Upload
ligh7201
View
224
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
1/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
2/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
3/36
Re: Conceptual Projecon
Michael Bia Light
A Thesis Study in The University of Idaho BLA Senior Studio, Spring 2009, Advisor: Professor Elizabeth Gra
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
4/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
5/36
Contents
Case Study Recap
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introducon
Installaon
Viewig Stage
Projecon
Layut
Conceptualizaon
At Mvemet
Saceess f Sils
Arst Inspiraon
Temay Wks
Cale t Cale
Event Result
Conclusion
Bibliography
v
vi
vii
1
5
5
8
8
15
16
17
18
20
21
23
25
27
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
6/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
7/36
Case Study Recap
The Tt Music Gae is cetalie the
imtace f a meaigful ccet i esig. My gal was
t shwcase a successful lascae esige ject that
taye a uelyig ccet. Y-Y Ma ha a esie t
tu a musical iece it a metahical gae. This was his
ccet a this was his assi. I chse Y-Ys billiace
because it was a successfully built gae that islaye
disncve elements seen in a landscape architecture project.
However, instead of celebrang the aesthec beauty of the
nal product, I focused more on conceptualizaon in landscape
achitectue.
This case study broadened my perspecve to diverse
ces f lascae achitectue. I leae hw the whle
process of a project is more important than the nal product.
I discovered how expanding ones mind to think from dierent
percepons can lead to excing ideas and designs. The music
garden is essenally about creang a concept and seeing it
through the nished project. This theory of conceptual art
a the imtace f cess lea me it the ialect f my
thesis.
v
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
8/36
Acknowledgements
I would like to recognize my advisor, Elizabeth Gra, for her
passionate interest on Land Art in relaon to Landscape
Achitectue. Thak yu f helig make this sei thesis
hae.
Thak yu Jh a Miaa Aes; ety
owners of the thesis applicaon site, and College of Art and
Achitectue faculty membes at the Uivesity f Iah. This
wul have bee imssible withut yu ethusiasm a
posivity.
To Abigail Frank, my inspiraon, and the best damn
creave assistant. To install a simple, temporary projecon is
e thig. Hweve, the cmlex cess that ges it such a
work is a whole other story. Without you Abby, I would sll be
lst i the eless ieas a eseach I cme u. We mae it
hae. T me, its all thaks t yu.
vi
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
9/36
Foreword
Ulike usual staas, this bk begis with evealig
the concept and nal design. Tradional forms of senior theses
in landscape architecture celebrate the build up to a nal
product. I however, am celebrang concept and process. This
bk is lai ut i a habitual fmat. It begis with the
resulng product and works backwards. The purpose of this
layout is to provide the reader with dierent percepon.
vii
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
10/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
11/36
InTrodUCTIon 1
Introducon
Installaon: a work of landscape art that is installed temporarily
to transform a specic site. In One Place Aer Another, Miwon
Kwon denes site-specic art as incorporat[ing] the physical
condions of a parcular locaon as integral to the producon,
presentaon, and recepon of art. (1)
The process of my thesis began with a realizaon.
I saw the abae gai elevat stuctue 6th a
Jacks i Mscw, Iah, a was immeiately aw t its
massive beauty and locaonal identy. From there I explored
ccet a iea. I alie kwlege fm my case stuy a
alternave research and started brainstorming what I could do
with this site. I s iscvee that thee was a futue la
for these abandoned silos. 48 hours from total demolion,
the silos were saved and currently have a prospecve future.
An ownership commiee looks ahead to renovate the grain
elevator into mul-use residenal, retail and oce space. The
ext ste f gessi wet t extesive eseach whee
I found inspiraon from various arst elds. I gathered an
abundance of informaon and began merging my ideas into
e meaigful ccet.
My missi statemet begis with the esie t make ele
awae f thei suuigs. The gal is t esig a ealie
a site-specic landscape art installaon inspired by monolithic
stuctue, whee the lcal a cultual ic that is the gai
project images thatare conducive to re-thinking vernacularelements of thelandscape
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
12/36
InTrodUCTIon4
elevat seves as a itegal istumet.
