A few months ago, I wrote a series of posts focusing on design words. In all, there were 11 posts; click on the word if you want to learn more:

1. Eclectic ”Incorporate diversity”

2. Gestalt ”Create unity”

3. Luster ”Make it shine”

4. Ambiance ”Set the mood”

5. Biophilia ”Learn from nature”

6. Translucent ”Let light through”

7. Rhythm ”Make it move”

8. Illusion ”Fool the eye”

9. Fibonacci Sequence ”Proportion! Proportion! Proportion!”

10. Transient ”Avoid fads”

11. Ergonomic ”Design for the body”

The conference was going smoothly until Monday morning, when Rodney Heller presented “Illuminating Schools – Smart Boards and iPads,” in which he advocated low energy solutions for schools through retrofit kits. His chief argument was that the light levels in classrooms could remain at twenty five footcandles because many of the tasks are done on computers, smartboards, and tablets, which are self-illuminating; furthermore, the new IES Lighting Handbook recommends twenty five footcandles for students under the age of twenty five. Several members of the audience expressed concern for such a low light level, with skeptics questioning everything from the LLF used during the presentation, to the cleaning patterns of custodial staff in schools. One person jokingly asked if Heller provided the teacher with a headlamp.

I left the presentation thinking I had learned something new about the energy saving
possibilities of following IES Recommendations when conducting retrofits. The
surprise came in the lobby, after the presentation, when I talked to lighting designers
and professors who did not have very friendly things to say about Mr. Heller. This
caught me off guard. I understood that lighting was composed of many disciplines, and
that those disciplines often disagreed, but seeing people that I admired and respected
call each other names was a rude awakening.

At this yearʼs IES Annual Conference, several seasoned members forgot that the
lighting industryʼs various disciplines are all necessary. While I learned more about
lighting than I could ever hope to in four days, I also picked up new slurs: “watt-watchers
only care about the numbers,” “professors are all theory and no practice,” “lighting
designers are all prima donnas,” and “sales reps donʼt know jack about lighting.”

It was like watching a minor league baseball game in which the parents were
arguing, and the kids just wanted to play ball.

One thing seemed obvious from the perception of an Emerging Professional:
each person in the industry has a crucial role. From the guys who climb the poles, to the
engineers, to the designers and the distributors, each individual is performing a useful
service every day they go to work. The lighting industry is like a string. The thread is
composed of many smaller fibers twisted together. Of course, if you tried to separate
one of these smaller fibers, the entire string would be damaged.

To be fair, the experience gained at the IES Annual Conference was unique and
informative. From the Emerging Professionals Workshop, to the speaker sessions, I was
immersed in the world of light. Stimulating ideas awaited around every corner, whether I
was learning energy saving strategies from so-called watt-watchers, or being inspired
by the latest recipients of the Illumination Awards. As far as lighting education is
concerned, I cannot conceive of a better environment in which to learn. Not to mention,
the hors d’oeuvre were delectable.

However, there is a fine line between bickering and debating; next year, let us
think of the conference as a warm gathering at a campfire, in which we share our
stories, break bread, and watch what we say around the kids, because they just may
repeat it.

May, 1 2012: Thanks to Dawn DeGrazio for the shout out in the May issue of LD+A Magazine:

Click to enter the gallery.

Ada Louise Huxtable

“The true test of a museum is the impact of its contents on the heart and mind, and the sense of beauty or gratification enjoyed by the visitor as a private, personal experience. Whether the new buildings will improve this experience remains to be seen.”

Ada Louise Huxtable, New York Times, May 8, 1960

Project:

Firm:
Deardesign

Background:
680 square feet – Barcelona, Spain – 2009

Analysis:

The principle idea behind the Lurdes Bergada flagship store in Barcelona is to provide clients the sensation of shopping at a street market. To allow for maximum penetration of daylight, the space is divided into two clearly defined areas. The first area, including the technical spaces such as fitting rooms and storage, is stowed behind a beachwood divider, leaving the rest of the store available for the main shopping floor. People can enter from both the street side or the park side.

The store’s design intends to reinforce the Bergada brand identity of simplicity, purity, and industry. Materials such as concrete and cement simplify the architectural reading of the store. The natural beachwood skin stands in contrast to the surrounding cement, lending the wooden structure a contemporary, cavelike appearance.

