point : reflections

The main theme in the Unit – Reflections, is the Process Of Change. We observe the design principles being pushed outside the box and since there are many voices planning what will come next, moving forward is the only way to stop the talk and see the change realized. By incorporating Roman, Greek, and Gothic revivals into architecture, scale and new materials produce amazing structures that change society. Commerce begins to be the new religion and the goods brought from the East introduce a worldliness that Europe and America enjoy.

It is hard for people to make a change before reflecting on why they want the change in the first place. It is really important for designers to look back to the foundations of architecture and the alternatives already tried, and then, start thinking and talking about what comes next. It is very interesting that at the same time in history that all the revival styles were spinning around, the mirror was invented and we could stop, focus, and reflect. Looking back at our selves to find what needed to be corrected was probably just as significant as looking to the architecture for the answers.

As industrial and political revolutions were flipping the world on its head, England and America were changing design at every level. Furniture was rejecting curves and more simple straight lines were brought back. Practical things such as wheels were put on tables for mobility. Thomas Jefferson brings the Roman revival back from France and columns and domes are seen in the new government buildings in Virginia and Washington, DC. As the country moves south and west the Greek revival is seen in the government buildings in North Carolina and Tennessee. The scale of these buildings relate strongly to Roman and Greek architecture, and when size and new materials such as glass and iron are introduced in the 19th century, Gothic revival is also apparent. Gallerias, Libraries, and exhibition halls allowed for massive open spaces for expanding the minds and level of enjoyment of the people.

Change is usually good. The industrial revolution is the bridge that connects the world and leads Europe and America towards a modern society. People are reading about other cultures and buying exports from the East, which allows their way of thinking to change. Designers involve themselves in this movement by creating beautiful art, artifacts, interiors, clothes, and architecture that incorporate nature and simplicity learned from the East.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VqWWQtOKbH8/TD-nXEw5naI/AAAAAAAAARo/neYpRYMt7Eg/s1600/Cartwheel.jpg

I chose the image above because there isn't anything more appropriate than a cartwheel to explain the unit on Reflections and Revolution. I will never forget the demonstration in class! The 1st part of the cartwheel is moving outside the box. The 2nd part is stretching somewhere. The 3rd part is hands on the ground - suspending the world. And the 4th part is coming right side up and rewriting the rules.