It is imtat f me t maitai the theme f bigig it
back t the la. Thus, the ccet f my thesis celebates
re two alphabecal leers providing a dierent meaning
to the word which they precede. Specically, the idea is to use
the Jacks St. gai elevats ccete suface as a thee-
imesial scee t ject images that ae cucive te-thikig veacula elemets f the lascae. Tgethe,
the installaon and the silos will funcon as a shared cultural
exeiece a will becme smethig well bey the
intenon of their original purpose.
2
Right: visual illustration displaying the
projection size and overall scene for the
installation.
Below: visual illustration of the viewing stage
and surrounding area.
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
13/36
53
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
14/36
6
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
15/36
InSTALLATIon 5
Installaon
For the rst essenal piece of my installaon, I took to the
steets with a sig. Abut e mth befe the actual shw,
I stood at the intersecon of 6th and Jackson holding a sign
that ea: WHAT do THE SILoS MEAn To YoU? The gal was
to challenge people to begin re-thinking about the nave
landscape surrounding us. I was not protesng or surveying.
I was simply pung myself in the open public smulang
eles mis. This exeimet hele with my esig cess
because I found excing, real answers. I discovered that, to
sme ele, the sils mea smethig me tha just gai
stage.
F my wk, I wate t ivlve the gai elevat as a
essenal implement without physically working on it. Projecng
images on to the authenc concrete surface is how this is
achieved. As my installaon was a one night only event, it is
important for me to immerse users into the raw, exisng site
and experience it as is. Aer disnguishing the projecon, I
needed to nd a way for viewers to feel comfortable in the
exisng, dirty site.
Viewing Stage
Part of my installaon includes a viewing plaorm
mae f cushe caba. Cugate caba is the
efect cmet because it was a eveyay, eaily
Above: images from sign holding day
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
16/36
InSTALLATIon6
Above: process of making the sign
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
17/36
InSTALLATIon 7
available uct that ca be secue it the gu.
Caba was chse because it ca be fu aywhee;
whethe i umstes, ecycle bis, stacke behi shig
centres. Compared to milk jugs, boles, n cans, plasc bags
a the ecyclable gabage mateial, caba ca be
easily aened into a comfortable surface. The important thing
is that I will euse this uct s that it maitais its igialfm a quality. Althugh caba is the mai mateial, I
evisi ele eteig the site a eusig its cuet fm
as way of nding comfort for my show. Some would transform
milk crates into easy seang. Others would see a stack of
plywood boxes as theatre seang. One or two or more would
simply stand during the presentaonstaring upward at the
mlithic stuctue. Maybe sme ele wul be bave
eugh t sit the ugh, ity gu a e-thik what this
landscape could become if reused. Or, as menoned already,
caba fu site cul be use t ceate a lage ug f
viewes.
Above: viewers on the cardboard stage
Bottom Left: image projected onto the silo
Bottom Right: awaiting dusk and testing the
projection
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
18/36
InSTALLATIon8
Projecon
A imay cmet f my ccet is t challege eles
minds by projecng images of re-thinking the systems of
our land. The projected slideshow will be a collaborave of
numerous messages. Part of my work is visual appeal. I nd
that images ca each ele i ways ws cat. Thus, theslideshow includes real life photographs; visual illustraons;
a clea ws. The htgahs islay stg cl. Clea,
visual appearance is very important when projecng onto
a rusc-concrete surface. Some photographs celebrate the
exisng scene of the silos on 6th and Jackson. For these
specic pictures, we shot as much of the raw site as we could;
highlighng its exisng beauty. Other images display a global
view of abandoned industrial structures. The visual illustraons
present my interpretaon of words from McDonoughs and
Baugats Cale t Cale, which I will exle late i this
text. Briey, the illustraons portray posive visions of what
u wl cul becme.
Altogether, the projecon will be supported by musical
backgu. The eas f icluig music is meat t vie
seeity, calmess, secuity a haiess.
Layout
The site layout of my installaon is formed from my
desire to promote awareness. I menoned the importance of
bigig uses it the aw site. With that, I exle feasibility
studies; analyzing mulple areas and structure surfaces for my
installaon. The performance takes place in the front yard of
the site. This is the best feasible aea because it is mst visible
t bystaes a is the safest. pakig is easily accessible a
pedestrian circulaon will not concern any constraints. Overall,
Above: schematic layout of viewing stage and
main circulation access points.
Below: site analysis plan displaying existing
conditions.
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
19/36
InSTALLATIon
the installaon layout is simple, feasible and non-destrucve to
the site.
