Definitions

Materiality - The quality or character of being material or composed of matter

Monochromatic - Having or appearing to have only one color

Symbolic - serving as a symbol

Pictorial Space - The illusion of space, whether three- or two- dimensional, created by an artist on the two-dimensional surface of the canvas or paper.

Critical Theory  - The examination and critique of society

Optical Colour Mixing  - Optical colour mixing is created through our perception of color. When one looks at two small amounts of different colors laid down side by side the two appear to create a different color.

Colour Field Painting -  The application of colour across the entire canvas. which when viewed close-to, gives the impression of being engulfed in a 'field' of colour.

Action painting - A style of abstract painting that uses techniques such as the dribbling or splashing of paint to achieve a spontaneous effect.

Prismatic - Relating to, or having the form of a prism or prisms

Orphism - The relationship between music and art

Synasthesia - The production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.

Motif - A distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition

Facet - One side of something many-sided

Avant Garde - New and unusual or experimental ideas, esp. in the arts, or the people introducing them

Signatory - A party that has signed an agreement, esp. a country that has signed a treaty

Manifesto - A public declaration of policy and aims, esp. one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.

Non-represational art - Art which is not based on external appearances; this covers several types of art - abstract, non-objective, and decorative; as contrasted with representational art, which is art based on "real" imagery

Classicism - The following of ancient Greek or Roman principles and style in art and literature, generally associated with harmony, restraint, and adherence to recognized standards of form and craftsmanship, esp. from the Renaissance to the 18th century

Irony - The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect

Stylistic Revivalism - The revival of a certain style

Pluralistic Society -This is any society in which citizens can legally and publicly hold multiple competing ethical views and are allowed to choose for themselves what ethical beliefs if any they wish to hold. It is often mistaken for a society which tolerates different ethical beliefs or groups of people and holds that all are equal, which is correctly identified as moral relativism, a logically invalid position held by mush of the world today.

Week 2

Franz Marc was one of the principle painters and printmakers of the German Expressionist movement. Marc was born in 1880 in Munich, Germany. He spent time in Paris and discovered a strong affinity for the work of Vincent van Gough. In 1910 Marc developed a significant relationship with artist August Macke. During his life, Marc was strongly influenced by Robert Delaunay. He admired Delaunay’s use of bright colour and a futurist method. He was also influenced by futurism and his art became stark and abstract in nature. His work is largely characterized by bright colours and an almost cubist portrayal of animals, stark simplicity and a profound sense of emotion. He also gave emotional meaning or purpose to his colours.

Blue – masculinity and spirituality

Yellow – feminine joy

Red - Violence

Fighting Forms 1914

The Fate of the Animals 1913

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Marc

Week 3

A paradigm is a typical example or pattern of something. Artists such as Banksy will often challenge the dominant paradigm of the time. Banksy is the pseudonym of an artist who is only known by his famous images and designs painted on public walls. Banksy’s work conveys a strong message and is considered to be confronting and controversial. These artworks have political and social themes such as materialism. Banksy is rebelling through his work as what he is doing (painting on walls without permission) is considered to be vandalism and is illegal. He is challenging authority with this approach.

Naked Man image by Banksy on the wall of a sexual health clinic

One Nation Under CCTV

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy

Week 4

Women who understand how men look at them will spend their whole life sipping champagne on sunny terraces. 

• Elle magazine showed women how to become a fantasy creature

o That woman that men want to meet

• The magazine creator Helene identified with readers to a point where she never worried about what they wanted

o She was convinced that what was right for her was also right for them

• In 1952 she hired Francoise Giroud, a dedicated feminist, who became a prominent political figure

• Gorden-Lazareff published many articles by controversial female writers such as Colette and Simone de Beauvoir.

• She was intelligent, in touch with events and people and a great judge of talent.

• She knew that Swiss graphic design would be a good style for the magazine

• By the 1960s one French woman out of six was a regular ELLE reader.

• Art director, Kapp’s smart, cutting edge design masked the sublte sexist subtext of the editorial message. 

• “How to attract and please a man” was the main idea behind many of the articles

• The magazine seemed to avoid political topics

• Today there are 16 international editions of ELLE.

o They have all adapted the original French graphic format as defined by Knapp almost 50 years ago.

• In the history of magazines, few founding editors have had such a lasting influence on their publications. 

• Today no one seems to know who Gordon-Lazareff is anymore. 

• She had a privileged upbringing, which leads her to believe that women were equal, if not superior to men. 

• She wasn’t much of a feminist as she didn’t understand why women wanted to fight for something they already had.

