ONCE UPON A CIRCLE
Once Upon A Circle First published in 2014 by Shin-E Chuah helloiamshin.co.uk/ Contributors: Chong Lee Chuah Lai Heng Ho Junenee Choo Bee Yee Lim Kar Seng Cheng Yuncin Ding Howard Silverman Seamus Staunton Aaron Mcpeake
Printed by Hello Blue Albion Dockside Building Hanover Place,Bristol BS1 6UT Book binding by Shin-E Chuah Paper: Metaphor 100gsm Size: 148mm x 210mm This book was produced for a Type & Print brief titled “Everything About One Thing”. University of the West of England, Bristol BA(Hons) Graphic Design, Second year.
WHAT’S
THE
THE
YOUR
ROUND
YUAN
CIRCLE?
THING
THING
01
11
15
THE
THE
ART
EYE
THING 37
THE FUN
con tent
THING 61
THE BIG BANG
THING
THING
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91
THE
THE
THE
URBAN
LITTLE
LAST
THING
THING
THING
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WHAT’S YOUR CIRCLE? What is the first thing that comes to your mind when “circle” is mentioned?
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pri s m sp h ere pyr a mid he p tago n h e art
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borderless
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focus
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cycles
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WHAT CIRCLE? A perfect circle is almost impossible to produce by unaided human hands, and this is why the shape is valued so much in various cultures specifically the Chinese culture. It carries the definition of fulfilled, oneness, perfection, and unity. More specifically, it is the process of something coming full circle that bears the most importance such as family members getting together during festive seasons. This little book is about how a basic shape contains so many histories, stories, meanings in different contexts including art, space, nature, psychology, architecture, philosophy and others. Once Upon A Circle narrates the relationship of circle with different individuals and practices. These little stories come together as a full circle in this book, my circle. What is your circle?
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00 • THE ROUND THING
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A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry that is the set of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. It derives from the Greek word “kirkos” which means “hoop” or “ring”. Circle is not something that exists in nature. It is not something that people discovered like gold and new lands. It is a mental construct and a symbolic representation that was invented much the same as language and the alphabet. We talk about it in every language on earth. It is written about in millions of textbooks and all over the Internet. Natural circle would have been observed, such as the Earth, Sun and Moon. The shape of is the basis for the wheel, which, with related inventions such as gears, makes much of modern machinery possible. In mathematics, the study of the circle has helped inspire the development of geometry, astronomy, and calculus. There is no way to be certain, but anthropologists generally agree that the circle was created long before recorded history. It is quite likely that it was drawn by a stick in the sand. With the sun being a constant in early man’s existence and the source of all life, it is quite likely that the first circle represented the sun.
Circle can be said the most primitive and rudimentary of all human inventions, and at the same time, the most dynamic. It is the foundation in the field of science and technology; it acts as the basic tool of all designers, artists, architects and designers in the history of mankind. Coming from a Chinese background, the shape of circle carries so much histories, meanings, and stories. Chinese people look at circle as the symbolization of harmonious and unity. It has become so basic, so old and so commonly seen that it has melted into the binary code of our culture. Circle have achieved almost ominous presence in the culture and they are beyond visual, verbal, geometric and those “lucky” or “unlucky” tags applied to most other symbols. They just are.
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01 • THE YUAN THING
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The circle in Chinese culture is an important spiritual prototype, it has a very close relationship with the way Chinese people think and perceive of the universe and their principle of life, it also reveals the secrets of Chinese art. Whenever one mentions about the history of Chinese society, Chinese philosophy, Chinese cultural and Chinese art, one cannot help but constantly has this present feeling of a “circle” cultural atmosphere. This “circle” atmosphere has an important influence on the Chinese culture and history; it affects how Chinese people deal with situations in life. Just like the shape itself, there is an absence of sharp and angular edges, therefore introducing the idea of being harmonious and peaceful. A neutral state of mind or idea is proposed and encouraged when one handles an issue; they also prefer to look at the world and life in a “circle” way.
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thi Circle is pronounced as “yuan� in Chinese, it carries the definition of wholeness, completion and everything. The traditional Chinese way of life, in theory, advocates the harmony and order among the individual, the family and society; like a full circle. Family is the basic unit of society in our culture, while individuals are only one part of the family. The idea of tracing back ancestry is still the most powerful centripetal force of the Chinese nation. A distinguished ancestor will bring pride to his descendants for thousands of years. The many descendants of eminent leaders will not sully the name of their ancestors no matter what the consequences. Thus the harmony and stability of families and clans are the assurance of peace and the advancement of society.
rou
ink
und
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1979
typical large chinese family
Taiping, Malaysia
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yin yang
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In Chinese philosophy, the concept of Yin Yang is used to describe how opposite or contrary forces are interconnected in the natural world; also how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Everything contains Yin and Yang, although they are totally different and opposite in their individual qualities and nature, they are interdependent. Yin and Yang cannot exist without each other; they are never separate. For example, night and day form a Yin and Yang pair; Yin as night and Yang as day. Both night and day look and are very different with one another, yet it is impossible to have one without the other. In a harmonious relationship, the two energies blend into one seamless whole, as perfectly embodied by the swirling Yin Yang symbol. This inseparable and interpenetrating relationship is reflected in the form of the Yin Yang symbol. The small dots within each of the two energies which were represented by black and white symbolize that there is always some Yin (black) within Yang (white) and vice versa.
