried to expunge all signs of the artists guiding hand / thought processes - aesthetic decisions - from the fabrication of the object. For Donald Judd, this was part of Minimalism’s attack on the tradition of “relational composition” in European art, one which he saw as part of an out-moded rationalism. Rather than the parts of an artwork being carefully, hierarchically ordered and balanced, he said they should be “just one thing after”.
EMI LY SI MMS
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minimalism: aesthetic?
floral arrangments, living room
AR TI F IC IA L N AT U RE
untitled
(to Henri Matisse) 1964 The spectrum of pink, yellow, blue, & green represents the four principle colors of commercial fluorescent light that Flavin deployed throughout his work. Sequenced in this way, the colors are arranged through simple modular repetition, a neutral approach to composition commonly associated with Minimalism. Keep this color scheme in mind when deciding on your next floral arrangement.
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T RA N S LAT ED Taking thoughts on art and bringing them into the home. Our brains are funny & complicated organs. We may never completely understand how the brain functions, but there are studies that show how the brain reacts to symmetry, and it’s a positive reaction. Our brains love symmetry! We realize that it may seem silly to say placing matching end tables with matching lamps beside your sofa will make you happier, but there is some psychological proof to achieving balance in your interiors and how it can make you feel content. This connects back to the previous argument about minimalist homes— they are usually simple and symmetrical in design and layout, thereby giving you a happier outlook when you walk in the door. Personally, clutter makes me stressed to the max! When these feeling hit, there is a quick-fix—tossing out all the clutter. The minute the clutter starts hitting the trash can, feelings of relaxation and organization take over. Do you have these same moments; ones where you absolutely must get rid of the clutter in order to feel more calm and relaxed?
I knew that the actual space of a room could be broken down and played with by planting illusions of real light (electric light) at crucial junctures in the room's composition.
DA N FLAV IN C o ntempo rar y Ar tist Daniel Nicholas Flavin Jr. was born in New York of Irish Catholic descent and sent to Catholic schools.[1] He studied for the priesthood at the Immaculate Conception Preparatory Seminary in Brooklyn between 1947 and 1952 before leaving to join his fraternal twin brother, David John Flavin, and enlist United States Air Force.[2] During military service in 1954–55, Flavin was trained as an air weather meteorological technician[3] and studied art through the adult extension program of the University of Maryland in Korea.[4] Upon his return to New York in 1956, Flavin briefly attended the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts and studied art under Albert Urban. He later studied art history for a short time at the New School for Social Research, then Columbia University, where he studied painting and drawing.
DESIGN MUSEUM
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The museum is currently housed in a former ‘40s banana warehouse on the south bank of the River Thames in the Shad Thames area of SE1 London. The conversion of this warehouse altered it beyond recognition to resemble a building in the International Modernist style coming out of the 1930s. The museum was principally designed by the Conran group, with exhibitions over two floors, & a “Design Museum Tank” exhibition space out by the water front of the Thames.
LONDON, ENGLAND
E X T E RI O R M EE T S I N T ER I O R
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35 Louis Kahn is known for his aphorism about “asking a brick what it wants to be” – the idea that a natural language of architecture will emerge from the innate properties of materials. It’s a good line, almost up there with Mies van der Rohe’s “less is more”. But not quite. Kahn (1901-74) may have his place in the architectural pantheon along with Mies, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright but he remains far less known. So much
What has been done well, though, is the narrative of Kahn’s development from Estonian-born immigrant to a long career in Philadelphia. From darkly shadowed Beaux Arts decorative student drawings through early urban designs for Philadelphia and on to densely scrawled notebooks, there is plenty of the authentic material often lacking in architecture exhibitions. There are some exquisite original work-
so that when his body was found in a lavatory in New York’s Penn Station, it lay unidentified for four days. This relative lack of fame is perhaps because his buildings are in more obscure places – the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California; the National Assembly Building in Dhaka, Bangladesh; the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth; the Centre for British Art at Yale – rather than in the biggest cities. Perhaps it is because his massive, Roman-inspired forms proved more difficult to copy. Whichever it is, Kahn’s work has lasted better than that of his contemporaries. The Kimbell, with its seemingly simple vaults and serene light, is architecturally one of the world’s most important galleries, and it was Kahn who returned to modernism a concern with materials and mass, with archetype and archaeology. Even so, some, including me, have yet to be fully convinced. Although I can admire the grandeur of his finest spaces, the beauty in the detail and the almost Roman scale of his best work, I find something simplistic about it, the same sense you get from the annoying aphorisms that clog up the walls in this exhibition, entitled Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture, at London’s Design Museum. “Structure, I believe, is the giver of light”, “The sun never knew how great it was until it hit the side of a building”. And so on. It reads like architecture’s mystical self-help manual. So can this exhibition convince the unenlightened? Despite the fact that it is quite a good show, I’d have to suggest that the answer is no. Here’s Kahn again: “A room is not a room without natural light”. If that is so, then this exhibition is in a room that is not a room, but a space whose bland, blind whiteness makes a mockery of the work of an architect obsessed with the quality of light.
