Monday, February 16, 2009

PARTS:WHOLE

[ARCHETYPE/PROTOTYPE/HYBRID]
There are many steps to good design. The best designs are those that start with preliminary steps and build off the failures and successes of such. Most often the first design will not always be the best work. The same is true for many other things besides just design. For example, in history the archetype can refer to the first idea that spurs later thinking. The prototype proceeds the archetype and is the first almost
"model" of the idea. And the hybrid are the steps taken in between to get the final outcome. An example would be the column orders. The tuscan is the prototype,  whereas the composite is the hybrid. This concept reaches further into history than  this. Many civilizations can be archetypes and prototypes to another civilization, that will in turn take the idea and make it their own. When speaking of the corinthian order Robbie Blakemore states, "Extensively used by the Romans, their version was the prototype used in the Renaissance." [1] This shows that one society would borrow the architecture and building types of another to further advance building styles and appearances. So really it all comes down to the fact that personal and public works all serve as an almost"archetype" to future buildings.




[SOURCE]
Some of the greatest inspiration is the work of others. The work of peers is an outlet, or source, for inspiration in your own work. Whether it anything from a type of drawing style to lettering seeing other work can spark new ideas. Architecture and furniture of past cultures can also be a source of inspiration to newer ones. An example of this is when, "The visual arts, no longer restrained by the austere Classical Greek ideal, became more elaborate, ornamental, and passionate, and this more embellished art and architecture is now called Hellenistic."[2] This new Hellenistic style was not the exact same as the classic greek style, but it borrowed and took ideas from it to create the final style. Architecture is almost a melting pot of ideas and sources mixed together to create a newer and updated version of the past.


[ENTOURAGE]
As I sat in Java City drawing the "entourages" around me I didn't really notice how hard I was starring until I looked up only to meet the face of the person i just drew, but this time with a very different expression on. I think I might have scared them a little seeing that they were already nervous about their first date. Although I got a few stares it was an important exercise because it helped me take in my surroundings and really appreciate what I saw. The point of this long drawn out story is that entourages help shed light on the things that they embody. In history, the Greek city-states entourages so to speak emphasized the surrounding land and architectural style. Each city-state had different temples and column structures which described their land and culture.




[HIERARCHY]
When I first hear the word hierarchy i immediately think of the classical civilizations and their social distinctions. Although hierarchy is present in all cultures, we have learned how it is extremely predominant in the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations. The architecture, as well as the furniture told a story about society and the way it was divided. "Chairs were status symbols, and, consequently were used by nobility and high officials" Blakemore states.[3] Everything one possessed was a symbol of how wealthy and prosperous they really were. For example, if your chair had a back it meant you were much more well off then if you were sitting on a stool. Hierarchy can also refer to how pronounced you make something in comparison to another. When drafting it is important to show that lines are either farther or closer to the viewer. By doing such, the drawing is more comprehensive and engaging. Hierarchy can also help when wanting to show something is more important than another. Hierarchy can be achieved in many ways such as: color, line weight, contrast, size, etc. 

[ORDER]
Order is a tricky word because to each person it has a different connotation. To some people it means having their entire closet color organized, and to others it means knowing exactly what huge heap on the floor contains the shirt you want to wear. In design, order can also be conceived differently as well. For example, one person might see that a piece really embodies the word keeps unity and order, whereas another person might see the complete opposite. There are however some examples of order that are fairly concrete, literally and figuratively. The classical orders are a set of different column types which are:tuscan, doric,ionic, corinthian, and composite. The orders have been passed on from civilization to civilization until "the orders became part of the basic architectural vocabulary from the Renaissance in the fifteenth century down to our own times".[4] Order in history can also refer to the way a civilization was set up. "The goal of Egyptian culture, and the architecture that housed its institutions, was continuity and order" states Roth.[5] The egyptian people were very interested in keeping traditions and likeness, and the way they achieved such is through order.It was almost as if "man and nature were bound into a fixed pattern".[6]

[WRAP-UP]
To move forward it sometimes necessary to look back. Influences, inspirations, and ideas are all around, one must just look to find them. Whether it is your own work and it is an archetype which leads into a prototype, or it is a source form others work, both are good stepping stones. Inspiration can also come from previous cultures, societies and civilizations throughout the world. History is a rich source when it comes to thinking up new designs because it can show previous failures and successes to help ones own design. The work of peers and friends, or your entourage, can also spark interesting ideas one would not normally come up with. The hard part in it all is just determining what information can be helpful or not, and it has to be placed in a hierarchy so that the design is synthesized. 


[CITATIONS]
1-Blakemore pg.30 
2- Roth pg.241
3-Blakemore pg 17
4-Roth pg.30
5-Roth pg.210
6-Roth pg.210

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