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No matter where you bisect the diameter of the whole circle, each half will always contain some Yin and some Yang. So there is balance, but the relationship goes beyond balance to one of harmony. When two things are balanced, they are equal but still separate. Both create a totality, a complete whole, like a circle. The idea of Yin and Yang builds into everything in the Chinese culture. Everything in our life just flows and moves seamlessly, in harmony. Our body, mind, emotions, and spirit can adjust and readjust to the circumstances in your life; just like how Yin and Yang balances each other up.
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For Chinese people, dining is one of the most pleasurable activities, best exemplifying harmony and order. The convention followed at the Chinese table is the use of round table as it permits seating by hierarchy. Besides that, round table is believed to express metal among the five Feng Shui elements in Feng Shui decor. Circular decor items bring in the energy of clarity, preciseness, freshness and equality into our home. They usually prefer round table in the areas where family members spend time together such as living room and dining room so that there is a positive energy in the room.
Feng Shui is a Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing the human existence with the surrounding environment. The term Feng Shui literally translates as “wind-water” in English. The Feng Shui practice discusses architecture in metaphoric terms of “invisible forces” that bind the universe, earth, and man together, known as Chi which means energy. Historically, Feng Shui was widely used to orient buildings, often spiritually significant structures such as tombs, but also dwellings and other structures in a favorable manner. There is not much of a difference on how contemporary Chinese society uses Feng Shui to properly set and arrange furniture for their house in order to achieve harmony with the environment now.
feng shui
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The main purpose of Feng Shui practice is to seek an assurance of good energies in rooms, which they daily use. This energy is said to be originated from the choice of colours, shapes and material of everything. Each decision made is crucial in enabling a free flow of energy and a healthy environment that will help in building a good well-being, mutual relationships and productivity at work. As mentioned, every direction, such as north, south, or northeast has a specific number, color, element and a shape associated with it in the Feng Shui practice. Each shape has a distinct meaning. The round shape is a shape that is seen as very Yang and active because it contains movement. It is very auspicious and it resembles change and coins which associates with wealth. Therefore, a lot of casinos and hotels have a lot of circle shaped decorations because round objects are more dynamic than rectangular or square shapes.
feng shui coin
One of the basic principles of Feng Shui is the principle of five elements, which are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. These Feng Shui elements interact between themselves in certain ways which generally defined as the Productive and Destructive cycles. Among the five elements, circles are being represented as metal that makes water in the Feng Shui practice. Water is related to money and wealth. Therefore, adding metal to your environment adds more water based on the productive cycle and that means more money for you. Chinese people especially the elder generations also favor circle decorations a lot such as round carpets, accessories, mirrors, seats, tables and others as the shape means harmony and unity.
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winter
solstice
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Winter Solstice Festival is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese people; it is the shortest day of the year and usually falls on the middle of December every year. Winter Solstice can be literally translated as “the extreme of winter” in English. The ancients believed that the Winter Solstice is a natural transformation of Yin and Yang, is a pure blessing from God. The origin of this festival can be traced back to the Yin and Yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in the flow of positive energy. During the Tang and Song dynasties, this was the day of ancestral worship Heaven. After several years of development, it has developed into a traditional family occasion. Winter Solstice is now the day when families get together and eat “tang yuan” which means dumplings. Dumpling is the Winter Solstice essential food, a round dessert made from glutinous rice flour which served with sweet soup. Eating dumplings is a Winter Solstice’s tradition. Due to its round shape, dumplings are a symbol of family harmony and good fortune. Therefore, family members come together on this day to make and eat the dumplings. The process of making dumplings encourages a healthy relationship among the family members by spending quality time together. It is also the day when everyone becomes one year older after eating dumplings.
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full moon
Falling on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the grandest festivals in the Chinese culture. It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its fullest, roundest and brightest that also symbolizes as union.
Since ancient times, people used full moon to describe joys whereas a gibbous moon to represent sorrow. On this day, family members gather to offer sacrifice to the moon, appreciate the bright full moon, eat moon cakes, and express strong yearnings toward family members and friends who live afar.
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Moon cakes come in various flavors according to the region; the traditional ones are made up of bean paste or lotus-seed paste packed inside a pastry layer. The moon cakes are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family, so it is easy to understand how the eating of moon cakes under the round moon can evoke longing for distant relatives and friends.
Nowadays, people present moon cakes to relatives and friends to demonstrate that they wish them a long and happy life. In addition, there are other customs like playing lanterns, and dragon and lion dances happening in some regions.
