OCAD ENVR 2B12 - RESEARCH STUDIO: SOCIAL SPACE

Final Post: Final thoughts, and Final Grades

2008-12-31T13:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you for an excellent semester. You are talented group: with sufficient diligence, I have no doubt that you have the ability to excel as designers.

I have finished marking all of your Projects, and have submitted your final grades. Note that I am not permitted to deliver your final grades directly to you.

Project Two was an exciting experiment. I appreciated the wide variety of representational styles on display, and I hope the Project caused you to consider the nature of your own personal style. I was disappointed in your co-ordination as a class, and this is reflected in the grades.

Project Three was consistently well executed, though very few of you excelled in all areas. There were a few standout drawings and models, as reflected in the grades. Some projects were successfully site specific and responsive to the forces at play; others were successful formal experimentations, sculptural in their own right. Very few were both.

Feel free to keep in touch, and have a great 2009.

-Jesse

Project Two, Part Two - Updated

2008-12-29T15:42:00.000-08:00

Click here to download a larger version of the entire panorama.

Photos of Project Three Final Critique

2008-12-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

Video of Project Three Final Critique

2008-12-23T16:44:00.000-08:00

PROJECT 3 - EVE ZORAWSKI: Suburban Intervention

2008-12-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

3:1 DESIGNER'S STATEMENT
3:2 PERSPECTIVES
3:3 ORTHOGRAPHIC DRAWINGS
3:4 SCALE MODEL

I found that Puryear’s work, being almost humble, required a different kind of presentation than the traditional. With this inspiration, I intended to generate the viewer’s experience to be variable. I designed a several different vantage points, which enables viewers to experience the piece in whichever way they feel comfortable. One can look up at, sit beside or stand on the same level as the piece. I also created several entrances/exits that enable the gallery to have more than one configuration of traffic flow. With the form of the gallery, I intended to create a simple design in order to facilitate Puryear’s sculpture to stand out with ease. The space is relatively enclosed to provide protection from the street and surrounding environment, though I left carefully placed reveals in order to generate curiosity and interest of the passersby.

2008-12-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

ART GALERY for VESNA PERUNOVICH. By Anna Totska.

SITE.

The site is a path that leads to a McCowan subway station in Srarborough. The interesting fact about the site is that is seems completely unoccupied, compare to the surrounding land. Where it is all busy shopping malls, highways, residences. In fact, this piece of "desert" is being used daily by a large number of people, as the path leads to a subway. Therefore, this territory needs some fresh look.

PLAN.

The concept is to create an unusual experience without interrupting people's daily routine. Where the routine is walking to or from the subway. The gallery simply becomes part of the path. While walking to the subway people could look at the exhibition. If they are interested, they are welcome to come in and take a look closely, if not, they would just follow their usual path.

EXPERIENCE.

The order of the exhibition is designed in a way that viewer is thrown directly into interaction with the art work, knowing nothing about the author. This, I believe, would clear all expectations and let viewer enjoy work as it is. Later, in the middle section of the art gallery viewer could learn about the author and more specific art works.

PERSPECTIVES.

MODEL.

DRAWINGS.

Project Three, Part Two: Tiffany Huta

2008-12-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

Anish Kapoor’s Taratantara at First Canadian Place

Just like many other business buildings, First Canadian Place is a very linier building. This angularity provides a famous contrast for Anish Kapoor’s curvy streamline large sculpture. The contrast between the two elements works the same as a building in the downtown core, the building has to be able to adapt to its cellular human interaction. The sculpture Taratantara, emulates the characteristics of the human body in which the piece also combines this idea of a unity through contrast. The gallery elements are placed strategically to help break up the space and to allow for different viewpoints of Taratantara. Most of the Gallery elements are place in the middle of walking areas to create a distraction. The Elements are place as such to make people be aware of their surroundings. The open gallery concept of First Canadian Place provides ample room for Taratantara and is an ideal place for it to be seen along with the other gallery elements because of the vas amount of people who pass through the building using the PATH daily.

Final Model:

First Model:

Perspectives:

Drawings:

Karen Lee: Final project

2008-12-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

statement:

My open air gallery was made for the art work of Brian Jungen: the piece is called Prototype for New Understanding. It is created only by Nike Jordan shoes and Brian Jungen turned this shoes into Indian masks. So to keep the characteristics of the Indians, I try to make the gallery that is suitable and represent-able for Indians. For example, in order to see the art work, people need to go deep into the art gallery. People can see the space from outside or from the overhead walkway however they can not see what’s inside. One reason of this is to evoke people’s curiosity and second reason is in these century Indians are more hiding from us and they are living in the place far from us. This fact also made the gallery to be isolated and placed beside the trees. Moreover, I wanted to give people some relaxation. In the downtown, I found out that people are busy and they are getting stress from working. So I try to make a place where people can relax and get rid of any stress while they are in the gallery. So this is one of the other reasons that I isolated the gallery from the path. Also in the gallery there are seats that they can rest. This gallery would be placed in front of Nathan Philips square.

Monica's Project Three Post

2008-12-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

“Growing Rock Candy Mountain, Grasses in Canned Sand”( by Jessica Stockholder) exhibited at the Nathan Phillips Square rink

My purpose in choosing the Nathan Phillips Square rink/fountain as my location to exhibit “Growing Rock Candy Mountain, Grasses in Canned Sand” was to capture the interest of the general public. Many art works that are exhibited in museums and in galleries mainly attract people with an artistic background or interest. My goal was to create a more casual and easily accessible way for people, with or without knowledge of the arts, to participate in the viewing of an art piece. The large fuchsia, mountain like shapes create an image that easily catches people’s attention. By strategically placing the work on the ice rink, as not to block the circular flow of the skaters, the work is placed in a fun environment and enables the general public to come enjoy the art piece while they skate. In the warmer months, when the rink is filled with water, there will be “stepping-stone” like blocks placed for the viewers to be able to approach the work at a closer distance. Finally, in the east and west end of the area, there will be white walls placed to create a backdrop, suitable for an artist whose works are described to be like “paintings in space”. Furthermore, this will diminish the level of distraction behind the work, as well as facilitate the viewing of such large piece.

