Design Concept
Posted on 4 May 2009 | No responses
Creativity is a skill that cannot be taught. The how can be learn by anyone but the why is what separates us from one another. The why, can be refer to as the concept. Concept is the nature and origin behind every great design. A great design starts with a great concept. I do not have a high interest into designing maps and charts or anything similar but that never stop me from falling in love with the concept behind the famous London underground subway map, a map that has been voted into second place after Concorde as Britain’s favorite design of the last century.
Many great designers have argued over the purpose of a map. A map is made to show location of a place in terms of how to get from one point to the next. The brain behind the schematic circuit map is a man named Harry Beck who worked as an electrical draftsman in London. He worked to design a more readable and understandable map which led to his famous “schematic” design which used horizontal, vertical and 45° segments with the same topology and approximate geography as the true routes. Beck based the map on the circuit diagrams he drew for his day job, stripping the extensive Tube network down to basics and ignoring the exact geographical location of the tube stations. The result was an instantly clear and comprehensible chart that would become an essential guide to London and a template for transport maps around the world.
The concept behind the schematic design of the London underground map was that it shows the relative positions of stations along the lines instead of geographically drawing the lines. It shows the stations’ connective relations with each other and their fare zone locations, it eliminates the spaghetti work of the railways, and used verticals, horizontals and forty-five degree angles of the page. A clear background allows the person to see each line and stops clearly and not have to worry about the outside world. As the person enters the underground there is no need for a geographical map to be available, the person simply need to know how to travel from one stop to the other without the need to be confused. The underground is a new world itself, therefore only the topology of the railway mattered. Every train lines were represented by a different color. A tick is used to indicate stops and interchange stations were given a special mark to indicate their importance. With the reference box at the bottom the map, it is easy to follow and comprehend by a visually or verbally orientated person.
The execution suffers a great downfall. While the map is successful in guiding people in the underground world, it does not help people navigate the street of London. It creates confusion as to whether the angle of a line really does suggest that a different compass direction is being taking by the route. Also it does not portray a realistic position and distances of each line. To travel the street of London a different map is needed.
If I was chosen to design my own version, I would approach with the same concept. In addition I would add the street names and other local features. It is very important to know the streets name where the stations stops are. And also a lot of places might be easier to find based on a local place around the area.
Lost Vanguard: Soviet Modernist Architecture 1922-32
Posted on 4 May 2009 | 1 response
“Lost Vanguard: Soviet Modernist architecture 1922-32,” an exhibition of photographs by Richard Pare at the Museum of Modern Art, was inspiring and incomparably marvelous. The harmony of geometrical pattern, lines and curves was a wonder of its architectural period.
The show examines the Soviet avant-garde architecture in the post revolutionary period when some of the most radical buildings of the twentieth century were completed by a small group of architects who developed a new architectural language in support of new social goals of communal life. As you entered the room a quick summary of the decades awaits on the wall across the door. All photographs are hanging on a clean white painted wall all around the room. Most of the photographs are full-size, in large, thick frames, and in color. There are books in glass cases and other items that are not accessible by the public.
The impressive shot of the “Radio Tower” by Vladimir Shukhov Shabolovka in 1922 was simply a beautiful piece that caught my interest. Built in 1922 the tower is made of straight metal strips that give the impression of curves. This tower is acknowledged as one of the most beautiful and prominent achievements of engineering thought, the masterpiece of engineering art. The circle around the vanishing point is well framed and creates the illusion of movement.
“Originally, Shukhov wanted to build a tower 350 meters tall — topping the Eiffel Tower, which is 324 meters high — but finding enough metal was impossible in the midst of the Russian Civil War. The tower’s height was reduced to 150 meters. The tower’s unique hyperbolic shape was constructed like a telescope in reverse: First the base, and then the next sections, were pulled up by blocks and pulleys. Unlike the Eiffel Tower, part of the Shukhov tower’s genius is its sturdiness despite the use of so little material. It weighs 240 tons compared to the 7,300 tons of the Parisian landmark. During its more than 80-year history the Shukhov Tower served as a support for the antennas of big radio and TV stations: Moscow radiotelegraph station, 40-kWatt broadcasting station “Big Komintern”, Moscow TV center.”
