COMMUNING WITH ARCHITECTURE – A NECESSITY OF LIFE FOR THE MODERN MAN.
I had forgotten that architecture is a form of art! It happened by the way, just by chance and sheer accident. Fortunately, it is a reversible process.
Here I am, looking at Polish cities
quite unemotionally (I look more tenderly at suburbs and sympathetically at the countryside.)
My school education in this respect ended (like for many of us) somewhere at the stage of the Corinthian order, and at my university of non-artistic profile there was nobody to remind me that architecture is indeed a domain of artistic expression of the human mind. It’s not merely about urban planning! For the purpose of academic precision let me quote a definition:
‘Architecture is a field of technology and a form of art which deals with designing structures and buildings.
An architectural work should address a specific function, technical purpose, and should meet economic and aesthetic requirements.’ (Wikipedia)
This is what I should remember about; if it were not for architecture, the word ‘man’ would sound less proud.
This is true especially because an architect is supposed to draw upon the achievements in other domains, e.g. construction industry, urban studies, statistics, sociology, psychology or economics. The scope of responsibilities and the required knowledge of an architect have evolved over the centuries, and so has the notion of architecture itself. But today…. Today it is also a form of art par excellence. More emphasis on aesthetics – this is what we should strive for!
Equipped in the basic knowledge on the subject,
I would like to gain a better understanding of this art form. Fortunately, I can fall back on the magazine “Architektura-Murator” (12/2006). This specialized monthly, devoted to construction technology and interior design, is targeted at experts in the field, though it may be of interest to lay people as well.
So I find myself reading, with great excitement, about exhibitions on architecture and architects being continually opened (and closed) in art galleries and museums around the world. Critical recognition is levelled at architects studios and independent authors alike.
For instance, the exhibition of the joint projects by architects’ studios in Sedes Gallery, Berlin, was designed in such a way as to stimulate not only the visitors’ intellect but also their personality; its aim was to emphasize the fact that ‘a sensitive and responsible approach to the built environment should be a concern for us all.’
Isn’t it a beautiful idea? Or rather an idea of beauty?
Let’s take as another example: the 10th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, which explores the theme ‘Cities. Architecture and Society.’
‘It is for the first time in the history of the Venice Biennale that an exhibition is dedicated to urban planning, urban infrastructure and social dynamics of a city, thus providing a unique international perspective on the relation between architecture, society and sustainable growth.’ Truly fascinating. It’s shameful that the media in our country rarely address this subject in its easier, lighter form, which could be more accessible to people unfamiliar with architectural issues.
Equally compelling exhibition has been held in Orleans (subject: Japanese art).
I click on the links provided (www.architektura-murator.pl/english) and although I don’t understand the language, I can still watch the photographic documentation of the event. Besides, I like the aesthetic aspect of Internet sites devoted to architecture exhibitions.
Occasionally, museums may hold exhibitions presenting the achievements of renowned artists in the field and, undoubtedly, such events distinguish themselves by interesting spatial arrangements. Sadly, no critiques of those exhibitions are available, though the magazine would perhaps be happy to publish such a text?
I therefore curiously turn to the section W subiektywie [Point of view],
which caters for all tastes. Indeed, it features several pieces of work by universally recognised photographers. The section in the December edition is dedicated to Olivo Barbieri.
Since 1978 he has uninterruptedly worked as an architecture photographer; he considers his work to be a meaningful task and, apparently, a need arising from a deep reflexion. Barbieri has many prestigious exhibitions to his credit; they were not widely commented on by the general public, but now I resolve not to remain indifferent to any architectural biennale!
The photographer’s field of specialisation is narrower than architecture in general: his interest lies in urban landscape seen from a bird’s eye view. That’s it. Through all the years of work... nothing but urban landscapes from a bird’s eye view. An unusual depth of focus gives to his photographs a slight resemblance to a drawing; at the same time they exude an ample breath of a city.
And, speaking from a point of view of a complete layman, they are just perfect to be hung on the wall. I admit, it sounds terrible, but as for me I wouldn’t have anything against an additional window in the form of such a photograph. The bright light used in his pictures makes real space look less realistic. They have a tinge of science fiction in them, one might say.
Since the Internet version of the magazine contains but a few of these photographs, I look up the article archive section, where I can watch the work of artists whose achievements were already discussed in previous editions.
And what can I see there? Cities like computer processors
(black-and-white aerial photographs), American urban deserts seen in close-up and fine detail, a negative of a photograph featuring a power plant – it impresses itself powerfully on one’s imagination, a huge piece of texture (according to the caption underneath it is supposed to be a building, the picture was taken by a Finnish photographer) or massive, vague probably building shapes portrayed by a Japanese; the outline of the shape is soft and blurred. You can find here also examples of clinical photography or staircase pictures. All these photographs stand for and, to some extent, explain architecture, a domain that captures imagination and with which nobody is entirely unfamiliar. Indeed, communing with architecture is a necessity of life for the modern man.
We should always bear it in mind.
After all, from my (vantage) point of view, it is important to aim for beauty in our lives, just like in urban or natural landscape around us.
Post Scriptum
Vitruvius (Da architectura): architectural work should satisfy three core principles: Firmness (Firmitas), Commodity (Utilitas) and Delight (Venustas).
Le Corbusier – (Vers une architecture) (...) A cube, cone, sphere, cylinder or pyramid are great fundamental forms which reveal themselves in light; their image is clear and understandable to us, it is unambiguous. It is for this reason that these shapes are beautiful, indeed the most beautiful of all.
Egona Eiermann – (Grosse Architekten) Architecture has nothing to do with art; it constitutes a pure form of reasoning. Today architecture is determined by economic, technical and functional factors.
Discussed journals: Architektura-Murator