Cracktopia! by julie.rahilly

cracktopia!

Disrupting societal complacency through fragments of utopia

JULIE

RAHILLY

M a s t e r s o f A r c h i t e c t u r e / F a l l 2 013 Wentwor th Institute of Technology j u l i e r a h i l l y. wo r d p r e s s . c o m

cracktopia!

Disrupting societal complacency through fragments of utopia

JULIE

RAHILLY

acknowledgments

Much appreciation is given to John Ellis and Jennifer Lee Michaliszyn for their sprightly attention in combining the theoretical and pragmatic in the development of this thesis.

the

And to my parents, who, when disrupted, still found a little piece of utopia.

Part 1 A b s t r a c t

K e y T e r m s Q u e s t i o n R e l e v a n c e

3 5 6

R e s e a r c h E s s a y H y p o t h e s i s

11 20

Part 2 M e t h o d o l o g y

P r o c e s s

F r a m e O n e F r a m e T w o F r a m e T h r e e D e s i g n P r o b e O n e D e s i g n P r o b e T w o

28 32 38 44 48

Part 3 E v a l u a t i o n A n a l y s i s I n t e n t i o n s

54 55 57

A p p e n d i x A Appendix B

i v

“yet ah! why should...

...they know their fate? Since sorrow never comes too late, And happiness too swiftly flies. Thought would destroy their paradise. No more; where ignorance is bliss, ‘ T is folly to be wise.” T h o m a s G r a y , 174 2 Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College

part 1

A b s t r a c t Ever ything has a pair. To b l a ck : w h i t e . To s e l f : s o c i e t y. To utopia: dystopia. To whole: fragment. To complacent : shock . Lives are lived in coincidence with other lives. Thus to only accept one without the other is to not really be living. This thesis asserts that the potential of achieving pieces of utopia exists in the process of creating. Through the generation of dually interpretive graphics and rhetorical speech, either fragmented or overly communicative, the creative imagination is stimulated. To any individual who is living in society without curiosity or neglecting imagination must be disrupted from such a complacent state of being.

representation skew dissolve

julie mehretu kazimir malevich build

peter cook

constructivism iakov chernikov anotonio st elia

distort collapse

futurism

dystopia utopia

ancient greek place landscape

aldo rossi

dead

tomb

identity individual narrative collective

north korea russia germany

george orwell ayn rand albert speer fiction

key terms

Dystopia,

traditionally

defined as a degraded imagined place, is the key term that fueled this process. Not so much did an interest lie in the idea of an unpleasant

Cracktopia (n): a place composed of moments of utopian spirit, formed by t h e d i s r u p t i o n o f c o mp l a c e n c y. synonyms: Burstopia, Splatopia Complacency (n): an acceptance of truth in every aspect of society without

place, but more so the influence a place like this has on the society it

questioning what is seen or heard.

situates.

in bringing about fragments of utopia.

Creativity (n): the use of imagination

Disruption (n): a sensory event that i n t e r r u p t s c o mp l a c e n c y i n s o c i e t y. Dys-creativity

(n):

lack

imagination in everyday life. Dystopia (n): a place in which individuals have no interest in how society operates. Fragment (n): a piece of a whole, real or imagined. Utopia (n): a place in which individuals are curious about the happenings of s o c i e t y. 4

question

How can architecture create fragments of utopia by disrupting societal complacency?

Relevance

Life

series

overcoming adversities. In this case, it is no exception to pairing, s o m e t i m e s b e i n g e a s y, a n d s o m e t i m e s being hard. T h e d a n g e r, h oweve r, lies in the easy life. The expression “ignorance is bliss” asserts that, to be unaware of the happenings of life is to live in perceived perfection. What the ignorant society or self fails to realize is that life is then at risk of falling into the control of oppressive hands. This covert control will lead to a dystopian environment. The a d v e r s i t y, then, is dystopia, countered only with the h a n d s o f c r e a t i v i t y. T h e i g n o r a n t society or self must be disrupted from such a complacent state of mind. This disruption calls for a realization that there is another side to the place being lived in, the “no-place”, and it must be discovered.

givens utopia is a process. to participate in the process, there must exist creativity.

oppression

├

creativity oppression yeilds creativity

creativity

═

conscious unconscious

creativity = balanced conscious : balanced unconscious

conscious unconscious

∞

society self

the balance between the conscious and unconscious is proportional to the balance between society and self

society self

(complacency)

═

fragment

society lacks imagination now there is an imbalance, society is not being creative

═

society self + (complacency)

fragment

self lacks imagination now there is an imbalance, self is not being creative

society + (complacency) self + (complacency)

├

dystopia

if both society and self lack imagination, then the creative process is cancelled out. this cancellation, or complacency, yeilds dystopia

creativity dys-creativity

∞ ∞

proof constructivism was an artistic activity cut off by a repressive and reactionary regime (lodder 5) ruins resemble destruction but also restoration and renewal (vidler 151)

proof in the creativity process, there is an interplay between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind (pallasmaa 65)

proof conscious: resulting from perception of other stimuli (corsini 24) unconscious: instinctual (corsini 24)

proof the metropolis ...creates in the sensory foundations of mental life...a deep contrast with the slower...rural existence. The social relations of the metropolitan inhabitant would then be intellectual rather than oral and emotional; the conscious would dominate the unconscious (vidler 69) proof benjamin: architecture is experienced in a state of distraction. kelley's models might be considered maps of such distraction, consciously evoking the unconscious in order to construct and oppositional experience of architecture (vidler 164) proof as an incomplete piece of a potentially complete whole, [the fragment] has pointed toward..a utopia perhaps, that it both represents and constructs (vidler 151)

utopia process dystopia process

if creativity is proportional to the process of utopia, then dys-creativity is proportional to the process of dystopia.

dystopia time

├

oppression dystopia over time yields oppression ...

proof beyond the ‘revolution’, this utopian dream has degraded into a dystopian nightmare (leach 9)

experience of architecture (vidler 164)

society + (complacency) self + (complacency)

├

dystopia

proof as an incomplete piece of a potentially complete whole, [the fragment] has pointed toward..a utopia perhaps, that it both represents and constructs (vidler 151)

if both society and self lack imagination, then the creative process is cancelled out. this cancellation, or complacency, yeilds dystopia

creativity dys-creativity

∞ ∞

utopia process dystopia process

if creativity is proportional to the process of utopia, then dys-creativity is proportional to the process of dystopia.

dystopia time

├

oppression

proof beyond the ‘revolution’, this utopian dream has degraded into a dystopian nightmare (leach 9)

dystopia over time yields oppression ... this completes one cycle of the process of utopia

support we need disruptions in order to raise curiousity about the happenings of society. creativity must always persist. fragments disrupt the monotony of life. if society or self become complacent, then society or self is at risk of accepting all of reality to be true.