Overall the exhibition was impressive and inspiring. Whether you are a photographer, a graphic designer or an architect, the rousing admiration of perfectly constructed architecture is completely unbearable. Vladimir Shukhov is one of the greatest architects of our era and will inspire generations to come. The “Chekist Housing Scheme” was my second most impressive design, with the beautiful curves around the stairs that forms the letter “S”. Richard Pare has helped capture the essence of this beautiful decade in a very successful way; his photographs expose a passion and a sensation of the decades. While many buildings have disappeared or been destroyed while he was documenting them, his collection has helped reach people around the world.
A green planet
Posted on 22 November 2008 | 1 response
Earth is essentially identified as the green planet. But the question is why it cannot stay green. Animal, vegetable and mineral are the three class material that makes up the planet. Every living organism plays a very important role in the ecosystem they live in. from the smallest plants to our tropical rainforest life cycles through the atmosphere. While our dynamic planet is being transformed with every second that passes, our choices have the greatest impact on the future of our planet. As human beings it is very important to understand the need for a greener world. On my recent trip to the American Museum of Natural History, I visited three exhibitions that clarify some of the topics discussed in my geography class. And I have also learned many cool facts about our beautiful planet.
The cycle of a living planet from the hall of planet earth was the first exhibition that I visited. The display consists of several big oval shape panels with diagrams of each main cycle. Inside each panel has a TV screen that has a movie playing. And at the bottom is additional information. There are also a set of rocks presented in a transparent glass case. The exhibition is about earth as a dynamic planet where we have three main cycles: the rock cycle, the water cycle and the carbon cycle. The rock cycle summarizes the formation of the three main classes of rocks found in the earth I studied in class. When the temperature is hot enough, the rocks melt to become granite, magmas, which eventually solidify and create igneous rocks. Rocks uplifted in mountains erode and forms sediments. When buried by other sediments, sedimentary rocks are formed from the erosion of other types of rocks by weather and water. Deeply buried sedimentary rocks are re-crystallized by heat, pressure, in reactive fluids to become metamorphic rocks. I was interested in the exhibition mostly because of all the set of rocks that our professor brought to class, where I was able to touch and see the different textures and looks of many different rocks. I saw the similar rocks shown in the class being encase in a fancy glass case like gold that caught my attention, and I was curious to learn more. Overall the display helps to capture the entire lesson about rock cycles. The second cycle is the water cycle. It is the easiest of the three main cycles to understand. Evaporation from soil and respiration of living organism release water vapor into the atmosphere and condensation of water vapor forms cloud. And in return at dew point rain and snow falls on ocean and continents as precipitation. And lastly the carbon cycle which I found very interesting. I learned how like water and rocks carbons do not stay still. Burial of carbonate sedimentary rocks carbon form the surface reservoirs. Through respiration and photosynthesis plants and animals exchange carbon with the atmosphere, and when plants and animals die. Organic compounds collect and decomposed into the soil. I have learned how we are responsible for the overdose of carbon dioxide in the air which is harmful. Because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and traps heat in the atmosphere, and we know heat is our main source of life supply.
I secondly visited the mangrove forest in the hall of ocean life. The floor is gleaming with life size sea creatures all around the room. And the presence of the big blue whale and the dim light accentuates the feeling of being so small and far away from land. The exhibition of the mangrove forest is securely displayed in transparent glass area that is firmly locked. There is a tall tree inside with its root planted at the bottom as if being deeply underwater. There are also life size mangroves all around the tree and the growing roots. Information is displayed on the background wall as well as all around the room. The exhibition is about talks about the importance of the Caribbean mangroves forest and animals. They are responsible for many coastal ecosystems around the Caribbean and the world. Mangroves dominate tropical shorelines for one simple reason: no other tree can live in seawater so successfully. Seawater contains enough salt to kill most flowering plants-yet mangroves appear to wade right into the sea. And daily flooding by the tides would drown most trees, which take up oxygen through their roots. Mangroves survived by removing the salt from seawater, creating their own supply of nearly salt-free water. The many types of mangroves found in the Caribbean includes: mudskippers, pale anemone, mangrove tree crabs, snowy egret, spiny lobster etc. mangroves are very important because Mangroves once flourished along three quarters of the world’s tropical coastlines, our records today has shown that more than half of these forest are gone. The exhibition helps me to understand the lesson about life underwater. My professor once tries to explain how research has found that there are plants and life in the North Pole. I didn’t know that there were so many different types of plants under the sea where there is no sunlight let along have a great impact on our coastal ecosystem.
