motion / emotion
Ploy Reilly s3435320 Reflective Practice + Curation Landscape Architecture Design Studio 1 Semester 1, 2021
rigid
repetitive
constrained
passive x
x
fluid representing seeing
engaged
perceptive
x x x
motion / emotion
x
open
x
design statement
rigid
repetitive
fluid
I often find myself caught up in the destination, rather than the journey. This cliché pervades all aspects of my life from the personal, professional, academic, and everything in between. The process of curating this artifact, and the act of creating the work within it over the course of this semester prompted me to slow down, in spite of the deadlines.
The term ‘rigid’ describes the parameters around the works within this grouping and how I felt creating the drawings. This grouping is predominantly made up of plans, sections, and elevations. All drawings that aim to be precise.
‘Repetitive’ encapsulates the act of creating the drawings within this group. Thousands of strokes and minutes went into these works. ‘Repetitive’ has been divided into two clusters; ‘passive’ and ‘engaged’. These two terms describe my state of mind when doing the drawings and are the key differences between the two sets.
‘Fluid’ sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from ‘rigid’. Again, ‘Fluid’ aims to describe the parameters around these works and the physical act of creating them. The clusters within ‘fluid’ are; ‘seeing’ and ‘representing’.
This change of pace became synonymous with a shift in my approach. Instead of purely focusing on the final outcome, I invested my time and attention into the process, iteration and discourse. Through engaging in discussions with my peers and tutors I was exposed to other modes of expressing, experiencing and representing. Curious (read: nosey) by nature, this enriched my own experience. These conversations prompted self-reflection. I questioned how and why I became so obsessed with deliverables. I saw that in doing so I was losing sight of meaning and purpose in the pursuit of ticking a box.
introduction
By slowing down, I began to see the connections between the tasks. I began to consider why I do what I do, how I do it and how it makes me feel. Realising what I have been missing has made me hope to become more present and act with intention. This is where its title ‘Motion / Emotion’ stems from. Through this artifact I aim to unpack how I physically and emotionally engage in my work before seeing where this leads me.
The clusters which fall under ‘rigid’ are; ‘constrained’, ‘perceptive’ and ‘open’. The grouping opens with ‘constrained’ followed by ‘perceptive’ then ‘open’. I acknowledge the contradiction between ‘rigid’ and ‘open’. My learning narrative began with ‘constrained’ then finished with ‘open’ as the line through the table of contents aims to illustrate. How can something be both ‘rigid’ and ‘open’? The drawings which fall under the ‘open’ cluster are technical and precise in nature, however what is being drawn was open-ended. They are representing design ideas that have been informed by all the other steps in my learning. ‘Perceptive’ sits somewhere in the middle, in both this grouping and my overall journey. The ‘perceptive’ category is comprised of diagrams of precedents and my urban environment. What we were meant to be looking for was clear cut. Diagramming and reproducing what I saw was straightforward. However, the set task of research, observation and documentation led me to discover through drawing. Drawing led me to think about what I was seeing and perceive the information and my environment differently.
When making the drawings within the ‘passive’ cluster, I did switch off a bit. In this case the repetitive action was repeating and confirming information which I already knew rather than uncovering something new. That is not to say it was without value though, the repetitive process helped me refine my drawing technique and see patterns which was still an important step within my learning journey. The drawings within the ‘engaged’ cluster were repetitive, but here the ‘repetitive’ actions were revealing new information. Each iteration varied slightly and offered a new discovery. This links with the idea of thinking through drawing which arose in the ‘perceptive’ cluster. I felt that ‘engaged’ marks a key moment in my learning journey. I felt a change of pace here as I began to feel more involved and connected with what I was doing as opposed to going through the motions.
Within the ‘seeing’ cluster are drawings which made me see things differently. Yes, these drawings are a representation but the steps I took to create the drawing, both the act of physically making them or the site walk made me look in different ways. This is what differentiates them from the other cluster of ‘representing’. The drawings within the ‘representing’ cluster were ones where I was experimenting with how to represent things because there were no clearly defined expectations as there are with technical drawings. I experimented with the medium of collage and how to draw shadows. This was my favourite part in my learning journey. I felt engaged and open because the rules were ‘fluid’. I did not feel as if I had to be perfect and fit my work within a box, which is why these drawings are represented by circles.
process (noun)
perceive (verb)
Steps taken to produce something. These steps can be clearly defined from the beginning or be uncovered in stages or even change as you engage with the process.
The act of seeing and understanding something in your own light. Perception is not objective. Your perception is subject to your own biases and experiences.
represent (verb)
engage (verb)
Communicating or depicting something you have seen, often through a different medium than the original object.
To meaningfully and actively participate in something. To establish a connection and act with intention.
“ Charles Eames referred to design as an ‘expression of purpose’... What are then the contextual factors and circumstances from which a gesture of purpose arises? ”
glossary
(Pais, 2016, p. 22)
experience (verb)
experience (noun)
To witness and/or feel something happen. This something can be tangible or intangible.