reality is influenced by creative destruction, an economic term

socio-political

constructivism

├

socio-phenomenal

suprematism

├

proof guy debord: we are quickly turning into the society of surveillance and manipulation. The secret control of behavior and individual life through images and technical devices already extends beyond the visual mode; tapping the sensorial subconscious (pallasmaa 19) proof marx: again, however, from destruction a new spirit of creation arises; the scarcity of wood and the needs of everyday life...forced the discovery or invention of substitutes for wood, forced the use of coal for heating, forced the invention of coke for the production of iron. (reinert 19)

socio-technical

deconstructivism foucault: there are events in the space we construct ourselves to inhabit: heterotopia...our current occupation with multiple, fragmented, dislocated terrains (noever 127) do you think art should be politically engaged? hadid: architecture does not follow fashion or economic cycles — it follows the inherent logic of cycles of innovation generated by social and technological developments. mies van der Rohe said: "architecture is the will of 8 an epoch, living, changing, new". contemporary society is not standing still — and architecture must evolve with new patterns of life to meet the needs of its users (zaha hadid and suprematism)

the happenings of society. creativity must always persist. fragments disrupt the monotony of life. if society or self become complacent, then society or self is at risk of accepting all of reality to be true.

reality is influenced by creative destruction, an economic term

socio-political

constructivism

├

socio-phenomenal

suprematism

├

guy debord: we are quickly turning into the society of surveillance and manipulation. The secret control of behavior and individual life through images and technical devices already extends beyond the visual mode; tapping the sensorial subconscious (pallasmaa 19) proof marx: again, however, from destruction a new spirit of creation arises; the scarcity of wood and the needs of everyday life...forced the discovery or invention of substitutes for wood, forced the use of coal for heating, forced the invention of coke for the production of iron. (reinert 19)

socio-technical

deconstructivism foucault: there are events in the space we construct ourselves to inhabit: heterotopia...our current occupation with multiple, fragmented, dislocated terrains (noever 127) do you think art should be politically engaged? hadid: architecture does not follow fashion or economic cycles — it follows the inherent logic of cycles of innovation generated by social and technological developments. mies van der Rohe said: "architecture is the will of an epoch, living, changing, new". contemporary society is not standing still — and architecture must evolve with new patterns of life to meet the needs of its users (zaha hadid and suprematism)

(disruptions)

BOOM!

FLASH! POP!

CLICK! KNOCK!

the artistic-social avant garde was interested in these innovative forms as signifiers of new spirit ...to create a new social role for art, one that made the artist a significant participant in the organization and building of social life (margolin 3) lissitzky held the idealist conviction that forms could embody a new consciousness by pointing to a state or condition outside the limitations of contemporary lived experience (margolin 10) this was more than an art movement, it was an approach to working with materials, within a certain conception of their potential, as active participants in the process of social and political transformation (lodder 1)

T h e r e have been instances throughout the 20th century that illustrate this cycle, where societal unrest delivered creative results. Constructivism was an approach to working with materials as a method of transforming the social and political after the October Revolution. Suprematism was an interlude, which advanced the studies of Constructivism to an interest in the spirit through form, an interest in the social advancing over the political. And Deconstructivism was a look back at these former movements, again relating this interest in the social to one of the technical.

research essay

Reality Check: Using fragments of utopia to generate a societal response Introduction The following essay describes works of art and architecture that have reinterpreted the traditional representation of reality to cause r e a c t i o n s f r o m s o c i e t y. T h e s e i n s t a n c e s ex i s t i n t h e work of Constructivism, best described by Christina Lodder

and

Victor

Margolin,

pursuit

social

and political change. Deconstructivist instances also support this desire for change, this time in the form of social and technological, as described in the assembled writings of Anthony Vidler and Peter Noever. Neil Leach includes writings from architects in both movements, while questioning the need for such convictions. His interest lies in t h e c a u s e a n d e f f e c t o f u t o p i a n v i s i o n s f o r s o c i e t y, as does Margolin in his analysis of the work of the Constructivists. Notable also is the underlying importance of the image in all writings as a method of awakening public consciousness and influencing the creative process. Juhani Pallasmaa explains how image is absorbed by our conscious mind, stored in our subconscious, and resurrected in the combined creations of our unconscious and conscious. A common thread found in these texts is a perception of such an image-based reality as fragments. Whether it is the work of artists from the Constructivist period, world-

renowned Deconstructivist architects, or artists of modern culture, a destabilized architecture has come to m o s t a c c u r a t e l y r e p r e s e n t t h i s r e a l i t y. M o d e r n artists have understood the absorptive properties of the mind by generating fragmented images, allowing our creativity to construct the missing parts. All t e c h n i q u e s a c t t o s n a p s o c i e t y b a c k i n t o r e a l i t y, a n

├

claim 4

├

claim 3

├

claim 2

├

claim 1 architecture can create fragments of utopia by disrupting societal complacency. utopia can never be achieved as a whole, but it can be experienced in fragments through creative thought and action. the ability to enact change relies on society’s engagement in the current condition, always questioning social reality. creativity extracts from both the conscious (experiences) and unconscious (instinctual) minds.

fragments stimulate the imagination by implying what there was or what there will be.

effort made to gain any sort of reaction out of a drifting assemblage. Utopian / Dystopian Visions Utopia is an imagined place or state of t h i n g s i n w h i c h e v e r y t h i n g i s p e r f e c t .1 T h e o p e r a t i v e term here is imagined, implying that utopia can never be achieved. Utopian visions result in dystopian

“ u t o p i a ” i n N e w O x f o r d A m e r i c a n D i c t i o n a r y, 3 e d .

realities, or nightmares as described in Architecture and Revolution: Contemporary Perspectives on Central and Eastern Europe.2 These nightmares h oweve r, p r ov i d e a s t i m u l u s f o r s o c i a l ch a n g e . T h e Russian Revolution and following Civil War agitated artists, who in response developed Constructivism.3 This art movement was an approach to working with materials, finding a way to harness their potential as tools for social and political transformation.4 Integral members of this movement, and the subjects of professor Victor Margolin’s The Struggle for U t o p i a , i n c l u d e d A l e xa n d e r Ro d c h e n ko , E l L i s s i t z k y, a n d M o h o l y - N a g y, a l l w h o m w e r e w o r k i n g d u r i n g times of political revolution and believed that it was the artists who made visible the characteristics of utopia. Though Lissitzky wrote that art and politics should be separated, he followed the idea of a phenomenological utopia, which views the object as a greater promoter of human thought.5 The theories of these Constructivist artists proved influential to future generations of architects, especially following the p o l i t i c a l a n d s o c i a l s t r u g g l e s o f t h e m i d - 19 6 0 s , w h e r e architectural firms like Coop Himmelblau looked to r e n ew t h i s a va n t - g a r d e u t o p i a n i s m . I n s t e a d , h oweve r, Coop Himmelblau took the Deconstructivist approach of phenomenological utopia, calling it “Expressionist U t o p i a ” i n a n e x h i b i t i o n i n 19 9 4 a n d l o o k i n g a t the anxiety that a desire for perfection induces on