Last but not least I visited the rain forest and the environmental change in the hall of biodiversity. Walking through the rainforest, it was colder than the previous exhibitions and the temperature was moist. The whole area is made up of big, tall trees. The floor is soak with water, at first the animal were out of view but as you get closer you start to discover the many different animals hidden under the shade of the tall trees. It gives you a realistic feeling of being outdoors in the rainforest. Regarding vegetation, as much I learned that half of the root system of rainforest trees is found in the upper thirty centimeters of the soil. Rainforest soils are generally not rich in nutrients because these have been leached or washed away from the soils by frequent rains. In moist soils, moreover organic material is rapidly decomposed and absorbed by the abundant plant life. Following the rainforest I took a trip to the hall of environmental change where my attention fell on the management for biodiversity. It is a big square glass frame with information regarding endangered animals and ecosystems on our vulnerable planet. The display mainly interests me because of the quote by Also Leopold. “the last ward in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plan:”what good is it?”… if the Biota, in the course of AEONS, has built something that we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless part? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution on intelligent thinking.”
Sensational Exibition
Posted on 6 November 2008 | No responses
Annie Leibovitz: A Photographers Life, 1990-2005
The review of Annie Leibovitz was a very inspiring exhibit. I felt a personnel connection between me and her, mostly because of the relationship between her as a photographer and her subjects. That makes each photograph an unforgettable experience. Annie Leibovitz is one of the most decorated female photographers of the 20th century. Born on October 2nd 1949 in Waterbury Connecticut, she started as a photographer for Rolling Stone magazine and works for Vanity Fair and Vogue. She has portrait photographs of many famous faces, from Michael Jordan to former president of the United States of America William Jefferson Clinton. Although she is famous for many of her portrait photographs, she does not consider herself to be a portrait photographer. In her opinion it is too cheap and too one sided. She enjoys taking portrait shot of people with a lot of character who can take a good pose for a vibrant photograph.
The exhibit was not as I expected. I thought I would go in the museum and spend fifteen minutes and leave but I spent over an hour and a half enjoying the exhibit. It was really impressive and inspirational. The exhibit contains personnel as well commercial work of Annie. These two bodies of work detract from one another because her personnel works are more expressive. When you look at her personnel work, you don’t just focus on the main subject. You really get into the image; you can play the scene in your head and imagine yourself being present at the time that the photograph was taken. “My Brother Philip and My father” is one of her personnel work taking in Silver Spring Maryland 1988. It is a portrait shot of her brother and her father positioned in the center with half of their body showing, they both are topless, it seems like their bodies are wet and they’re standing by a pool. The smile on their faces and their pose tells you a lot about the relationship between the two men. It lets you fill in the time of the day and the rest of the location. “Demi Moore” Los Angeles 1991 is one of her commercial work where she shot a nude photograph of movie star Demi Moore while she is pregnant. The photograph focuses more on the main subject creating a more dramatic image and reveals a lot of character.
Overall the exhibit was very motivating. “Sarajevo, fallen bicycle of teenage boy just killed by a sniper, 1994” is one photograph that really caught my attention, because personally I wouldn’t have the bravery to take a picture like that. You can see all the bloods with the bicycle all twisted lying on the floor. It is truly a very sad moment.
I was really impressed by the photographs taking during the Olympics; she really knows how to shoot a subject in motion. I would like to see more of that. The audiences for the exhibit are first of all are photographers, students majoring in graphic design, and anybody who enjoys taking pictures. I really think anybody will enjoy the exhibit from thirteen and up. A remarkable exhibit.
Composite Image
Posted on 29 September 2008 | 2 responses
This is an obvious composite piece by Koudis. It is early morning and there is a man sitting on the sidewalk next to a trashed coffee cup that’s on the floor. It looks like the man didn’t have his morning coffee yet, and he feels small compare to the rest of the world. The client would go with this composite image because he could fit so much information in one frame and still doesn’t look crowded. With a straight photograph there wouldn’t be much background information. All the subjects fit well into the photograph with good distance from one another.