Exhibition Booklet 'Behind the Eyes of Louis Kahn' by Jazz Jover

LOUIS KAHN

EXHIBITION DETAILS

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artist: jazz jover ...........................................................................................................................

title: behind the eyes of Louis Kahn ...........................................................................................................................

location: g39 griffith university gold coast ...........................................................................................................................

client: jessica blair, and architecture tutors ...........................................................................................................................

date: design completed april 2023 ...........................................................................................................................

NOTES ON EXHIBITION CURATION

Whilst the subject of Louis Kahn and his work was the forefront of this exhibition, the processes between each piece had their own structure and steps. In order to most accurately answer the question behind the relationship Kahn built between monochromatic materials and natural lighting, it was fundamental that the exhibition had an array of different mediums and works. When curating the event, it was decided upon starting that a minimum of seven pieces would be created, this number combined with the various art forms allowed for the widest scope to aid in answering the set research question.

The question itself acted as a guide for the investigation to follow. Understanding the mind of Louis Kahn was considered as dire as knowing his portfolio, so when gathering information for the exhibit a multitude of interviews and biographies were referred to as well as his own hand drawings, and architectural plans. In order to recognize the relationship between light and building materials a combination of digital collage, sketching, photoshop, and model making were utilised to allow audiences to better visualise and acknowledge the symbiosis between the two focuses.

For the purpose of highlighting natural light without becoming tiresome or monotonous, bright colours and effects were used within each piece, as well as shading techniques and variations in the 3D models. All of the works created had at least one image of Kahn’s designs involved, this was an intentional choice so patrons would be able to clearly see and understand how shadows and the monochromatic materials were interconnected. If hypothetical buildings or other architects works were used this would have lead viewers to have to work harder to see the relationship between the two factors in specifically Louis Kahn’s products.

Figure 1. Photograph of the Indian Institute of Management building by Louis Kahn, photographed by Abhishek Donda

FOREWORD

‘Behind the Eyes of Louis Kahn’ explores into the relationship between monochromatic materials and natural lighting. It looks into how the two complement and contrast one another, and what this means for us as a viewer when creating an effective and visually striking piece of architecture.

This projects outcome is to resolve a cohesive conclusion regarding the relationship between materials and lighting, and from this allowing us as creatives to innovate and contemplate a range of factors when producing or designing a considered space.

AIM: To understand and acknowledge the relationship between monochromatic building materials and natural lighting, and how these factors visually and physically enhance one another.

METHOD: Through the use of design, involving built models, digital collages, sketches, and digital media. As well as this, considered research into Louis Kahn, including not only his design philosphies but interviews, and observing his own personal sketch books. These wide range of sources allow for us to make informed conclusions regarding the social, cultural, and economic affects of his works, presenting into current architecture also.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What was the relationship between Louis Kahn’s intentional use of monochromatic materials and natural lighting within his buildings, and how/has this knowledge informed contemporary urban design practices?

Exploration into light and materials but more specifically; contrasting, juxtsaposing, enhancing, and shadow casting

UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT

Louis Kahn was known not only as a successful architect, but as a strong philosophical figurehead of the modernism architecture movement. He described the art of architecture as more than just an ‘aesthetic’ procedure, but as a way to provide functional needs to society, and that a building could greatly impact, influence, and improve peoples personal lives ¹. Its important to consider Kahn’s own views on architecture when viewing his buildings, as his visually simple designs have a deeper conceptual complexity allowing us to further understand the intended relationship between each part of his buildings (in this context; allowing us to understand the relationship he creates between natural lighting and monochromatic materials).

Kahn further goes on to acknoweldge in an interview that he believes buildings go beyond practicalities, but should also serve humanistic needs and communities, wanting to evoke a sense of spiritality in the spaces he created¹. Statements such as these allow researches to understand Kahn’s emphasis on creating culturally significant buildings, and highlight the extensive thought Kahn considered behind each design he developed.