Reflection:

At first glance, the Lurdes Bergada flagship store’s industrial appearance echoes the brand’s promise of simplicity and purity. Unfortunately, the store’s staunch adherence to minimalism results in minimal answers. Based on the design of this store, one would assume Lurdes Bergada is more interested in projecting the image of simplicity than in uncovering the nuances of functionality. The space fails when you consider basic design ideas like acoustics and lighting.

In terms of acoustics, the only soft surfaces in the space are the clothes, which are sparse. Sounds may be shrill in this space, bouncing from one hard surface to another.

When you consider the lighting, which is central to the design concept, you discover how
Deardesign missed their target. Their attempt to incorporate as much natural daylight as possible was supplemented with eight foot, 5000K, fluorescent strip lights mounted on the ceiling. These lamps mimic the color appearance of natural daylight. The unintended effect is a vast, shadowless space with hardly any hierarchy of light levels. The diffuse fluorescent lights wash out shadows, poorly modeling the clothing’s textures. More light is landing on the huge, boring cement wall than on the merchandise. These lighting design flaws may be overlooked elsewhere, but they are near suicide in retail.

Sure, the solutions are simple, but they are superficial too. At the Lurdes Bergada flagship store, simplicity takes precedence over nuance, and image over comfort. The result? Indifferent, insecure, and impersonal architecture, highly stylized in clichés.

References:

“Lurdes Bergada / Dear design” 02 Feb 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 03 Feb 2013.

Deardesign (2009) A Contrasted Space. Retrieved February 3, 2013 from 

Firm: Oppenheim Architecture & Design

Background: 80,000 SF – Wadi Rum, Jordan

Chad Oppenheim and his firm’s design for the Wadi Resort will carve 47 minimal lodges out of the sandstone and granite rock formations found in the desert in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Using existing geological geometries and rammed earth structures, the design will harness the land’s natural beauty to create a luxury guest experience. Renderings provided by Oppenheim Architecture & Design depict minimal spaces that weave in and out of the rock formations, revealing expansive desert vistas.

OAD’s background in sustainability will permeate the project. Designed with a passive means of cross ventilation, the resort takes advantage of the natural cooling effects of the rocks, minimizing energy consumption. The structure will consist primarily of local materials. To mitigate the disruption of natural habitats, existing plants and animals have been surveyed. Water conservation measures will be established for both human use and for site irrigation.

In regards to architectural form, the design for the Wadi Rum Desert Resort represents a reinterpretation of the relationships between context and structure. Describing the project, OAD wrote, “the conceptual point of departure has its roots in the tectonic and geological histories of the region.” Demonstrating how spaces can be created through subtraction, cavernous rooms carved amongst monolithic rock formations blur the lines between architecture and the environment. The resort is a symphony of form, space, and light. This integration with nature is the project’s most outstanding quality, leaving no doubt about OED’s attention to environmental considerations.

From a cultural standpoint, however, little about the Jordanian culture is reflected in the interior of the space. Due to its highly westernized, minimal styling, the resort appears as if it could have been built in any desert, anywhere. It does not seek to make statements about local culture, music, art, and cuisine, instead it offers a neutral, retreat-like atmosphere. In spite of the dramatic views and imposing angled planes, the interiors lack vibrance.

All in all, the resort responds beautifully to local geological conditions, but falls a short on delivering an experience unique to Jordan.

References:

Moore, A. (2012, March) Wadi Resort by Oppenheim Architecture & Design (Electronic version) Interiors & Sources

Oppenheim (2012) Wadi Rum Desert Resort Retrieved January 26, 2013 from http://www.oppenoffice.com

This music venue has hosted acts as diverse as Willie Nelson, Jay-Z, Elton John, and Diana Ross. The building is LEED-certified and boasts one of the most advanced lighting systems to date.

PS: Thank you to Kassandra Gonzales, Jennifer Jaques, and the Illuminating Engineering Society for organizing the tour.

