The Imperfect Ornament - DRU by Jemma__McBride

THE .

IMPERFECT . ORNAMENT

JEMMA McBRIDE 110016653

MACRO

MICRO

Neil Burford Carol Robertson

CONTENTS

Abstract Introduction Surface + Ornament - Battleground of Theory Case Study – Nottingham Contemporary Readability + Connection with Ornament Case Study – Tactility Factory Shadow + Depth + Wabi Sabi Thinking Machine – Experiment Conclusion Appendices Bibliography

RELIEF

5 7 9 13 15 19 21 25 43 45 48

INTERGRATE

Images - Author’s own

‘[Materials] take on a beautiful and specific richness when traces of life are sedimented onto their surfaces’ (Zumthor, 1998)

ABSTRACT Surfaces within architecture can have emotional capacity set upon them depending on material use and form; with that how could integrated fabric into it effect its architectural pathos using the theory of ornament and the Japanese aesthetic principle of Wabi-Sabi. Ornamental theory is incongruous throughout time and architectural history. Architects such as Sullivan and Semper ardently supporting ornament and architecture are coexistent and must be used to create a building as an expression of ‘constructive forces embedded’ within this building. Vehement opposition in the form of Loos wishes to discredit ornament and believes it has no placed in civilised architecture. Since these theoreticians, ornament has had a revival in the forms of architects Caruso St John, Moussavi, Morrow and Herzog and de Meuron. All with approaches and interpretations of how to bring ornament back into the fold of architecture. Tactility Factory (founded by Ruth Morrow and Trish Belford) aims to apply technical understanding to a material for it to perform as tactile material first and foremost, with the harsh nature of concrete becoming soft through the interplay with fabric. Wabi-Sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature. It’s simple, slow, and it reveres truthfulness above all. The Thinking Machine proposes to develop Tactility Factory’s ideals of making hard materials soft and combine the object with the principles of Wabi Sabi. An emotive material like concrete is combined with textiles and fabric which challenges the concrete’s preconceptions; its primary pathos and forces it to be seen in another way.

Tramway, Glasgow (Hunter, 2015)

A material like concrete has an emotional memory already attached to it physically and metaphorically, due to its primary liquid form influenced by its physical surroundings that leave a physical mark. The rudimentary object will have been created with flaws; flaws from the material integrating into its surface and the concrete itself failing at parts. A qualitative assessment for Wabi-Sabi and tactility of surface is then developed. The taxonomy of objects created is then used and shown to determine whether the Thinking Machine has found this imperfect beauty in surface. 5

‘The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible’ (Wilde, 1890)

INTRODUCTION Ornamental theory is diversely polarised in approach and outcome; debates on the subject range from the Ancient Greeks to Modern theoreticians. Contemporary research into this subject has revived ornament within architecture as a fundamental positive, that can enhance the buildings context, function and atmosphere. Caruso St John Architects and Ruth Morrow have both investigated the integration of ornament. Both approaches have looked into the craft of surface and its interaction with its user yet the outcomes differ completely in terms of the perception of imperfection and the tactility of its surface. The aim of this investigative project is to discuss the notion of surface under the influence of textile fabrics, and emotional and poetic attachment. The qualities of the hardness of surface, combining and interacting with hard material such as concrete, will be examined in relation to the principles of Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese aesthetic that venerates imperfection and ‘wear and tear’. Combining textiles and concrete can result in a decorative surface, which raises questions about ornamentation and material expression in architecture. The theories surrounding the use of ornament and material expression will be explored further in order to gain an understanding of their application within contemporary architecture. Engraving of Assyrian monuments: a supporting inner core sustained by a garment (Semper, 1860)

‘The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible’ (Wilde, 1890)

SURFACE + ORNAMENT

Battleground

theory

Surface is fundamentally important. It bounds the spaces that architects wish to create: limitless space is delineated with walls, upon which surface is inherent. It is important to distinguish between material and surface, as material that is purely faux may become superficial and lose meaning, whereas surface is integral. We are ‘so accustomed to moving amid surfaces that we either take them for granted or see them as insignificant’. Troger gives an exemplary metaphor for how unobservant one becomes of their surroundings;

‘These are the stars under which we sail!’ (Eichinger & Troger, 2011) The properties of a specific material will often determine the function and associate it with certain qualities. This is exemplified in archetypal architectural materials; timber indicates warmth, steel conveys strength, brick is considered to be traditional, and concrete is seen, in all its modernist connotations, as a cold and soulless material. Specific choices of materials and textures can create identity and meaning; the quality of a wall depends as much upon its textural quality as the structure or position. The manner in which materials are used can help to change atmospheres and moods; if the surface of the material was to be changed, does that inherently change the atmosphere of the space? Consideration of the surface as a whole thing and the material that collaborates in this coming together of parts of surface, ornamental theory and tradition, impact on the contemporary ornament and ultimately its presence and relationship with human experience. (Caruso, St John, Ursprung, 2008) Casa Batlló, Gaudi Tiles - ‘The floor was almost too pretty to walk on, but here it was, just a floor, some tiles were cracked, some just so worn away by the passing feet that they were almost unrecognisable.’ (Sallyann, 2014)