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There is a tale that happened during the Ming Revolution that made moon cakes the symbol of reunion. In order to join forces against the emperor, the Yuan soldiers needed a way to pass messages to the people. So they came up with a plan to hide a note inside the moon cake and give it to people. When people ate it, they got the note written “August 15 night Uprising� which informed them to gather their power against the emperor. Thus overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, in order to commemorate this achievement, we eat moon cakes on this day so the customs will pass down.
lun
chin new
nar
nese year
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The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it’s been called since the 20th century, remains the most important social and economic holiday in China. Originally tied to the lunar-solar Chinese calendar, the holiday was a time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. It is also a time to bring all the family members together for feasting.
Steamboat refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the soup is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical steamboat dishes include thinly sliced meat, leaf, vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, seafood and others, it solely depends on what the family likes.
Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. During this time, business life came nearly to a stop. Home and family are the principal focuses. In preparation for the holiday, homes were thoroughly cleaned to get rid of the bad luck or inauspicious breaths, which might have collected during the old year.
Since Chinese culture values the joy of sharing, they usually have their meal on round tables, with that everyone is able to see each other and talk. Placing all the dishes on a turn table makes it easier for everyone to share the dishes. Never look at a round table just as it is, it is a table that contains histories, stories and moments; people gather around to talk, eat and share joyful things with their loved ones.
A reunion dinner, named as “Nian Ye Fan”, is held on New Year’s Eve during which family members gather for celebration. Some families will cook all kinds of seafood and delicacies to welcome the New Year; some families will make steamboat which is commonly known as hot pot.
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steamboat 2012 Ipoh, Malaysia
it is more than just a circle, it shapes our culture, our attitude.
Lai Heng Ho
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02 • THE ART THING
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In visual art shape can be defined as simple or complex, geometric or natural, and abstract. Different shapes may combine different qualities, for example one shape can be both simple and natural, and another shape can be simple, geometric, and abstract. Circles are useful for focusing attention because of the closure of the shape, and because they are less common in man-made objects than shapes with straight lines. This is why circles are widely used in logo and road signage board designs.
Cloud Gate Chicago, Illinois Anish Kapoor 2006
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“Precisely. I make art for myself. There is something immanent in the work but the circle is only completed by the viewer. It is in that abstract eye of the beholder that the circle is completed. There is an incomplete circle which says “come and be involved. And without your involvement as a viewer, there is no story!” I believe that that’s a complete kind of reinvention of the idea of art.”
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Anish Kapoor
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C - Curve Kensington Gardens, West London Anish Kapoor 2007
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Anish Kapoor is recognized as one of the most important modern artists of this time. He was born in Bombay in 1954 and moved to England in the seventies, where he enrolled in art school. His work is influenced by both the Western and Eastern cultures. Typical effects in his work are the combination of sensual and female forms with strong and rough materials. Natural materials such as sandstone, marble and slate are impregnated with raw powdered pigment of vivid hues, thus enhancing a feeling of inner radiance. In the early 1990s he introduced a more enigmatic slant by boring holes in the flanks of standing stones, while in The Earth (1992) a perfect circle was removed from the gallery floor to intimate the generative effect of negative space. In other works impressions of weightlessness stem from the skilled transformation of materials by an almost alchemical process. By imaginative combination of disparate materials in meditative structures, attention is focused on qualities of interior balance and well-being.
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“There are no corners, so there is this kind of energy, things move around in way that it has no direction.”
Howard’s Studio Spike Island
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rman
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Born and raised in New York City and now live in Bristol, Howard is now an artist who based in Spike Island. He paints, builds and plays with different materials in order to create unpredictable pieces of art that constantly fascinates the his audience. I first came across his works through the Spike Island page and it immediately caught my attention with the variation of works he had. Howard’s works has an aspect of eclecticism with the combination of basic geometric forms and new materials. I focus on pieces that contain the element of circle. He agreed to help me out without a doubt even though he was concerned that he might not be the right person for me to go to. When it comes to circle, he thinks that generally geometric forms are things he can hang things on. It is a foundation for him to build things on and of course this does not only apply to circle but all basic forms. If he is using a triangle, circle and square format, he expects the boundaries of those things to create different kind of pressure and relationship of what he is doing. One thing he said about a circle is that there are no corners, so there is a kind of flow and energy, things move around in a way that is something that might not have the right way up, no directions. In that context, it is a very simple mechanism for him to develop things without assuming, without having to think about how it is going tobe structured. The boundaries of circle are potentially infinite but there is something curious about how the circle contains, same way using a fish eye lens to bring everything together and curves everything into one thing. He thinks there are a lot of associations, none of them which he explores very deeply, whether it is about the landscape, planets and things that are bound by the circle. But, he feels that those things have come very intuitively; the idea of circle being secured.
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He thinks circle is something neutral, things are happening inside, the flow, around it, radiating. Edges are never clean cut; look at it underneath a microscope, rough edges appear due to the continuous flux of molecules. Things happen around it, molecules move back and forth holding together. Human are atoms put together loosely walking together. It is a realization, not given to try to create clean things. The surfaces of those things are what intrigue him; he rather tear something up and cut it. He uses geometric forms in a way people see it and paints on them to defines the form, sometimes not really certain of what he is doing, but he starts to break up the space, putting on marks and building internal things.