• During the war she escaped to New York and found work at Harper’s Bazaar.

• Her time in New York allowed her to become familiar with colour photography, which was not available in Europe.

• ELLE magazine has retained the clean graphic style of the early days, but the message in not what Helene would have called feminine. 

French Elle Magazine

Source: http://stylefrizz.com/200906/scarlett-johanssons-elle-france-june-2009/

Week 5

To some people the 80s just seemed like one big party and crazy clothes, but there was really a lot more going on. What did the 80s mean to Australia as it became more well known around the world? This exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum takes you back to the music, the fashion, the parties, the politics and the people of the 80s. 

Cinema and Television

Cinema and television were becoming big in the 80s. There was a boom in production in this area and Australia developed a new confidence in the way they presented themselves to the world. Australian stories such as Neighbours and Mad Max were making an impact on international screens. 

Video Games

The 80s is a time very much remembered for video games such as Pac-man, Frogger and Donkey Kong. This was a time of innovations in graphics and concepts constantly coming onto the market. The availability of personal computers moved video games from the public arcades into peoples homes, setting the scene for the digital era. 

Music

Music in the 80s was a celebration of raw do-it-yourself indie styles. This was also witnessed by some of the slickest, biggest selling productions ever. Music became alot more about image and lots and less about just the music and sound. Through this change a lot of Australian bands found success both in Australia and overseas. 

Subcultures

The 80s saw the increasing appearance of subcultures, with clothing, music and venue the distinctive ‘badges’ of the different urban tribes. Goths and hip hop are two examples

Partying

The 80s have been remembered as a huge party. Music fans began to prefer sophisticated dance parties and nightclubs over live venues. By the late 80s Sydney was buzzing with parties which were sometimes fueled by ‘designer drugs’ such as ecstasy. 

The AIDS crisis

In the early 80s there was the discovery of a deadly disease that became known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Australia was the world leader in prevention for the disease with the gay community in particular rallying to educate people about the virus. 

Fashion

Fashion was a huge part of the 80s with many changing fashion styles and statements. 

Fads and Toys

The 80s was the decade of conspicuous consumption and ‘must have’ products’. Marketing techniques made items such as the Rubik’s Cubes and Strawberry Shortcake dolls highly desirable items for generation x kids.  

Design

In terms of design the 80s was definitely a time of excess. Less is more was out and an exploration of form and colour was in. This was a time of designers embracing a post modern aesthetic. 

Source: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/the80sareback/index.php/exhibition-overview-2/exhibition-themes/

Week 6

During the 80s post modernism began to adopt a more refined look. Many post modern designers from this period had a more is more approach to their designs. Memphis is a good example of this. Classical architecture is largely influenced by Ancient Greek and Roman design. Palladio was a highly influential 15th century architect. He used symmetry, arches and columns in his designs. Many famous buildings around the world including the Sydney Town Hall building show a strong Palladio influence. These strong arches and columns represent power and authority. The revisiting of this style is called classical revivalism.

Carlton Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass and Memphis

The Sydney Town Hall

Week 7

The issue of housing and poverty in many countries is a major concern that is overlooked

by many architects and designers. It is generally assumed by many designers that when

someone designs, they should design something that is to be craved for. A lack of socially

responsible designers who have a knowledge and understanding of these kind of

problems may be what is stopping larger scale solutions from being developed. Poverty is

not only a concern in developing countries, but is also evident in certain areas of privileged

countries. A good example would be Alabama or Mississippi in the United States. Often

the living conditions of areas like these are far worse than those found in developing

countries. The damage caused by natural disasters and systemic issues are two main

reasons why housing and poverty may be a major concern in an area or community. 1

billion people live in abject poverty, 4 billion live in fragile but growing economies and 1 in 7

people live in unplanned settlements. If nothing is done about the growing housing crisis in

the next 20 years, 1 in 3 people will live in unplanned settlements or refugee camps.

Cameron Sinclair is an award winning architect who has always taken an interest in

socially responsible design. He was born in London, England and studied architecture at

the University of Westminster and The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College

London. During the later stages of his education, Sinclair began to develop an interest in

social, cultural and humanitarian design. His post graduate thesis looked at creating

housing solutions for New Yorkʼs homeless through sustainable, transitional housing. The

ideas developed in his thesis were a starting point for his career. Sinclair contributes to

educating people about socially responsible design by giving lectures at universities and

contributing to a number of exhibitions on social justice design. Sinclair has also spoken at

a number of international conferences.