Past events which inform who you are today.
rigid / constrained
The drawings within the ‘constrained’ cluster are the drawings where I felt the most restricted. These drawings had the most defined outcome and were the most precise in execution. Although ‘constrained’ has negative connotations, these drawings were fundamental to my learning journey as they are the building blocks to my later work, in the sense that you must establish the basics before experimenting. I would argue that these drawings are the most objective of my work. Due to their precise nature I feel they have the least amount of bias from my previous experience. However, I do believe my past experience as an interior designer helped me as I was familiar with the techniques. The planting plan is intentionally the largest image on the page as it is the drawing where I felt the most constrained. There was little room for artistic licence when it came to documenting the site contours. This is why in the diagram of this cluster, this particular drawing forms the box which all the other ‘constrained’ drawings have been squeezed into. figure 1 (this page) - environments 2: planting plan figure 2 (top opposite page) - environments 2: the city dune elevation figure 3 (bottom left opposite page) - territories: base plan figure 4 (bottom right opposite page) - assemblage: base plan
rigid / constrained
figure 6 (this page) - territories: existing conditions section a-a figure 7 (opposite page) - territories: existing conditions section b-b
rigid / perceptive
Although the task outlines and what to look out for were clearly set before undertaking the observations which led to these diagrams, it was through this process that I began to perceive things differently. By paying attention I was able to connect patterns and see finer details in things I have previously overlooked. The act of observing my direct environment helped me see systems and how they directly impact me. I was then able to take this knowledge into my precedent research on Duisburg Nord and perceive the structures within the park differently from if I went in without this prior experience. By drawing out how these water systems work I was able to further understand them through this active reproduction. figure 8 (top left) - territories: sit spot diagram figure 9 (top right) - territories: duisburg nord water systems figure 10 (bottom left) - territories: duisburg nord water systems figure 11 (bottom right) - territories: duisburg nord water systems
figure 12 (top) - territories: urban nature plan figure 13 (bottom) - territories: urban nature elevation
rigid / open
Despite the drawing technique being ‘rigid’, the subject matter of these works was ‘open’. These drawings all depict speculations and design propositions which were informed by my process. In my diagram (pictured above and in my table of contents), these drawings are laid out to leave an empty square in the middle. The works within this cluster were all the final drawings in the particular tasks and their diagram also marks the end of my learning journey. This is because all the experiences and processes I have engaged in have lead up to this point. Be it in the “end” of that particular project or the present moment in my learning. The left over space represents the open possibilities and in my design practice for things to grow. It also represents that the work is never fully complete. figure 14 (top) - theoretical frameworks 1: melbourne cbd x broadacre city section a-a figure 15 (bottom) - theoretical frameworks 1: melbourne cbd x broadacre city section b-b
figure 16 (top) - environments 2: the path section figure 17 (bottom left) - territories: manipulated section a-a figure 18 (bottom right) - territories: manipulated section b-b
repetitive / passive
‘Repetitive’ refers to the action and process behind these drawings. This cluster has been labeled ‘passive’ as their repetitive nature meant I could switch off. This act was akin to ‘downloading’ (Brearley, 2010) as it confirmed information I already knew, such as the permeability of surfaces around my home or how people move through the site I chose to observe in Assemblage that I have visited numerous times before. figure 19 (top) - territories: surface permeability hatch figure 20 (bottom) - territories: registers of water hatch
figure 20 (top left) - assemblage: occupation drawing 1 figure 21 (top right) - assemblage: occupation drawing 2 figure 22 (middle row left) - assemblage: occupation drawing 3 figure 23 (middle row right) - assemblage: occupation drawing 4 figure 24 (bottom left) - assemblage: occupation drawing 5 figure 25 (bottom right) - assemblage: occupation drawing overlay
repetitive / passive
The passive nature of this drawing set allowed me to experiment with different drawing techniques as my focus was not on processing new information. This iterative process allowed me to see which techniques were most effective in communicating information.
