Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Frank Gehry



Image from
http://www.admea.it/images/praha/Praha_dancing_house.jpg. This building called the Rasin Building also know as the dancing house, was made upon the idea of the natural fluidity of a male and female dancing, which relates to my idea as there is this idea of man made materials yet the contrast with nature and its fluidity.

Natural Architecture


Interested in the idea of using natural materials in my project, i researched natural architecture where structures were made from natural materials. Images from the book "Natural Architecture" by A. Rocca.

Cubist Picasso


In reference to these images i found related tomy idea as they are both natural images, one of a hunam body the other of natural trees, but have this contrast through the technique of cubism. There is this sense of contro within this technique. The was I see it, it portrays the idea of the distortion of control, that being technology in my idea. The images are derived from the book "Cubist Picasso" Edited by A. Baldassan. (pages 191 and 215)

Yokohama International Port Terminal

Researching the Yokohama Port Terminal, I fould really related to my idea, as i wanted to portray this contrast between nature and technology. control and freedom, as within the port terminal, they also have this contrast that of the harbour and nature. Image from the Foreign Office Architects, El Croquis Book. Page 42.

Michel Foucault



Michel Foucault's theory, in which i focus on in my project of fear and paranoia, is that which focuses around Jeremy Bentham's idea of the perfect prison. The Panopticon. This prison was not only just a prison, but a prison that had life changing, behavioural changes within the inmates that were inside the institution. The reason of that being, was because of the watch tower being one that guards could see out of, but no inmates could see into, so constantly on their guard, not behaving as they usually would“.There was this sense of control, constantly. In the book, written by A. McKinlay and K. Starkey, called "Foucault, Management and Organizational Theory:from panopticon to technology of self." And how it relates to this generation and how technology has affected this society and generation. Where "real lives are converted into written case notes. In short, the body loses its mystery" (p19) Where no matter where we go and what we do, there is "a constant surveillance constituting a new discipline of norms and behaviour" (p35) so linking this to not only the prison, but there is this sense of power that technology is ebbing away from ourselves, and slowly taking over. image from http://www.ucc.ie/ucc/depts/geography/stafhome/denis/panopticon.gif

Thursday, November 6, 2008

William G. Staples

As I was researching the thinker William G. Staples, through his books, "Everyday Surveillance: Vigilance and visibility in postmodern life" and "The Culture of Surveillance: Discipline and social control " which investigates the idea of how through technology and surveillance, although its to make this work safer and better, to what extents are we willing to extend to, as a quote goes in one of his books, "worth surviving the risks of life only to end up “living” in a surveillance society?" and that in this generation with all of this surveillance there is the fact of trust becoming diminished in this culture of surveillance as you totally rely on technology and not on the truthfulness and honesty of a human any longer. Can you really trust anyone anymore? That "trust is becoming a rare commodity in our culture". And that there is this fact of how we always "assume that all technological change is always "for the better"." But if through this type of technological generation we are just being controled by technology, and trust is diminishing, it is obvious that technological change is not always for the better. "obviously, we want to stop needless loss of life and injury, but on what basis and with what values do we evaluate the choice between reducing life's risks and tragedies by some unknown amount versus limiting our constitutional rights and personal freedom?"

Banksy


Banksy's graffiti. Representing the idea of how in this society, technology and surveillance is controllings us and is restricting our lives to its potential. Image from http://www.dsng.net/uploaded_images/banksy_what_full-769135.jpg

Abstract model V







Abstract models IV




Made out of clay. The contrasts of freedom and control within the designs


Abstract models III







Abstract models II




Abstract Model: using popsicle sticks in a uniform yet fluid manner. A mixture between the fluidity of freedom, yet the uniformity of control. Wanting to experiment with wooden popsicle sticks as my idea is mainly about technology versus nature. The idea used this brief fear and paranoia, is this fear of how technology and surveillance is taking over our lives. In a sense technology is taking over our freedom and we are losing apart of ourselves in a sense.


Abstract Models












Abstract model: portraying the idea of freedom vs control. Using a reflective material as i felt that the material reflected the control as you see within the Auckland CBD with work places and artificial buildings full of control and routine, surveillance and order. using weaving to show the condensation of freedom, and how the pieces ebbing out are the freedom.



Abstract Drawing III











Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Abstract Drawings II







Abstract drawings I

Abstract Drawing: emphasizing the idea of freedom and being trapped and controlled. the random colourful squiggly lines representing freedom. The dark black lines, the control.



Abstract drawing: lines condensed and less so, to represent the idea of freedom vs control