There is no perfection and he is not interested in perfection. Imperfection makes things interesting. In Islamic culture, you are supposed to leave an imperfection as a mistake when you are building something in order to learn something from it and also the fact that God is perfect. He is not religious or opposing anything but the idea that life is imperfect is an interesting concept. If you are building something; you have a tile that is irregular and broken in the corner. The imperfection has a kind of cohesion for him, it kind of moves along with the perfection, they both contrast each other and provide impact. I passed him an empty sketchbook for him to draw his thoughts on circle and he kept his drawing simple, neutral and black.
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Hemispheric Paintings Howard Silverman 1998
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“Things are contained within a core object and life comes out from that, there is this kind of concentration going on.”
Seamus’s studio Spike Island
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Seamus Staunton
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A sculptor who is born and raised in London and now live in Bristol, he started to work at Spike Island since 1998. Seamus studied at Canterbury College of Art and St Martin’s School of Art. As an experienced sculptor, his works appear to have been crafted with a passion for oceanic rhythms and sounds. I got in contact with Seamus through my meeting with Howard. Seamus has always been very interested in the landscape architecture and how shapes interact with the urban space. He shared with me on how the shape of circle influences him during the process of creating his past and current work pieces. Seamus makes wall based work piece and free standing outdoor sculpture. He compared circle with the roundness of an egg, there is a potential of something growing out from that. It is like how seeds and bulbs work, they tend to be round, just like us human; we started from the formation of an egg. All these things are contained within a core object and life comes out from that, there is this kind of concentration going on. Circle has this power of drawing one into the center as well, something like a target, the feeling of containing.
As Seamus is really interested in the potency of sound and the way music maps emotion and mood, he sees circle as rhythm, movement and dynamism because they are open ended. So he tends to work with geometry and curves a lot to construct the distinct movement. Instead of using a full circle , he often breaks it up into sections and joins them in various ways to create loop movement. An empty sketchbook was given to him to visualize his thoughts on circle. With his colourful building model sitting right in front of him, Seamus took out all the vibrant colours and drew a few circles freely. To him it is just sort of a basic loop to create that certain buoyancy. It is interesting how his drawing resembles bits and pieces of element from his past and current work. A very different visual compared to Howard’s, I feel this cheerful rhythm from Seamus’s circle. Every single detail he creates has a distinct relationship with the architecture and urban space. He has his unique way in playing with bold and vibrant colours to create playful, impactful yet harmonious pieces.
break Chrous Children’s Hearing Centre, St Michael’s Hospital Seamus Staunton 2012
build
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03 • THE EYE THING
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In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay titled “Circles” he once mentioned about the eye is the first circle; the horizon which it forms is the second; and throughout nature this primary picture is repeated without end. It is the highest emblem in the cipher of the world. The human eye is an organ that reacts to light and has several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the mammalian eye allows vision. The human eye belongs to a general group of eyes found in nature called “camera-type eyes.” Instead of film, the human eye focuses light onto a light sensitive membrane called the retina. They widen in fear, boosting sensitivity and expanding our field of vision to locate surrounding danger. Our eyes are the window to the soul, by looking deeply into a person’s eyes; you can tell who they truly are on the inside. It is definitely one of the most important nature circles gifted to everyone. Living without vision is no doubt a devastated thing to go through. Fortunately, for many people who are diagnosed with vision illness; they managed to move on and enjoy what they are doing, Aaron Mcpeake is one of them.
Aaron Mcpeake
Aaron’s residency studio Spike Island
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Before Aaron lost most of his eyesight, he used to work as a stage lighting designer for ballet and theatre. In the year 2002, he returned to arts education and works full time as an artist now. He received a 1st class honours degree in Arts, Design and Environment from Central Saint Martins (2005) and a PhD at Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2012. He works with numerous kind of media from casting interactive bell-bronze sculptures to filmaking, and photography. It was a great pleasure to be able to meet this London based artist himself because his dedication and works really inspired me a lot. Aaron got this disease known as Behcet’s Syndrome, which is common in the Middle East, Asia, and Japan, but not here. Behcet’s Disease is an autoimmune disease that results from damage to blood vessels throughout the body, particularly veins. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks and harms the bodies’ own tissues.
While Aaron was studying, he did a research about artists who lost their eyesight, unfortunately most of them are not alive anymore. He then widened his research to not just artist, but people. As a result, he found out that there is a lot of psychology involve, because if you lose your eyesight, you have to relearn everything in terms of doing things.
The exact cause of this disease is still unknown. Basically the eyes will swell up, just imagine a photograph at the back of eye being squashed up, and you can never make it flat again. The optics is fine but the retinas are damaged. What I see is all blur; it is like looking through a very dirty window.
But what surprised Aaron the most was that artists still continue to make similar work with similar style. Losing one’s eyesight only affects the practical aspect; they still do the same thing but just change their method. Everything can be done as long as one has the determination.