1. Epigraph. Louis I. Kahn, quoted in Jean France’s untitled essay in the architecture brochure distributed to visitors at First Unitarian Church of Rochester, in Rochester, New York, 2006. Extract found from ‘Artist’s work/ artist’s voice: Louis I. Kahn The Museum of Modern Art, New York

DEVELOPMENTAL WORK

This section gazes into the developmental and experiemental works preceding the end exhibition. All works were formed out of personal curiousity regarding how materials and light work together, or looking into Kahns own design experiments and attempting to replicate and reconstruct these.

MATERIALS (pertaining to all developmental works): Balsa wood, tooth picks, black card, white card, superglue, sketchbook and pen, adobe photoshop.

Based of Kahns own model (City Tower, 1958); exploring into the affects of shadow casting and layering of materials.

Origami style card cut outs - exploring into patterns shadows make and the affects of monochromatic materials on highlighting said shadows

Sketches exploring possible model avenues and exhibition layouts.

DEVELOPMENTAL Artist Statement - Brick and Light

Created on Adobe photoshop, this image is a collection of digital photographs and drawings used to create a collage of Kahn’s ‘Capital Complex’ in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

This work intends to highlight through the use of colour and graphic storytelling the role of natural light and monochromatic material/s in creating a strong visually memorable building. This work of Kahn’s was specifically chosen as it is positioned by the waters edge, this allowed for not only the light but building colours to bounce off of the canal further accentuating the affect of the suns rays on the large geometric ‘cut outs’.

Jazz Jover, ‘Behind the Eyes of Louis Kahn’ poster and Press Release

- LOUIS, I. KAHN. On the Responsibilty of an Architect pp.45-47 Louis Kahn, Paul Weiss, and Vincent Scully. Source: Perspecta,Vol. 2 (1953)

EXHIBITION WORKS

‘A space in architecture shows how it is made.’

‘One quality of a space is measured by its temperature by its light and by its ring.’

‘Integration is the way of nature. We can learn from nature.’

Artist Statement SKETCHES - Kahn Inspired Sketches

Each sketch is based off a building Louis Kahn made during his lifetime and plays with different line techniques and hatching to create the affect of light and shadow. The white of the paper and the white card it is glued to, is intentionally used to highlight the black of the pen found in the drawings. This motif is symbolic of Kahn’s own design practice, in which monochromatic building materials are used to accentuate natural lighting.

MATERIALS

The paper of these sketches was hand made by the artist (Jazz Jover) through the use of paper mache. One sheet was created using this technique, and then left to dry, before being cut into different sized rectangles to freehand upon with a 0.1 fine lined marker.

THE PROCESS

The preperation process for this artwork... As mentioned above this hand crafted paper was mached’ from old or scap paper that was no longer being used. The reason behind repurposing it for this artwork was to do something I was unfamilar with, having never made paper before, getting out of my comfort zone with a new material was important in understanding Louis Kahn’s mentality. Kahn frequently utilised materials in ways not commonly seen prior, using not only mass monochromatic materials, but uncommon features such as copper also.

Artist Statement POPART - Reminiscent of Warhol

Made with key influences of Andy Warhol’s pop art style, this digital piece showcases the affects of alternating monochrome palettes and how they accentuate the shapes and shadows in Louis Kahn’s building designs. Specifically Kahn’s ‘Fisher House’ was used for this work, as its simple but affective geometry best allowed for the colours to highlight the importance of lighting and architectural materials.

THE PROCESS

After finding a dynamic building by Louis Kahn (dynamic as it allowed for the most interesting axonometric style drawing), the piece was than repeated four times and placed into four different quadrants. After this, four prominant colours were utilised (black to represent shadows, white to represent light, grey for the in between, and red to be remincent of Kahns use of red bricks), to make a pop art affect/ make a visually striking piece of media. Finally, a ‘grain’ affect was layered ontop to give the deliberate affect of age . This work was done entirely on Adobe Illustrator.