2 N e i l L e a c h r e f e r s t o e v e n t s i n o f t h e 19 9 0 s i n E a s t e r n Europe as examples of utopian dreams degraded into dystopian nightmares. One example is Romania and the idea that an opposite vision of society exists between dictator and citizen, 9. 3 Christina Lodder describes the experiences of Revolution as i n g r e d i e n t s f o r t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f C o n s t r u c t i v i s m , 4 7. 4 L o d d e r, 1. 5 Victor Margolin explores how each of the utopian convictions of these artists influenced their work in a greater effort to i n f l u e n c e s o c i e t y, p a r t i c u l a r l y Ru s s i a n a n d H u n g a r i a n s o c i e t y. Lissitzky himself was very much influenced by Malevich, who the term phenomenological utopia was coined for. Because Lissitzky’s position in politics was noncommittal, his style lent more to Suprematism than Constructivism. Suprematism, to Malevich, should be a representation of the human spirit. This is best understood by the ambiguity of Lissitzky’s Proun p a i n t i n g s a s w e l l a s h i s c h i l d r e n ’ s b o o k O f Tw o S q u a r e s , 5 , 10 , 6 6 - 6 7.

s o c i e t y. 6 Another Deconstructivist typology of the imaginar y utopia was Michel Foucault’s heterotopia, which he defines as “the space we construct ourselves to inhabit.”7 Given the imaginar y nature of utopia, it is open for interpretations like these. Whether it be representations of utopia through social and political change by the Constructivists, or the re-assemblies of dystopia through social and technological change by the Deconstructivists, the ability to enact change relies on society’s engagement in the current condition. (Un)Engagement in Society A disinterested society becomes easy to control, particularly through the use of i m a g e r y. A r ch i t e c t a n d p r o f e s s o r J u h a n i Pa l l a s m a a describes contemporary society as being “ceaselessly bombarded by visual images” and goes on to say that this imagery is representing a reality beyond the physical and human worlds. These are images that dictate, manipulate and condition; or emancipate, This complacency can give empower and inspire.8 wa y to a secret control of beha vior. An example of m a n i p u l a t i v e i m a g e r y, p r o p a g a n d a b e c a m e a h u g e communicator of Communist ideals during the years following the Russian Revolution.9 Nazi propaganda, t o o , i l l u s t r a t e d a m i s l e a d i n g r e a l i t y . 10 W i t h i m a g e r y as a cause to effect societal reaction, artists and architects have the power to be social activists through making. As expressed in Lissitzky’s Of Two Squares, there is a direction for the reader to act by building

6 Anthony Vidler mentions the guidance of post-structuralism in defining utopia. The Deconstructivists seemed to look at utopia from the other end of the telescope, instead of imagining a place of perfection, distorting the contemporary scene to a destabilized and ambiguous place. Coop Himmelblau at the time w a s d e d i c a t e d t o a n a t t a c k o n t h e a r c h i t e c t u r a l s t a t u s q u o , 18 7 19 0 , 2 0 8 . 7 N o e v e r , 1 2 7. 8 Pallasmaa’s description of an idealized representation of reality resonates with utopia, and infers a question of actual ve r s u s s o c i a l r e a l i t y. T h i s i s d o n e by t wo o p p o s i t e t y p e s o f i m a g e s : p o l i t i c a l / c o n s u m e r a n d p o e t i c / a r t i s t i c , 14 - 16 , 2 1. 9 L o d d e r, 4 . 10 V i d l e r, 7 8 .

s o m e t h i n g . I n t h i s w a y, L i s s i t z k y i s i l l u s t r a t i n g u t o p i a using the children’s book as a means of communicating s o c i a l c h a n g e . 11 O n e o f t h e f i r s t s o c i a l r e f o r m e r s t o comment on the importance of the avant-garde artist i n m o d e r n i t y, O l i n d e Ro d r i g u e s d e s c r i b e s t h e r o l e o f the artist best when he writes: “It is we, artists, that will serve as your avant-garde; the power of the arts is indeed the most immediate and the fastest. We have weapons of all sorts: when we want to spread new ideas among people, we carve them in marble or paint them on canvas…We address ourselves to the imagination and feelings of people: we are therefore supposed to achieve the most vivid and decisive kind of action; and if today we seem to play no role or at best a very secondary one, that has been the result of the arts’ lacking a common drive and a general idea, which are essential to their e n e r g y a n d s u c c e s s . ” 12 This interest in awakening mass consciousness has changed from a subliminal method, as in manipulative propaganda, to an explicit one. Walter Benjamin, philosopher and social critic, asserts that society receives art and architecture in a state of distraction,

11 M a r g o l i n , 3 8 . 12 M a r g o l i n p l a c e s t h i s O l i n d e R o d r i g u e s q u o t e f r o m “ L’ a r t i s t e , l e s e v a n t e t l ’ i n d u s t r i e l : D i a l o g u e ” ( 18 2 5 ) f i r s t . I t m o s t applicably describes the artist’s role in society as an instruct o r t o a c t t h r o u g h c o n s t r u c t i n g , 1.

an “optical unconscious” as Anthony Vidler describes i t i n W a r p e d S p a c e s . 13 D e c o n s t r u c t i v i s m c a l l s f o r a “ s h o ck ” e f f e c t i n a c u l t u r e ove r l y ex p o s e d to i m a g e r y. B e n j a m i n i s d i s c u s s e d h e r e a s we l l , h oweve r, t h i s instance asks to transcend Benjamin’s definition of image to one that combines image with action, u l t i m a t e l y c r e a t i n g a r c h i t e c t u r e . 14 T h e s e v a r i a t i o n s of image again provoke ideas of the imagination, previously described with utopian visions, as both w o r d s a r e s e m a n t i c a l l y r e l a t e d . 15 Imagination essential in keeping a society creative.

Understanding the Creative Process Creativity exists in both thought and action. Its process consists of extracting from both the conscious (experiences) and unconscious (instinctual) minds. Without realizing it, memories and unconscious experiences contribute to the making of a project while simultaneously collaborating with the conscious e g o . 16 M o d e r n c i t i e s a r e o v e r w h e l m e d w i t h i m a g e s , which are translated into visual and social stimuli for the conscious mind to pull from. Again, Benjamin describes the distracted urban dweller as absorbing o r r e s i s t i n g f r a g m e n t s o f t h i s m u l t i t u d i n o u s i m a g e r y, which over time appear as fragmented memories in the unconscious mind. Creative thoughts in the form of fantasies distort memories through fragmentation also, confusing the chronology of happened events b y i n v e n t i n g f i c t i o n a l o n e s . 17 Besides thought, creativity manifests in methods of making, collage being one method of making that is heavily image based. Renowned specialist Christina Lodder describes how in Constructivism, photo montage used ‘readymade’ pieces from photographs and magazines “to produce images that would destroy the complacency