Robert Venturi, 1966

Vanna Venturi house

Th interview was submitted to Plinth & Chintz, online magazine, for publishing. Read the full story here: Learn, Baby, Learn

Bedinghaus 2012

Bedinghaus 2012

Currently, the site is very dark. The subdivision’s sign is not visible from the adjacent highway. Also, light is not reaching the residents’ mailboxes:

Here are the dimensioned AutoCAD drawings of the sign and mailhouse:

First, let’s look at the sign lighting comparisons. Option A is using the Cooper 303-S1 LED Flood, mounted to the sign with a two-foot arm:

Option B is using the ABS Lighting Series 5550 with PSMH, mounted on the floor:

Next, let’s examine the mailhouse lighting comparisons. Option A is using the Stonco S-A-O with a Linear fluorescent fixture, mounted to the bottom of the soffit:

Option B is using the Hubbell Outdoor Laredo with a CFL, mounted to the bottom of the soffit as well:

Here are the lighting calculation summaries for option A, including both the sign and the mailbox lighting:

Here are the lighting calculation summaries for option B:

Here is the summary of pros and cons for each option:

For more information on the luminaires used, see the specifications below:

OPTION B HUBBELL LAREDO
OPTION B ABS 5550
OPTION A COOPER Eon_303S1
OPTION A STONCO S_2ft

See more perspective sketches.

School of Paris – Xenophobic French critics to distinguish between native and foreign artists. Balance, order, and rationality. Emphasis on creativity and individuality. Later the definition morphs to include art in Paris between WW1 and WW2.

Cursed Painters - refers to several of the painters of the School of Paris who suffered early, painful deaths. This is where the stereotype of the starving artist comes from.

bohemian – A socially unconventional person, especially one who is involved in the arts.

odalisque – french for female slave or concubine, refers to eroticized artistic genre in which a eastern woman lies on her side on display.

academic tradition – a style produced under influence of European academies of art; depicts myth, history, religion; illusionistic, hidden brush strokes

mobile -  term coined by Marcel Duchamp to refer to sculptures that hang and move with air currents. Pioneered by Alexander Calder, who made mobiles that were sculptural, engineered, biomorphic, geometric, balanced, and abstract.

abstraction – a process by which higher concepts are derived from concrete concepts. Think about super-categorical nouns than have many subordinate concepts.

World’s Fair – Large public exhibition, always in different places.

New York School - synonymous with abstract expressionist painting. Informal group of poets, painters, dancers, and musicians active in the 1950’s and 60’s in NYC. Drew inspiration from Surriealism, action painting, abstract expressionism, Jazz, improv, and experimental music.

Abstract Expressionism – American post-WWII art movement to achieve international influence, putting NYC in the center of the art world. Draws from Surrealism’s automatism. Uses gestural abstraction, action painting, and all-over composition.

gestural abstraction – aka action painting, style of painting in which paint is spontaneously dribbled, splashed, or smeared onto the canvas, rather than being carefully applied. Emphasis on the physical act of painting as part of the finished work.

action painting – aka gestural abstraction, style of painting in which paint is spontaneously dribbled, splashed, or smeared onto the canvas, rather than being carefully applied. Emphasis on the physical act of painting as part of the finished work.

all-over composition – artwork with no single focal point; instead, the entire canvas is treated with equal visual weight.

color field painting – large portions of the canvas painted in nearly solid colors. Colors tend to change based on how the light reflects in the space. This type of painting rewards looking for long periods of time. Examples include Newmann and Rothko.

zip painting -  branch of abstract Expressionism, using color fields in huge scale separated by vertical zips of paint. The zips seem to vibrate with the use of color and line. Pioneered by Barnett Newmann.

Informalism – the European version of AbEx, especially in France.

Tachisme – French “tache=stain”. Popular painting style in 1940s and 1950s. Part of Informalism.

New Figuration – style of drawing and painting the human body in highly distorted ways, yet still maintaining that the human form is the best form of expression.

Existentialism – philosophy by Jean-Paul Sartre concerned with human existence. Stresses that existence cannot be understandable by science, ideals, or archetypes; Stresses the individual, subjective world. Emphasis on freedom and responsibility.

Art Brut – literally translates into “raw art”, and it appears to be art done by children or the mentally insane. Usually has highly built up surface paint. It is anti-aesthetic: grungy, gritty, and dingy. Often uses the female nude as subject to attack the standards of beauty.

anti-aesthetic – being against the dominant archetypes of beauty and aesthetics in the West (such as order, cleanliness, symmetry, etc.)