Reminiscent of Warhol by Jazz Jover, April 2023

Artist Statement MIXED MEDIA - Letters from Kahn

The subject matter of these works are a combination of various sketches and plans made by Louis Kahn. The top image shows a white grid/geometric shape which is representive of Kahn’s ‘Casabella’ concept building idea. The shape itself is the rough floor plan of this building, and has further layers of other grid formations layered upon it. When looking into the top artwork, one can see not only the floorplan but also many of Kahn’s prevelant shape motifs, and even replicas of his own sketches from his released sketchbooks. Artwork one is meant to be an almalagmation of all things ‘Kahn’ with hidden symbolism intertwined within the choices of mediums.

Letters from Kahn by Jazz Jover, April 2023

MATERIALS

‘Letters from Kahn’ is a mixed media work that utilises acrylic paint, white gel pens, POSCA paint markers, and black fine liners all done on a brown background that is actually two organic envelopes.

- The reasoning behind the use of the brown envelopes as a ‘canvas’ relates back to Kahn’s own philosphy of utilising unique materials.

Louis I Kahn, 1966 Sketch for Phillips Exeter Academic Library

Jazz Jover, Letters from Kahn, for Behind the Eyes of Louis Kahn 2023

Louis I Kahn, 1960, Casabella Plan 241

Jazz Jover, Letters from Kahn, for Behind the Eyes of Louis Kahn 2023

Artist Statement DIGITAL DRAWING - The light inside

First made as a hand drawn sketch, then transported onto Adobe photoshop, this picture depicts a different angle of one of Kahn’s most famous buildings: the ‘Capital Complex’ in Dhaka Bangladesh. This drawing was intended to show a different variation of light in relationship to Kahn’s monochromatic materials, and focuses on showing light coming from the inside of the structure during night time, rather than the sun on the external building. The piece intentionally only uses three colours as a means of representing the affect of light on Kahn’s buildings and how his choice of design emphasises this contrast regardless of time of day.

PROCESS

Sketching on iPad with an Apple Pencil, using the software ‘Procreate’, and then exporting to Adobe Photoshop to and in ‘light’ affect.

The Light Inside by Jazz Jover, March 2023

5 Light Boxes by Jazz Jover, April 2023

(In exhbition artificial lights are utilised that could not be nicely caught on camera for the booklet)

Artist Statement PHYSICAL MODEL - Light Boxes

‘Light Boxes’ by Jazz Jover is a pair of physical models used to show the affect of monochromatic materials with light. The models intend to highlight how material choice and colour can drastically impact the way lighting can affect a building visually and atmospherically. The models juxstapose the light through their constrasting colours, and demonstrate to the auidence that a combination of colour, material, and lighting has a deep affect on the shadows produced by a structure, and thus the feeling one would get from entering the building. This is a philosophy constantly referred to by Louis Kahn, and was attempted to be replicated with different materials by Jazz to show their affects to a wider auidence.

PROCESS

Creating the base forms on AutoCAD, and then precisely cutting out said forms with the use of a lazer cutter to be accurate. Black card was used to show how the shadows would stick out LESS, whilst white card was used to highlight how shadows would be MORE prominant.

Artist Statement VIDEO - Light and Inspiration

Louis Kahn’s actual voice was utilised when creating this video, as it allowed for a further dimension when undertsanding his design philosophies. When pairing his speech with both real videos of his buildings and snippets of models created by Jazz Jover it allows patrons to visualise Kahn’s designs and see in the experiments made the emphasis he has created on light and materials. The closing scene of the video features Kahn speaking about inspiration whilst a model of Tadao Ando’s ‘4x4 House’ is shown, this is a direct representation of Kahn’s affects into contemporary architecture as successful architect, Ando has consistently mentioned how his biggest influence has been Kahn and his design considerations.

PROCESS

After finding a combination of different Louis Kahn building tours (linked below), and an extract of Kahn speaking at a univeristy lecture about his design philosophies, the footage was imported into Adobe premier and CapCut. After this, photos of the developmental models were added into the original videos along with a video taken by Jazz of a paper explorational model with a torch shining upon it. The videos and photos were then edited with a ‘film and grain’ affect to allow for a smoother transition between the original footage of Kahn and the new images. Finally, the video of the lit up Tadao Ando house was added to fit in with Kahn speaking about inspiration. After being colour graded, and refined for an ‘artistic installation’ type aesthetic the video was complete.