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Aaron’s hand lettering
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Bell 2010
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Aaron Mcpeake
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He enjoys making bells because he loves the fact that normally when people go and see things especially sculpture, they cannot touch them, whereas people are able to interact with his work. They are allowed to look, touch, feel and listen to it; the notion of listening is able to remind one about something personal, so it is not just about artist telling a message. He prefers his audience to connect with his work with their personal stories. About circle, he thinks there are a lot of different things, circle in English we have the word ‘ring’, the wedding ring and the sound. A bell rings in circular motion; the sound is listening to itself. If we were to put all the bells out, and start to ring one of them, the others will start ringing as well. We will be able to see it shake, they ring each other, the vibration is speaking. So the circle has this acoustic, the way sound works, it is like when one throws a pebble into a pond, ripples will be formed. Although the perfect circle, they say it is not in nature, it is because we have radiation, so it moves in a concentric circle of waves.
In order for a very good sound, one will need a circle , look at all the musical instrument like trumpets, they are all circular. So there is this notion of things radiate and sound travels better in circular motion. He also thinks that circle represents cycles, seasons, days, weeks, months and years. That cycle is circular. Even our whole life is a cycle, when we get old our memory of childhood become more vivid. A perfect circle is just an idea, circles surround us; it acts as both a shape and a metaphor. The same sketch book was given to him and Aaron picked up a black marker because it is more visible for him and started to fill up the page with circular arrows. He said that it represents how sounds travel in direction in circular motion which I think relates to most of his bells and gongs work a lot. He reminds all of us to not let anything hold us back, just do it and make things happen.
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04 • THE FUN THING
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We played with toys when we were young; often toys were the one who taught us about all the shapes, colours and alphabets. As we grow older, many of us get into sports and the shape of circle appears very frequently in all sorts of games such as the shape of the field, equipment used and the ball itself. The happiness one has with both toys and sports will never get old, same goes to the idea of circles in toys and sports.
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Nowadays, Slinky might be a throwback to a simpler toy era, but it is definitely one of the most successful one. It can perform a number of tricks, including travelling down a flight of steps end-over-end as it stretches and re-forms itself with the aid of gravity and its own momentum, or appear to levitate for a period of time after it has been dropped. Slinky’s never ending stretched movement has a similar sense of infinity a circle owns as it has no beginning and ending. These interesting characteristics have contributed to its big success as a toy in its home country, USA; resulting in many popular toys having the slinky components in a wide range of countries. The genius behind this legendary toy is none other than Richard James and his wife, Betty who picked the name “Slinky”.
Designing delicate sea-bound instruments in the midst of this melee, an entirely non-military application caught James’ attention. He reportedly knocked a tension spring off a shelf and as it slid to the ground, thought to himself that it could make a good toy. Here’s where the successful inventor departs from the rest of us.
In the early 1940s, American industry revolved around war production. On the grounds of Cramp’s shipyard in Philadelphia, where wartime employment peaked at 18,000, Richard James would have been among scores of engineers urgently devising plans for new naval battleships.
Not only did James think it, but he spent the better part of a two years experimenting with different lengths and metallurgical formulas until he produced the familiar, elegant spring that could walk down stairs. Following the success of Slinky, Slinky pull-toys such as Slinky Dog and Slinky Train were then developed. Slinky Dog even made its appearance in one of the classic Pixar animation movie series, Toy Story that is known for its loyalty towards Woody.
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Richard James was playing slinky with his son, 1945
“What walks down stairs, Alone or in pairs, And makes a slinkity sound? It’s Slinky...”
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Sesame Street original cast
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sesame street Sesame Street is a long-running American children’s television series created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. It is well known for its educational content, and images communicated through the use of Jim Henson’s Muppets, animation, short films, humor, and cultural references. The series premiered on November 10, 1969 and is still going on strong till present day.
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In 1979, the makers of Sesame Street commissioned Philip Glass to compose music for a series of four unnumbered animation pieces titled “Geometry of Circles�, designed as a primer for visual thinking, something at the core of both Sesame Street itself and Jim Henson’s original vision that predated his creation of The Muppets. Philip Glass is a composer of contemporary classical music, Glass is most famously associated with the minimalist movement in music.
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Geometry of Circles
“Geometry of Circles� is a series of unnumbered animation pieces that consist of the movement of six circles, each with a different color of the rainbow that are formed by and split up into various geometric patterns. The music was used to back geometric animations showing how a simple circle could be subdivided and repeated to make more complex shapes and patterns, in much the same way that Glass’s music uses patterns, repetition, and subtle alteration to create melody and complexity. This beautiful and eloquent combination was composed in a multisensory way which fully expresses the limitless possibilities in a simple circle, just like the shape itself with no beginning and ending.
Philip Glass
sumo 85
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wrestling
87 Sumo is a competitive full-contact wrestling sport where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (dohyo) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport was originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. Dohyo is the ring in which sumo wrestling bouts are held. A modern dohyo is a circle of rice-straw bales 4.55 meters in diameter, mounted on a square platform of clay 6.7m on a side, and 34 to 60 cm high with its surface covered by sand. In ancient times, the boundaries of a dohyo would be formed by a circle of people watching the match.