Concrete Art – style of painting proposes that painting should be constructed purely from  planes and colors, and that a painting possesses no other significance but itself. Contributed the shaped canvas and moveable sculpture to Western Art. These artists see themselves as avante garde.

shaped canvas - irregularly shaped frame. Started out because in order to be truly concrete artists, why maintain the rectangular canvas, which implies a window, or illusion? Break the box.

Madí – other nonsense movement from Brazil, like Dada, except it is more playful and open.

moveable sculpture – sculpture that can be moved and interacted with by the user.

Ulm School – School started by Max Bill in Germany after WW2, intensely modern and Functionalist (which was suppressed while Hitler was in power, so Modernism became a symbol for a new Germany).

cantilever – architectural principle of suspending a plane with high tensile strength by the use of a counterweight (ie: hanging a textbook over the edge of your desk by placing a counterweight on the textbook).

reinforced concrete – composite material combines concrete and steel for tensile strength.

International Style – major architectural style emerged in 1920s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. Describes Philip Johnson and Mies Van Der Rohe’s style.

slab building – a building that basically looks like a slab. Seagram’s by Mies and Johnson is a great example. Usually, just see structure and glass.

Brutalism – flourished from 1950s-70s, modernist, very linear, blockish, and fortresslike. Predominance of concrete.

Post-Painterly Abstraction – coined by Clement Greenberg, new movement that derived from AbEx except more open and clear.

Neo-Dada – audio and visual art, emphasis on the importance of the work of art produced rather than on the concept generating the work. Use of modern materials, pop imagery, and absurdist contrast.

combine painting – an artwork that incorporates various objects into a painted canvas surface, creating a sort of hybrid between painting and sculpture.

Pop Art – art movement that emerged during the mid-1950s in Britain and USA. Presented challenge to traditions of fine art by including imagery from popular culture such as advertising, news, etc in different contexts.

photo-silkscreen - screen printing is a  technique that uses woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. Ink can then be pressed through the mesh to print designs.

The Factory - name of Andy Warhol’s New York City studio, which had three different locations between 1962 and 1984.

performance art - a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated. Sometimes the audience can participate in work.

feminism – collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women.

New Realism – Nouveau realisme refers to an artistic movement founded by art critic Pierre Restany and Yves Klein in 1960. Avant garde, “new ways of perceiving the real.” had a performance aspect to it.

Post-Modernism – general and wide-ranging term applied to many disciplines (art, lit, economics, philosophy, etc). Reaction to scientific or objective efforts to explain reality. Based on the position that reality is not mirrored in human understanding of it, but is rather constructed as the mind tries to understand its own personal reality. It is relativistic.

I was curious about how much light was reaching my desk at home, so I measured the light levels and recorded a range from 25 to 30 lux. Even with the window open, light levels at my desk were only 32 lux. I began to measure other surfaces throughout the space, with similar findings. Sitting on my bed, where I often read, I was measuring only 25 lux on my lap. In my dress area, I was measuring 30 lux on my full-body mirror.

The Illuminating Engineering Society recommends closer to 300 lux for tasks such as reading, writing, and dressing. This means that my room’s light levels at task planes were only one-tenth what IES recommends.

The lighting in my room was non-uniform, with a warm color temperature (3000K). Using Flynn’s lighting cues, the room could have been described as pleasant or relaxed.

Here are images of the luminaires in my room:

Hypotheses:

1. The light levels in my bedroom and office needed to be increased to 300 lux on task planes to improve my productivity. (Based on IES Illuminance Recommendations for reading, writing, and dressing)

2. I needed to change the color temperature of my lamps to 5000K, which is considered near to daylight, to promote a business-like environment. (Based on IES Recommended Practices for Lighting Educational Facilities)

3. Along with increasing light levels, I also needed to mitigate visual fatigue and promote visual clarity by providing more even light levels. (Based on Flynn’s lighting cues, and IES Recommended Practices)

Experiment:

1. To increase general light levels, I changed all of my light bulbs from 13W CFLs to 20W CFLs.

2. I made sure all the new CFLs were 5000K (daylight), to promote a business-like environment.

3. To increase light levels on task planes in particular, I considered luminaire distribution patterns and placement. See Figures 1 and 2 to get an idea for how moving the luminaires changed the distribution of light within the space.