Monica Laflamme

project three part2: Amin Shahinbakhsh

2008-12-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

Donald Judd modifies the existing spatial configuration of the site by imposing, subtly, purified and undisturbed geometrical structures .In doing so he redefines spaces in a minimal manner. His methodology is maintained with the employment of repetition. He captures moments of spatial dynamics by distilling forms and reinterpreting landscape.

The site is framed by miesvanderrohe’s TD buildings. They have their own distinct design which signifies the architect's vision. On the other side the site is parallel to the wellington street. The position of the towers and the way the site is situated in between has governed the placement of the cubes. The exhibition space is created by placing the cubes parallel and angled to the td towers. The paralleled cubes frames the artists work. This is evident in the axonometric drawing and the model. The cubes are in angle to the TD towers to create an angled view from the street to the exhibition. With the cubes angled position in the middle of the towers a significant space or object is created. The space stands separate from the surrounding towers.

"Project Three : Nancy Huang"

2008-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

TD Centre by Mies van der Rohe

Don’t be afraid! ...to Fuck Mies van der Rohe
By Nancy Huang

This gallery was designed to showcase the works of Louise Bourgeois. Louise Bourgeois works of art showed a lot of erotic subject matter but I didn’t design the gallery because of this. I designed it because of what she said: “An artist can show things that other people are terrified of expressing.” Bourgeois was not afraid of the human body. She was not afraid about speaking her mind. She was proud to be a woman. Her message was not about sex or about promiscuity; it was about not being afraid. It was about female expressiveness in a male dominated world.
In the design of the gallery, I placed this gallery on top of the TD center, a building designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. I chose this building because I found something very interesting about its design. Unlike the enclosed and almost secretive structures of other buildings, the design of the TD center is meant to expose the insides and make them viewable on the outside. Much like Bourgeois’ expressive spirit, this building announces what is held internally to the world.

Project 3: Final Critique Pieces

2008-12-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

PROJECT THREE - FINAL REVIEW - HB

2008-12-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

The site I chose was the fountain at Commerce Court because it was large, yet dull and less visited area. Even during the peak of busy hours, few people make this place to socialize. And I was intrigued by the fountain - large yet shallow, easily accessible by people when dry. I wanted to create a contrast of fire (candlelights from Carlos Garaicoa's Now Let's Play to Dissapear II) and water (fountain floors) in a small enclosed space of walls. The space is enclosed to protect the artwork from heavy winds outside. This keeps the view minimal from outside the space, but has intense light surrounded by the walls inside. The goal of this design is to gain attention from the viewers and office tenants who often ignore the view of fountain around their area.

Carlos Garaicoa: Now Let's Play to Dissapear II

Perspective photos & models

The artwork with the gallery (below)

Plan

North-East Elevation

South-West Elevation

South Section

West Section

Project 3-part 2-Mehdi Hosseini

2008-12-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

For more process work click here

Jenny Holzer

"(born 1950 in Gallipolis, Ohio) is an American conceptual artist. She attended Ohio University (in Athens, Ohio), Rhode Island School of Design, and the Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Holzer was originally an abstract artist, focusing on painting and printmaking; after moving to New York City in 1977, she began working with text as art. She was an active member of the artist's group Colab.
The main focus of her work is the use of words and ideas in public space. Street posters are her favorite medium, and she also makes use of a variety of other media, including LED signs, plaques, benches, stickers, T-shirts, and the Internet. Her work has also been integrated into the work of Canadian contemporary dance troupe Holy Body Tattoo."

In design of this installation I tried to create a space not only for art work to be shown, but also for local people to walk around it and be a part of it.
The art work will be carved in the walls and at night will be colorful by projectors.

Project Three, Part Two, Claudia Kwon

2008-12-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

Guillermo Kuitca's Gallery in Downtwon Toronto

Section (Scale 1:100)

Plan (Scale 1:100)

Perspective Drawings (Scale 1:100)

Elevation (Scale 1:100)

Model (Scale 1:100)

Designer's Statement

My open gallery is designed and constructed to exhibit the work of Guillermo Kuitca; who is an Argentinean visual artist. He is a key figure in the history of Latin American art known for his map and architectural work. He has exhibited worldwide and his work is held in several major international collections, including MOMA and the Met. He usually emphasizes his interest in the capacity of cartographic and architectural diagrams to change our orientation to the social spaces we inhabit.

It is my pleasure to design this open-air gallery for him in heart of downtown Toronto. The site of this gallery locates at Adelaide and Richmond Center, right beside the main entrance. Although this site is very open to the public, it does not do any particular function for people so I thought it would be such a good location for placing an open-air gallery and exhibiting great works of Guillermo Kuitca. Because this site is located in the middle of financial district, most of business people do not have a time to go to gallery and enjoy good art works; however, by having such open-air gallery right beside of their work place will make them to visit and enjoy the great art works like Kuitca’s.

The design of gallery is a very simple composition while the chosen art piece represents a chaotic, acoustic feeling. I would like to have a contrast between space and art piece. Simple set of gallery divides into two sections: east part and west part. They are completely separated by the center wall but audience must enter from the west side. There are portals on each wall which leads a path for audience. However, once you step into each section, you will experience something a new each time because each section was designed to give audience a completely different perspectives of space. People can join into this amazing experience during their lunch time or on their way back home by visiting this gallery nearby their work. I think it would be a great idea to exhibit the rest of pieces from Acoustic Mass series in different places in city too.

Project Three: Part Two - Nathan Albion

2008-12-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

Open Air Gallery Proposal for Nathan Phillips Square

I chose Alexander Calder's Black Widow Stabile that is currently on permanent display at the museum of modern art in NYC. I decided that this piece would look great in Nathan Phillips Square. This decision resulted from the fact that many of Calder's other stabiles are also publicly displayed in squares and courtyards. My placement was decided upon the fact that the entire square is framed by an elevated walkway except the northwest corner. So I decided that would be a suitable place to make my intervention. This, in my mind, would compel pedestrians to mingle with the sculpture while entering the square from that point.