No women
Dohyo
88 It is believed that a dohyo is defined as something other than simply the area given to the wrestlers by spectators. Around the ring is a kinf d finely brushed sand called the ja-no-me (snake’s eye), which can be used to determine if a wrestler has just touched his foot, or another part of his body, outside the ring. Sumo wrestlers often resemble a dance while performing the ring entering ritual. They clap their hands and perform a leg-stomping ritual to drive evil spirits from the ring. This is often rhythmic and stylized. In addition, the Sumo Association forbids women to enter a sumo ring as it is considered a violation of the purity of the ring even though there was a tradition of female sumo wrestlers historically.
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V W U S J C Q X F T E L E D Z V S E S A M E S T R E E T N M D S V D B Q H L E B T O D T R J F C F F G C U I R N R I G Y Q Y B L G B T
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H U A F D Q C F C Y F D Y B Y O U X J P F W S T A I R S B N I Y E B L A Q C S
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05 • THE BIG BANG THING
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If you were thinking about the well-known American sitcom, you are wrong. This is the real big bang theory we will be looking into, we are looking at circles in the terms of life, cycles, planets and inventions. The big bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model for the early development of the universe. For centuries, humans have gazed at the stars and wondered how did the universe developed into what it is today. It has been the subject of religious, philosophical, and scientific discussion and debate. People who have tried to uncover the mysteries of the universe’s development include such famous scientists as Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and Stephen Hawking. One of the most famous and widely accepted models for the universe’s development is none other than the big bang theory. This theory is an attempt to explain how the universe developed from a very tiny, dense state into what it is today; it also describes the expansion of the universe.
One theory states that t universe is a very small circle that swims in a vast space. All galaxies revolve round the center of this circle and revolving takes billions of years. Such a theory is highly appreciated by astronomers because it explains many cosmic phenomena such as the expansion of the universe. From the entire universe to the tiniest atom, there are all kinds of nature circles such as the Sun, Moon, Earth, orbits and planets. The orbits of the planets are ellipses with the Sun at one focus, even the way our solar system works is in a circular format with all 9 planets including the Sun, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are located one after another.
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Saturn captured by Voyager
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wheels
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The discovery of round object, called the wheel, appears to be the most significant impact in our daily life. Wheels are the most ancient discovery for humankind. A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axial bearing. During its early stages it must have revolutionized the life-style of mankind. Before the discovery of wheel, the main source of movement must have been the two legs and the animals. Naturally human mobility was, perforce, confined to a limited area and life was leisurely. But with the advent of the wheel, a new spirit of exploration and joy must have inspired mankind. Based on diagrams on ancient clay tablets, the earliest known use of this essential invention was a potter’s wheel that was used in Mesopotamia as early as 3500 BC. The first use of the wheel for transportation was probably on Mesopotamian chariots in 3200 BC. It is interesting to note that wheels may have had industrial or manufacturing applications before they were used on vehicles. As soon as the wheel was invented, there was a revolt in the manufacturing industry.
A wheel developed around 2700 BCE in Mesopotamia
97 The field of pottery is a crucial discovery for progression of humanity. The containers that were prepared by the potters are helpful for carrying the essentials of drinking water and nutritious food. There was yet another enhancement by utilizing the wheels for moving on the vehicles. The advanced version of these wheels is now being used by the cars, which we use today for our own convenience. Back then, humans used logs to move large loads around. The main problem with this method of transportation was that many rollers were required, and care was required to insure that the rollers stayed true to their course. One theory as to how this obstacle was overcome suggests a platform, or a sledge was built with cross-bars fitted to the underside, thereby preventing the rollers from slipping out from under the load. Two rollers would be utilized, with two cross-bars for each roller, one fore and the other aft of the roller. Wheels thus brought mobility to our daily life. All the modes of our daily transportation such as car, bicycle, scooter, train and even airplane needs wheel. The airplane cannot take off without the wheel. The wheel functions as a turbine in engines and machines to lend them mechanical advantage. Even in daily life this wheel serves us loyally as a friend by playing their role as a pulley. Modern age is one of science. Even the medical science acknowledges of the importance wheel. The wheel-chair has brought a new life to the physically disabled due to deformed legs.
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Traditional potters wheel
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tree ring
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Human Evolution
102 In the ancient times, the word “circle” was derived from the Greek word which means “loop” or “ring”. We are specifically focusing on the nature rings in the universe, tree rings. Tree rings also referred to as growth rings or annual rings, can be seen in a horizontal cross section cut through the trunk of a tree. These rings are almost like a human life cycle, each and every year we grow older with more stories and experiences to share. Tree rings are the result of new growth in the vascular cambium, a layer of cells near the bark that is classified as a lateral meristem. This growth in diameter is known as secondary growth. Visible rings result from the change in growth speed through the seasons of the year, thus one ring usually marks the passage of one year in the life of the tree. The rings are more visible in temperate zones, where the seasons differ more markedly. Trees are able to tell a story as they contain some of nature’s most accurate evidence of the past. Their growth layers, appearing as rings in the cross section of the tree trunk, record evidence of floods, droughts, insect attacks, lightning strikes, and even earthquakes that occurred during the lifespan of the tree. Subtle changes in the thickness of the rings over time indicate changes in length of, or water availability during, the growing season. The study of the growth of tree rings is known as dendrochronology, which also known as tree ring dating, is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year. The accumulation of tree rings forms a circular swirling repetitive motif. The movement of this circle might not be very dynamic, yet the subtle appearance of it has this ability to trace the evidence of the world’s history.