Figure 1, Luminaire Locations and Light Distribution Before Intervention:

Notes:
-Light penetration into the room is inadequate.
-Light is not reaching the actual task planes of desk, bed, and mirror.

Figure 2, Luminaire Locations and Light Distribution After Intervention:

Notes:
-Light penetration into the room is better.
-Light is reaching the actual task planes of desk, bed, and mirror.

Evaluation:

The change in lamps from 13W CFLs to 20W CFLs increased the light output of each luminaire, while the 5000K color temperature does seem brighter and clearer. However, new lamps alone were not enough to significantly increase light levels at task planes. The greatest benefit came from the proper positioning of luminaires.

The linear fluorescent luminaire (Type A), remained above my cabinet, where it functions as an upper-cabinet luminaire to increase general light levels throughout the space.

The aim-able table luminaire (Type B), is now being used to throw light throughout the dress area. It is being aimed at the wall near my full-length mirror, where the light then reflects onto the nearby dresser and anybody standing in front of the mirror.

The aim-able wall-mounted luminaire (Type C), is now being used above my bed as a reading lamp. The ability to mount it almost directly above my reading surface and aim the light downward, without seeing the light source, made it an excellent task light for reading in bed. This luminaire was previously mounted in the dress area, where many of the directional qualities of this luminaire were being wasted as a wall washer. This repositioning boosted light levels on my lap for reading in bed.

The table luminaire (Type D), is now being used at my desk. It features a light diffusing shade, which allows more light to be cast on my work surface while preventing glare. I am now measuring from 150-300 footcandles on my desk, a range which allows for visually demanding tasks such as reading and writing, while levels become dimmer near my computer monitor for visual comfort. This luminaire previously was fitted with a 13W CFL and placed on my nightstand, where none of the light was reaching my lap for reading. This repositioning was a major improvement for light levels at my desk.

After spending a week in the brighter environment, I can report a definite increase in alertness. Reading comfortably is now possible at several different locations in the room. Also, the 5000K color temperature does seem to arouse associations of business and productivity.

This improvement in alertness came with a small cost: the room lacks a relaxing light setting for entertaining company. All of the luminaires are cold, bright, and unable to be dimmed, so even if I only turn on one half of my fixtures, the lighting in the room feels much less pleasant than before.

Download the PDF: Case Study – Increasing Light Levels to Promote Alertness

Learn more about the Illuminating Engineering Society

To remedy this, some researchers are conducting evidence-based design, which is an empirical approach to design solutions. So far, this looks promising, with studies revealing or reinforcing the benefits of age-old design solutions such as bringing plants indoors, utilizing daylight, and applying ergonomics to furniture.

Ultimately, a design should not be judged for how well it does or does not fit into a particular style, but for how well it meets the design criteria. Looking back on things I have said and written, I find that I held ideas about design that were inhibiting me from being able to analyse design objectively. Moving forward, I hope to identify and remove these barriers, and to conduct truly empirical work. This will be hard for me to do. I have grown accustomed to using grand generalizations and hyperbole as a crutch for good content. It’s time to get real, to get specific, and to start running case studies.

Please, hold me to it.

While I agree that technology allows us to achieve our goals cheaper, faster, and more efficiently than ever before, we need to hold onto the lessons we have learned from history. Also, if we want to reduce our reliance on short-lived industrial designs in favor of something more sustainable, we must envision what alternatives we have for architecture in the future.

Ptolemaeus, Ancient Egyptian astrologer, geographer, and philosopher, knew the position of the sun, moon, and stars long before Copernicus and Galileo.

Let us examine lighting for example. While manufacturers compete to develop more efficient light sources every year, we continue to build structures that are closed off to daylight. Before the advent of electric lighting, humans had a balance between light and dark in their lives: 12 hours of daylight, and 12 hours of dark. The Ancient Egyptians incorporated daylighting into each of their buildings, all the way from design until construction. Their architects and civil engineers were well-trained in optics, geography, and astrology. If our engineers were not employed in the task of developing brighter light bulbs, maybe they could be working to develop buildings that are oriented with long North-facing sides and large windows. Maybe they could retrofit old buildings with larger, more effective windows, skylights, and shading systems. Maybe they could plan cities that bathe in daylight.