Alexander Calder, Black Widow 1965

Perspective looking North East

Perspective looking North West

Plan Drawing

North elevation

East Elevation

Section 1 (north)

Section 2 (East)

Richard Serra at Downsview Station

2008-12-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

STATEMENT

Richard Serra's sculptures are not about the form of the piece, but about the spacial relations that the piece creates. With this knowledge I have grouped the like volumes (all the cylinders together, all the cubes together, and all the planes together) to add the element of how each volume interacts with the piece separately, while creating viewing points and rest areas at the same time.

Many people argue; why put a gallery around a Richard Serra piece, while at the same time argue his indoor pieces are very successful. This is because, generally, his outdoor works create their own gallery, and the four surrounding walls of a gallery (or space) give an indoor piece context and a spacial perimeter.

It is for the above mentioned reasons the location and the sculpture (Richard Serra's, Switch 1999) were chosen. They share a symbiotic relationship where the the surrounding roadways (which create a curvilinear triangular island that mimics the shape of Switch) act as walls and set a perimeter for which the piece to be viewed, where as the volumes are an extension of the experience of spacial exploration.

Project Three, Part Two - Amanda Compagnone

2008-12-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

SOL LEWITT’S SPLOTCH #15 AT FINCH STATION

Finch station is a high traffic suburban commuter zone, although the area is dense with commuter traffic, it offers many open unused spaces with lots of potential. People in this location are often rushing in and out of the space like zombies, heading to a set destination, typically work. I wanted to offer these commuters a change from their daily routine and scenery without forcing or manipulating them into the space by putting up roadblocks and to change their path. By making use of an already empty space, the gallery is meant to enrich the landscape rather than impose on a currently used space. The gallery is hidden behind a solitary electrical tower to give a sneak peek between the steel partly exposing the change in landscape, the gallery and the works. The idea is to stimulate the viewers’ intrigue, and allowing it to guide them into the space. The electrical tower it self is already a source of intrigue as it’s isolated from the rest of the towers located in the field behind the parking lot. I want commuters to acknowledge their curiosity and the conscious choice to enter the gallery. Sol LeWitts Splotch #15 offers contrast against the white gallery walls and will be permanently installed on the South side of the gallery; the North side of the gallery of the gallery will be open for temporary installations.

Project Three, Final Review : Anahita Kiani

2008-12-04T10:59:00.001-08:00

Elevation North-South

Elevation East-West

Section North-South

Section East-West

Project Three, Final Review/Curation: Katie Felton

2008-12-04T10:02:00.001-08:00

URBAN INTERVENTION: DESIGNER’S STATEMENT

My proposal for the location of Giuseppe Penone’s open-air gallery is outside of McCowan subway station in the North Scarborough suburbs of Toronto.
I believe part of what the suburbs may be missing is a deep connection to art and culture, particularly in the form of spatial representation. As well, a natural variety is not apparent in these areas and nature is not given the space or the freedom to be creative itself, by evolving or expanding.
By placing an open-air gallery on the expanse of grassland nestled between Scarborough Shopping Center and a quieter, more corporate pocket, I am proposing that Penone’s work can bridge all disconnects from nature, urban culture, and the environment to the occupants of the area.
It can also serve as a monument to the future the Scarborough suburbs; a more soulful and more livable community, with less emphasis on the corporate elements and more on the ribbon on nature that cuts through the area.
The proposed location for the gallery is one which is visible and accessible to a heavy traffic of people coming to and from the buildings and shops in and around the McCowan RT station, so it will be a perfect showcase for the selected piece of art.
Penone’s work consists of pieces of worked natural materials expressing poetic principles and values inspired by wooded areas and natural bounties, such as the ones the artist became accustomed to growing up in a small village in the Maritime Alps.
The gallery is designed like a gateway and so observers will be given the simulation that they are being transported from their surroundings. The portals in the walls have been offset so that only a beam of light passes through to the entrance, alluding to what lies at the end of passage—a spiritual transformation.

PLAN 1:100

SECTIONS 1:100

ELEVATIONS 1:100

PERSPECTIVE 1:100

MODEL 1:100

Project Three (Final Review) - Michael Pham

2008-12-03T23:18:00.000-08:00

ARTIST STATEMENT

I chose Nathan Philip Square because it had a lot of free space. I think it is a good opportunity to use this space to show different elements of design to create this gallery. This site was important because it also had an artwork (The Archer) displayed already and it seem incomplete somehow. I wanted to connect the old and the new by adding Carsten Holler’s artwork (Rhinoceros). The gallery was to connect both art pieces in different zones. The larger zone is where the Rhinoceros will be located because it’s the main focus of the art piece and the smaller is for The Archer. The goal of this gallery was to create a maze type space where you get the feeling of being lost and finding your way to the artwork. This maze is design to enclose the artwork, so that you can see minimum outside of this space, but the intent is bringing curiosity to the viewers so they can be drawn to the gallery to see the artwork and also to see the design of the space that surrounds the art.

SHOWCASE: CARSTEN HOLLER'S RHINOCEROS

SITE: NATHAN PHILIP SQUARE

CARSTEN HOLLER'S GALLERY

PERPECTIVES

MODEL
PLAN
ELEVATIONS
SECTIONS

PROJECT 2 - EVE ZORAWSKI

2008-12-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

2:1 SITE ANALYSIS [here]
2:2 PROTOTYPE A + B VERSUS FINAL
2:3 COMMENTS

A - B
FINAL

When deliberating the rendering style for this project, I was instantly compelled to use simple and strong graphic elements. The Canadian Pacific Tower itself is a strong statement within downtown Toronto with Mies van der Rohe's exquisitely Modern style. For Prototype A I intended to recreate van der Rohe's sketchy rending lines- attempting to obtain the appropriate visual essence of the building.

For my final rendering I chose to combine the clean rigid lines from Prototype B and elegance of Prototype A's emptiness. I also revised my measurements and other details. I find that this rendering makes an interesting marriage between my graphic style and the richness of the Modern building.

Project Two, Part Two - Amanda Compagnone

2008-12-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

Project Three, Part One: Katie Felton

2008-11-27T05:58:00.000-08:00

<<<EXHIBIT>>>

Giuseppe Penone, Peau de feuilles, 2000.