Within the overall issue of poverty and housing, Sinclair has addressed some more

specific issues. Sinclair believes that an architectural design should not just be designed

for the specific residents, but for the community as a whole. A design can either improve or

create a detriment to the community that the design is for. Housing solutions should not

just provide a roof over someones head but should also help them and their community

become self sufficient. Cameron Sinclair is not just focused on designing architecture and

providing shelter but is also focused on developing governance and stable networks within

these communities. Within many african communities, housing wasn't the main concern.

The HIV AIDS pandemic was. this gave Sinclair the idea of not only providing housing for

these communities but also getting health clinics to these people.

Many different organizations including the United Nations have responded to systemic

issues of poverty and natural disasters but have fallen short of Sinclairʼs standards. The

United Nations often respond slowly and cannot keep up with the needs of these often

devastated areas and communities. Cameron Sinclair really felt that their is a need to

deliver these systems and solutions quickly and effectively. Many designers are tired of

talking about change but not actually seeing any change happen. There are many partly

developed design solutions out there that haven't been but into practice because an

implementation plan has been too difficult to develop and resolve. It can be suggested by

many designers that an idea isn't properly an idea until it is fully implemented.

In 1999 Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr founded a charitable organization called

Architecture for Humanity. Architecture for Humanity develops architecture and design

solutions for humanitarian crises and provides free and readily available services to

communities. It was founded in response to the need for immediate long-term shelter for

returning refugees in Kosovo. This organization went on to work on many different projects

relating to systemic issues within communities. Many of their designs have a Creative

Commons Developing Nations license attached to them. This license means that the

licensed work can be shared and adapted as long as this is only done in a developing

nation and full attribution is given. This has allowed for construction designs and plans to

become easily accessible and readily available for use by architects and communities.

Cameron Sinclair has used Architecture for Humanity to promote humanitarian and social

design. He aimed to get more designers involved in this kind of work.

Architects for Humanity started as a website where designers would post their design

ideas for housing solutions for a specific problem such as the housing crisis is Kosovo.

Only after a few months the website had hundreds of entries and this lead to a number of

prototypes being built. As Architects for humanity started as a website with a staff of three,

it became increasingly difficult to keep up with all the ideas and requests that were coming

in. The solution to this problem was to embrace an open source model of business. This

involved local people developing local solutions for local problems. This also lead to over

50 local chapters being started with thousands of architects involved. Architects for

Humanity has become a huge network of designers and other professionals developing

solutions, all connected by a website. This open source model of business has provided a

solution to the problem of half developed ideas with no feasible way of implementation.

While giving a talk at a TED conference, Sinclair mentioned that he has a wish. “I wish to

develop a community that actively embraces innovative and sustainable design to improve

living conditions for all. Lets improve the living standards of 5 billion people with 10 million

solutions. After winning a TED prize the organization worked with Sun Microsystems and

Creative Commons to help set up the Open Architecture Network. The network included

file sharing, project management, a resource database and online design tools. It has over

20,000 members and contains over 3,000 projects.

Many of the solutions from Architects for humanity are not just about providing a single

function. For example they have developed a HIV AIDS clinic that turns into a movie

theatre at night and a shelter that also has a water tank. These are ideas that not only give

the community the basics they need but also provide them with the things needed to help

develop a strong sense of unity and integrity in their community.

Architects for Humanity focuses on three things. Advocacy, instigation and implementation.

They advocate for good, socially responsible design through workshops and lectures.

They also hold open source competitions and get the communities they are designing for

involved in the process. Architecture for Humanity has hosted a number of design

competitions focusing on developing solutions for systemic issues of poverty. Examples

being the Siyathemba youth sports and outreach facility and Design Ideas for Mobile

Health Clinics to Combat HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2007 they began hosting a

design competition on the Open Architecture Network called The Open Architecture

Challenge.

Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/cameron_sinclair_on_open_source_architecture.html

Week 8

Technology has advanced a lot in the last few decades. Things that would have been amazing breakthroughs in the 90s are normal and boring to us in the present time. As a consumer driven society we are always after the latest and greatest. A lot of what is being designed today is not about inventing something completely new, but about designing a better and more efficient version of an existing design solution. 

The definition of design has been expanded to not just include the look of something, but how people interact with it. The Prada store in New York has a branded environment that includes intereactive elements that engage customers on a new level. Prada designed the overall shopping experience after researching exactly what it is that customers are wanting from their visit to a store. Some designers have also considered the psychological effects of their design. Employees working in a happier and more aesthetically pleasing environment are going to be more productive.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pXNYciHCLc

Week 9

Is more meaningful design led by the internet? Various internet forums and blogs give designers more power to promote. Many other people on the internet are willing to help and share ideas. Design is heading in a direction that is more human centred. More users are becoming involved in the design process. This helps to design products that are going to better meet the needs and wants of the users.