ing models revealing the handicraft of design, and plenty more massive new ones that show very little. But there is also a degree of confusion, which makes it a little difficult to understand the architect’s development. A map of Roman ruins engraved by Piranesi that used to hang on Kahn’s office wall is difficult to reconcile with a massive model of his proposed 1950s skyscraper (designed with Anne Tyng – good to see a woman credited, finally). Its structure was influenced by the discovery of DNA, a sci-fi diagrid structural wonder that powerfully influenced the Japanese Metabolists and Norman Foster (see his Hearst Tower in New York), as well as Richard Rogers (the bracing on his Centre Pompidou and since). A room dedicated to Kahn’s posthumously realised Four Freedoms Park, a Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial in New York, includes the wonderful original model but fails to communicate the almost antique, hewn quality of the work. These ideas all seem to exist in different worlds, and no attempt is made to resolve or explain the gap between the low and the high tech. Another lurking problem for anyone attempting to explain Kahn’s vision is that his son got there first. Nathaniel Kahn’s 2003 film about his father, entitled My Architect, is perhaps the best film about architecture ever made. Not only does it deal with the buildings and the career but with the obsession, with how architecture colonises an entire life: Nathaniel’s powerful memory of neglect by a father he wish he’d known better is almost unbearably moving. Nothing in this exhibition comes close to that emotional impact and, of course, nothing comes close to the power of Kahn’s best buildings. If you want to be convinced, you’ll still have to see them ot only does it deal with the buildings and the career
EX T ER I O R M EE T S I N T E RI O R
Bringing aesthetic & artistic reflection into personal space. photos by rose sevan words by cullen garner
SP AC I A L R EL AT I O N S
The simplicity of Minimalist Interior Design is what defines this concept. With that in mind one of the first things you should do is have a big clear out. Minimalism is king of clutter free homes therefore in order for you to get your interior design ideas right spend some time deciding what to keep and what to let go. Urban d esign and industrial mod style are easy to achieve by keeping only a few basics in mind. Modern style offers a clean, neat layout with simple, streamlined furniture in an architecture style that was influenced by German Bauhaus School of Design and Scandinavian modern design. Sleek smooth surfaces, bold geometric shapes and asymmetry are key characteristics of mod design. Stick with a simple, neutral palette that will allow the objects in your home design to take center stage. White walls are predominant in a modern home with all of the furnishings, accessories and fabrics also in neutral tone-on-tone color schemes. Modern design has always been about function over form. Absent are ornate details, extravagant rooms or intentional themes of symmetry. A focus on angular shapes using geometry is signature in modern design. Light streaming through soaring windows, glass ceilings or large open windows creates an artistic statement and immediately draws
the eye to the interior architecture. Large undecorated windows open the interior to the exteri or landscape. Often there is a natural connection between the exterior view and the interior design. Aside from open windows and abundant natural light, other common design themes include bare walls and large open floor plans, similar to loft or apartment layouts. Wh e n s e l e c t i n g pieces for a modern room, keep things sleek and simple. There is a wide range of urban or industrial mod furniture designs out there. Select your pieces like choosing a work of art. There are also many DIY furniture designs to choose from if you want to personalize your design. When choosing two dimensional art and accessories in a modern interior, it is important to select pieces that make a loud statement. Make it fun. Also search for three-dimensional art with striking shapes that can be highlighted with spotlights for a strong visual impact. Think of your walls as an open, clean gallery space, and take special care in selecting where your art will be displayed. There are no ifs and buts about minimalism; it is great space united with interesting furniture and is a style born from Japanese interior design where everything is reduced to only its necessary elements. Adopt the ‘Less is more’ way of thinking and work with your mood boards to expand your ideas and create your unique expression of minimalist interiors.