Where: Open Air Gallery, designed by Katie Felton

Location: McCowan Rd. and Progress Ave, Scarborough

Exhibit Site Photos:

Project 3 Part One - HB

2008-11-26T22:29:00.000-08:00

The site chosen for the display is at the central courtyard in Commerce Court.One particular reason is that the space isn't interesting as the other spaces in other office complexes. There are no interesting features in this area, apart from the "fountain" in the centre. The fountain is where the work will be displayed because the contrast of the candles (fire) and the fountain surface (water) is an interesting and noticeable.

The placement of candlelights among the water would get attention among visitors in this "gallery". To access to the gallery, wooden platforms will be laid on the fountain to allow observers to walk it on without getting wet.

I am using the same work posted earlier in this blog.
It is called "Now Let's Play to Dissapear II" (2002), made out of candlelights.

Project 3 (Part One) Karen Lee

2008-11-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

Site/Views(plan,elevations,sections)

site: Queen st/Bay st (Infront of Nathan Phillips square)

Project Three - Amanda Compagnone

2008-11-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

I decided to use Sol LeWitt's Splotch #15 because the colour and the shape will contrast the design restrictions for the structure. LeWitt's earlier work is very geometric and clean which I feel would blend in with it's surroundings and eliminate the "wow" factor. As for specific location of my structure I haven't really decided where I would like it, although I will put it outside. I would like to place it around Finch Station because I know the area really well and there is a lot of empty usable space. I have decided to focus first on the elements of structure and then focus on the specific place, and adjust the structure accordingly.

Some spaces I'm considering:

Project3, Part1: Anahita Kiani

2008-11-20T06:31:00.000-08:00

Toronto Conevention Centre-Round Park House

For figuring out how to make it I used logos out of foam and clay to find the figuration.

I have shown traditional and modern architect design in two diffent side. If we look at from north-south we see a very abstract,rectangular design. But if we look at from south to north, we see a classical design.

Project Three Progress Report (Claudia Kwon)

2008-11-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

Guillermo Kuitca's Gallery in Downtown Toronto

Site - In front of the Adelaide Richmond Center (colored in red)

Site Model (Scale 1:100)

the following images are initial plan and elevations

Project 3, part 1: tiffany huta

2008-11-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

so i dicided on the site of First Canadian Place. In the open atrium will be where i will place the art piece.

Mehdi Hosseini-Project 3- Part 1

2008-11-19T21:50:00.000-08:00

Proposed Location-Kipling Station

Perspective View

Plan

North, South Elevation
East, West Elevation Section

Model

Project Three: Part One - Nathan Albion

2008-11-19T21:36:00.001-08:00

These Are a few pics of my initial idea for my proposal. I plan on placing this "garden" in Nathan Phillips Square.

David Altmejd at the TD Pavillion

2008-11-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

I decided to place the work of David Altmejd downtown Toronto beside the TD Pavillion due to the stark contrast between this building and his artwork. He is known for his pieces inspired by death and decay, therefore by placing it by such a simple, sleek building would definitely attract some attention.

The piece I chose is called "The Hunter", which was completed in 2006. It is an extremely controversal piece and I think the viewers will see a relationship between the TD Pavillion's glass siding and the mirrors used in this piece.

Jessica Stockholder -Nathan Phillips Square (fountain)

2008-11-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

I chose to place the installation in the fountain area (with no water) to utilize the arcs above, because the piece has to be hung in many areas. It also allows more then enough space for viewers to be able to get around such a large piece.

Plan:

North/South section & West/East section:

South elevation & East elevation:

Richard Serra at Downsview Station

2008-11-18T20:47:00.001-08:00

Forces

2008-11-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

Teams and Tasks

2008-11-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

furniture setup: Katie, Monica
cleanup: Micheal (and anyone who does not have class at 11:30 am)
snacks: Sahar, Anahita, Alanna
mounting section: Nancy, Karen, Amin, Ho-Been
map collection: Anna, Mehdi, Eve, Claudia, Zahra
map curator: Nathan
documentation: Amanda, Tiffany

2008-11-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

Exercise Seven, Anna Totska.

VESSNA PERUNOVICH

Farewell

"... The work of Canadian Artist Vessna Perunovich is about finding a balance, a way of understanding and (possibly) resolving the tension between conflicted or opposite states of mind and being. The cultural displacement, relationships and roles within family-life are all examined. The metaphoric qualities of her pieces lend themselves naturally to a multiplicity of readings. Her repeated use of materials such as pantyhose and elastic ribbon carry with them the inherent quality of being "stretched". Perunovich wants to explore, and wants the viewer to see, that the roles and confines which are put upon us as a society need to be streched, reshaped and redifined..."

Virginia M. Eichhorn

Link 1.

Link 2.

Monica's Post - Exercise Seven

2008-11-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

Growing Rock Candy Mountain
Grasses in Canned Sand
1992
Violet bathing suite material (23 x 12m), sand stone native to Munster, gaseous
concrete building blocks, plaster, basket material, electrical wiring, 3 very
small lights, newspaper glued to the wall, acrylic paint, metal cables,
styrofoam
Room approx. 29 x 9m

"Stockholder is a pioneer of multimedia genre-bending installations...Her
site-specific interventions and autonomous floor and wall pieces have been
describes as "paintings in space"...Her work is energetic, cacophonous and
idiosyncratic...Stockholder's installations, sculptures, and collages affirm
the primacy of pleasure, the blunt reality of things, classical order/intuitive
expressionism, conscious thought/unconscious desire."
From website:http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/stockholder/index.html

Book: Jessica Stockholder. 1995 Chronicle Books. Barry Schwabsky. Phaidon Press.
illus. Trade Paper. 160p.

