Those are two of my faves. Also two completely different ends of the musical spectrum. Amber Coffman of the Dirty Projectors works with Major Lazer on this great song from their new album coming out on November 6!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Astral Converted
This past Friday I went to see Astral Converted at the Park Avenue Armory, my favorite art venue in the city. The choreography is by Trisha Brown, set design by Robert Rauschenberg, and music by John Cage. Quite a combination!
"...eight metal towers, two each in heights of 2, 4, 6, and 8 feet. They would be self contained and house all our theatrical gear, most of it from the auto industry: car batteries, headlights, stereo systems and sensors. The sensors were pointed to trigger the lights and sound to turn on or off when a dancer passed. Small control boards were added to achieve a degree of randomness to the dancer/sensor relationship."
"The costumes are shiny silver and white skintight unitards marked by white reflector stripes that augment visibility in the piercing striated lighting of the headlights. The women have a white triangular piece of fabric attached to the inseam of their costumes suggesting a skirt. Bob always differentiates between women and men. In this case they look like a species, both genders present, and out there somewhere in deep space."
Excerts from "Collaboration: Life and Death in the Aesthetic Zone," by Trisha Brown, an essay that appears in Robert Rauschenberg: A Retrospective (1997)
Sunday, March 4, 2012
A Month in Peru! Day One.
My sister, An American Girl in Transit, and I spent a month in Peru. It was mostly for fun of course, but I was also researching a site for my thesis project for school, and she was writing some travel articles. We started our adventure in Lima, the capital city. Stay tuned for more!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
I Finally Saw Pina
I finally saw the movie Pina, Wim Wenders' tribute to the late Pina Bausch. The movie came so close to never happening, with Wenders wanting to cancel the filming after Bausch's death. Yet here it is, in all its beauty, and I am thankful that it came together in the end. You can read the full story here, and also listen to an interview with Wim Wenders on the making of the movie.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Do You Like Going To The Movies?
Alright folks, I've been out of the country for the last month, which explains why I haven't posted anything in a while. The time has come where I can finally say that I am in my LAST semester of architecture school! Before launching into a long post about what I'm going to do for my thesis, here's the final results of the previous semester. Click here to read previous posts about the project.
Our given program was to design a film house. Its requirements were to include indoor and outdoor movie theaters, cafe/restaurant space, retail space, administrative space, a film archive, and any other components we might want to add. The way we interpreted the program was left open.
I was interested in questioning the way movie theaters are designed and the way we watch movies in the 21st century, mainly because I hate going to the movie theaters and would rather watch something at home. This got me thinking...why would anyone actually want to go to the movie theater when they could watch a movie at home, where they can be free, on the couch or bed, in their pajamas or nothing at all, with whomever they want or no one at all, eating whatever they want, and not sitting in an ugly, poorly designed multiplex franchise theater? Its a good question - one that we as architects should be asking ourselves about this relatively new typology. In fact, the movie theater typology was taken from the vaudeville and opera theaters of the past, with the only change being that of a screen and projector room. Perhaps its time for a more thoughtful approach.
I'm not saying that my building answers the question, but I hope its a start. Or at the very least a conversation opener about the subject.
My movie theater essentially contains five different types of movie watching opportunities, ranging from the most interactive and social to the most private and intimate. They are as follows:
1. Communal Theater - most similar to a traditional movie theater, with opportunities to move the furniture around and create clusters of seats. Seats include couches of varying sizes and armchairs.
2. Garden Theater - An outdoor theater, enclosed by walls, situated in a garden.
3. Private Party Theaters - A series of smaller spaces, each for 8-10 people, to be used for private parties.
4. Restaurant/Video Art Theater - A restaurant whose walls are used for the display of video art.
5. Private Bedroom Theaters - A series of bedroom sized spaces for spending the night, watching movies in the room, with balconies overlooking the communal theater.
Click on images to enlarge. Leave a comment and let me know your own thoughts on going to the movies.
Our given program was to design a film house. Its requirements were to include indoor and outdoor movie theaters, cafe/restaurant space, retail space, administrative space, a film archive, and any other components we might want to add. The way we interpreted the program was left open.
I was interested in questioning the way movie theaters are designed and the way we watch movies in the 21st century, mainly because I hate going to the movie theaters and would rather watch something at home. This got me thinking...why would anyone actually want to go to the movie theater when they could watch a movie at home, where they can be free, on the couch or bed, in their pajamas or nothing at all, with whomever they want or no one at all, eating whatever they want, and not sitting in an ugly, poorly designed multiplex franchise theater? Its a good question - one that we as architects should be asking ourselves about this relatively new typology. In fact, the movie theater typology was taken from the vaudeville and opera theaters of the past, with the only change being that of a screen and projector room. Perhaps its time for a more thoughtful approach.
I'm not saying that my building answers the question, but I hope its a start. Or at the very least a conversation opener about the subject.
My movie theater essentially contains five different types of movie watching opportunities, ranging from the most interactive and social to the most private and intimate. They are as follows:
1. Communal Theater - most similar to a traditional movie theater, with opportunities to move the furniture around and create clusters of seats. Seats include couches of varying sizes and armchairs.
2. Garden Theater - An outdoor theater, enclosed by walls, situated in a garden.
3. Private Party Theaters - A series of smaller spaces, each for 8-10 people, to be used for private parties.
4. Restaurant/Video Art Theater - A restaurant whose walls are used for the display of video art.
5. Private Bedroom Theaters - A series of bedroom sized spaces for spending the night, watching movies in the room, with balconies overlooking the communal theater.
Click on images to enlarge. Leave a comment and let me know your own thoughts on going to the movies.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Now At the Lever House: The Magical World of Paula Hayes
The best part about going to the doctor is that my doctor's office is right across the street from the Lever House. I always stop in when I'm in the neighborhood, not only because it is one of my most favorite modern, international style buildings, designed by one of my favorite architects of that time period, Gordon Bunshaft of S.O.M., but also because the lobby is an art gallery, and there is always something interesting on view there. This time, the work of Paula Hayes is on display, and she has transformed the lobby into a peaceful oasis in the middle of crazy midtown. Not only is there a giant blob shaped fish bowl and many lush plants, but the sound of water fills the lobby as you explore this strange new world.
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