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48 Extravagant, expensive, elegant, flamboyant, theatrical, and flashy — these are just a few words that come to the mind when we think of ‘Baroque’ homes. Originating in France and endorsed by King Louis XIV, this hig hl y glitzy and glamorous interior style once adorned the homes of the rich and the famous, as an ostentatious display of their wealth and affluence, but not anymore. Modern Baroque interiors merge the timeless elegance and dramatic embellishments of the ‘Baroque’ with c o ntemporar y st yles and tastes, juxtaposing flamboyance with functionality. The Baroque style that we find in most homes today is rather a toned down version of the original style. And no, you don’t need a king’s ransom to furnish and deck up your home the Baroque way. Just flair and passion is enough to help you recreate the ambiance of the bygone ‘Baroque period’ in your home. Versatile yet classy, this home décor provides one with enough freedom of expression. So, do not get intimidated by its affluent nature; feel free to embrace this style and make this elegant décor your way of life. To replicate the authentic Baroque interior design, you must opt for furnishings that aren’t just luxurious, but also highly ornate. The upholstery that you choose must be rich in patterns and colors. Adding carved and ornate arms and legs would lend further richness to your home decor. Your dressers and desks can be beautified using crystal knobs. Additionally, you may hang tassels on soft furnishings for a rich feel. Embellishing the walls with vibrant wallpaper is one great way to
harmonize it with the rest of the furnishings. If you are opting for paints, go for dark colours. Choosing deep red or hunter green would provide a dramatic look to the room. You can create a rich ambiance by using gilded furnishings and art works too. For fur ther elegance, use boiserie, an exclusive wooden panelling, that will add character to the walls. Adding wainscoting and mouldings will also increase the vigour of the walls. Get wallpapers in bold and stylish prints such as floral and damask or the ones embroidered in gold or silver. Fabric w a l l t r e at m e nt s a r e also popular in Baroque design. Using panelled mirrors will also lend a gorgeous appearance to. D uring the Baroque times, marble floor was in vogue. However, today hardwood has come to replace the old favourite. In order to warm up the area, you can use area rugs. Wood or marble having inlay designs add to the character and elegance of a room. Keeping hand-woven rugs in European style will also warm up and soften the room. Using stone flags, bricks and tiles creates an illusion of varied depths. Trying geometric patterns in black and white marble in shapes like diamonds, squares and cubes will further add to the ‘Baroque’ ambiance of your room. Up the elegance quotient of your house with crystals and chandeliers that are quintessentially ‘Baroque’. You can hang them in entryways, living rooms and dining rooms. You can further enhance its beauty by attaching silver and gold fixtures. While choosing lamps, opt for coloured fabrics with decorative accents. You can lend an air of sophisticated charm to the room by adding matching wall sconces
S PA C I A L R E LAT I ONS
Bringing aesthetic & artistic reflection into personal space. p ho to s by ro s e s eva n wo rd s by c u l l e n g a r ne r
EXT ER I O R M E E T S I N T E R I O R
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35 A Roman temple to Diana may once have stood on the site, but the first Christian cathedral there was dedicated to St. Paul in ad 604, during the rule of King Aethelberht I. That cathedral burned, and its replacement (built 675–685) was destroyed by Viking raiders in 962. In 1087 a third cathedral erected on the site also burned. The fourth cathedral, now known as Old St. Paul’s, was constructed of Caen stone beginning in the late 11th century. It was one of the more massive buildings in the British Isles at that time, and its spire stood higher than the dome of the present cathedral. During the English Reformation (16th century) the edifice fell into disrepair, and its nave was used as a marketplace. The spire was destroyed by lightning (and a resulting fire) in 1561 and never replaced. Major repairs were initiated in the 1630s by Inigo Jones, who oversaw the removal of shops, the renovation of walls, and the building of a much-admired portico on the western side. During the English Civil
1675, and work was carried out until 1710. During the 19th century some decorative changes were made to the interior of the cathedral in an attempt to bring it in line with Victorian tastes. In 1941, during the Battle of Britain, civil defense brigades protected the structure from fire, although it was hit directly by bombs; at one point an unexploded bomb was removed, at great risk, from the nave. Repairs were carried out following the war. Wren’s design combined Neoclassical, Gothic, and Baroque elements in an attempt to symbolize the ideals of both the English Restoration and 17th-century scientific philosophy. His finished cathedral differed greatly from the plan approved in 1675, however. Wren apparently based many of his modifications on an earlier (1673), unapproved plan for St. Paul’s, which was first given shape in his 20-foot-long “Great Model,” now kept on display in the crypt. For further treatment of the architect’s intentions, see Sir Christopher Wren: Construction of St. Paul’s.