Exercise Seven: Nathan Albion

2008-11-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Alexander Calder

Black Widow

Sculpture Garden, MoMA: NY, NY

Alexander Calder revolutionized the art of sculpture by making movement one of its components. Yet his invention of the "mobile" -- a word coined in 1931 by artist Marcel Duchamp to designate Calder's moving sculpture -- was only one of Calder's achievements. In his early wire figures and in his "stabiles," static sculptures in sheet metal, Calder created innovative works by exploring the aesthetic possibilities of untraditional materials. As a major Contribution to the development of abstract art, Calder's stabiles and mobiles challenged the prevailing notion of sculpture as a composition of masses and volumes by proposing a new definition based on the ideas of open space and transparency. With the giant stabiles of the latter part of his career, Calder launched a new type of public sculpture -- one which proved so successful that many of these works have become landmarks in cities around the globe.

(Taken from an introduction to a Calder exhibit by the National Gallery of Art)

"Calder", Text by H. H. Arnason, Photographs by Pedro E. Guerrero. Van Nostrand Company 1966.

www.calder.org

Exercise 7: Tiffany Huta

2008-11-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

Anish Kapoor / Lynda Forsha ; with an essay by Pier Luigi Tazzi.

Anish Kapoor

Anish Kapoor
Void 1991-92
Fibreglass and pigment
161 (diam.) x 120cm

“I think I understand something about space. I think the job of a sculptor is spatial as much as it is to do with form.” –Anish Kapoor

"Exercise Seven: Louise Bourgeois: Nancy"

2008-11-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

Louise Bourgeois Website

Quote:
“An artist can show things that other people are terrified of expressing.

Cumul l, 1969. Marble, 20 1/16 x 50 x48 1/16 inches (51 x 127 x 122 cm). Musee National d’Art Moderne, centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

Mehdi Hosseini-Exercise 7

2008-11-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise, ca. 1984
click here to visit her art works.

" At the beach I would make paintings on long pieces of fabric and leave them so that people would come along and wonder what this thing was that had obviously been left by someone hoping to tickle their imaginations a little bit. Downtown I’d put bread out in abstract patterns so people could watch pigeons eat in squares and triangles….But the works weren’t beautiful enough or compelling enough or understandable enough to make people stop.”

Exercise 7: Karen Lee

2008-11-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

Brian Jungen
His work->http://www.catrionajeffries.com/b_b_jungen_works.html

Prototype for New Understanding 2005

Nike air Jordans

" I was interested in the ubiquitousness of native motifs, especially in Vancouver, and how they have been corrupted and applied and assimilated commercially, e.g in the tourist industry. It was interesting to see how by simply manipulating the Air Jordan shoes you could evoke specific manipulating the Air Jordan shoes you could evoke specific cultural traditions whilst simultaneously amplifying the process of cultural corruption and assimilation. The Nike "mask" sculptures seemed to articulate a paradoxical relationship between a consumerist artifact and an "authentic" native artefact" (Quote by Brian Jungen)

(Augaitis D.(2005) Brian Jungen.Vancouver:Friesens)

Exercise Seven: Anahita Kiani

2008-11-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

OLAFUR ELIASSON

Your Gyroscope, 2008

Olafur Eliasson uses his imagination together with simple technologies and materials such as glass, floor lamps, fans and mirrors to explore ideas of space. Eliasson developed analogies between colour and sounds. He and number of other famous architects including Robert Irwin and James Turell believe in the connection between the sounds of specific musical instrument and colour.

Eliasson believes in our ability to hear colours and to see sounds. On this point,he says," We're metaphors. We always come in the colour and shape of our imagination."

www.olfureliasson.net

Exercise Seven - Amanda Compagnone

2008-11-12T09:44:00.001-08:00

SOL LEWITT

SPLOTCH #15, 2005 (Acrylic on fiberglass 12' x 8'4" x 6'8")

"Conceptual artists are mystics rather than rationalists.They leap to conclusions that logic cannot reach."

-Sol LeWitt

"Sol LeWitt, whose deceptively simple geometric sculptures, drawings and ecstatically colored jazzy wall paintings established him as a lodestar of modern American art... LeWitt helped establish Conceptualism and Minimalism as dominant movements of the postwar era."

- Michael Kimmelman, New York Times

Sole LeWitt - Structures 1962 - 2003
Sole LeWitt - Wall Drawings 1176: Seven Basic Colours & All Their Combination in a Square Within a Square

Richard Serra

2008-11-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

Richard Serra Elevations, Repition (2006)

"To cut is to draw a line, is to separate, to make a distinction. In the sawing pieces the cut as line informs the material, the structure and the process."

"There is an attempt to diminish the distinction between architecture and sculpture as architects overlap the non functional determintaion of sculpture into their constructs. The converse is not the problem of my sculpture." About "Sight Point", 1971-75

Interview by Friedrich Teja Bach, 14 March 1975

www.gagosian.com/artists/richard-serra/

Exercise Seven: Michael Pham

2008-11-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Carsten Höller

"Upside Down Mushroom Room"

1994-1995

2000 exhibited at Fondazione Prada Milan

Click link for more artwork of Carsten Höller http://www.airdeparis.com/holler.htm#

"The mushrooms are confined to an upside down room, illuminated from below - there's a reference to the Umkehrbrille (Upside Down Spectacles) (1993), but here the room appears to be upside down without having to resort to glasses. At the beginning of the twentieth century, George Stratton wore spectacles of this type for eight days running. After passing through intermediate stages in which he saw, for example, a candle upside down when it was unlit and in the "correct" position when it was burning, on the eighth day he saw everything as he did before wearing the glasses. He had adapted once again to the continuous process of adjustment that is part of sight, because the image on the retina is upside down before the brain deals with it. When you see the world upside down, you're seeing the "real" world"

Quote sited from: http://dedismo.tripod.com/computermusic/id2.html

Exercise7: Amin Shahinbakhsh

2008-11-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

------Donald Judd-------

galvanized iron, 1965

blue enamel on aluminum, 1970/1983

“A shape, a volume, a colour a surface is something itself, it shouldn’t be concealed as part of a fairly different whole.”

Donald Judd

more information RIGHT HERE

Exercise Seven: HB

2008-11-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Carlos Garaicoa

Ahora juguemos a desaparecer I (Now Let’s Play to Disappear I), 2001, metal table, candles.

Installation view, Sonsbeek 9, Arnhem, The Netherlands.

