Vignettes

In our drawing class we were assigned to draw three vignettes. One of our studio space, one of our rooms, and one of our choosing. We were then asked to experiment with watercolor and illuminate our drawings with color. These are my first attempts in my sketchbook at watercolor. We drew, as well as drew with, many different materials of our own for this project and created our own small depictions of who we are through our material possessions. These spaces that we've been asked to depict all represent spaces that at least attempt to full fill the three main qualities of good design (commodity, firmness, and delight.)

My Artifact

My artifact was a flower made out of several pieces of blue sweatpant material stitched together in a way that resembles quilting. I decided to make my artifact in a way that a person might make a quilt because my artifact represents a story, the willow wren, and quilts have been used for many years to tell stories.
The blue color of the sweatpant material that my flower was constructed out of represents the night. In my story night becomes a big component towards the end. The story's main point was to be accountable for your own actions and therefore i made a flower because to me a flower represents everything simple, sweet, and good in life, and corresponds well with "owning up to your actions."

History of Architecture

This class tied back into our weekly prompt very easily. The words this week were story, multi-view, artifact, translation, and cycle. 

We spoke of the cycles of building design. How the building are perceived from many different vantage points, many different views, the story, or meaning behind each building, and how those meanings change over time.

Each building is made at a certain point in time to have commodity, delight, and craft. But as time passes the commodity, or way the building is used, changes, therefore you need to be able to design something than is multi purposed. We also spoke of how a building is perceived at the time it is built. And how the  perception of, or meaning behind, that building may change over time. For example the world trade center was once a building that represented world unity. It was a building where people from all over come and work together for change. But after september 11, 2001 the buildings are now representational of a very important, and devastating point in american history. 

The story behind the world trade centers has changed completely. It is now an artifact that represents an attack on our country. 

We also spoke in class about the meaning, or feeling, that we try to portrey as designers and what the actual outcome is. We spoke of how our designs translate person to person, and how it changes continuously over time.

"In architecture, as in all operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well. Well building hath three conditions: commodity, firmness and delight." - Sir Henry Wotton

"Great Nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts- The book of their deeds, The book of their words, and the book of their art. Not one of these books can be understood unless we read the other two; but of the three, the only quite trustworthy one is the last." - John Ruskin

The definition of Stories:

"The account or recital of an event, or a series of events, either true or fictitious." -Wikipedia

 

The definition of Artifacts:

"In archaeology, an artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by human culture" -Wikipedia

The definition of Translation:

"Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text, likewise called a "translation," that communicates the same message in another language." -Wikipedia

The Willow Wren

My fairytale was the willow wren. From this fairytale i would say that the main point is to be responsible for your actions. There are many aspects of this story that support this moral. For example, the owl who is asked to guard the winner of the competition for bird king fails, and the winner escapes. The owl is then shamed and hides. From then on he only comes out under the cover of night. 

In a more literal sense the story gives reason behind the actions of the birds we see today. It tells of why birds sing, and what they are singing. It explains why owls only come out at night and hunt mice. And it explains many other aspects of their everyday behavior as well. 

Lettering

Timeline

650 b.c.

 

Governance:

-          The Messenians revolted against their Spartan rulers.

-          Beginning of the second Messenian war.

-          The town of Abdera was founded in Thrace by colonists from clazomena.

-           Babylonia under the rule of Shamash-shuma-ukin rises in revolt against the Assyrians

-           The first pyramid of the Teotihuacan culture was built in Cholula.

       Cypselus becomes the first tyrant of Corinth

-           Zhou Xiang Wang becomes King of the Zhou dynasty of China.

-          In Greece it was the age of the tyrants.

-          The Chinese licensed lady lovers. This is considered as the 1st example of legalized prostitution.

 

 

Technology:

-          Ancient Greeks started using large diameter punches to imprint images and designs onto coins and tokens.

-          Evidence of writing systems appear is Oaxaca

-          Duns and Brochs first use in Scotland

-          Iron tools being produced

 

Commerce:

-          Greece began using the drachma for currency.

-          Jade artifacts are traded in as far as southern central America

 

Institutions:

-          Ball courts, used in ball game of central American civilizations, found in Olmec centuries

-          Peraca culture develops in south Peru

-          Ceremonial complex built in Chiripa, Lake Titicaca

-          Hillforts begin to be constructed in the southwest

 

650 a.d.

 

Governance:

-          An early Mayan classic temple in Copan was closed and covered.

-          Ritual items of flint knives and stingray spines was later discovered.

-          Civil strife occurred during this time, which followed about 30 years of drought. This led to the demise of the Moche civilization.

-          The Khazars’ aggressive territorial expansion drove some Bulgars westward.

-          The Bulgars soon founded a kingdom in the southeastern Balkans that is now known as Bulgaria.    

-          In Mexico the Teotihuacan culture began declining.

-          Arabs introduced Islam to Afghanistan.

-          A Saxon monk founded St. Botolph’s Town in England.

-          Japanese emperor Kotoku unites Japan and issues Taika Reform Edicts.

-          Byzantine empire retakes alexandria

 

Technology:

-          Construction on the Dome of the Rock begins

-          First Shinto shrines built in Japan

-          Kallikinos invents Greek fire in Constantinople

 

Commerce:

-          Traders from Arabia established Islamic settlements on the coast

Institutions:

-          Buddhism reaches Tibet

-          Buddhism replaced by Confucianism as a state religion in Japan.

-          Mosque built in Kerala

-          Monastery built on the isle of Lindisfame

-          Pope Martin I is arrested by the exarch and taken to Constantinople

-          Slavs establish established independent bohemian kingdom

-          Hawaii islands are colonized from the Marquesas islands

-          Kingdom of Nobatia is incorporated into Makuria

Chair Project

In this chair project we were asked to design a chair using only ninety degree angles and chip board. We had a very specific amount of material that was available to us. This was to be a space for someone to use for several different purposes, such as a desk, a counter, a shelf, many different things, so it had to be multi-purposed and functional.