The fllwig ages ae use t illustate a samle
of pieces from the actual projecon. The next chapter leaves
the nal product dialect and discusses conceptualizaon its
imtace a its cess i this ject.Below: circulation map illustrating all
possible access points into the site.
9
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
20/36
what might the huma-built w lklike if a chey tee ha uce it?
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
21/36
what if ew builigs imitate tees?providing nutrion, energy, and habitat.
what if we uce me eegy tha we csume?
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
22/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
23/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
24/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
25/36
ConCEpTUALIzATIon 15
Conceptualizaon
The gal f this thesis stuy is t e-exle
conceptualizaon in landscape architecture. Essenally,
concept is the rst step to creang ones work and is the most
imtat asect f es wk. Lascae achitectue uses
the tem ccet la i elacemet f what is aiately
called a schemac plan. My argument against concept plan
is that its not a concept, its a schemac. The concept is the
arsts main, strong statement. Formed by idea generaon,
concept is the big ideaconnecng directly to everything
done during a works process. Schemac is a plan represenng
program elements such as layout and circulaon. Although this
misinterpretaon may appear as lile importance, it can lead
t a geat lack f stegth i es wk. The imtace f
creang a clear idea is that concept gives meaning to things.
Istea f just givig the viewe smethig ice t lk at,
concept lls that missing piece and strengthens ones nal
uct.
Parcularly in landscape architecture, conceptualizaonis the fuig hase f esig evelmet. As leae fm
Julie Mi Messevy, the cess f ay ject is itegal t the
nal product. All quesons and decisions made during design
evelmet must aswe back t the e clea, visiay
ccet.
This chate exles my cess f eseach. Iclue
are discussions on art movements, specic arsts, sacred
Above: preliminary sketch of a grand piano
inside a hallow grain silo.
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
26/36
ConCEpTUALIzATIon16
saces, temay wks, a ew begiigsall at f my
inspiraon.
Art Movement
The minimalisc art movements of the 1960s and early 1970sopened the oodgates to endless possibilies. Arsts began
seeing beyond societal and polical boundaries and produced
new movements. Through inspiraon from these movements,
I came to the idea of interpreng the vernacular landscape via
Below: diagram of related art movements.
Exploring relationship to landscape
architectural conceptualization, design process,
materiality, and experience.
conceptualizaon isthe founding phase fordesign development.
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
27/36
ConCEpTUALIzATIon 17
installaon. Within two decades, arsts explored new forms
fm extemely cmlex wk t uely simle wk. Begiig
with the uge t iscect fm abstact exessiism,
minimalism was the true foundaon to the ensuing movements
of conceptual art, installaon art, land art, and site-specic
art. Other inuencing groups were Cubism, De-Sjl, and
evimetal at. This bigs the visi f gai elevats asat athe tha agicultual stuctues.
Sacredness of Silos
In Grain Elevators, Lisa Mahar-Keplinger poecally announces
that may sils aea as catheals. At the tu f the cetuy,
European architects Erich Mendelsohn and Le Corbusier rst
noced grain silos as a form of art. Following this, American
arsts and designers began studying beyond these industrial
bjects a ite ut the cecteess f sils a
landscape. By the 1920s, arsts were inuenced by Cubism
aw t beakig w bjects it gemetic shaes a
reassembling the object in an abstracted form. In 1931, Charles
Sheele aite his Classic Lascae iece which celebate
the tgetheess f the gai elevat a its immeiate
suuig lascae. Whe the Geat deessi hit i the
mid-1930s, photographers hit the main stage. The icon of the
grain silo was then seen as a recording of social maer and
human struggle. In other words, the elevator at this me was
use t exse the lives f the ele wh use them. Jumig
ahead to the 1960s, Aldo Rossi noted that grain elevators can
be seen as represenng a way of life collecng memories of
a certain place. By the mid 1970s to the present day, grain
Top and Bottom Right: images of abandoned
silos from Becher & Bernds Grain Elevators.