Courtesy of the Giuliana and Tomaso Setari Collection, France-Italy.

More about Carlos Garaicoa: visit here.

“The conception of history as a fictitious element and its reconstruction, taking into account its implications in relation to the urban space, is the basis for most of my work”.

Culturebase.net, February 7, 2006

Exercise Seven: Katie Felton

2008-11-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

Giuseppe Penone

Cedro di Versailles, 600x170cm, 2002-2003.

"Penone's works demonstrate a persistent commitment to the Arte Povera obsession with the body and nature. His actions of the '60s and early '70s uniquely combined humanist empiricism with a sense of craft, a European artisanal approach crossed with avant-garde actions. Penone insists that he now works in bronze because the oxidation process (over time) mimics the ability of water to change the surface of stones in a river. His interventions are personal and intimate, with a druid-like commitment to the earth and its fallen trees. For this reason, Penone continues to inspire reactions of nostalgia for a time that was best described by the avid collector of Arte Povera, Ingvild Goetz: "art was brazen, revolutionary and poetic."

-Sculpture Magazine, "The Poetry of Art and Nature." December, 2004.

Giuseppe Penone Online

Exercise Seven: Alanna

2008-11-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

David Altmejd

Book: David Altmejd by Louise Déry

For more examples of his work & a brief biography, see the ModernArt.net site.

The University 1, 2004. Mirror & Wood. 66" x 71" 106"

"With his installations of severed werewolf heads, taxidermied animals and decaying giants, sculptor David Altmejd certainly seems obsessed with the macabre. 'A lot of people think that I'm really fascinated by death and morbidity, but I'm much more interested in life. I just think that things look more alive when they're growing on top of what's dead,' he says, bending his fingers to mimic blades of growing grass."

By Catherine Hong, wmagazine.com
November 2007

Exercise Seven: Claudia Kwon

2008-11-08T00:26:00.000-08:00

Guillermo Kuitca

Acoustic Mass III (Covent Garden), 2005 mixed media on paper

(For more information of Guillermo Kuitca and his work, click here)

The title of book: Cartographies & Contemporary Voices

" Kuitca's speciality is maps, maps in the broadest sense of the term, maps as diagrams of both spatial and temporal relationships. He has painted family trees, the floor plans of stadiums, apartments and prisons, the seating arrangements of theaters, the street plans of cities (in one case creating a grid of city blocks composed of hypodermic syringes). He has transposed the topography of countries onto the hollow-pocked surfaces of mattresses and has tackled his theme with the broad-est possible range of painterly techniques. The results are often extremely handsome abstract paintings with a referential twist. Critics have insisted on discovering all manner of angst in these works- everything from elliptical references to the terror instituted by the military junta that ruled Argentina in the 70s, to suggestions of the anoymity and free-floating anxiety that attend modern urban existence."

(ArtScene, 1999, by Mario Cutajar)

Project Two, Part Two

2008-11-07T19:55:00.001-08:00

Click here to download a larger version of the full panorama (10MB).

Those of you submitting this Project late are responsible for posting an image of your final drawing the blog, using the label 2.2.2 Project Two (Part Two) Submissions. I will re-document the entire panorama at the final review.

Exercise Seven: Eve

2008-11-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

MARTIN PURYEAR
You can find more works by the artist here.

Old Mole, 1985
Red Cedar - 154.9 x 154.9 x 86.4 cm

"Made from a variety of natural materials — including wood, tar, rawhide, and stone — Martin Puryear's distinctive sculptures combine modernist geometry with international craft traditions. Influenced by woodworking, basketry, and construction techniques, the pieces at times resemble familiar objects. By blending cultural references, however, Puryear avoids fixed associations of time and place."

- San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art, 2008

Exercise Seven: One Book, One Site, One Image, One Quote

2008-11-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

You have been assigned an artist as part of Project Three. Research your artist, and post the following to the blog.

The title of one book on this artist that is available at the Dorothy H. Hoover Library. Bring this book to class next week.
A working link to a website that features the artist's work.
One image of one piece of the artist's work, annotated with the name of the piece.
One quote from writing either by the artist or on the artist that is emblematic of the artist's body of work.

During the process of completing this Exercise, you may discover that one or more of the above requirements are impossible to achieve. If this is the case, it is up to you to contact me right away, and I will assign you another artist. You must contact me at least 48 hours prior to the Exercise deadline.

Note also that any changes to your artist must be completed and confirmed by me prior to completing this Exercise.

Exercise Seven is due at 8:30AM on Thursday, November 13. Please use the label 3.7 Exercise Seven Submissions for Exercise Seven.

Project Three

2008-11-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

Project Three
The (Sub)Urban Intervention
Effecting Affective Social Space

OVERVIEW

The street is not home territory. At best, it is a territory to be tamed, to which you need other weapons than those forged over the century in the sometimes complacent habits of the museum.

from Can Art Get Down from its Pedestal and Rise to Street Level?
by Daniel Buren, 1997

The Ontario College of Art and Design, in a joint venture with the City of Toronto and the Art Gallery of Ontario, has secured funds and permission to create an open-air gallery for the exhibition of a significant work of art within the boundaries of Toronto. With the AGO providing the work, the City providing the environment, and OCAD providing the environmental design, this initiative will serve to link two of Ontario's premier cultural and educational institutions with their host city. This permanent installation will create a premiere location for the consideration of a major work of art, as well as provide a quiet, contemplative retreat from the intensities of urban life. A Design Review Committee consisting of representatives from all three stakeholders has been created, and is currently holding an invitation-only competition for the design of a synthetic intervention that incorporates a work of art from a shortlist of artists within an architectural environment constructed from predetermined elements.

THE WORK OF ART

A shortlist of 20 artists has been compiled, representing a cross-section of contemporary installation practices worldwide. Some of the artists are well-established masters of their discipline, while others are emerging voices; all produce work of the highest calibre. Many of the short-listed artists do not typically produce the type of large-scale sculptural works traditionally considered most suitable for public installation - with limited precedent, these artists may prove to be particularly challenging. Each invited designer has been assigned an artist at random from the shortlist. Designers are permitted to exchange their artists with each other, at the discretion of the Chair of the Review Committee. The designer must select an appropriate piece from the artist's body of work. The shortlisted artists and their preliminary assignments are shown below.