‘The exterior becomes like the interior. The surface becomes spacial. The surface ‘attracts.’’ (Herzog, 2006) The relationship between surface and ornament is visible throughout history. The treatment of surface between exterior and interior of buildings ranges from the figure grounds of the Romans, to the melodramatic and hedonistic effects of the baroque; from Gottfried Semper’s theory of ornament, Sullivan’s romantic interpretations through nature and the skyscraper, to Adolf Loos’ detest towards it. (Moussavi, 2006) The earliest ornament within surface is interpreted by Gottfried Semper as a woven material, derived from tattoos, with which primitive people exaggerated and made visible the natural law of their bodies. This evolved from skin ornamentation to woven

materials, thus it was no longer simply the natural law of the body that expressed the ornament, but also the technology of weaving. Semper begins to attribute weaving to an early interpretation of ornament through ‘its woven character indicating a blurring of the decorative and the functional. (Bates & Sergison, 2007) Conversely, for Loos, ornamentation was seen as a crime. Loos viewed ornament within traditional societies only as a means of differentiation and pure decoration; modern society had no need for this emphasis on the individual, society has become culturally evolved enough to survive without ornament. He comments: ‘the evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornamentation from objects of everyday use’. (1908, p.167) His appeal to the aversion of ornament seems reactionary and difficult to understand in contemporary terms but to Loos, ornamentation has become superfluous to architecture; a decoration. Louis Sullivan proposed such a need for ornamentation with consistency and organicity in building expressions. In Sullivan’s buildings, like all the cases documented here, this organicity leads to ornament that grows from the material organization and is inseparable from it. Ornament is the figure that emerges from the material substrate, the expression of embedded forces through processes of construction, assembly and growth. It is through ornament that material transmits effects. Ornament is therefore necessary and inseparable from architecture.

(Bates & Sergison, 2007)

Jacques Herzog’s argument for the use of contemporary ornament in architecture is summarized in the following quote from an interview discussing ornament, structure and space: ‘When ornament and structure become a single thing, strangely enough the result is a new feeling of freedom. Suddenly, you no longer need to explain or apologise for this or that decorative detail: it is a structure, a space.’ (Herzog, 2006) Caruso St. John’s proposal for ornament within architecture is challenging and simple. They see architecture ‘as an art – but not the same as – the others’. Caruso St John’s three key points within architecture can be applied to their approach to ornament; simple things and places are the site and soil of architectural invention; that innovation or ‘newness’ need not be pursued as it can result from engagement with existing conditions; the building may well be a material thing, the sense of meaning depends on its organisation with the situations and purposes it accommodates and embodies. Caruso St John’s ethos comes from architects such as the Smithsons, Venturi and Loos; architecture becomes good when it is ‘enmeshed in the patterns of everyday life’. (Leatherbarrow, 2009)

‘one is not interested in a ‘new vernacular’ but in giving a higher priority to the emotional experience of buildings and developing an understanding of how fabrication can hold emotional intent.

(Caruso, 1999)

CASE STUDY

nottingham contemporary, caruso st john

The panels of Nottingham Contemporary are well researched and methodically created from lace and interpreted into contemporary technology enabling the formwork and construction of the concrete panels to be highly controlled with little room for misinterpretation or imperfection; the hard latex moulds that are created can then be reused many times over. Long states ‘it doesn’t so much look like a printed lace pattern, but like lace itself – super realistic and with a certain fuzziness and softness’ (2009). The concrete pattern has superseded any imperfections to create a hyper realistic lace pattern pressed onto a hard surface that heightens the softness of the lace pattern. There is an awareness of Sullivan’s work within this building, making high-technology buildings using contemporary techniques at hand, which relate directly to the city and the context of its history. Its ornament is highly influenced by its historic context, and the detail controlled by the architect that creates a surface somewhere between stone, terracotta and concrete. (Long, 2009)

1. (Lally, 2012) 2. (Feeney, 2012) 3. (Binet, 2013) 4. Author’s own 12

(Caruso, 1999)