Vidler is quoting Walter Benjamin from, “The Work of Art in t h e A g e o f M e c h a n i c a l R e p r o d u c t i o n ,” i n W a r p e d S p a c e s , 81. 14 N o e v e r p u b l i s h e s a l e c t u r e b y B e r n a r d Ts c h u m i , w h o r e f e r ences Jacques Derrida when discussing the notion of “shock ,” 12 7 - 12 8 . 15 P a l l a s m a a , 16 . 16 P a l l a s m a a , 6 5 . 17 V i d l e r r e f e r s t o t h e s t u d i e s o f F r e u d o n f r a g m e n t e d m e m o r i e s a n d f a n t a s i e s , 3 8 - 4 0 , 15 2

Pallasmaa also speaks o f t h e p o s t - w a r w o r l d . ” 18 of collage as a non-linear field, where initially unrelated fragments achieve new significance by joining with other fragments. This artistic strategy a l s o s u g g e s t s a p r e s e n c e o f t i m e t h r o u g h l a y e r i n g . 19 E d i t o r Pe t e r N o eve r, i n i n t r o d u c i n g t h e l e c t u r e s h e assembled in Architecture in Transition, notes that Deconstructivism uses demontage as a method of making, or un-making, as one might dismantle a c o l l a g e . 20 I n t h e s a m e t e x t , W o l f D . P r i x o f C o o p Himmelblau describes a simultaneous methodology of drawing and building, where a model evolves at the s a m e t i m e a d r a w i n g d o e s . 21 Disruptions and Fragmentation No matter the technique, there is no d e f i n e d m e t h o d f o r c r e a t i v i t y. V i d l e r d e s c r i b e s fragments of the city as objects, rooms, buildings, and areas that exist at such varied scales. He compares these fragments to those being produced by modern methods, “the film and the photograph but also the assembly line and the conveyor belt, implied a technique…of the fragment that allowed for its reidealization in terms of the ‘real,’ a literal and m a t e r i a l p i e c e o f a n e w c o n s t r u c t i v i s t w o r l d . ” 22 I n t h i s sense, an idea of fragments exists both metaphorically a n d p hy s i c a l l y. T h e a r ch i t e c t h a s t h e r o l e o f p i e c i n g together the metaphoric to generate something p h y s i c a l . 23 A g a i n , P a l l a s m a a t u r n s t o t h e e x c e s s o f images as unconscious fragments of a discontinuous wo r l d . H e v i ew s t h e s e f r a g m e n t s , h oweve r, a s s t i m u l i t o t h e i m a g i n a t i o n . 24 A contemporary example of 18 L o d d e r, 18 6 . 19 P a l l a s m a a m e n t i o n s c o l l a g e a s a n a r c h i t e c t u r a l t e c h n i q u e a s well and the nostalgia of ruins, 72-73. 2 0 N o e v e r , 7. 21 Included in Noever ’s published lecture, Wolf D. Prix’s “On The Edge” describes a method of making similar to Lissitzky’s. Both assert action as a design technique, 20. 22 V i d l e r u s e s “ c o n s t r u c t i v i s m ” w i t h a l owe r c a s e l e t t e r, however the context of industrialization and object making implies a reference to the ar t movement of “Constructivism,” 15 2 . 23 Leach, 56. 24 P a l l a s m a a , 15 , 3 0 .

the imaginative stimulus of fractured images is artist Toba Khedoori’s architectural fragments. Through the depictions of singular pieces of architecture on a white background, Khedoori leaves the scale, the context, a n d t h e s t o r y u p t o t h e v i e w e r . 25 N o t o n l y i s t h e r e , then, a question of what existed, but also a question of what could exist. Physical fragments are more noticeably created, often the result of a disruption. Decons tructivis t ar chitect Bernar d Tschumi cr a ves such an event to generate an architecture for new Europe, one of “disruptions and disjunction” representative o f t h e f r a g m e n t e d c u l t u r e i t e x i s t s i n . 26 F o u c a u l t also refers to an event as collapsing and erosive to i t s s e t t i n g , b u t a t u r n i n g p o i n t r a t h e r t h a n a n e n d . 27 For example, the Russian Revolution was an event that inspired Constructivism, in a setting of political and e c o n o m i c d i s r u p t i o n a f t e r W o r l d W a r I . 28 D i s r u p t i o n s create fragments that provoke imaginative solutions. Conclusion The imagination is responsible for developing utopian visions, promoting engagement in society through visual stimulation, combining this stimuli with that of the self in the creative process, and using disruption to continually change t h e s t i m u l i t h a t ex i s t s i n s o c i e t y. C o n s t r u c t i v i s m a n d Deconstructivism act as precedents of evoking social change, the former in conjunction with politics, and t h e l a t t e r w i t h t h a t o f t e ch n o l o g y. B a s e d o n t h i s c yc l e , one speculation then asks what pairing of today n e e d s t o a c c o m p a n y s o c i a l c h a n g e , i f a n y, a n d i n w h a t manner. The advancements of twenty -fir s t centur y technology have changed the way image impacts society; people themselves choose to view image in an even more fr agmented manner. This fr agmentation and constant barrage of visual stimuli will influence o u r p r o c e s s o f c r e a t i v i t y, a n d t h e u n k n o w i n g l i e s i n the question of how.

25 26

V i d l e r, 151 - 15 3 . Leach includes this section fr om Tschumi’s Ar chitectur e and

D i s j u n c t i o n , 14 6 . 2 7 N o e v e r , 1 2 7. 2 8 L o d d e r , 4 7.

Hypothesis

If creativity is a combination of the

conscious and unconscious minds, and society and self compose the stimuli in which these minds operate r e s p e c t i v e l y, t h e n c r e a t i v i t y i s a c o m b i n a t i o n o f t h e thoughts and actions of society and self. creativity

═

conscious unconscious

∞

society self

creativity = balanced conscious : balanced unconscious the balance between the conscious and unconscious is proportional to the balance between society and self

Therefore,

the

creative

the

accompanying pair to the social in the question of what pairing comes next. Every member of society holds an innate ability to create. Like a muscle, h oweve r, t h i s a b i l i t y n e e d s to b e exe r c i s e d a n d more of ten than not, society’s methods of educating s u p p r e s s t h i s a b i l i t y. T h e N ew Yo r k T i m e s ex p r e s s e d i n a 2 013 a r t i c l e t h a t i t i s t h e v e r y i n s t i t u t i o n s s o c i e t y h a s b u i l t t h a t a r e r e s t r i c t i n g c r e a t i v i t y, “ C r e a t i v i t y is disruptive; schools and organizations are 29 regimented, standardized and stultifying.” The age of the socio-creative calls for a utilization of these d i s r u p t i v e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f c r e a t i v i t y, p a r t i c u l a r l y through the coming together of independent creative capabilities. Instead of the singular power names of Deconstructivist architects, a more collaborative method of architectural development is required. By pairing the members of society who have a desire to exe r c i s e t h e i r i n n a t e c r e a t i v i t y t o g e t h e r, i m a g i n a t i o n can be stimulated by the individual and collective minds all at once, in pursuit of work that inspires continual curiosity about the advancements of human kind. How can architecture create fragments of utopia by disrupting societal complacency? Architecture can utilize the workings of multiple imaginations, whom have been disrupted, to create fragments of utopia.