All changes in artist must be finalized by November 13, 2008.

THE SITE

The City of Toronto has identified six areas of the city as being suitable for this intervention: the specific site is at the discretion of the invited designer. Five of the these areas are suburban locations at the termini of each arm of the Toronto rapid transit system: Kipling Station, Downsview Station, Finch Station, Don Mills Station and McCowan Station. In these cases, the designer must select a suitable site within approximately 500m of the station in question. The sixth site is a central downtown location, bounded by Toronto City Hall to the north, Bay Street to the East, Union Station to the south and York Street to the West. In this case, the designer must choose a site within the given boundaries.

Analytical studies in plan (for the suburban areas) and section (for the urban area) have established the character of these sites and highlighted locations where an intervention of this type would have a catalytic effect. Invited designers are encouraged to review these studies, available for review on the competition website.

Specific sites must be finalized by November 20, 2008.

THE INTERVENTION

The intent of the design of the open-air gallery is to enrich the experience of the visit to, and the viewing of, the work of art sited within it. The synthesis of the sited work and the surrounding architectonic apparatus should also improve the site as a whole. The environmental design should take into account the full range of experience, from the initial viewing of the enclosure from a distance, through the pedestrian approach, to the up-close viewing of the work of art. It should be possible to view the work in the round: the design of the gallery may or may not passively guide this procession. Given the extended nature of the gallery, it is suggested that the design include a central domain where the work of art will be installed, and a series of secondary domains, discrete or interconnected, where temporary exhibits may be installed.

Due to a limited budget, the enclosure will consist of a set of predetermined architectural elements that have already been acquired through an anonymous donation. These elements are:

Five rectangular wall elements, each 3m high,8m long and 1/3m thick;
Three cylindrical columns, each 3m in height and 2/3 m in diameter;
Two rectangular volumes, each 1m by 2m by 4m;
One cylindrical volume, 1m in height and 2m in diameter, and
One cubic volume, 1m by 1m by 1m.

The elements are constructed from a recently developed fibre-reinforced recycled plastic, and are innately UV and weather-resistant. They can be sanded to a smooth, matte white finish, and their material continuity permit them to be modified as necessary. In order to maximize the utility of the donated elements, maintain their structural integrity, minimize the cost of their installation, and ensure a degree of visual cohesiveness, the Review Committee has established the following restrictions to their possible arrangements and modifications.

At least 2/3 of the total volume of the elements must be used in the intervention.
The wall and column elements must be used in their normative configuration, with their height oriented vertically.
The volumetric elements may be used in any stable configuration.
Portals may be cut into the walls, but they must be greater than 1/3m and less than 3m long.
Portals must be exactly 2-1/3m high, and the spaces between adjacent portals must be equal or greater than 2/3m wide.
Modifications are limited to a maximum of 25 discrete cuts, and all cuts are to be planar and orthogonal: no diagonal, crooked or curved cuts are permitted. Note that portals require three cuts each.
Similarly, all elements must be arranged such that they form an orthogonal composition.
Parallel wall elements must be greater than 1m apart and less than 3m apart. No element is to more than 3m from another element.

Proposal for a Brick Villa by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1923

DELIVERABLES

Given an artist, propose an architectural intervention that uses the supplied elements to satisfy the desired outcomes within the defined constraints. Your proposal should consist of the following.

A 1:100 scale model of the site. The site model should include, at a minimum, the full extents of the area that is to be converted into an open-air gallery. The site model should be constructed of brown materials only, such as corrugated cardboard and millboard.
A 1:100 scale model of the open-air gallery, installed on the site model. The elements should be constructed of white materials only, such as illustration board, foam-ore and styrene.
A full set of orthographic drawings, including: one plan; one north-south and one east-west section, each bisecting the work of art, and two elevations. The drawing set must be prepared on 11" x 17" sheets at 1:100 scale, and must consist of black lines only. All drawings must each include a 1" border and an appropriate title block.
Three perspectival drawings. The perspectives should be composite images derived from photographs of the models and of the selected work of art. It is suggested that the perspectives cover a range of scales.
One designer's statement of not more than 250 words, outlining the intent of the environmental design proposal.

Some proposals may require additional drawings for clarity, but these should be kept to a minimum.

Proposal for a Concert Hall by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1942

You will deliver a progress report to the Chair of the Review Committee on November 20, 2008 for informal discussion and feedback. It is suggested that your site model and elements be complete at this time, though the elements should remain moveable. It is also suggested that free-hand drafts of your orthographic drawings be complete at this time. Your work-in-progress must be shown physically, but an electronic copy of your report must also be uploaded to the competition website prior to the beginning of this meeting.

You will formally present your proposal in final form to the Design Review Committee on December 4, 2008. At this presentation, you will visually curate your constructed material and read your designer's statement, as well as respond to any questions the Committee may have. You will not be permitted to provide any additional explanatory visual or oral material. It is expected that your presentation, including questions, will last no more than 10 minutes. The Committee will collect only electronic copies of your work for further review subsequent to this presentation: this must be delivered to the competition website no more than 48hrs after the conclusion of the formal presentation.

DEADLINE SUMMARY

November 13, 2008, 11:30AM: Finalization of all Artist Assignments
(AKA Exercise Seven)

November 20, 2008, 8:30AM: Electronic Progress Report Posted to the Competition Website (AKA Project 3, Part 1: post all work to-date to the blog)

November 20, 2008, 8:30AM-11:30AM: Progress Report Meetings with the Chair of the Design Review Committee
(AKA informal mid-project reviews with Jesse)

December 4, 2008, 8:30AM-11:30AM: Formal Presentation of Final Proposal to the Design Review Committee
(AKA formal final project reviews with Jesse and guest critics)

December 6, 2008, 11:30AM: Electronic Copy of Final Proposal Posted to the Competition Website
(AKA Project 3, Part 2: post all deliverables to the blog, clearly formatted with concise annotation - note explicit evaluation criterion below)

EVALUATION

Progress Report: /5
Model Style, Craft and Care: /4
Orthographic Drawing Style, Craft and Care: /4
Perspectival Drawing Style, Craft and Care: /4
Design - Responsive and Functional Qualities: /4
Design - Lyrical and Formal Qualities: /4
Final Presentation and Post: /5

Exercise Six: Eve

2008-11-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Exercise Six - Amanda Compagnone

2008-11-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

Individual Force Maps: Alanna McFarland

2008-11-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

McCowan Station - Force Maps

Natural vs. Man-Made Spaces

Residential vs. Commercial Spaces

Main Traffic Routes

Residential Traffic Routes

Parking Spaces

Project Two Section Cut

2008-10-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

If there are any major changes before next week, let me know and I'll adjust the image to reflect them.