figure 26 (top) - territories: conditions pour hatch figure 27 (middle) - territories: conditions pour hatch figure 28 (bottom) - territories: conditions pour hatch
figure 29 (top) - territories: conditions pour hatch figure 30 (middle) - territories: conditions pour hatch figure 31 (bottom) - territories: conditions pour hatch
repetitive / passive
figure 32 (top) - territories: flatness pour figure 33 (bottom) - territories: flatness pour
figure 34 (top) - territories: permeability pour figure 35 (bottom) - territories: permeability pour
repetitive / engaged
Despite being repetitive in nature, I felt ‘engaged’ as each drawing uncovered new information to me. Each iteration varied to some degree which encouraged me to keep drawing and creating so I could discover more. This was a turning point in my learning journey as it sped things up for me. All these drawings took time, but the time felt relative to my enjoyment. Even though hours went into these drawings, these hours felt like they went quicker than the hours spent on the drawings under the ‘passive’ cluster. figure 36 (this page) - theoretical frameworks 1: broadacre city base plan figure 37 (opposite page top left) - assemblage: process model drawing figure 38 (opposite page top middle) - assemblage: process model drawing figure 39 (opposite page top right) - assemblage: process model drawing figure 40 (opposite page bottom left) - assemblage: process model drawing figure 41 (opposite page bottom middle) - assemblage: process model drawing figure 42 (opposite page bottom right) - assemblage: process model drawing
repetitive / engaged
figure 43 (this page top) - assemblage: occupation + phenomena overlay figure 44 (this page bottom) - territories: collation map figure 45 (opposite page top left) - assemblage: occupation + phenomena overlay figure 46 (opposite page top middle) - assemblage: occupation + phenomena overlay figure 47 (opposite page top right) - assemblage: occupation + phenomena overlay figure 48 (opposite page bottom left) - assemblage: occupation + phenomena overlay figure 49 (opposite page bottom middle) - assemblage: occupation + phenomena overlay figure 50 (opposite page bottom right) - assemblage: occupation + phenomena overlay
repetitive / engaged
figure 50 (this page top) - assemblage: existing site section collage figure 51 (opposite page top left) - assemblage: site intervention (5 years) figure 52 (opposite page top middle) - assemblage: site intervention (10 years) figure 53 (this page bottom) - assemblage: site intervention (15 years) figure 54 (opposite page bottom left) - assemblage: site intervention (20 years) figure 55 (opposite page bottom middle) - assemblage: site intervention (30 years)
fluid / seeing
‘Fluid’ marks another key moment in my learning journey. The drawings within this grouping were when I felt the most challenged conceptually. I had never heard the term ‘eidetic construct’ and did not know what was expected. These drawings and the process to create them made me see my surroundings differently. I felt more observant and saw details in things I had previously overlooked. This ability to observe and move through spaces with intent will be invaluable to my design career moving forward.
figure 56 - assemblage: eidetic construct drawing
figure 57 (top) - territories: moment walk figure 58 (bottom) - territories: path mapping
fluid / representing
Prior to this unit I had never experimented with collage. This ended up being my favourite technique. Within this cluster I experimented with different modes of representing the experience on site. The fluidity stems from the physical motion of cutting the paper or drawing the shadows in my phenomena drawings on the following spread. The fluidity also comes from the ephemeral nature of what these works represent. The site and what is depicted in the drawings is constantly changing, and the drawings are influenced by my perception. This became particularly apparent to me in the difference between my eidetic memory collages and the ones created after a site visit. This prompted me to question whether it is important to try to capture everything or just what stands out to me? How do I go through that selection process and how do my past experiences inform this? Can we leave gaps for the viewer to fill in themselves rather than feeding them every piece of information? figure 59 (this page) - assemblage: eidetic memory site collage
figure 60 (top) - assemblage: eidetic memory site perspective figure 61 (bottom) - assemblage:: site collage (following site visit)
fluid / representing
figure 62 (this page top) - assemblage: phenomena drawing 1 figure 63 (opposite page top left) - assemblage: phenomena drawing 2 figure 64 (opposite page top right) - assemblage: phenomena drawing 3 figure 65 (this page bottom) - assemblage: phenomena drawing 4 figure 66 (opposite page bottom left) - assemblage: phenomena drawing 5 figure 67 (opposite page bottom right) - assemblage: phenomena drawing overlay
fluid / representing
epilogue Curating this artifact and engaging in conversations with my peers has pushed me to delve deeper into my work. In the past I would have shied away from this however in an effort to grow, I want to find comfort within this discomfort. One common comment and theme I can see across my work is a lot of my work is quite considered and refined. Perhaps I had been acting through with intention, but I needed this reflection to be able to become aware of it and assign a meaning to it. I think the level of care and consideration I put into my work is a strength and sets me apart from others within my peer group. That being said, I would like to become bolder and more experimental with my work.
figure 68 - assemblage: manipulated site plan collage figure 69 - assemblage: manipulated site section collage
“ We evaluate and critique ourselves along the way, and together, and always, and all ways ” (Eliasson et al., 2016, p. 135)
bibliography Brearley, L. (2010). Gulpa ngawal : Indigenous deep listening (pp. 1, 13-21, 24 & 96). Melbourne: RMIT. Eliasson, O., Ellingsen, E., & Werner, C. (2016). From the past with love. In A. Pais & C. Strauss, Slow reader : a resource for design thinking and practice (pp. 135-137). Amsterdam. Ingold, T. (2013). Thinking through Making [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Ygne72-4zyo&ab_channel=Pohjoisenkulttuuri-instituutti%E2%80%93InstituteforNorthernCulture Pais, A. (2016). Unfolding potentials (within and across). In A. Pais & C. Strauss, Slow reader : a resource for design thinking and practice (pp. 20-28). Amsterdam. Raxworthy, J. (2016). Building a wilderness with Louis le Roy. In A. Pais & C. Strauss, Slow reader : a resource for design thinking and practice (pp. 98-109). Amsterdam.