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Observations of an Architect
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Kiruthika Sakthi Kathaperumal
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MS Architecture, Fall 2021, Pratt GAUD, 981 Proseminar: Image and Text: Seeing and Writing Instructed By: Cynthia Davidson, Chelsea Spencer
1.Senses View from the window 2.Voids Karl Blossfeldt image analysis 3.Signages List of signs in the manner of Walter Benjamin 4.MOK-Graffiti 538-DOORDASH RING BELL!! Two Benjamin street fragments
CONTENT
5.Paintbrush Roland Barthes object mythologies 6.Flying kites Coney Island observation 7.Better Homes Better Gardens Analysis of Kerry James Marshall paiting 8.Mr.Head in moon 9.Calligraphy tree Tree representation analysis 10.Image and text Relationship between text and image
1
Senses
27th September 2021 10:00 AM
It is a warm Sunday morning. The view out the window is as still as a photograph. Cars are parked on either side of the road and some are waiting to fuel up their cars. Even though there are ample pedestrian pathways, the number of cars on road exceeds the ratio of humans on foot. Buildings of different heights and typologies squeezed together around a gas station that sits within a gridded concrete landscape dotted with artificial flowers. The gas station which supplies nonrenewable resources to the cars ironically is illustrating its green logo as an eco-friendly fuel. The trees and shrubs find a way to grow out of the cracks and gaps between the buildings and up their walls. The only movement is the swaying of trees in the wind, and the moving shade cast by the constant traveling of clouds across the sun. There is a prewar building under renovation. It has a narrow pyramidal roof with one bay window oriented to its center that acts as the skyline to the view. One feels connected to the world outside through the smell of exhaust, the feel of occasional vibrations when a subway runs on the tracks right under the apartment, the sound of whooshing cars, BayRidge Brooklyn
faint honking in the distance, and the desire to go change the gas stations green logo to red. These sensations help people relate and place themselves within the society and bring the city to life.
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View from the window
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2
Voids
20th September 2021
In the photograph, there is a visual conflict, between the greater whole of the picture and its parts. The eye is immediately directed towards the five-petaled void, which looks like the abstract version of a flower that humans can associate with and understand. One could clearly recognize the object when the observer could also read what’s between the forms and its parts. It is not only the totality of the parts that gave meaning to the whole but also their voids. Similarly, a well-built environment is shaped only when the individuals or their collective thoughts align together properly, and architecture serves as an axis to this alignment. Humans have a distinct way of perceiving the environment by their experiences. The construction of this organic relationship is through similarity, closure, symmetry, continuity, proximity, and figure and ground; the wellknown “Gestalt principle”. These architectural patterns are deeply embedded within nature and it fills the masses and voids of a spacial construction, eventually help-
Trollus europaeus 1928
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ing one to compose the greater whole.
Karl Blossfeldt image analysis
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3
Signages
4th October 2021 6:00 PM
86th street, 5th Avenue : Side 1
86th street, 5th Avenue : Side 2
FOR RENT - George Butsikaris Reality Boost mobile 24 HR ATM The first national bank of long island Minimart- new york lottery - Play here ATM For rent - Butsikaris Pharmacy (Written in 4 languages-English, Spanish, Chinese, and Hebrew) Bay ridge estate - BRE Bit Repair Laundromat - Laundering, Dry cleaning, Tailoring Cell tells - Phone repair Retail for lease A&D ironworks Locksmith - on door locks Moving sale - 8220 ft Hamilton parkway Grafitti - Pain, Tony , Stress. Spectrum Spirit - Halloween theme We are hiring - SPIRIT NO ENTRY Traffic control New York City Available for lease - CITY RE Delta Bravo. Coney island (Sticker) We sell Thomas ice Bay chemist to the foyer. Thank you Brooklyn Family Municipal Parking The right lane must turn right Halal food cart 86th street B.I.D - business improvement district
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Citi Bank Kavasutra - Kava Bar Epoch Times (Frontpage “ say no to vaccine “) WSNY 10% Discount Rolling gates and shutters MOK (Graffiti) Snowman (Graffiti on a fire hydrant) Black cats matter (A Poster, With youtube link) No smoking (Posted on the doors of Huntington Learning center) Get stoned (Website link printed) Starbucks- masks compulsory - 50 years of excellence Metro by T-Mobile-!EL GRAN CAMBIO A5G! Store for rent/Lease GOALS (Posted On the Parking meter) Sushi Hana - Fine japanese cuisine Optimus Gates Locksmith service (Sticker) FedEx office Retail/Office space available Game boy INDIA 12 59L (Painted on pedestrian pavement) One way Blair New York Tiger schulmanns Women’s health club - 10 days detox program 24 Hour gate repair 538- DOOR DASH RING BELL!! Luxhairnyc Halo salon Tobacco shop 86th street TEAM YAYA
List of signs- Walter Benjamin
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4
Fragments
11th October 2021
MOK-Graffiti On the back of a black parking meter across from a closed pawn-
538 - DOORDASH RING BELL !!