06 • THE URBAN THING
Landscape designers often use geometric shapes and design principles as the fundamental guidelines in creating their plans. These principles include form, scale, line value contrast, lettering and line forms. Line forms emphasize real and imaginary lines that play an important role in the creation of large and small spaces within a landscape design. Each type of form will create spaces differently and the designer should be aware that the line form they choose to define a space will depend on the design style they are trying to achieve and the desired experience. Blending styles and remembering that “form follows function� allows a designer to accentuate the best elements within a landscape.
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landscape architecture
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Round buildings can be found throughout the history of building, across innumerable cultures. They range in various scales and usages from dwellings to coliseums, from silos to sacred domes. Some examples include traditional nomads’ yurt in Kyrgyzstan, Water tower on Alcatraz Island and Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. Round buildings stand out and announce their own autonomy. Symbolically, they are whole. In order for a building to be round in shape, it requires a centre point and curved lines. A centre is a point used to define something round. Many round things have one centre, but they can also have multiple centres such as ellipses that have two central foci. Many buildings and monuments are themselves centres because they define or describe the space around them. Centres tend to attract or repel energy. Curves and curved surfaces are boundaries of enclosure. They set up an inside and outside contrast based on the direction of the curve. For millennia, people have used these aspects of roundness to create round buildings and spaces that are not circular or spherical. In contemporary architecture, roundness is rarely explicit.
Temple of Heaven Beijing, China
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A sense of roundness is often achieved with only a few physical signifiers. The sight of an oblique angle, a cavernous echo, or the feel of a smooth object can all trigger a sense of roundness. It is no longer merely a physical characteristic; it is a felt phenomenon resulting from our experience of place and space. Research also shows that human brains prefer curvy architecture more than angular buildings. Neuroscientists have shown that this affection for curves isn’t just a matter of personal taste; it’s hard-wired into the brain.They reported that test participants were far more likely to consider a room beautiful when it was flush with curves rather than full of straight lines. These circular features got the participants’ aesthetic engines going. Roundness seems to be a universal human pleasure. The human brain prefers curves as they signal lack of threat, sharp objects have long signaled physical danger. Thus human brains now associate sharp lines with a threat whereas curves may be seen as harmless.
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stonehenge
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Located about 13 km (8 miles) north of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England; Stonehenge is a monumental circular setting of large standing stones surrounded by a circular earthwork, built in prehistoric times beginning about 3100 BC. The modern interpretation of the monument is based chiefly on excavations carried out since 1919 and especially since 1950. Stonehenge that visitors see today is considerably ruined, many of its stones having been pilfered by medieval and early modern builders as there is no natural building stone within 21 km of Stonehenge; its general architecture has also been subjected to centuries of weathering and depredation. The monument consists of a number of structural elements, mostly circular in plan. In the bird eye view, repetitive circle motif will constantly appear.
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On the outside is a circular ditch, with a bank immediately within it, all interrupted by an entrance gap on the northeast, leading to the Avenue. At the centre of the circle is a stone setting consisting of a horseshoe of tall uprights of sarsen encircled by a ring of tall sarsen uprights, all originally capped by horizontal sarsen lintels. Within the sarsen stone circle were also configurations of smaller and lighter bluestones, but most of these bluestones have disappeared. Small circular ditches enclose two flat areas on the inner edge of the bank, known as the North and South barrows, with empty stone holes at their centres. Some question the reason for Stonehenge to be in a circular shape and archaeologists stated that because the prehistoric surveyors were very good at rope and peg methods of laying out. A circle is easy for them; the next easiest shape is a hexagon. A circle is what they wanted but it also included a massive ‘horseshoe’ shaped array of 10 lintel-topped stones. In fact Stonehenge was laid out entirely using ‘circles and arcs’.