Many of the same problems we see with lighting systems are prevalent with air conditioning and ventilation systems, in which new technologies are used to patch or replace old technologies, all in an effort to prop up our conventional ways of building. Today, we can effectively cool, heat, and move air throughout a space using only a tenth of the energy our current air conditioning strategies expend. Often, the problem is not that these effective ventilation systems are more expensive products, but that they require careful thought, expertise, and planning that building contractors are unwilling to pay for.

The traditional design process allows time to think and create.

Sadly, another byproduct of technology is the break-neck design cycle. New design programs often collapse the traditional design process of conceptualization and schematics. Building owners now expect design and build cycles of six-to-nine months. More of the building process has become standardized by large manufacturers, with less money and time being spent on design work. Even contractors lament that their trade is changing; while construction used to be about artisanship and craft, it is increasingly becoming a matter of inserting ‘tab a’ into ‘slot b’. The results of this cult of efficiency are buildings that lack character and material specifications that fail or fall out of style within three-to-five years.

The problem is systemic. Building owners and managers are under financial pressure to maximize their ROIs; they have to payback their stockholders and bankers (fast). The banks and stockholders need a place to put their money, somewhere it is sure to grow (fast). The politicians are cutting deals to prop up the GDP and keep consumer sentiment positive. Competition and short-term growth have become the driving virtues of our society. We are under the widespread and unsustainable mindset that faster ROIs and bigger GDPs equate with value. Yet it is clear that profitable activities are not always productive. If this does not change, years down the road, we will inhabit failing buildings, a failing society, and a failing planet.

Pruitt-Igoe, a multifamily housing project by Le Corbusier, being demolished after a short-lived history of crime and poverty.

Image by Edward Bedinghaus

Image by Edward Bedinghaus

See more about Structures in Process

Image by Edward Bedinghaus

This is out of my sketch book.

Catalan Modernism – cultural movement associated with the search for Catlan national identity. Close equivalent to Art Nouveau/Vienna Secession. Centered in Barcelona, best known for Architect Antoni Gaudí.

biomimetic architecture - architecture that studies nature’s best ideas and imitates these designs.

Art Nouveau – international style of art/architecture/decor meaning “new art”. Inspired by natural forms and structures, architects tried to harmonize with the natural environment. Furniture was designed according to the whole building, design being made part of everyday life.

Vienna Secession – movement to include painters/sculptors/architects. First president was Gustav Klimt. Objected to prevailing conservatism in Vienna, concerned with exploring possibilities in art outside of confines of tradition. Embraced total design. Wanted to integrate high+low for a better society. Others included Hoffman, Olbrich.

Workshops/Work alliances – Art schools where hands on learning was encouraged. Trained architects, designed schools, embraced machines, allowed for experimentation, often published ideas/theories.

Prairie style – architectural style pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago. Emphasized horizontal lines, overhanging eaves, the open plan, and the fireplace as the heart of the home.

cantilever – architectural principle of suspending a plane with high tensile strength by the use of a counterweight (ie: hanging a textbook over the edge of your desk by placing a counterweight on the textbook).

Austrian Modernism – extreme functionalism in Austria, fathered by Otto Wagner: “necessity alone is the ruler of art”.

functionalism – idea that form follows function.

Expressionist architecture – curvy sweeping lines, futuristic, play of light/shadow, sculptural. Think Poelzig’s Great Theater with muqarnas.

Cabaret Voltaire – place where Dada artists met to do poetry, music, skits. Many writers, some visual elements.

Zurich Dada - movement of art/writing that is anti-rational, iconoclastic, embraces spontaneity, childish, nihilistic, non-utopian, yet still avant garde.

brutisme- noise music of the Zurich Dada movement, played at the meetings, embracing chance.

New York Dada – Headed by Duchamp in New York when Cubists reject his Nude Descending a Staircase. Duchamp realizes the values of intention and context in art. Movement also included Man Ray.

readymade – a common manufactured object elevated to the level of an art object. Proposed the idea that art is “designated” as well as painted/constructed… intention, presentation, and context make an artwork.