2 9 F l o r i d a , R i ch a r d . “ C i t i e s A r e t h e F o n t s o f C r e a t i v i t y.” T h e N e w Y o r k T i m e s 15 S e p t . 2 013 , s e c . O p i n i o n : n . p a g . T h e N e w Y o r k T i m e s . W e b . 2 7 N o v . 2 013 .

“it is we, artists...

...that will serve as your avant-garde; the power of the arts is indeed the most immediate and the fastest. We have weapons of all sorts: when we want to spread new ideas among people, we carve them in marble or paint them on canvas...We address ourselves to the imagination and feelings of people: we are therefore supposed to achieve the most vivid and decisive kind of action; and if today we seem to play no role or at best a very secondary one, that has been the result of the arts’ lacking a common drive and a general idea, which are essential to their energy and success.” O l i n d e R o d r i g u e s , 18 2 5 L’ a r t i s t e , l e s e v a n t e t l ’ i n d u s t r i e l : D i a l o g u e

part 2

M e t h o d o l o g y L i k e Constructivist i d e o l o g y, m a k i n g i s t h e m e t h o d . I n p a r t i c u l a r, i m a g e s a n d o b j e c t s t h a t are defined as both: an image as an object, and an object as an image. This interest in ambiguity developed early on in a few ways. First, abstracting geometries altered the dimensions perceived, the graphics sometimes flat, other times spatial. Second, collage was free for interpretation. And third, a dual interpretation was possible when collages were then c o l l a g e d w i t h e a ch o t h e r, g i v i n g t h e viewer a chance for either a cursory glance or a thorough scouring of the arrangement.

image/imagination

The idea of communicative,

art as being

Process

instructive beyond purely graphic, acted as a driving force in

It is in the creative process in which fragments of utopia are generated, therefore to be

the production of thesis visuals.

creative in both activity and thought, is to achieve pieces of an ideal way of life. The imagination is the c a t a l y s t i n d r i v i n g t h i s c r e a t i v i t y. Composed of the root imago-, or picture, imagination is closely related t o i m a g e . I n t e r e s t i n g l y, t h e c r e a t i v e process is a pairing of the conscious mind and the unconscious mind at work. Given todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumerism and instant access to information, society i s f l o o d e d w i t h i m a g e r y. I t i s t h i s imagery that acts as the stimuli for influencing the conscious mind in the creative process.

russian constructivism architecture from art

circulation

movement cubism cubo-futurism

art dada surrealism

suprematism

modular

basic geometries anti-utilitarian anti-materialist

russian futurism

literature visual arts

dystopia

dystopian novels

constructivism

rejection of autonomous art

malevich

art realist manifesto productivists/pure pevsner rodchenko advertising gabo stepanova

futurism

artistic/social movement

utilitarian function>form

abolition of war

social/political stability

malevich tatlin

tatlins tower

architecture

architecture antonio santâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;elia the new city santa maria novella station

DYSTOPIA revolution

social/political unrest

asnova: association of new architects lissitzkys melnikov lubetkin fantastical krinsky chernikov leonidov

collective

functionalism ernst may

social / political stability

social / political unrest

new economic policy bauhaus

identity individual

avant garde

osa: organization of contemporary architects vesnin leonidov ginzburg shukhov

anti-authoritarian marxism

situationist internationale

capitalism social alienation commodity fetishism

art

surrealism dada

the spectacle political art unity urbanism

constructivism

situationist internationale

futurism

can architecture (subliminally) influence social and political change?

futurism

can architecture (subliminally) influence social and political change?

of politics

fe af

nge cha of

n / eng

ted tor dis

r ge

deja vu

ite

lit

t en es pr re

d en

n ra

subliminal

objects

activates

belo

ti ec ll co

qua

soci

odi

broken

idea

and

emb

unconscious mind b e

hidd

of identity

kiosk

tio osi opp al ntu

below

eve

new

art

utopia dystopia

subconscious mind

per of utopia rlaist) reist utopia (matie t) rodchenko alis (ide ia utop ical olog en om dystopia phen lissitzky ange l ch tica poli and al ci so

revolution

constructivism

ial

art

efi

red

conscious unconscious

above

of communication

of representation

si sua

conscious mind

fragments

symbolism

ess

en war

malevich & u.n.o.v.i.s.

ine

ent

art

moholy-nagy

pot

ard

t-g

constructivism

of memory

romantic realism

n ava

of society

supremitism

behavior

si ng ul ar

ne fi de

ght

u tho

ideology

communism

sse

pa sur

socialist realism

sa nc ti on ed

culture collective

revolutionary consciousness

individual s) i (l al ri te ma

how can architecture use the utopian convictions of constructivism to influence the fragments of society?

double revolution

CLAIM 2:

CLAIM 1: Constructivist artists/architects expressed utopian convictions subliminally

Constructivist artists/architects expressed utopian convictions through visual comprehension

CLAIM 3: architecture can influence social and political change

revised question: how can architecture disrupt creative complacency through fragmentation and the studies of constructivism and deconstructivism?

final question: how can architecture create fragments of utopia by disrupting creative complacency?

frame one

The box creative

illustrates a method that

Tectonics

fully engages whomever attempts to put the pieces b a ck t o g e t h e r. H oweve r,

A fragment provokes imagination. Like a paleontologist who can imagine the whole dinosaur

the box can never be reassembled once it has

from one excavated bone, a fragment gives way to an infinite number of

been fragmented. Utopia is in the assembly of the box, never achieved

possibilities. In an architectural sense, a physical fragment may be a ruin, or perhaps a piece of something

but

once

understood

through

the process of creative thought and action.

whole.

The

fragments

this

tectonic frame ask to be looked at without consideration of reassembling the once whole, but as the starting pieces of something new. This is to say the paleontologist uses the bone not to rebuild the frame of a dinosaur as it were, but to imagine a species unrecorded.

By dismantling the box, each piece becomes ambiguous in scale, function, and dimension. Like the Deconstructivists, this tectonic represents an assembly of a discontinuous architecture. The

and destabilized ignorant assume

utopia lies in the perfect assembly of the cube, where in fact it is the disruption of this perfection that provokes fragments of utopia. What is left is an evocative piece that serves as the cornerstone for what happens next.

frame two

How is disrupted?

complacency Human

Site

centered disruptions affect us sensorially; a sound, a smell, an image,

E t y m o l o g i c a l l y , onomatopoeia means â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;word-makingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and describes both the sound and the

a taste, or a feeling are all daily experiences

thing in one name, according to the N ew O x f o r d A m e r i c a n D i c t i o n a r y. A n

that, when altered, disrupt the normalcy of routine. To explore this

interesting addition to the methods of making by Constructivists and Deconstructivists, word making

i d e a c o n c e p t u a l l y, I â&#x20AC;&#x2122; v e researched onomatopoeia

expands on the idea of creative thought rather than (or because of)

words.

action. Onomatopoeia is also defined as the use of words for rhetorical effect; linking again to the persuasive v u l n e r a b i l i t y o f c o mp l a c e n c y. Taking this knowledge of word making, the definition of onomatopoeia has extended to also include site: describing the sound, the thing, and the site in one name.

