Exhibition Text
Tetrapharmakos
57cmx20cm
Basswood and Cardboard
April 2017
This piece is a basswood model of a design meant to be installed on the shores of Lake Michigan. The design is meant to transition viewers from the fast pace of daily life to a more serene environment. The entrance is surrounded by long, thin pieces meant to represent the speed of daily life. These disappear as the viewer walks further into the structure and the outside world is dissolved by the large walls that build as the viewer moves through.
57cmx20cm
Basswood and Cardboard
April 2017
This piece is a basswood model of a design meant to be installed on the shores of Lake Michigan. The design is meant to transition viewers from the fast pace of daily life to a more serene environment. The entrance is surrounded by long, thin pieces meant to represent the speed of daily life. These disappear as the viewer walks further into the structure and the outside world is dissolved by the large walls that build as the viewer moves through.
Inspiration
The main inspiration for this piece came from the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. He was a Wisconsin born architect who pioneered new architectural styles and principles; one such principle is his use of 'organic' architecture. To Wright organic architecture was not the imitation of nature but rather the respect for the materials being worked with and the relationship between the form of the building and its function. He altered the phrase of his mentor, whose slogan was "form follows function" into "form and function are one". Organic architecture to him was also an integration of the site and the structure into one coherent whole. Using these principles he created buildings like Fallingwater, a house located directly over a stream in Pennsylvania. Fallingwater perfectly interacts with its environment, it juts out onto the stream so anyone inside can clearly hear and feel the sound of trickling water beneath them. This blend of a manmade structure with the surrounding nature has a surreal beauty. I took most inspiration from the ideas of organic architecture as well as another of his structures, the Guggenheim. The Guggenheim is a museum located in New York city and was designed by Wright during the 1940s. It features one unending spiral ramp that allows visitors to view the art in an unbreaking fashion, rather than the normal museum layout of rooms where viewers must retrace their steps when exiting. I emulated this in my work using large curves to guide the viewer in, similar to the curves on the Guggenheim. I also attempted to integrate the form of the structure with the flow of the sand.
Process
Planning Models
Design 1
In this design I attempted to guide the viewer into several different positions and allow them to view a specific place on the lakefront from several different locations. In the design the Milwaukee sticker represents the Milwaukee skyline which is visible from several locations on the lakefront. The rock represents the cliffs that can be seen to the south of the lakefront. To guide viewers into these different positions I used large walls to block the view of other parts of the lake and frame a specific view. In the left picture the top section of the design is meant to show the viewer only the Milwaukee skyline and the lakefront. The middle section is meant to show only the lakefront and the bottom portion is meant to only show the cliffs to the south, using a large wall to block the view of the skyline.
In this design I attempted to guide the viewer into several different positions and allow them to view a specific place on the lakefront from several different locations. In the design the Milwaukee sticker represents the Milwaukee skyline which is visible from several locations on the lakefront. The rock represents the cliffs that can be seen to the south of the lakefront. To guide viewers into these different positions I used large walls to block the view of other parts of the lake and frame a specific view. In the left picture the top section of the design is meant to show the viewer only the Milwaukee skyline and the lakefront. The middle section is meant to show only the lakefront and the bottom portion is meant to only show the cliffs to the south, using a large wall to block the view of the skyline.
Design 2
This design was meant to guide the viewer to a secluded area in which they could experience a deeper connection to the lake. When first entering the structure the viewer is completely surrounded by the walls and would most likely feel claustrophobic; this changes when the viewer walks farther into the structure and it opens up to a complete view of the lake.
This design was meant to guide the viewer to a secluded area in which they could experience a deeper connection to the lake. When first entering the structure the viewer is completely surrounded by the walls and would most likely feel claustrophobic; this changes when the viewer walks farther into the structure and it opens up to a complete view of the lake.
Design 3
For this design I attempted to guide the viewer around a large structure which would cause the viewer to feel overwhelmed by such a large structures presence. To guide them around it I designed the structure to have a very organic and flowing form accompanied by walls on both sides that mimic this flowing shape. The structure in the center is meant to resemble a spinal column, representing stability and the connection between Milwaukee and Lake Michigan.
For this design I attempted to guide the viewer around a large structure which would cause the viewer to feel overwhelmed by such a large structures presence. To guide them around it I designed the structure to have a very organic and flowing form accompanied by walls on both sides that mimic this flowing shape. The structure in the center is meant to resemble a spinal column, representing stability and the connection between Milwaukee and Lake Michigan.
Design 4
In this design I attempted to give the viewer a structure to stand under and with it a sense of security.
In this design I attempted to give the viewer a structure to stand under and with it a sense of security.
Building the Final Model
The model I initially attempted to build using the basswood was design 2. I believed it was the strongest visually and it was recommended that I use it as my final piece. To start constructing it I cut out several square pieces that were approximately the same size in length and width. I then cut these down to get 2 large pieces, 3 medium sized pieces, 3 smaller ones. I then steamed these to make them bendable enough to work with and taped them together in the shape that I wanted them to hold so they would all end up being the same shape. I then used small pieces of wood to attach the large pieces to the medium ones and the medium ones to the large ones. Once these pieces were together I cut three slits in the cardboard and slid the pieces into them. |