Midterm Grades - Corrected

2008-10-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Please review your midterm grades, posted below (click to enlarge). If you feel that there's an error, contact me by email (this is not an invitation to debate your grade). Please note that the final academic withdrawal deadline is Oct 31st at 4:00PM. Please see the online Calendar for specific details.

Exercise Six. Anna Totska

2008-10-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

Exercise Six: The Exquisite Corpse: Katie Felton

2008-10-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

Exquisite Corpse: Tiffany Huta

2008-10-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Exquisite Corpse: Nathan Albion

2008-10-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Project Two: Nathan Albion

2008-10-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

My section cuts straight through the middle of the Council Chamber. My initial plan is to do a very accurate hard line drawing of the chamber, but to employ a collage of mixed media to create the tower in the background.

2008-10-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

PROJECT ONE, Part One. By Anna Totska.

2008-10-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Project Two, Part One (Claudia Kwon)

2008-10-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Richmond Adelaide Center
Adelaide Street
First Canadian Place Shopping Center

Exercise six: Karen Lee

2008-10-29T16:38:00.001-07:00

Exercise Six-Exquisite Corpse: Anahita Kiani

2008-10-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Exercise Six - Exquisite Corpse - Michael Pham

2008-10-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

"Exercise Six: An Exquisite Corpse: Nancy Huang"

2008-10-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

Mehdi Hosseini- Exercise Six

2008-10-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

Project Two, Part One Redux

2008-10-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

As we discussed in class, the deadline for Project Two, Part One has been extended until Thursday, October 30, with the addition of a layout exercise. The deadline for Project Two, Part Two (the final drawing) is also extended, until Thursday, November 6. In this way, we can spend next class making sure that everyone's sections are well considered and well co-ordinated. It is essential that everyone have all three aspects of Part One complete for next week, so that your final drawing efforts can proceed in earnest during the following week.

As a result of this extension, my expectations for this Project have increased. I remain confident that with diligent effort from all of you, the results will be outstanding. Remember, there will be a gap in the collective section if any one of you fails to produce for November 6 - please stay on top of this!

* * *

Please re-read the original Project Two description carefully.

Of note regarding the section cut:

Each of you has been assigned a 50m portion of the collective section. This portion is not the same as your site assignment for Exercise Five.
The section cut (and, by extension, the plane of your drawing) is oriented north-south, though its position may vary east-west between York Street and Bay Street, depending on the content of your portion. It is suggested that your section cut through the most compelling environments possible; as we discussed in class, stretches of environment that are consistent east-west may be used to "jog" your section as necessary.
I understand that the above statement is challenging to comprehend. We will review the exact position of your section cut together in class on October 30.

Of note regarding the final drawing (Part Two, due on November 6):

Everyone's final drawing will be 150cm high and 50cm wide. This format is large, but it can be created from a single sheet of 36" x 48" paper.
The final scale is 1:100. This means that people, which may or may not be present in your composition, will be about 1.5cm high.
Everyone's ground plane should be located 25cm above the bottom of the page, which results in 25m of below-ground content.
Everyone's final drawing should be full-bleed, or borderless, so that the individual portions of the section can be assembled into a collective drawing.
Your final drawing should not include a legend, a scale, or a title.

* * *

For Thursday, October 30 at 8:30AM, prepare the following:

A minimum of five samples of your site documentation: passages, sketches, photographs or otherwise (many of you have done this already).
A minimum of three samples of possible representational strategies. These should take the form of 1:100 sketches of selected portions of your section, using the actual media you intend to employ in your final drawing (very few of you have done this already).

Post these items to the blog, and bring your 1:100 sketch samples to class, as indicated previously.

In addition, please prepare:

The layout of your proposed section. Click here to download a PDF file that includes a layout template. The file also includes a copy of your portion assignments. Please print the layout template on an 11" x 17" sheet, and be sure to not scale the page (ask a friend if you don't know what this means). The template is at 1:300 - 1/3 the scale of your final drawing.

This item does not need to be posted to the blog.

Last, but definitely not least, please (please!) read Overhead and Underground: Building the Analogous City by Trevor Boddy, which we will be discussing. For real. You have been warned.

* * *

Email me if you have any questions, and see you next week.

Site Documentation: Alanna McFarland

2008-10-25T14:40:00.001-07:00

First Canadian Place

Exercise Six - Exquisite Corpse - HB

2008-10-24T20:45:00.001-07:00

2.2.1 Project Two(Part One): Michael Pham

2008-10-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

For this section, I plan on doing a collage of maybe my own drawings, photos, paintings or any media I could get. I will try to Photoshop trees, people, pets or any thing relevant to my site and of course to scale.

Sketches for my section

Site Documentation

2.2.1 Project Two(Part One): Anahita Kiani

2008-10-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

UNION STATION

Exercise Six: An Exquisite Corpse (and label)

2008-10-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

In class, as per my instructions, you drew an Exquisite Corpse.

Click here for more information about the origins of this exercise.

Please post the corpses you drew in class, using the label 3.6 Exercise Six Submissions.

Project Two. Part One - Amanda Compagnone

2008-10-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

Osgoode Hall
Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square & Old City Hall
Old City Hall
Selected Section of the Path

Project 2:1 - Eve Zorawski

2008-10-23T05:39:00.001-07:00

Toronto Dominion Center