A av

commonwealth ave

eet

str y r bu new

complacent

crack! disrupts the walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention,

breaching a curiosity of what lies below. A flash! draws the complacent urbanite away from the underbelly of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s habits to new methodologies. And a knock! wakes the complacent suburban dweller to wonder what sits around the corner. The sites shown in the images exist in well known areas of Boston, however they are hidden f r o m t h e u n o b s e r va n t p a s s e r s by. A layering and aged appearance was also applied to the images. This is because a conversation on layering developed from the mini-conference, with the ideas of fragments over time accumulating to create something new.

frame three

The model represents three dimensions of

Program

space that could be stumbled upon: looking down, looking to the

W h i c h onomatopoeia words are both nouns and verbs, resemble the breaking apart of

side, These

something, and evoke an space? Inspired by the

or looking up. dimensions exist

idea of previous

because the complacent individual walks forward with blinders, never

frameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use of crack! as a site, a crack is defined as a narrow space between two surfaces, as well as the

cognizant or of the activity

curious around

breaking apart of something without full separation. In thinking along the

them. The images are also representative of dual interpretations, as is the spatial quality

same criteria of spatial words rather than sensory words, splat! became a replacement for knock!, and burst! became a replacement for flash!.

of the model itself which appears to be like a two dimensional axonometric, or a three dimensional space

Splat! evokes the idea of a spreading out of space, particularly in two directions, while burst! spreads space in three dimensions.

frame.

These three spatial onomatopoeia words, crack!, splat!, and burst! represent ideas of program. The program for this thesis should promote creative outlets for both society and self. According to a m e d i c a l s t u d y, c r e a t i v e o u t l e t s a r e the best therapy in recovering from depression. This study resonates in the same way that history has realized oppression

breeds

c r e a t i v i t y.

These

outlets may be in the form of writing, music, or art.

write/ to describe what was heard to describe what was seen

art/

program!

├

crack!

├

burst!

├

splat!

to illustrate what was read to illustrate what was heard

music/ to express what was seen to express what was read

there is potential to connect each site and program, using what is produced in each to perpetuate creativity in the next.

This program speaks to the work of the Constructivists as well, who used written publications, graphic arts, and theater sets to promote societal a c t i v i t y. T h e i d e a o f a t u n e d - i n i n d i v i d u a l c a t ch i n g notes of distant music, following the sound to a crack in the sidewalk, and entering an unexpected festival/ concert/assembly of music and participating in the expression of sound is the type of event this program should induce. A splat of art catching the eye of a n o t h e r p a s s e r b y, w h o l e a v e s t h e g r i d d e d s t r u c t u r e of the city for momentary participation in a splatter paint session. And a burst of words gives way to an outburst of prose by the individual turned thespian dying to speak out. These events are only visible to those willing to find and participate in them. Each creative outlet could collaborate with one another as well, those participating leaving something creative behind as inspiration.

cra

ck!

design probe one

This design probe experimented in both

Crack!

creating space and how to represent it using the site and program of

Imagine walking down Newbury Street, the buzz of the daily shopping crawl gone, and noticing a

crack!.

line of light emanating from a small slit in the ground. Following the light leads to a separation between buildings, not noticed before. It appears as though this separation could be large enough to pass through. Pushing the adjacent wall reveals flexibility in the opening, solidifying the idea of investigation.

I n s i d e , a r u m b l i n g s o u n d i s u n c l e a r, potentially the sound of the nearby train line, but this is inconclusive. A staircase appears, with light and sound from below. Beginning the decline, it becomes apparent that the stairs are actually like platforms dividing a greater space, creating rooms. Each room has the potential f o r m u s i c a l c r e a t i v i t y, w i t h t h e l o w e s t and greatest platform opening into a larger performance space.

design probe two

Given that, through the development of the

Burst!

program frame, each onomatopoeia should be spatial, this design

Just as crack! was revealed through a sliver of light, burst! is revealed through the unexpected

probe continues development.

rupture explore

that

of an enclosed space. spatial representation

To of

burst!, the box above appears at first like a two dimensional image. It then begins to open at the seams revealing a larger scene. Still, the box requires more investigation as the inside pops up to create an inhabitable space. The program inside is a play on the word burst!, extending its concept to include â&#x20AC;&#x153;outburstâ&#x20AC;? in relation to the idea of creative and persuasive speech. Imagine happening upon an architecture that allows for self expression through writing and s p e a k i n g , o r t h e a t e r a n d p o e t r y, without having any experience in these arts. In its place is merely a desire for full expression by way of nothing but speech.

Constructivist interpretation

art held a dual of scale and depth,

sometimes sitting within ambiguous white space, other times asserting itself a t t h e s c a l e o f t h e a t e r s c e n e r y. T h e site, located in an alley on Brookline Ave, contains a small connector between the buildings that enclose the a l l ey. T h e c o n n e c to r i s l i f t e d a s to r y above to allow for passage through, but contains no windows or indication of what sits inside. In previous passing, a portion of the alley wall held a non-commissioned mural; which h a s n ow b e e n p a i n t e d ove r, t h e o n l y trace left being a square of white on the wall, or a fragment left for the mind to illustrate.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;whenever information...

disrupts consciousness by threatening its goals we h a ve a c o n d i t i o n o f i n n e r d i s o r d e r, o r p s ych i c e n t r o p y, a d i s o r g a n i z a t i o n o f t h e s e l f t h a t i m p a i r s its effectiveness. Prolonged experiences of this kind can weaken the self to the point that it is no longer able to invest attention and pur sue its goals.â&#x20AC;? M i h a l y C s i k s z e n t m i h a l y i , 19 7 5 Flow

part 3

E v a l u a t i o n T h e independent thesis process is a practice in selfmotivation. It is truly a frustrating and has

e n l i g h t e n i n g j o u r n e y, o f w h i c h brought even greater self

satisfaction. To connect interests in Russian Constructivism, dystopian novels, and the unconscious mind seemed

incongruous

classmates,

but plausible to those of merit. In terms of Thesis Prep II, the prescribed process of frames and design probes is helpful because each assignment narrows the possibilities of executing a conceptual idea. A realm between the imaginative and the pragmatic now exists, in which methodology sits. While the work of Thesis Prep II lands in the category of imaginative, Thesis Prep I grounds ideas with logic, and the two are balanced. The push for research through assignments, such as a rhetorical precis, aligns thinking with action, leading to progress.