READABILITY + CONNECTION

with ornament

The principle of ornamentation until the twentieth century was: elaboration makes things special. (Trilling, 2001) Ornament is the only visual art whose fundamental - if not sole purpose - is pleasure. In functional terms, that makes it superfluous by definition, but our definition of function is falsely restricted to the machine-driven. Seen as purely decoration, ornament is much more than just a purely faux addition. Trilling’s description ‘elaboration makes things special’ (2001) is in paradox to the argument that ornament is superfluous; ‘the very definition suggests that it is an addition to something that is functionally complete without it’ (Pimlott, 2004 ). Ornament is the figure that emerges from the material substrate, the communication of rooted forces through processes of construction, assembly and growth. It is through ornament that material communicates emotional impact. Ornament is therefore necessary and inseparable from the object. Tactility Factory, formed by Ruth Morrow and Trish Belford explores surfaces as ‘hard things made soft’; the integration of concrete and textiles. Morrow’s work looks into ornamentation literally embedded within the material surface. As Tactility Factory progressed through experimentation, the word ‘art’ was rejected, stressing instead the word ‘design’ to reinforce their pursuit of replicability and applicability. However, Tactility Factory has gradually moved on to think of the outcomes within the concept of craft since they look and feel ‘crafted’ and substantially ‘material’, not because they are worked by hand but because they are considered through detail and with a sense of the hand.

Tactility Factory -

Velvet Infused Conccrete (Morrow + Belford)

The relationship between craftsmanship of surface and that of a machine made surface are starkly contrasted, the romanticism of a craftsman’s marks are seen as flaws today, due to the ‘perfect’ output of machines. Tactility Factory’s work is aim is to “make real the presence of the material in use in the building, so that people warm to them, want to touch them, feel a sense of the material itself and of the people who made and designed it.” (Rice, 1994) People must be able to read a building through its ornamentation, ‘what it says’ and how does one connect to this socially, emotionally and culturally. 15

Decoration may remain dependent on a particular cultural moment or context and cannot survive changing conditions. If architectural ornament is to remain convergent with culture, it needs to build mechanisms by which culture can constantly produce new images and concepts rather than recycle existing ones. Decoration is contingent and produces “communication” and resemblance. Ornament is necessary and produces effects and resonance. Contemporary Ornament must be functional, readable and have the ability to be used, changed, touched, felt and give an atmosphere – not just a solid mass of beauty. (Eichinger & Troger, 2011) Surface as it is designed, is given a physical presence, a function and an aesthetic. It is there, it is used but how is it seen, felt and thought of? These traits are produced through its aesthetic design. Surface appeals to human emotion, and is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response to be enjoyed by human hands and felt and looked at with awe.

‘The function of ornament is to make you happy.’ - (Ruskin, 1851)

Image 1 - ‘Their home was an old one and the carpet lay over uneven floorboards in their drawing room. Years of footsteps wore the pattern away in faded straight lines where the floorboards met in warped ridges’ (Salter, 2014)

(Caruso, 1999)

CASE STUDY

tactility factory, ruth morrow

trish belford

‘A conceptual approach to construction where conventions are followed but also consciously modified to ensure that expression is given precedence over technique and materials are transformed through their configuration to intensify meaning.’ (Bates & Sergison, 2007) Tactility Factory is a developing project between the architect Ruth Morrow and Trish Belford, a textile designer. The project’s aim is to ‘make hard things soft’ through the combination of concrete and textiles. The hardness of concrete fusing with the soft, texturized fabrics specially developed for the process coining the term ‘fossilisation of textiles’. (Belford, 2013) Using sophisticated technologies Morrow and Belford have begun to develop their surfaces but still retain their unique, hand crafted quality through the controlled formation of their concrete; ‘The perception of it being one off was reinforced by the fact that the technology we had developed was not exact – so even when we were repeating the same piece, the resultant pieces differed.’ (Morrow, 2011) This visible joint between the concrete and textiles results in a surface of organic pattern which in turn becomes ornamental. Imperfections off the surface begin to show at closer inspection, the tactility of the material is enhanced emotively strange interactions between fabric and concrete. Its surface begins to enhance the connection between concrete and textile fusing in a readable ‘whole’. The surface provokes and emotional and physical response embodying the concern of how people experience built architecture.

Tactility Factory - Imperfection Traced (Images-Author’s own) 18

‘To live is to leave traces.’ (Benjamin, 1986)

SHADOW + DEPTH + WABI-SABI People hold the interior close precisely because of the memories that attach to it. To be at home is more than to merely eat, sleep and work somewhere – it is to inhabit the house. That is to say, to make it your own, to leave traces. This notion can be fundamental to the Wabi- Sabi principles. Wabi-Sabi is to indirectly create something beautiful through use and time showing its imperfections; yet the surface is seen to be beautiful. Reason is inferior to perception when in the realm of aesthetic. (Koren, 1994). The emotional capacity of the object becomes of higher importance. Its flaws are shown and celebrated and not hidden in fakery. Aging and imperfections on surface give rise to architectural pathos which creates atmosphere in architecture. If surface is to be texturized and changed, it is to be ‘imperfect’ and ‘touchable’; something worth touching without fear of harming the object.