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
28/36
ConCEpTUALIzATIon18
elevators have shown age and are most oen considered as
signs of abandonment. Austrian arst, Walter Pichler, illustrates
i his awig f e-usig sils that they ae sace bjects
portraying an inmate connecon to Mother Nature and lifes
aily custms. Gai elevats symblie catheals because
f thei hysical massiveess velkig the suuig
veacula lascae. I a eligius ctext, catheals act asplaces of gathering, and sacredness symbolizing the relaon
t aily lifestyle a eligius beliefs. Similaily, gai elevats
als act as laces f gatheig a saceess symbliig the
relaon to industry, landscape, and people. Keplinger states
that arsts working with silos have successfully reminded us
that the honesty and simplicity of these vernacular structures
connue to teach and to inspire (Keplinger, 8). This teaching
and movaon relates to the Jackson St silos because people
wee isie t euse the cultual stuctue as ew hme
while maitaiig its sace sace.
As menoned previously, my inial draw arose
from the ambion to make people more conscious of their
surroundings. The best way to elaborate on this intuion is to
acknowledge arsts who put the above awareness into their
wk.
Arst Inspiraon
Impermanence is part of the beauty (Christo and
Jeanne-Claude Ocial Website, 2009). Christo and Jeanne-
Claue exess thei wk thugh lage scale temay
outdoor installaons. Their work is inspiring because it
displays powerful concept, process, and aesthec beauty. The
art is minimalcompletely wrapping exisng structures or
lascaes with fabic t islay a statemet that thig is
many silos appear ascathedrals.
Below: Christo and Jeanne-Claudes Umbrellas
(2009, ofcial website.)
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
29/36
ConCEpTUALIzATIon 19
permanent. De-installaon plays a major part of their work. The
goal is to leave the applicaon site exactly how it was when the
arsts began working on the site. In other words, restore and
etu the la. Fm stuyig this cules wk, I was isie
t ceate a meaigful ccet f my w use.
Maya Li stesses the imtace f essiveess iesig. She makes clea that he wk is abut the ele t
the polics. In the lm A Strong Clear Vision, Lin hammers on
hw the ccet ca eve be altee chage by smee
other than the arst. The concept is the strong clear vision of
the arst and if it s manipulated by others, indierence could
be the esult. This is imtat whe viewes eceive es
wk. I Lis Vietam Memial esig, thee wee may
agumets a ctvesies agaist he wk. The esig
did not appear as a tradion of the classic war monuments.
However, through thorough explanaon of her concept, people
ealie the meaig behi he esig a ackwlege
it. Lis thughts elate t my wk because I iscvee the
de-installaon [is to]return the land
Left: park(ing) day (2009,
ofcial website).
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
30/36
ConCEpTUALIzATIon20
importance of an arsts sole idea seen through an enre
ject. I was isie t exle hw simlicity ca be
imperave with any project as long as it maintains a strong,
simle ctext.
Temporary Works
San Francisco is the center of a global public parks event tled
PARK(ing) Day. This form of temporary landscape displays a
unique idea of converng metered parking stalls into green
saces. The evet isie me because f its esie t be
creave and promote eco-friendly transportaon by removing
vehicula akig saces a elacig them with scial
lascae gatheig saces. I geeal, uses a viewes ae
exposed to awareness of rethinking about public transportaon
(PARK(ing) Day Ocial Website, 2009).
The wateft f Bkly, new Yk, ecmasses a histic
tobacco warehouse. Built in 1870 and saved from total
destrucon in 1998, this unique open space is connuously
reused for purposes well beyond its original intent (2009,
Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy). The warehouse is
velke by the massive Bkyl Bige a es u t
Emie-Fult Fey State pak. This lace bught fth ieas
and inspiraon for one, its industrial abandonment; and two,
its ew uses. The ak hls ut mvies jecte t a
feestaig scee. The waehuse itself hsts at shws fm
local galleries and arsts. Altogether, this locaonal identy
bigs uses t a histic veacula sace that e-egages the
mind toward the exisng human-built world.
Above: The tobacco warehouse being reused for a
company social retreat (2009, Brooklyn Bridge
Park Conservancy).
promote eco-friendlytransportaon
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
31/36
ConCEpTUALIzATIon 21
Cradle to Cradle
William Mcdugh a Michael Baugat ublishe
Cale t Cale with the stg ccet f waste equals
f. The auths escibe the cuet view f ecyclig as
me s wcycligecyclig ucts t a extet wheethey connue losing their original quality and eventually end
u as waste ayways. The bk als escibes the ccet
of eco-eciency as only an ecient short term strategy and
not an eecve long term strategy. Eciency means using
less, wasng less, or more precisely, reducon. However, as
McDonough states, reducondoes not halt depleon and
destruconit only slows them down, allowing them to take
place in smaller increments over a longer period of me (54).
