Royal Academy of Arts : Modern British Sculpture

 

Today I visited the Royal Academy of Arts : Modern British Sculpture. The reason why I was interested to visit this exhibition is because as been interested in sculptural forms and interpretations of feelings and opinion the sculptors want to share, I find it inspiring and it also gives me an different level and path way to experiment and think in. 

The exhibition was very exciting you could see the development in sculpture making from thousands of centuries ago to today's world, and how messages were put across so differently. And also going through each gallery I realised the boundaries and limitations of some sculptures and where others where just over the top, how the sculptors has used all their imagination as possible, and this balance was of the period of the sculpture produced.

Visiting this exhibition was quite influential I saw the different scales of sculpture's and installations that has been made and the extend the sculptor goes through in order to put his message across to the audience. And this made me think of how I could design a landscape how I want it to be, I just have to be more confident, and a bit crazy :) 

One of the pieces that really really truly got my full attention for so long was the  Damien Hirst’s ‘Let’s Eat Outdoors Today’ installation

 I will say this piece not only caught my attention, all the viewers were highly interested and amazed at the extend of this piece and the imagination behind it. It looked horrible, with an actual cow's head under table with an pool of blood, I will say thousands of flies, not the pretties sight but surely does catch your attention. Well then again it's Damien Hirst's after his ''For the Love of God'' sculpture with an asking price of £50million, I think ‘'Let’s Eat OutdoorsToday’' wouldn't even be near £50million .. :)

The exhibition has gave me a insight of the scale and extend artist go through in order to produce work that defines them as an  artist/sculptor, they own style of work. And also how they show this with the installations and sculptures they produce. Maybe It is important to have an style of working in order for people to define and relate your work to you. This exhibition has definitely got me thinking of what's my style of design and how I think? and definitely has questioned my ability for model making and taking that extra step to produce models more uniquely.

 

Part 2 - Sam Johnston - Gustafson Porter

''What is Landscape''

''Everything under the Sun'' Neil Porter

Gustafson Porter's approaches to landscape architecture:

- Sculptural approaches

- Contemporary landscape design 

- Creative and original landscape design approaches 

Their design approaches consists of three stages Researching, Engaging,  and Aspire in order to design and create and landscape that can be appreciate and ennjoyed by all people at all age.

I want to be a Landscape Architecture

Landscape Institute 

''What is Landscape Architecture?''

"Landscape architecture is an extraordinary blend of science and art, proposition and thought." Jason Prior

“There’s a great opportunity as a landscape architect to address what’s on the political agenda – childhood obesity, healthy living. Designing playful landscapes means we’re providing somewhere that it’s fun for children to play,” Adam White

Landscape architecture is designing and planning the environment, both physically and psychologically, for the betterment of humanity" Varsha Halabe

“I love drawing and I love sketching and I think it’s really important to put your ideas down on paper. The most fantastic thing about landscape architecture is that it’s so varied and there’s so many different avenues you can go down. It’s a job you can do anywhere in the world.” Laurel Truscott

''Landscape architecture combines environment and design, art and science.  It is about everything outside the front door, both urban and rural, at the interface between people and natural systems. The range of ways in which landscape architects work is staggering. From masterplanning Olympic sites to planning and managing landscapes like national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty to designing the public squares and parks that we all use, landscape architecture nurtures communities and makes their environment human and liveable. 

Landscape architects are broad thinkers who thrive on the big picture.  They are playing an increasingly important role in addressing the great issues of our day: climate change, sustainable communities, water, housing and the prevention of hunger. Landscape architects are often natural leaders, able to communicate with many professions and leading multidisciplinary projects. Landscape architecture is not just the profession of the future – but the profession for a better future.'' Landscape Institute

Part 3 - Maria Smith - Studio Weave

''What is Landscape''

''We are fascinated by the powerful role that stories play in creating a sense of place, both as a design tool and a way to engage with everyone surrounding a project including clients, consultants, and users, both grown-ups and children.'' StudioWeave

A practice that approaches briefs in a different way to engage not only with the audience of the brief, but with everyone who is involved within a project. They look in to aspects within a place that has unusual, and bizarre characteristics to change that place into something more unique and extraordinary experience.