Change by Design by Tim Brown

Source: http://divergentmba.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/change-by-design-tim-brown/

Week 10

When you enter Victor Churchill you will be walking into a butcher shop unlike any other. The Victor Churchill shop is a combination of the very best of European huate couture design and a uniquely Australian sense of character. The interior includes marble floors and custom made copper fridges as well as a sandstone backdrop in their specially designed cool room. 

Victor Churchill offers the most sought-after quality products in Australia. They use only the finest meat and they have very high standards when selecting meat to sell. All their products are made with the freshest seasonal produce availible and are from the best suppliers across Australia. The fridges are restocked daily sometime even more often to ensure you only buy the freshest, best quality product. 

The design of the Victor Churchill store is an innovation in meat shopping. This store has a very high class and very strong visual identity

Source: http://www.victorchurchill.com/

Week 11

Today we brainstormed social, technologial. economic and political change. 

Week 12

New York City is famous for its bustling high rise areas and its popular tourist attractions. New York is also very well known for its places like the Bronx. A place well known for the wrong reasons. The Bronx is a classic example of racial and environmental injustice that is present in the United States today. Statistics say that black people living in America are twice as likely as a white people to live in an area where air pollution poses a great risk to their health. These people are five times more likely to live within walking distance of a power plant. It is an unfortunate fact that a persons race and class are extremely reliable indicators as to whether someone lives in a community with things like parks and trees or whether someone lives in a community with things like power plants and waste facilities.

These conditions are clearly seen in the Community of South Bronx. Despite being only a small part of New York City, this area handles more that 40% of the entire city’s commercial waste including a sewage treatment palletizing plant, a sewage sludge plant, four power plants, the world’s largest food distribution centre and other industries that bring more that 60,000 diesel truck tips into the area each week. The area also has a very low ratio of parks to people compared to other parts of New York City.

Examining these concerning facts leaves us with a Question. How did the South Bronx become like this? During the forties, South Bronx was culturally a very different place. Populated mostly by white, working class people. Over the years more black people moved into the area, shifting the ratio significantly. This influx of black people caused white flight to become common in The South Bronx as well as in many cities around the country. White flight is defined as the move of native-born white city-dwellers to the suburbs to escape the influx of immigrants or migrants. As these white, working class people felt they were no longer the dominant demographic in the South Bronx, they fled to other parts of New York.

The combination of the influx of black people into the community and racial injustice caused the South Bronx to be redlined. This means that certain areas of the city that have been redlined are off limits to any sort of investment. Many landlords believed it was more profitable to torch their buildings and collect insurance money, instead of trying to sell under these new conditions. The increase in segregation of black and white communities is a cultural change that has had a huge impact on the South Bronx. One example of this is the plan to build the Sheridan Expressway that allows residents of wealthy communities to go to Manhattan without having to travel through the South Bronx. This expressway has ended up being underutilized, going virtually unused even during rush hour. This expressway was planned with no regard for the neighborhoods that are divided by it.

The South Bronx is an example of a chain reaction causing degradation in many areas. Economic degradation caused environmental degradation, which causes social degradation. New York City’s old and outdated zoning and land use regulations have caused the South Bronx to become a very unhealthy and polluted area, which as a result has caused a number of social issues such as obesity, diabetes and asthma. Why would someone leave his or her home to go for a brisk walk in a toxic, polluted neighborhood? The community has a 27% obesity rate, which is high even in the United States. One if four South Bronx children has asthma and their asthma hospitalization rate is seven times higher that the national average.  The neglect that was given to the South Bronx set a foundation for this environmental injustice that has developed. 50% of residents live at or below the poverty line and 25% of residents are unemployed.

The South Bronx had very much become a dead end to its residents and to New York City. The South Bronx had developed a strong and very negative image and reputation. The common belief was that only pimps, pushers and prostitutes were from this area. Many people who grew up in the South Bronx grew up believing and being told that nothing good is going to come from their community. If you are told growing up that you will never be anything good, then chances are that is how you will turn out.

Majora Carter is a visionary city planner who fights for environmental justice in her hometown of South Bronx. She aims to hold back the polluters who target low-income neighborhoods as well as make the South Bronx greener and create more green jobs in the area. Carter believes that no community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits that any other. Carter also believes in a bottom line, which is designed to motivate people. Her bottom line is that sustainable development can produce.

Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx) is an organization that works with the South Bronx and other underserved urban communities, helping them transform into stronger and more sustainable places to live. They provide solutions that address environmental, economic and social concerns through policy change, green job training, environmental education and community greening programs.

Greening the Ghetto is a program that was developed by SSBx that is designed to help improve the environment and sustainability of the South Bronx. This program consists of two main projects. South Bronx Greenway (SGB) and Green Roofs. The South Bronx Greenway will create bike and pedestrian paths around the Hunts Point and Port Morris areas of the South Bronx. The South Bronx Greenway will provide many benefits to the community. SBG will provide safe and attractive public spaces where residents can get exercise in a safe, non-toxic environment. SBG will also create better transportation policy. Including the design of new truck routes that will keep trucks away from residential areas. This will allow residents to integrate physical activity into daily life.

SBG will also make an environmental impact on the South Bronx community. Concrete and pavement will be replaced with parks, trees and planted strips. Vegetation such as this has the ability to capture pollution that is in the air as well as rainwater that would normally collect pollutants from the street and flow into rivers. SBC will not only help the health of community members but also help to clean nearby bodies of water.

Through the South Bronx Greenway program, SSBx also aims to reduce crime and create jobs in the area. Research has shown that residential areas with higher amounts of green spaces see less crime than areas with limited green spaces. The SSBx project aims to improve the quality of life for many and deter criminal activity. New trees and parks on the South Bronx Greenway will need to be maintained and kept healthy. This will bring much-needed green collar jobs to the community.

Green Roofs is another idea that SSBx has used to help improve the South Bronx.

A Green Roof is a system of soil and plants on top of a roof. These layers include: protection fabric, root barrier, drainage soil and plants. These green Roofs will cover and protect a rooftop, while providing many economic and environmental benefits. Through this project SSBx is demonstrating the positive connection between living wage jobs and a cleaner environment. Green Roofs have an even greater impact on a community when it is installed and maintained by well-trained members of that community.

Using these Green roofs can provide a number of environmental and economic benefits for a community. Energy consumers could save 5 million dollars by reducing cooling costs through the installation of Green Roofs on just 5% of New York City buildings. A similar number of Green Roofs could also cause an annual reduction of 350,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Green Roofs could also retain 810 gallons of storm water for every $1,000 of investment. This would ease the pressure on the city’s overworked sewer system and would reduce the overflow of untreated sewage from combined sewer overflows. This may in the long run mean there is less of a need for such sewage treatment plants that have been polluting areas such as the South Bronx. Green Roofs can also reduce energy consumption and help manage storm water. A typical 2 or 3 level building such as an apartment block could experience between 15-25% saving in summertime energy costs. They also prevent water from flooding the subway and sewer systems by capturing over 50% of storm water, filtering pollutants and reducing the flow of peak storm water by approximately 75%. One high School in Bronx created an education course, which incorporated SSBx’s Green Roof into its educational curriculum. These roofs also help to regain some of the biodiversity that has been lost by providing new habitats for birds, bee, butterflies and other types of wildlife. Green Roofs have a longer lifespan and can last up to 2-3 times longer that typical rooftops. This is because they use the sun’s rays rather than being abused by them. These roofs face significantly less wear and tear caused by the sun.

An urban heat island is a metropolitan area, which is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. The significant number of surfaces like rooftops and pavements that are absorbing and generating heat causes this. On Average New York City is 5-7°F warmer than surrounding rural areas in the summertime. As a result this causes increased levels of smog and asthma. Green Roofs cool and filter the air, improving overall air quality.

Bogota, Colombia is a very good example of the transformation of a similar community and was a big inspiration to Carter and her team. Bogota had a similar reputation to the South Bronx as gun violence and drug trafficking surrounded it. In the late 1990s the city gained a highly influential mayor, Enrique Penalosa. Penalosa studied the demographics of his city and made decisions with the people very much in mind. As only a small percent of residents drove cars, Penalosa minimized the number of lanes on roads, expanded pedestrian walkways and bike lanes and created one of the most efficient bus mass transit systems in the entire world. As the people began to see that they were being put first when planning was being done, they started to become a happier community. People stopped littering, crime rates dropped because the streets were alive with people. Not only did he attack several urban problems at once but he did it with a third world budget. Penalosa’s people first agenda aimed to provide the opportunity for all residents to participate in the city’s resurgence.

Majora Carter and Sustainable South Bronx strive to help underserved communities with bad reputations such as the South Bronx. These ideas from SSBx and from Penalosa were designed to help repair the damage done by economical change and as a result environmental and social damage done to these communities. They will help bring environmental and economic justice to these areas. Carter and SSBx aim to make green the new black.