Analysis: Discoveries, Speculations, and Conclusions Frame One: Tectonics It would be a lie to say that the tectonics frame was intended originally as it is now described p r ev i o u s l y. M a k i n g h a s b e e n a n d w i l l c o n t i n u e to b e t h e m e t h o d o l o g y o f t h i s t h e s i s , h oweve r, t h e beginning called for making to inherently happen rather then be scrupulously planned. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;utopia boxâ&#x20AC;?, made from a bristol cube and fragmented, was a mistake in construction when the time came to reassemble it. What came next is the greatest puzzle the Masters studio has ever happened upon. Though it frustrates anyone who attempts to put it back to g e t h e r, t h e b ox c o mp l e t e l y d i s r u p t s s t u d e n t s f r o m t h e i r w o r k . S u d d e n l y, t h e r e i s a d e s i r e t o s o l v e t h e box, consuming the challenger in creative thought and action.

Anal yzing it now, the box encompasses

all four claims of this thesis: it represents a utopian vision by being impossible to solve, it engages students whom are curious enough to challenge it, it uses creativity and imagination in assembling the pieces, and it is made up of a cube fragmented by a crack. Frame Two: Site By choosing legitimate Boston locations, this thesis becomes real. Each site represents a trace of creativity from the past, either as a mural painted ove r, a w i n d ow b r i cke d u p , o r a wa l l l a ye r e d w i t h posters. From research on architecture and revolution surfaces propaganda, which historically has had a bad connotation. Instead, the use of onomatopoeia has brought forth a more appealing form of rhetorical speech. Not only were onomatopoeia words used in the Constructivist graphic designs of Rodchenko and L i s s i t z k y, b u t t h e y e v o ke a p l a y f u l n e s s t h a t f a l l s i n the realm of the imaginative. With crack!, burst!, and splat!, there is also an implication of the breaking apart, or fragmentation, of something. Though logic exists in the choosing of sites, the frame is purposely left

interpretive,

skirting

issues

the

approach to and concealment of program particularly with a potential site underground. Frame Three: Program While the tectonics frame was rooted in model, and site more so in image, the program frame utilizes both model and image to fill three dimensions of space. Each space frame holds an image that is multi-interpretive, while also describing spaces for m u s i c , a r t , a n d w r i t i n g . T h o u g h i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a m b i g u i t y, l a c k of scale, and abstract geometries are informed by Constructivist techniques, the conceptual frame does not describe a breakdown of spaces. Another iteration will advance the program to specifics of the events that take place in each of the sites. Design Probes One and Two

Exciting

about

the

design

probes

an articulation of dual interpretation as a three dimensional space rather than just a two dimensional image. Being that each is a model composed of images, it becomes hard to discern depth when the design probe is photographed and returns to a two dimensional page. The first design probe represents the site frame, crack!, and the program frame, music, like a section. A different scene is depicted per side of the model, each hinting at what is happening c o nve r s e l y. T h e s e c o n d d e s i g n p r o b e i s c a l l e d t h e â&#x20AC;&#x153;burst boxâ&#x20AC;?, beginning as one side of a box and revealing its sides to create a bigger picture and a scene inside. These design probes are successful because each begins to create architecture but not i n t h e s a m e wa y. T h e d y n a m i c qu a l i t y o f e a ch a l s o a l l o w s f o r f l e x i b i l i t y, f o r e xa m p l e t h e b u r s t b ox could be a space that is collapsible and mobile. The spirit that exists in the spaces these design probes begin to create is a playfulness that should endure in forthcoming designs.

end!├

april

├

march

├

february

├

january (winter break) personal portfolio architectural firm search firm applications continue readings and research 08-10 13-17 20-24 27-31

classes begin meet with advisor site analysis / models pre-design

03-07 10-14 17-21 24-28

develop crack! (music) design / production mid-reviews develop burst! (write)

03-07 10-14 17-21 24-28

design / production (spring break) seek jobs develop splat! (art) design / production

31-04 07-11 14-18 21-25 26

edits / production develop final work develop final work present thesis graduation

intentions

The timeline organizes design and production in

O b j e c t i v e s

the semester following. This schedule permits two weeks to develop

The semester will aim to produce three mini projects. To stay true to the thesis topic itself,

an architecture for each program: crack!, burst!,

the presentation should engage the viewer. One presentation idea is to use

and splat!. Time is left after these initial designs for revisions and

projection to represent each site in actual space and scale. Each projected presentation could then a p p e a r,

production of final work.

catching the attention of and engaged passersby through images, sound, and participation. Another presentation idea is to represent each site through graphic posters and direct viewers to collaborate with one another in developing a creative composition for the site. The main objectives of the final presentation are to provoke curiosity and engage the viewer. Criteria Is the thesis topic an original idea? Does research support methodology? Are visuals and models supportive? Is the thesis question answered? Is the jury engaged in and curious about the project? 58

â&#x20AC;&#x153;architecture might...

...make the effort to maintain its completeness and preserve itself from total destruction, but such an effort is nullified by the assemblage of architectural p i e c e s i n t h e c i t y. I t i s i n t h e c i t y t h a t t h e s e fragments are pitilessly absorbed and deprived of a n y a u t o n o m y, a n d t h i s s i t u a t i o n c a n n o t b e r e v e r s e d by obstinately forcing the fragments to assume ar ticulated, composite configurations.â&#x20AC;? M a n f r e d o T a f u r i , 19 76

Architecture and Utopia

c. abstract geometries

a. russian constructivism

d. representation

b. malevich and kandinsky

f. narrative

e. dystopia

appendix a

Figure 1 This image map depicts personal interests in pursuit of a thesis topic. Russian Constructivism, Malevich and Kandinsky works, abstract geometries, types of representation, dystopia, and narrative are included.

O t h e r W o r k A series of mind maps worked to connect the role of art with that of social and political change. This process looked into what was happening in society to ultimately produce Constructivism, Russian Futurism, and the Situationist Internationale, and how these art forms acted as pacifistic methods

communicating

thought.

Because each movement is supported by much historical information, mind mapping became an organizing tool to understand dates and people (Figures 2a, 2b and 2c). Research into government ideologies was done as well, as a background in understanding the goals of each art movement and the effect oppressive control had on the architectural development of a country (Figure 3).

Figure 2a

Figure 2b

Figure 2c revolution united states capitalism

collective utopia germany

romania

1918

berlin

the wall

rejection of autonomous art

art

communism

1989

1961

1917

1947

realist manifesto 1920 pevsner gabo

1989

1965

ceaușescu

productivists/pure rodchenko stepanova

utilitarian function > form

malevich tatlin

architecture socialist realism

libeskind tschumi eisenman

collective conscious mind

constructivism

bucharest

socialism 1919

1921

soviet union

moscow

tatlins tower

the labor palace unofficial discourse official discourse

‘social reality’

architecture national theater the people’s house victory of socialism avenue

advertising

individual unconscious mind

propaganda

avant garde & suprematism

osa: organization of contemporary architects 1925 vesnin leonidov

1923

architecture

ginzburg shukhov

1923

functionalism ernst may

asnova: association of new architects lissitzkys melnikov lubetkin krinsky

fantastical chernikhov: distrusted by regime leonidov new economic policy state capitalism

julie rahilly thesis prep ii 10.01.13

Figure 3

appendix b

Annotated Bibliography Leach, Neil. Architecture and Revolution: Contemporary Perspectives on Central and Eastern