shop were white spray-painted strokes that formed the letters ‘M’, ‘O’, and ‘K’. The internet reveals that they reference a German artist called MOK. Graffiti is generally part of street hip-hop culture. In this case, it represents the artist MOK and his followers. The MOK graffiti can have different effects on different groups of people. Fellow graffiti and street artists would admire or critique the design as a work of art. Fans of MOK would be excited to see their favorite artist represented. Since graffiti is viewed negatively by some form of vandalism and criminal activity. The person who created the graffiti might be someone who believes in this culture and would go to great lengths to represent and communicate about their favorite artist to the public. For the majority of people viewing the design, it probably appears intimidating or ambiguous. But some people walking past it usually do not notice or care about it at all. Since graffiti in Bayridge is predominantly found in unused dark places like the subway tunnels and not
The tenant of 538 has used a poster on their door to inform the doordash delivery person that they should ring the bell when delivering the food. They might have put this sign to avoid the food being stolen, as in New York City there was a sudden increase in missing packages or it might just be posted to intimate that the food has arrived. The sign was placed right below the address on the door. From the perspective of the delivery person who would be searching for the door number, this was the best placement of the sign, could not be missed. The block text and the exclamation points create a sense of importance and urgency. Signs like these play an important role in establishing guidelines and rules to create a sense of order and harmony. This sign can also inspire others to use similar means to provide instructions or make requests to service providers.
places that are by and large open to the public. Therefore, graffiti being art or vandalism depends on what part of the city it is located in.
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Walter Benjamin street fragments
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5
Segments
24th October 2021 02:30 PM
2:50 PM -The moving clouds block the sunlight and suddenly it is cold and dark. -A man dressed as a pirate with all the accessories - an eye patch, boots, and a tricorn hat - walks around the promenade drinking beer from a yellow beer can. 2: 54 PM -Clouds clear up -Two helicopters and one airplane are flying in the sky. They look like birds. -A hot dog food cart is not doing much business. People come here to run and exercise. It is odd to see a fast food cart here. -A group of 5 people, all wearing cyan-colored t-shirts, are cycling at Shore Road, Bay Ridge Brooklyn Picture : Google images
the same pace and rhythm. -The sounds of the cars whooshing when entering the tunnel and of the waves crashing on the shore are similar.
2: 30 PM -A long promenade along the bay with a view of the large-scaled Verrazzano bridge and opposite a busy highway where cars are rushing continuously. Where time seems to be running differently on either end. -There are four segments between the highway and the Bay: a walking, jogging lane; a cycling lane; a lane with trees and seating which separate the former; and a grass patch. -With a professional camera, a woman is taking photographs of the tree leaves that are trying their best to cling to the branches regardless of the change in their tones.
-A woman checks her smartwatch to see how far she has run. 3:17 PM -The photographer returns from her walk. she gazes at the pictures she took in her camera. -Six kids are playing along the shore road while their parents are talking. -A man arrives with a different kind of fishing rod. It has bells attached to it. He also has a blue cooler for any fish he may catch today. 3:30 PM -A car exits the highway and enters the parking area. A family gets
2: 40 PM -Two cargo ships carrying huge metal shipping containers are crossing paths in the Bay. One is towards Brooklyn and the other is leaving. They are guided by small tug boats.
out and the man who was driving stretches his body. They have probably had a long drive. -The sky is turning orange tint.