‘Knock on Affect’ model in ‘Light and Inspiration’ by Jazz Jover

Knock on Affect by Jazz Jover, May 2023

Artist Statement PHYSICAL MODEL - Knock on Affect

Knock on Affect is a two tone cardboard model replicating a segment of the Salk Institute by Louis Kahn, and Tadao Ando’s 4x4 House. The reasoning behind the choice of these two architects and these two buildings derives from a statement Ando made in a 2015 interview describing his love of Kahn’s designs and key inspiration behind his own buildings ¹. To show how Kahn’s ideologies have had a direct affect on contemporary urban design, showing another successful architect directly influenced by him seemed like a self explanatory option.

MATERIALS

White and black card 1mm, super-glue, baking paper, pencil

PROCESS

Using two photos for reference, the first steps was to cut out the main pieces for each model in their respective materials. In hindsight using a binding material other than superglue would have been more benefitial as the residue of the glue is quite prominent on the black card even when cleaned. Furthermore, in future a lazercutter would be utilised as the many parts of each model caused it to look quite ‘rustic’ when done by hand. Finally, both models were stuck together by the back so they would look as if they were ‘grow ing’ out from one another. The intended affect was to show how Kahn’s works have evolved and affected a new range of contempo rary architecture.

1 Interview by Spencer Bailey, Tadao Ando. Surface, Febuary 1 2015

Artist Statement DIGITAL COLLAGE - Kahn Beyond the Grave

This digital media work directly symbolises and romaticises the affect Louis Kahn has had on contemporary architecture. It was important for this work to replicate Kahn’s loose but free sketching style, whilst juxstaposingly utilising bright colours to divide between the existing image and added sketch. The photo used showcases a ‘modern, 21st century’ style home with large windows that concave inwards, and monochromatic materials, much like Kahn’s own more brutalistic works. Although the two designs are not identical, their shared and similar aspects are intentionally highlighted within this piece to show how Kahn’s ideologies surrounding light and materials have continued on after his passing.

PROCESS

After selecting a contemporary home, Procreate was used along with an apple pencil on an ipad to physically draw the sketch of Kahns building ontop of the original image.

Kahn Beyond the Grave, by Jazz Jover May 2023

April-May 2023

Created by Jazz Jover

For Jessica Blair, Tracey Woods, Isabella Cox, Morgan Nugent, Griffith University Architecture

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abhishek Donda, Indian Institute of Management building by Louis Kahn, November 14 2022

https://hypebeast.com/2022/11/louis-kahn-indian-institute-management-ahmedabad-demolition-architecture (page 3 reference)

Anotnia Lowe, Antonia Lowe Interiors, November 14 2016.

https://antonialoweinteriors.com/louis-kahn-an-architect-of-light-thepower-of-light-and-shadow (page 14 reference)

CadBlocks Download, Shopify, 2023.

https://www.cadblocksdownload.com/products/exeter-library-louis-kahn (page 14 reference)

Louis I Kahn, Epigraph, Louis I. Kahn The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2006

https://www.moma.org/artists/2964 (page 5 referenence)

Louis I Kahn. On the Responsibilty of an Architect pp.45-47 Louis Kahn, Paul Weiss, and Vincent Scully. Source: Perspecta,Vol. 2 (1953) (page 10 reference)

Louis I Kahn. Study for centre city Phillidelphia, INK ON TRACING PAPER. 1956 (page 5 reference)

Spencer Bailey, Tadao Ando. Surface, Febuary 1 2015

https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/tadao-ando/ (page 23 reference)

The Trustees of Phillips Exeter Academy, 2023. www.exeter.edu/academics/library

https://rndrd.com/n/1263 (page 14 reference)