La Muna / Oppenheim Architecture + Design (Hamani, 2012)

The principle of Wabi Sabi beckons the user. It wants to be touched and relate to the senses, establishing connections that are deeper than a purely aesthetic approach. A section of stone for a mason is not observed abstractly, but it is understood in its flaws and strengths, its points of weakness and texture. (Sennett, 2008) Materials offer ideas and problems, they carry with them the story of their own past as well as of the potential future that they can carry. Sennett notes the personal connection with materials typically extends to anthropomorphism – bricks can be honest, cloth obstinate, a musical instrument soulful. This fostering of relationships extends to the subjects own body, particularly the hands.

‘One must hide depth. Where? On the surface.’ (Hugo von Hofmannsthal, 1922) Light is the medium that brings difference and similarity into appearance. The materials differentiate themselves from each other, only slightly or perhaps extremely, according to the light. ‘If light is scarce then light is scarce; we will immerse ourselves in the darkness and there discover its own particular beauty.’ (Tanizaki, 1991) Although it may sound negative, darkness means first and foremost that something has been hidden from view – it is something that needs to be looked at more closely and touched to discover that there is more to the material. ‘The quality we call beauty, however, must always grow from the realities of life, and our ancestors, forced to 20

live in dark rooms, presently came to discover beauty in shadows, ultimately to guide shadows towards beauty’s ends.’ (Tanizaki, 1991) A material does not display all of its chosen traits for someone to look at and confidently say what its history is, how it feels and smells. It is not enough to say a material is concrete to create an emotional connection to said material. As Wabi-Sabi is based on a natural approach, this perpetuates a measure of sanity and logic to the approach of ornament and living, it has the ability to create beautiful things without getting caught up in a dispiriting materialism that has surrounded the art. Perpetual use means bearing wounds such as wrinkles and scratches. (Eichinger & Troger, 2011) This is what makes things interesting and unique; this is where atmosphere comes from. Like living skin, architectural surface is the impression and expression of human needs, moods, and the passage of time in our built environment. Yet the trick, as Troger states, is ‘to treat each material according to its nature and its use...’ when, for example there is tension between different haptic sensations like smooth and rough, the surface assumes greater sophistication. A combination of aging and eternally ‘new-looking’ surfaces can result in an exciting and elegant user interface that can create atmosphere.

‘Shadows foster elegance... Shadows bear the messages woven into them.’ (Eichinger & Troger, 2011)

Tramway, Glasgow (Author’s own, 2015)

‘Where men use ornament, they simply emphasise in a more or less conscious manner the natural laws of the object’ (Semper, 1856)

EXPERIMENT

THINKING MACHINE -

interaction

This exercise in Thinking-through-Making aims to explore the possibility of enhancing functionality and beauty by embedding a material into a concrete tile; it’s possible flaws and imperfections are shown to exemplify Wabi-Sabi’s principle of a flawed and imperfect beauty. The intent of this experiment is to create a functional ornament; a tactile surface for interaction and appreciation of its flaws. Wabi-Sabi’s principles state that beauty is found within the imperfections of a surface. Beauty of the surface can be amplified with shadows, and the nature of its tactility. Functional:

ADJECTIVE

- of or having a special activity, purpose, or task; relating to the way

in which something works or operates. Beauty: NOUN - a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. 1.

- Does the object fulfil the requirement of function and ornament? - Does it elicit an emotional response from a person? - Can this be considered a contemporary ornament or does it revert back to the hedonistic and rich approach of pure decoration and nothing more? Have Wabi Sabi principles influenced the production of this tile? Has it made the tile any different than if it had been created with a machine? Through the process of thinking through making it is shown that:

2. 1. Tactility Factory - Velvet Infused Conccrete (Morrow + Belford) 2. Fabric - Found Material Shelter Charity Shop (Author’s own)

- Beauty of the surface can be amplified by the imperfections created. - The crumbling of the plaster/concrete shown in all surfaces of the tile. - Imperfect ornament integrated into the surface affects the architectonics of the surface - The varying surfaces have evoked different reactions from different people – ‘favourites’ have been chosen

TILE 1

THINKING MACHINE

Materials -Lace Embroidered Fabric -Concrete Process The fabric was placed within the formwork before pouring the concrete on top. Surface Result The concrete seeps through the gaps of the fabric to create a surface that is more unified. The surface has a smoother finish than the other concrete tiles.