-Two men with fishing rods are sitting patiently by the edge of the shore.
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... George Perec place exhaustion
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6
Paintbrush
1st November 2021
Humans have long expressed their creativity and depicted all the important parts of life through art, especially through paintings. A paintbrush is one of the tools used in that art. When the artist decides to create art, they pick up the paintbrush, thus beginning its journey on the canvas. When the brush is picked up the artist’s strokes guide the different hues on the canvas, and the need to be seen, to be understood, to share what we feel and how we live kicks in. At that moment the tool ceases to act as a separate object and becomes an extension of the body, just like fingers that extend from hand. The earliest paintings were created inside caves, where artists used a stick, their fingers, or leaves as brushes. This is where humans started to record our history. At the same time, a brush can also be used to erase or dust off the history of a surface, whether hiding the marks on a brick wall or hiding the marks on a person’s face. The paintbrush is used by practically everyone in their daily lives. Once sacred, like the brushes that were used to decorate the pots in rituals or to write complex calligraphy. Nowadays brushes are mass-produced in factories in Picture courtesy: Google images
many different sizes, shapes, and qualities, thus putting the livelihood of artisans who create intricate or specialized brushes for different artists in jeopardy. The brush thus can also be seen as a tool for trying to make the imperfect world perfect.
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Roland Barthes object mythologies
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7
Flying kite
8th November 2021 10:00 AM
The Coney Island beach is no stranger to kites because of its free, open, and breezy nature. It provides an escape from the busy city life and serves as a great platform for children and adults alike to run with the wind, flying their kites. The earliest known kite dates back to 9500-9000 B.C. It was made of split bamboo and silk which were used for signaling and communicating messages. A kite could be made of various materials. Its shape, color, material, and texture played a very important role in understanding the message being relayed. To camouflage their design and colors, some kites imitated flying insects, birds, and other creatures. Today, kites are mostly used for recreational and entertainment purposes and are mass-produced using materials like polyester. A flying kite has been instrumental in many scientific inventions and discoveries. Benjamin Franklin famously demonstrated the electrical nature of lightning by flying a kite during a thunderstorm. The Wright brothers’ obsession with flying kites inspired them to build gliders, man-lifting kites, and eventually, the airplane. Coney Island Boardwalk
A flying kite symbolizes a quest for freedom. Flying a kite requires only two things - a kite, and open space. But open spaces are hard to come by, especially in cities like New York. Even on the Coney Island beach, there were constructions that encroached on the open space. They inspire an architect to design spaces that are adaptable and accommodate the need for open spaces.
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Coney Island observation
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8
Better Homes Better Gardens
15th November 2021
Given the inherently human need to be seen, to be understood, to share what we feel and how we live, it is no wonder people make art in different forms, pouring and painting themselves into tangible objects and stringing together tales that make us who we are. Kerry James Marshall is a storyteller. His paintings reflect all the social, cultural, and political history that he has experienced as an African-American during the Black Power and Civil Rights Movement. His paintings seek to change the common view that blackness was not worthy of depiction. He uses the darkest black for the skin of the figures in his paintings. He narrates the history through small details, like signage, texts, and color each relating to one another. This fragmented collage-like style is inspired by his father’s practice of buying broken watches and parts and fixing them up before selling them. “Better Homes Better Gardens” is one of five paintings in his Garden project, which reflected the false promise and realities of low-income housing in the United States. “Better Homes” features the text “IL 2-8”, which is the official code of a particular public housing site in the state of Illinois. It was painted in 1994 after Kerry married Cheryl Lynn Bruce and moved there. The painting features a couple who walk over a fallen scroll that reads “Better homes better gardens”. The male figure gazes directly at the viewer. The woman looks as if she is being guarded by him, perhaps from the eyes of society. Other texts, within the painting, make reference to African American history. Written on one of the placards for example, are the words “Muhammad Ali foundation” which reasures the community success and power. Better Homes Better Garden Kerry James Marshall
Hope and happiness are hinted at the four bluebirds and the sunbeams. There are splotches of paint that are done. The most prominent detail is a splotch that looks like a water fountain coming out of a white piece of paper. A splattering of yellow spots against the green garden might represent bullet holes, symbolizing the violence of the time. Every detail of Marshall’s painting points to various social problems and experiences. But ultimately, its meaning all comes down to where the viewer decides to look.
