4.22.2009

Action Verbs

speculate - A speculation is in other words an accusation; to claim to know something without hard evidence. In science, to speculate, is to hypothesis. Architects speculate in order to find truth in artwork, architecture, and the needs and wants of the human. Coming towards the middle of the twentieth century, architects are speculating that modern architecture is not meeting proper needs. For example, the Guggenheim caused a shakeup in the history because Frank Lloyd Wright is not creating architecture for the human's need, but for decoration.

compose - To compose a piece of art, architecture, or anything creative, we must know exactly what we want. We must know where to put a door in a room, a office space in a building, and a skyscraper in a city. We compose everyday by imagining what's the best place to organize and create a flow of things. Musician's compose music to show their talents and the beauty of hearing. In Suzanne's drawing class we had to compose a 18x24 piece of either Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater or Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Although, the majority of the class decided on Fallingwater, I sincerely adored the landscape and the mood the Monticello gave off. In artwork, to compose means to have a meaning for things. Suzanne's goal was to give the feeling we experienced in either of the two. I decided to watercolor the background of Monticello purple due to its energetic and royal feel.

energize - In the beginning of the year we learned about how to energize lines and make them more vivid. We practiced by doing multiple blind contours which I found to be exciting because the end product had more "energy" than normal. As I walked around studio I found multiple portraits of (I'm assuming Stoel) in energized form. The lines were not straight, they were not flowing, but they were staggered and rigid and intentional. I found those pencil drawings to feel more lifelike. In designing interiors we have been exploring color to energize rooms. The most common is the color red. The color red energizes a room because of its boldness and at times vibrant color.

shape - In Environmental Design, we were chewed out because of our lack of sketch models for our current project - 2 Room Interior Design. The teachers were disappointed not only in the lack of sketch models but also in ideas. We, as a class, had hard times designing because we were "trapped in the box". The constraints and limitations held us back from being original and creative. Suzanne showed us a presentation where many architects have broke limitations and created outstanding buildings. They were vibrant, energetic, and integrated the wall in ways no ones ever dreamed of.

stretch - As we stretch to our bodies grow weak from countless projects, we're learning to adapt and keep going for the next two weeks. Stretch a form means to hyperextend an object past limitations. Elastic bands, are capable of withstanding many curves and extensions due to its stretchiness.