The Baroque interior is just as imposing as the exterior of the church. Wars (1642–51), however, the structure was severely damaged by Cromwellian cavalry troops who used it as a barracks. In the 1660s Christopher Wren was enlisted to survey and repair the cathedral, but it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London (1666) before work could begin. Wren subsequently designed and oversaw the construction of the present cathedral, which was built mainly of Portland stone. His plans were approved in
Among Wren’s distinguished assistants were the French Huguenot ironworker Jean Tijou, who wrought the grillwork of the choir and the iron balustrade of the southwest tower; the sculptor and carver Grinling Gibbons, who produced the wooden choir stalls, the organ case, and the bishop’s throne; the mason-contractors (and brothers) Thomas and Edward Strong; the master carpenter John Longland; and the mason Joshua Marshall.
E X T E R I O R M E E T S I N T ER I OR
A look at the influence of exterior architecture on interior spaces. The Cathedral of Saint Paul has been in existence, in various buildings, since 1841. But it was John Ireland, the popular archbishop of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, who helped bring to life the vision of a permanent mother church for Minnesota in 1904. In 1 905, Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, a French architect trained at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, was selected to design what we know today as the Words / Cullen Garner Photos / Rose Savan
S T. PAUL’ S CAT H E D R A L
L O N D O N, E N GLA N D
FLORALS Descent from the Cross Peter Paul Ruben The body of Christ, captured frontally brightly illuminated, radiating its own brilliance as well as reflecting the whiteness of the shroud, which constitutes the formal as well as ideological center, of Ruben’s composition. The outstretched hands of the persons surrounding Christ towards him involved in the action receive. His body are in solemn communion. Choose flowers with the illuminating brilliance & smaller darker ones to highlight a larger focal point.
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T R A NS LATION S Taking thoughts on art and bringing them into the home. words / Mark Lamste photo / Adrian Wilson
When you think of luxurious or over- the- top ornamental home dÊcor, Baroque style comes to mind. This style was adopted by European royalty in the seventeenth century and was the preference of palaces & churches throughout Europe in the mid-eighteenth century (Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles is done in a Baroque style). The Baroque color palette is often rich, incorporating dark reds & greens to enhance gold accent features that are most commonly used to decorate mirrors, art, & accessories. Baroque interiors tend to be highly detailed,including intricately carved wood details paired with luxurious textiles used for things such as furniture, wall, window coverings. These fabrics are often damask or floral patterned. During the early eighteenth century, Rococo began to evolved from the Baroque style, keeping the opulent design elements, but also by adopting a pastel color palette & taking itself less seriously than whimsical art. Symmetry and precision are also important characteristics Baroque era. The interiors typically featured a variety of complex architectural details as well as, religious depictions while Rococo typically featured dreamy depictions of elaborate fountains, garlands, & shells.
P ETER PAUL RUB EN S B a ro qu e Pa in te r BORN:
June 28, 1577 Siegen, Germany
DIED:
May 30, 1640 Antwerp, Belgium
White is poison to a picture: use it only in highlights.
Peter Paul Rubens ( June 28, 1577 - May 30, 1640) was a prolific seventeenth-century Flemish Baroque painter & a proponent of the exuberant Baroque style who placed emphasis on movement, color, and sensuality. He is well-known for his Counter-Reformation altar pieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mytho-
logical and allegorical subjects. In addition to running a large studio in Antwerp, which produced paintings popular with nobility & art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was classically educated as a humanist scholar, art collector, & diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV, king of Spain, and Charles I, king of England.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Baroque: What is Aesthetic?
THE INFLUENCE OF PETER PAUL RUBENS Florals and Living Spaee
EN S PA C I A L R E L AT I O N S Space as a reflection of art & self
NT EXTERIOR MEETS INTERIOR
Inspiration In Architecture St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England
L ET T ER FROM T H E E D I TO R
AESTHETICS Like Gothic, baroque is at once a qualitative term and a historical concept. In everyday discourse, the term baroque is used pejoratively to mean over-wrought, complex, and excessive. At the same time, Baroque describes a cultural movement of the seventeenth century, defined by characteristic styles in the visual arts, music, and literature. Its most common usage is as a reference to the period spanning around 1580 to 1720–1750, depending on the art form. As an overall aesthetic concept, a quality, a sensibility, or a style, baroque is notoriously difficult to analyze, because its two applications are in many ways inextricable and interdependent. The most fruitful understanding of baroque demands an overview of both the concept's development and the aesthetic ideals of the Baroque period itself.
EMILY SIMMS
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