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Stonehenge Bird Eye View National Geographic
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crop circle Crop circles North of Umatilla, Oregon, USA Sam Beebe 2008
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Crop circles are patterns that appear in fields. The pattern is created when certain areas of the crops are tamped down, but others are left intact. The edge is so clean that it looks like it was created with a machine. Even though the stalks are bent, they are not damaged. Most of the time, the crop continues to grow as normal. Sometimes, the patterns are simple circles. In other instances, they are elaborate design consisting of several interconnecting geometric shapes. Some of them come in sets of two circles, three or even four. The sun sets on a field in southern England. When it rises again the following morning, that field has been transformed into an enormous work of art. A large section of the crop has been tamped into a pattern of circles, rings and other intricate geometric shapes. Farmers have reported finding strange circles in their fields for centuries. The earliest mention of a crop circle dates back to the 1500s. The answer of whom or what is creating these crop formations is not an easy one to answer. Some people claim they are the work of UFOs. Others say they are a natural phenomenon. Still others say they are elaborate hoaxes perpetrated by te ams of circlemakers. Possibly the most controversial theory is that crop circles are the work of visitors from other planets, sort of like alien calling cards. On the contrary, the most scientific theory mentions that it is created by small currents of swirling winds called vortices. The spinning columns force a burst of air down to the ground, which flattens the crops. There are people who states that it is created by aircraft, earth energy and humans, but they believe that human is the easiest explanation. They think crop circles are just man-made hoaxes, created either for fun or to stump the scientists. Among the most famous hoaxers are the British team of Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, known as “Doug and Dave.� In 1991, the duo came out and announced that they had made hundreds of crop circles since 1978. To prove that they were responsible, they filmed themselves for the BBC making a circle with a rope-and-plank contraption in a Wiltshire field.
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07 • THE LITTLE THING
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Daniel Eatock is an artist and graphic designer who lives and works in London. While Eatock produces work for major clients such as the New York Times, and Britain’s Channel 4, many of his projects are self-initiated. He has this ongoing interest to proposing and finding solutions to problems, often problems that cannot be formulated before they have been solved; the shaping of the question is part of the answer. I attempt to start a little project named “a circle a day” which I practice to hand draw a perfect circle daily for 25 days. Some circles were drawn very carefully whereas some were drawn very freely, it solely depends on how I felt on that particular day. This project was inspired by Eatock’s practice on drawing circles including Hand Drawn Circles, Sixty Second Circles, One Hour Circle Drawings, One Minute Circle Drawings, One Hour Circle Painting and One Hour Circle. He conducted most of these practices with graphic design students in various universities. The hand-drawn circle has a powerful place in Eatock’s practice as a conceptual and performative template. He hand drew five hundred circles on A3 sheets and removed the most accurate one from the stack and framed it, leaving the other 499 sheets as a stack on the floor. It is diagram of circular thinking, a sign of the loop, a physical link connecting beginnings and ends, etc. Drawing a circle by hand is also a challenge that measures skill and the idea of measurement itself. Who has drawn a perfect free hand circle and how do we judge it to be so?
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During the course of his career, Eatock estimates that he has drawn over 10,000 circles with pencil on letter-size paper, some much better than others. We know for certain that he has executed at least 4,000 examples of these drawings because one yellow sheet was bound into every copy of his 2008 book “Imprint� with each positioned at a different place in the book.
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00 A Circle A Day Began 28th March 2014 Ended on 21st April 2014 Multicolour Markers, Plain Paper.
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08 • THE LAST THING
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Circle has existed long before recorded history and is proven to be one of the most basic yet powerful shapes existed. It plays such a crucial role in the process of human civilization by having distinctive meanings in various fields and contexts. The idea of circle was initiated based on a simple starting point, the Chinese culture; and I have never thought that I will go any deeper or more abstract than that. All the interviews done and information collected was more interesting than I imagined, particularly the ones I did with all the artists. It definitely changed my point of view on the circles and certainly affects my design process a lot. Coming to an end of this book is like completing a full circle, I will never look at any circle in the same way I used to after writing this book. So, think and look around you, what is your circle story?
References Information are collected and sourced through interviews with artists and internet research. Sources as listed below. http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/universe/questions_and_ideas/big_bang/ http://www.theatlantic.com/archive/2013/01/the-story-of-the-slinky/ http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/crop-circle7.htm http://circlesonly.wordpress.com/category/history-of-circles/ http://www.illuminantpartners.com/chinese-culture/ https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/anish-kapoor-1384 http://www.behcets.com/site/ http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_Wiki http://www.sumotalk.com/history.htm http://eatock.com/project/daniel-eatock/ http://www.notap.gov.ng/content/history-invention-wheel http://johnstonarchitects.com/tag/roundness/
Picture Credits Most of the images are from my personal selection throughout the years. Other images are sourced from websites as listed below. p19 - http://www.ayuancm.com/ p39 - http://www.lissongallery.com/artists/anish-kapoor/gallery/943 p43 - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/8029665/ p51,52 - http://www.howardsilvermanartist.com/painted-sculpture.html p59,60 - http://aprb.co.uk/projects/all-projects/2012/ p80 - http://whyy.org/cms/news/slinky-toy-celebrates-65th-birthday/34802 p81 - http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Street p83 - http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.aspx?id=368 p85 - https://fredericevasion.wordpress.com/page/8/ p94 - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/picture-galleries/8200854/ p95 - http://www.notap.gov.ng/content/history-invention-wheel p97,98 - http://red85.deviantart.com/art/Traditional-potters-wheel-41079070 p101 - http://www.realitatea.net/ p107 - http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/heaven/ p109 - http://stonehengetrips.com/ p111 - http://lottovolante.plnet.forumcommunity.net/?t=45685677 p113 - http://cropcirclez.wordpress.com/2012/09/