Berlin Dada - Richard Huelsenbeck returns to Germany in 1918 to form Berlin Dada. Starting to publish ideas. Forms “Club Dada”. This type of Dada is most political of all, criticizing military/business interests.

photomontage – collage composed of mostly photographic or print materials from mass-produced sources, roots in Victorian popular activity of scrapbooking.

mechanomorphic – depicting humans as machines, especially sexualized.

Suprematism – art movement started by Malevich, reducing painting to simple geometric shapes and colors with the intent of starting at zero to get to a more supreme reality. Art about art.

non-objectivity – not depicting a subject in art/having no subject/object as a starting point.

Constructivism – art about making something from scratch or building something, eliminating the distinctions between technology, science, and art. Avant Garde and experimental.

productivism – the idea of putting art into production for everyday life, intent of making good design a part of each person’s life.

agitprop – derived from “agitation” and “propaganda”, describing stage plays, pamphlets, motion pictures, and other art forms with an explicitly political message. Started in communist Russia.

De Stijl - dutch for “the style” refers to the dutch group who started Neoplasticism, often used to refer to the style itself.

Neoplasticism - seeks to express utopian ideal of order, advocating pure abstraction and universality by a reduction of art and design to form and color. (Piet Mondrian, Theo Van Doesburg, Rietveld)

Bauhaus – was a school in Germany that combined arts and crafts. Gropius said: “The ultimate aim is building… decoration was once the highest art… it is to be rescued by designers/architects/artists… the true spirit of design is lost in “Salon” art…. schools must return to the workshop” Teachers here included: Klee, Kandinsky, Albers, Moholy-Nagy, and Breur. The influence of German Expressionism, while strong in early Bauhaus, had waned by the time the school relocated to Dessau, while it had become completely constructivist. Movement scattered due to Nazi opposition, spreading their ideas.

kinetic art – motion art, sometimes mechanomorphic, combining machine-like and human motions, as exemplified by the “Light-Space Modulator” by Moholy-Nagy.

Surrealism – writers/artists, ideas borrowed from symbolism, romanticism, dada, and Freudian psychology. Quote: “the reality we live in is impoverished due to western culture’s obsession with reason… we want to achieve a higher reality, a sur-reality.” Highly organized by the obsessive writer Andre Breton.

automatism – automatic painting, embracing the doodle/chance accidents/paint drips; then stepping back to analyze the loose lines, elaborating on what you find.

dream imagery – Several terms to know about dreams and the Surrealists: condensation (one object=many ideas), displacement (censor objects of real significance), representation (thought/idea translated to visual images), symbols (replace action/person/idea), secondary elaboration (make story out of various elements).

Surrealist object – visual puns, like a readymade, but there is more intention and craft into the changing of the manufactured objects, often have many layers of meaning.

gender ambiguity – refers to a person of unknown gender. Blurring the lines between male/female.

Mexicanidad – the collective identity of all the people of Mexico, “mexican-ness”.

Santeria – Afro-Cuban religion in which humans aspire to contact God-spirits. Use masks to blend real and spiritual worlds in a trance-like state.

Mexican Muralism – dominant form of art in Mexico after the revolution. Considered art for the people, it was funded by government and painted in public spaces. Portrayed heros as everyday people, tapped into mexicanidad. Diego Rivera is a famous Mexican Muralist.

corrido – folk song/ballad usually about oppression, history, and daily life for peasants.

Harlem Renaissance – 1914ish, African-Americans migrate from South to North to create a renaissance of art, music, literature, and entertainment concentrated in Harlem. Celebrate their prosperity.

Here you see structure melting at the corner.

In our classification systems, our social norms, and our organizations, there persists a crisis of structure; the crisis arises both from the restrictions imposed by existing structures which are too slow to adapt, and from the lack of new structures with which to organize the ongoing developments in society.

Structures are seldom static, and constantly undergo three major processes: construction, maintenance, and destruction. In reaction to the external pressures of the environment, structures are either being built, maintained, or phased out.

The transient nature of structures demand that their designs embody flexibility, while still providing the consistency and stability necessary to human flourishing. A structure which can remove and replace its various parts can change based on social demands, enabling the structure to remain valuable longer. This principle applies to all structures, from corporations to buildings to furniture. These are Structures in Process.