Eco-eecveness presents a fresh, excing vision toward a new
future. When applying eco-eecveness, people want to more
f it. The aim is t e-make u huma-built wl whee waste,
emissis, a eclgical ftit ae existet. I the
ws, t e-esig a system that wats me f smethig
g athe tha less f smethig ba. Cale t cale
aempts to not only get away from the one way cradle to grave
mel, but cmletely ease it.
Mcdugh a Baugats visi elates t my
ccet because they ae alyig e. peviusly, I iscusse
some arsts and works that stress awareness of surroundings,
stg ccets a e-egagig the mi. The cale t cale
they is a me exteme aach t e-thikig i the ctext
that it challeges cmletely emakig thigs whee waste
equals f.
waste equals food
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
32/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
33/36
EVEnT rESULT 23
Event Result
As planned, the installaon began with retrieving
mateial f the viewig stage. A quick ti t the lcal ecyclig
et esulte i a tuck full f lage cushe caba. The
stage was built eecvely with minimal damage to the site.
The show began and its conceptual imagery was amplied by a
collaboraon of Pink Floyd and Moby song tracks. Viewers used
this exeiece as a tuity t exle the mlithic
structure by viewing the projecon from dierent angles.
Uses als fu cmft i the caba stage; ealiig the
beauty of reusing materials. The installaon as a whole was
beauful. As people approached the silo itself, the projecon
aeae as if it was actually waig au the stuctue.
Alternavely, as people stood further away from the structure,
the projecon simply looked like a picture pasted on the
wall. The slieshw was clea i cl a the usty suface
emaie visible. A meaigful cmet t this wk was e-
installaon. Myself and helping friends packed up the electrical
and audio equipment; returned a plywood box (used for aplaorm supporng the projector) to its abandoned corner on
site; returned a school desk (used for the amplier and audio
equipment) to its useless state on site; removed the nails from
the ground and returned the cardboard to a recycling locaon
s it cul be se use f smethig that wul maitai
its high-quality. The installaon closed with a speech and social
gatheig, a the site was etue.
the installaon as awhole was beauful
the site wasreturned
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
34/36
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
35/36
ConCLUSIon 25
Conclusion
I began this book by sharing how my thesis started with a realizaon: I saw the abandoned grain elevator
structure on 6th and Jackson in Moscow, Idaho, and was immediately drawn to its massive beauty and locaonal
identy. From there I explored concept and idea. During my thesis study, I read a foreword by John Dixon Hunt
i U Weilaches Betwee Lascae Achitectue a La At. Hut escibes lascae achitectue as a
conceptually barren eld. This phrase inspired me to prove otherwise. Creang a strong, clear concept is imperave
for landscape architects. Professional pracce and specically design-build-process in landscape architecture portrays
conceptualizaon on an everyday basis. The aim of this thesis as a whole is to break free from tradional landscape
architectural work where the nal product is the main component. Precisely, I want to highlight and celebrate the
process of idea generaon. By doing so, I created my own unique idea where users aending my installaon engaged
thei mis it e-thikig a huma-built system that is cfmable with atue. I e t avace it a ec-
eecve world, the one human created must essenally be part of natures status quo. Albert Einstein stated that the
world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situaon.
I use the Jacks St. gai elevat as a thee-imesial scee t ject images that ae cucive t
re-thinking vernacular elements of the landscape. The installaon was successful. Together, projecon and the grain
elevator funconed as a shared cultural experience and became something well beyond the intenon of their original
use.
8/14/2019 Conceptual Projection (BLA Thesis)
36/36
BIBLIoGrApHY
Bibliography
Baugat, Michael a Mcdugh, William. Cradle to Cradle. nth pit pess, new Yk, nY. 2002
Fiebeg, Jatha.Art Since 1940 Strategies of Being: Second Edion. Prence Hall, N.J. 2000
Heste, ralh T. Design for Ecological Democracy. The MIT pess. Cambige, MA. 2006
Kw, Miw. One Place Aer Another. The MIT pess. Cambige, MA. 2002
Maha-Kelige, Lisa. Grain Elevators. Princeton Architectural Press, New York, NY. 1993
Weilache, U. Between Landscape Architecture and Land Art. Birkhauser, Basel, Switzerland. 1996
26