One of their works that got a lot of compliments is the Longest Bench design- in Littlehampton, the designs inspiration is from an Charm Bracelet. The curvy flowing bench structure continuously  travels along the promenade, with loops, running behind bins, with open space for movement. The bench blends in with the surrounding landscape, the bright colours stand out but is not  overly exaggerated. It has a fun, exciting appeal complimenting the green spaces, sea, sand. 

A other landscape project Studio Weave has completed is the ''Freya and Robin'' project - in Kielder Water, Northumberland. There is a story behind this beautiful structural design, the story approach has inspired them to an design concept.

The two piece structural design is an focal point for visitors to stop and experience the view at the lakeside within the hut. 

The structure is made out of wood, which blends in with the surrounding nature, the detailing within the structure allows it to have an more organic twisting branches appearance which blends in and also fits in with the surrounding. 

The structural support for both huts are long steel polls.

''Landscape is anything outside''

                                                                                                                   Maria Smith

Images are taken from the Studio Weave website.

Part 2 - Heather Ring - Wayward Plants

''What is Landscape''

''A Project of Social Exchange and Botanical Desire''

Heather Ring is a Landscape Architect who has worked in practices of Gustafson Porter and Martha Schwartz in landscape designs of large scale public open spaces. She is also the finder of Wayward Plant Registry. 

Here is the work of Wayward people do –

• Plant Adoption – The public can adopt unwanted plants
• Community Exchange – Unwanted plants can be exchanged with others
• The Union Street: Urban Orchard – A site that is completed made from recycled materials, with adopted and exchanged plants and tress, it is a mix use site open to the public, it is an friendly site that encourages people to engage with. And take a plant when ever you go to add your own contribution to the place

Heather talk was quite interesting, it shows how people are passionate about what they do, and how they are inspired by different things you might not even think about. To be honest I did not even know about Plant Adoption or Exchange was quite amazed of the job Heather was doing. Heather has shown enthusiasm and dedication within her work, which can inspire people.

Part 1 - Christian Spencer Davies - AModels

''What is Landscape''

AModels is not like any other model making firms, the reason why AModel stands out from the rest is because they have they own way of producing abstract,transcendent, creative inspired models. The inspiration of the models can be of absolute anything that can inspire the model maker to produce an unique, exclusive model to represent the concept of the brief at it's high standard. 

AModels are against models which are fully white, bland models, or un-realistic models, they are dedicated, devotedly model makers who believe in producing models that will engage with it's viewers. Their work does not have boundaries or limitations with scale, materials or imagination, it's all about creating something that is unique and bringing the architectural design, landscape design etc to live. 

One of the things that has stood out for me while listening to Christian was the respectful, trustworthy relationship he has with his clients. His clients wouldn't have much say in how they want the model, Christian prefers to approach the brief in his own artistic way and suitable way, and the best way the model will engage with the views.

Christian has gave me the interest in model making again, he has bought back my interest I had in secondary school. I took on Resident Materials as my technology topic and always loved experimenting with different types of wood, metals, and plastic, I enjoyed every brief we got. I always gave a lot of attention to detail, and finishes, but moving on to college I dis-continued with the topic and moved on from model making. I did wish I continued in pursuing in developing my model making skills, and developed them from first year of my study in Landscape Architecture. 

One of the advantages in model making for myself is that I am not verbally good in explaining myself due to nervous every time, so my model use to always speak for it self. This should have been one of the first skills I developed from the start of Landscape Architecture. But it's never to late thanks to Christian who has inspired me :)

 

Aims for Focus Week 3

What is Landscape? 

''The idea of landscape is always changing. James Corner states that the “landscape construct is inherently unstable, an indeterminate dimension that can be opened up through artistic practices and mad to reveal alternative sets of possibility.”(1999:158). ''

All the Focus Weeks I have completed over my three year study in Landscape Architecture in Kingston University, I am more then looking forward to this Focus week to begin. The Theme or shall I say the topic of conversation is ''What is Landscape'' with presentations and discussions planned for two days on the 25th and 27th should bring an good insight for us students in what directions to take after we graduate from university. 

The reasons why I am looking forward to these lectures by people involved within different areas of Landscape Architecture, is because defining What is Landscape can be difficult, explaining to people when they say What is Landscape is difficult, as the only thing people say is are you going to become an ''GARDENER'' it is pretty annoying hearing the same thing again and again.. hopefully after these series of lectures  will gain an more solid answer while answering people.