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Analysis of Kerry James Marshall painting.
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9
Mr.Head on the moon
22nd November 2021
Tonight, inside Mr. Head’s room, where the moon plays as the concertmaster and everything that Mr.Head feels, reacts to, and understands has been orchestrated by the moon. It transforms the room as its own surface and transports him elsewhere. It fabricates different perspectives in life and also helps him reflect on his past, just like a mirror, it evokes all the memories, that he buried deep within himself.
Collage of things in Mr.Heads room
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View from the window
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10 Calligraphic tree
29th November 2021
Architect Vinu Daniel asks,” Why a building that we stay in cannot be a mere extension of the natural environment”.Laurie Baker was a big influence on his ideas about how a building could coexist with nature and avoid waste. Daniel also adhered to one of Mahatma Gandhi’s sayings, “The ideal house in a village should be constructed using materials that are available within a five-mile radius of that house.” With these ideas in mind, Vinu Daniel sketched the Ledge, a residence in Peeremedu. It is Camouflaged within the natural contour landscape by the roof and external walls, which are built out of treated Casuarina wood. The horizontal slender lines in the sketch represent the Casuarina wood, which is a fast-growing locally available tree and is considered as waste by the people residing in Peeremedu. This wood helped Daniel construct the building in a cost-efficient and sustainable way. The roof structure is made up of ferroconcrete, and one of the main supports for it is the Casuarina trees planted on the central courtyard of the house, where the branches hold up the roof canopy. They are represented by vertical calligraphical lines and look as though the tree is the one that supports the entire structure below. One of his primary goals was to show the necessity of building with natural materials and resources through architectural representation The Ledge Image Courtesy: Google
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using calligraphical lines, which are noting but a writing style.This establishes that even writting can be undestood as an image.
Vinu Daniel tree representation analysis
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11 Image and text
13th December 2021
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But those thousand words can be unique to an individual. Different people look at the same picture as a whole, but the individuality of the person lies in the intricate details - what catches their eye, what doesn’t, and how they feel about it. Advertisers design their ads with large, flashy images that would catch most people’s attention and have them focus on their selling point. While some may find it annoying or irrelevant, others may find it interesting, but all the advertiser needs is the attention. Graffiti on a wall is also an image that is subject to the viewer’s opinions and perspective. Some people may associate it with criminal activity, while others view it as an art form and appreciate it. Conversely, words can also conjure different images for different people. For example, when a writer writes the phrase “chair in a room”, the picture that it paints in each reader’s mind can vary - they could think of their childhood bedroom, their current room, the chair they are sitting in or anything else that is meaningful or impactful to them. But it is important to note that words make up a phrase or a sentence, and we cannot know the entire meaning of that phrase or sentence until we read further or connect the words. Words individually can be ambiguous to the observer, but when they are combined we get the full essence of what the writer wants to communicate to the audience. The relationship between image and text is crucial to the successful delivery of information to a targeted audience. Even then, there can be unsaid, unpainted moments that are embedded in the roots of Image and text relationship illustrated in collage Picture courtesy: Google
this relationship. They can be experienced by people who can relate their perspectives and experiences to the artwork. The impact of images and text is dependent on the mere interpretation of thoughts with respect to society and context, and no thought is ever completely wrong.
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Relationship between text and image
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MS Architecture, Fall 2021, Pratt GAUD, 981 Proseminar: Image and Text: Seeing and Writing Instructed By: Cynthia Davidson, Chelsea Spencer