E u r o p e . L o n d o n : R o u t l e d g e , 19 9 9 . P r i n t . Architect and theorist Neil Leach is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California. His book, Architecture and Revolution: Contemporary Perspectives on Central and

E a s t e r n E u r o p e ( 19 9 9 ) , a s s e r t s t h a t t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s of political revolution bring about a social change in both the built environment and the culture that contends with the previous regime’s socialist realism. Through writings from prominent architects, political and cultural theorists, critics, professors, and philosophers, Leach provides examples of how architecture has influenced social behavior from t h e O c t o b e r R e v o l u t i o n o f 19 17 t o t h e f a l l o f t h e B e r l i n W a l l i n 19 8 9 . L e a c h ’ s p u r p o s e i s t o e x a m i n e the cities that have experienced social and political unrest, such as Moscow, Bucharest, and Berlin, in order to discover how building architecture can act as a means of re-building the identity of these cities. By including writings and discussions from architects and members of these cities in transition, Leach is speaking to the generation that survives ‘Beyond the Wall,’ essentially those who are willing to pick up t h e p i e c e s o f a b r o ke n c i t y a n d f o r g e a n ew i d e n t i t y.

L o d d e r, C h r i s t i n a . Ru s s i a n H a v e n : Y a l e U P, 1 9 8 3 . P r i n t .

Constructivism.

New

An internationally renowned specialist in Russian Modernism, Christina Lodder is currently a lecturer of history and philosophy of art at the University of Kent’s School of Arts. Her book, Russian C o n s t r u c t i v i s m ( 19 8 3 ) , a s s e r t s t h a t t h e R u s s i a n Constructivist movement radically reassessed the a r t i s t ’s r o l e i n s o c i e t y, i m p a c t i n g We s t e r n c r e a t i v e culture sin2 ce the part

19 2 0 s . L o d d e r i n c l u d e s v i s u a l s o f the works by the most influential members of Russian Constructivism, such as Tatlin, Rodchenko, Malevich, Klutsis, and Popova, as well as biographical sketches to support a descriptive account of the development of the movement. Lodder includes Constructivist works in textile, furniture, clothing, kiosk, and theater design in order to exemplify the skills of these artists despite the industrial limitations and cultural constraints of the period. The book provides a clear chronology of the development and lifetime of Russian Constructivism understand.

for

Western

readers

Mar golin, V ictor. The s truggle for utopia: Rodchenko, L i s s i t z k y, M o h o l y - N a g y, 19 17 - 19 4 6 . Chicago: U n i v e r s i t y o f C h i c a g o P r e s s , 1 9 9 7. Professor Victor Margolin teaches art and design history at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His book, The struggle for utopia: Rodchenko, L i s s i t z k y , M o h o l y - N a g y , 19 17 - 19 4 6 ( 19 9 7 ) , a s s e r t s that a new artistic-social avant-garde emerged following World War I that engaged the artist in the building of social life. Margolin explores the works o f t h e a r t i s t s A l e xa n d e r Ro d c h e n ko , E l L i s s i t z k y, a n d László Moholy-Nagy whom all confronted turbulent political realities through art. Margolin studies these three artists in order to understand how their utopian convictions could function as forces of social change. Margolin establishes a close relationship between the artist and activist to be understood by the contempor ar y reader. vi

N o eve r, Pe t e r, a n d Re g i n a H a s l i n g e r. A r ch i t e c t u r e in transition: between deconstruction and new m o d e r n i s m . M u n i c h : P r e s t e l , 19 91. Austrian designer Peter Noever is a curator of art and architecture and has contributed to numerous publications. His book, Architecture in transition: b e t w e e n d e c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d n e w m o d e r n i s m ( 19 91 ) , asserts that Deconstructivism has the potential to take architecture in a new direction. Noever publishes a collection of lectures with images by world-renowned architects such as Peter Eisenmann, Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, and Bernar d Tschumi as examples of this potential technique. Noever includes these lectures in order to ascribe to a new beauty and keep the visionar y alive. His audience includes these visionaries and architects interested in pursuing a similar design technique.

Pallasmaa, Juhani. The embodied image: imagination and imagery in architecture. Chichester: John W i l e y & S o n s , 2 0 11 . F i n n i s h a r ch i t e c t a n d p r o f e s s o r, J u h a n i Pa l l a s m a h a s a n i n t e r e s t i n p s y c h o l o g y, c u l t u r e , a n d p h e n o m e n o l o g y. His book, The embodied image: imagination and i m a g e r y i n a r c h i t e c t u r e ( 2 0 11 ) , a s s e r t s t h a t t h e images that exist in the world become ingrained in us, effecting the way we experience architecture. Pallasmaa organizes the book into five parts, contemporary culture, language and thought, multis e n s o r y, p o e t i c s , a n d a r c h i t e c t u r a l t o e xa m i n e t h e influences each has on our perception. Pallasmaaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose is to point out the importance of images in order to ascertain that images are manifestations of our imaginations and part of language. Pallasmaaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s break down of the image types and their importance speaks to readers in any creative field.

V i d l e r, A n t h o ny. Wa r p e d S p a c e : A r t , A r ch i t e c t u r e , and Anxiety in Modern Culture. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2000. Pr int. Former Dean of the Cooper Union, Anthony Vidler is a historian and critic of modern architecture. His book, Warped Space (2000), asserts that two related forms warp space: the psychological and the artistic. Vidler supports this claim by describing in Part I, the phobias and anxieties that developed from life in the metropolis, and in Part II, the different medias o f f i l m , p h o t o g r a p h y, a r t , a n d a r c h i t e c t u r e t h a t h a v e depicted space in new ways. Vidler has examined solutions given to metropolitan problems proposed

part 2

artists

and

architects

order

understand

the ramifications of modernism. Vidler is writing to artists, architects, and urban dwellers with an interest in the psychological and artistic influences of modernism.

Wild, David. Fragments of Utopia: Collage Reflections o f H e r o i c M o d e r n i s m . L o n d o n : H y p h e n , 19 9 8 . P r i n t . David Wild has worked in the fields of architecture, t e a c h i n g , w r i t i n g , p h o t o g r a p h y, a n d p o l i t i c s . H i s book, Fragments of Utopia: Collage Reflections of H e r o i c M o d e r n i s m ( 19 9 8 ) , a s s e r t s t h a t t h e p r o d u c t i v e avant-garde inspires the radical, utopian impulse of the built world, with its idealism and sense of c o n t i n u i t y. W i l d s u p p o r t s t h i s c l a i m by i d e n t i f y i n g three distinct parts that make up what he considers the heroic years of modern architecture: the Netherlands, Russia, and Le Corbusier. W ild chooses these parts, which have all shown hope during times o f u n f o r t u n a t e s t a t e s o f a f f a i r, i n o r d e r t o p r ov i d e an elusive and fragmentar y vision of utopia. Wildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collaged imagery speaks to readers interested in the De Stijl, Constructivist, and Corbusian movements of modern architecture.

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“A c t , B u i l d , C o n s t r u c t ! ”