Within these two days individuals will be presenting and discussing about their personal experinaces they have learnt within their work field in the context of What is Landscape. It will be great to hear what are people are experiancing and the different types and fields we could approach after university as Landscape Designer/Architects.

Lectures will be given by : 

First Day

Christain Spencer Davies - AModels

Heather Ring - Wayward Plants

Maria Smith - Studio Weave

Second Day:

Sam Johnston - Gustafson Porter

Will Sandy - Three Green Dots

Trenton Oldfield - This is Not A Gataeway

Critical Illustrated Essay Writing :Title Decided

For my Critical Essay writing as I said in my previous posts I was interested in the topic of art and design within Landscape Architecture. So after all my research's and tutorials with my tutor, the title of my essay is:

''The invasion of Artists taking over Landscape Architecture: Are Landscape Architects Artistic Enough? ''

I have included my on Abstract and Intentions within the essay below, we only had 5,000 words of limit for this essay, I will say I did have difficulties in reducing my research's and trying to explain everything in short hand as possible. And thanks to my Dyslexia it didn't help at all, but I did get through it and hopefully it will be a great read. I enjoyed it very much I will say even though it was stressful with  the amount of reading and research I have completed, but it was all worth it.

Abstract

Landscape architecture a profession only as little over 100years old and Art may be old as old as human existence; at the present time the two are bee compared as one. Landscape architecture been a design based profession, on the other hand Art is filled with history and long existence in the world with hundreds of definitions from its developments and movements till this present time.

With not only landscape architecture having a low profile definition in actual what the profession is, it’s not been credited for its full propose, to be more parses landscape architecture is the art, or the science or even arranging of the land for engaging human use. So a profession still growing may have a definition that doesn’t credit it’s propose at the present time, but surely relates to a background of thousands of years back. 

Intentions

The intentions and purposes within this study are to understand and explore how art comes into landscape architecture at the present time. With many Artists using the landscape in different scales exploring in different ways to express their work to the world and to point their own opinions across more clearly has bought the term of Land Art, Artscapes and even if landscape architecture is the new Art of the present time.

It brings in to mind the terms of Art and Design, what is Art? And what is Design? What are the boundaries of these two and the similarities? 

Landscape architecture been a profession of mainly design with functionality and having purpose to its surrounding human use, and where to art been on the side of creativity, imaginations, freedom, no limitations, does not need to function or to have a purpose to its surroundings. So the question here is asked how artists comes to be designing landscapes when their own profession has barely any boundaries to a profession with boundaries, or are landscape architects not been as artistic and creative enough with their designs and been over powered by the works of artists. I will be looking in to the answers for these questions.

Also nowadays artists collaborated with landscape architects and landscape architects collaborated with Artists they combine their artistic ideas and design ideas together for one piece of work. I will be exploring the success behind the collaboration work by the two professions.

Every artist has a signature for each piece of work they produce to make the work recognisable and that it belongs to them. Architects tend to take over the site, with their designs over shadowing and dominating the landscape, which this tends to be the signature of their designs. Where to a landscape Architect, we have to work around the site which has already been already dominated or already has been taken over by the surrounding architecture or maybe a landscape that has been isolated by its surrounding, and for landscape architect to design a landscape, defining the designer is more complex, so this is where art may develop within the design process, so the signature of the landscape architect may be the artistic aspect within their design.

The rest of the essay will be available for those who are interested to read.. :) 

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is designed by landscape architect Charles Jencks located in South West Scotland, an private garden which was designed for his wife, with viewings to the public once a year through Scotland's Gardens Scheme.

The design is primarily based on mathematics and elements of science, mainly based on natural nature methods and scientific courses. The garden is an landscape to be explored and understood by its visitors. As visitors explore and experience the garden they are expected to take in the creation of an limitless mini universe. Every space of the garden will be a different experience for the visitor experiencing the different themes and sculptures around.

 Images are taken from google image search

I must say when I researched about The Garden of Cosmic Speculation I wasn't expecting anything like this. This is definitely a garden I must visit and experience myself in person. It looks like an garden from Alice in Wonderland :) with the structural sculpture, hills and the organic and natural shapes within the garden all looks really well designed. An garden full of inspiration with no boundaries to address.