Wednesday, January 28, 2009

express : design :: tell : story




translation: adapting a word, phrase, or idea to a new context. a midsummer night's dream was translated to a more recent setting in italy for the movie. the lesson i learned from my nana after my father's passing are becoming words that i live by in all aspects of life. in history we talked about how the nautilus shell wasa source for golden proportions that are transferred into design. it was also used as a metaphor for the history of architecture and design. "architecture is the chambered nautilus shell of the human environment; it is the environment we build for ourselves (roth 3)."


cycle: nothing is ever lost. a lot of times, styles eventually come back. roth talks about how interest in history has influenced design, as egyption, asian indian, and other styles are being re-created (475). the houses of parliament are in gothic revival style. it was an attempt to return to the good values of the city during the gothic era. i chose this example because i first learned about it in art history last semester. the things we learn aren't bound to one specific class. they re-emerge in all classes.




artifacts: the objects around us are representative of culture, journeys, or experiences. they offer clues about the meaning surrounding it or the creator of the object. my five artifacts reflect the things and people that are important in my life and why they mean so much. jules prown talked about how artifacts can be assessed through description, deduction, and speculation. artifacts connect with the perceiver in a variety of ways as they try to derive meaning.


stories: "... if we wish to understand ourselves, we must take care not to eliminate the 'shell' of our past, for it is the physical record of our aspirations and achievements (roth 11)."everyone has a story, individuals and groups alike. we tell stories to convey a central message or meaning. i used my inspiration board to decipher the message presented in 'the three languages.' i also learned that the focus of 'a midsummer night's dream' was about love and affection expressed in different ways. architecture works the same way in that a building tells the story of the context in which it was built. listening and learning from these stories is important to make progress into the future.


overall, this week was about journeys and how we express these experiences though stories, artifacts, and other ways. these expressions give clues about the context of the creator and the time they were created. they are also ways to learn from the past to better understand where we are headed. as humans, we need ways to document our history as a way to distinguish ourselves from the rest of the world.

history timeline: 1975

1975 AD

Technology
-
Bill Gates founds Microsoft
-The microcomputer Altair 8800 is released
-Floppy disk invented in 1971
-LCD and VCR introduced in 1971
-Word processor and pong videogame invented 1972
-Ethernet is introduced by Robert Metcalfe and Xerox in 1973
-The laser printer invented in 1975... ink jet in 1976
-Cell phones, the Cray supercomputer, and the Walkman introduced in 1979
-NASA launches Viking 1 probe toward Mars
-The Energy and Conservation Act of 1976 sets gas mileage standards for cars

Institutions
-
The first US-born Roman Catholic saint is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
-Unification church couples are wed in Korea
-The oldest animal fossils in US are found in North Carolina
-NBC's Wheel of Fortune premiers
-Charlie Chaplin is knighted by Queen Elizabeth
-The musical 'Chicago' opens on Broadway
-The Weather Underground bombs the US state department main office in Washington, DC
-The US Coast Guard Academy admits first female students
-First successfully predicted earthquake in Haicheng, Liaoning, China
-Fire in the World Trade Center

Governance

-Watergate scandal
-Vietnam War ends April 30
-Victoria (Australia) abolishes capital punishment
-The UK implements the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Act
-Cold War ongoing
-President Ford signs Public Act 93-620 to enlarge the Grand Canyon National Park
-The US Trade Act of 1974 is enacted
-Italy broadens law on abortion
-International Women's Day is observed by United Nations
-After 3000 years, the monarchy in Ethiopia is abolished

Commerce
-OPEC raises crude oil prices by 10%
-Oil goes over $13 per barrel
-US unemployment rate hits 9.2%
-Begin TransAtlantic Pipeline
-First crude petroleum pipeline opens in Scotland
-New York City is approved for a bailout of $2.3 billion each year for 3 years
-Cost of living 1975 (US):
~Avg cost of new house: $39,300
~Avg income/yr: $14,100
~Avg monthly rent: $200
~Gallon of gas: $0.44
~New Car: $4,200
-Cost of living (UK):
~Avg cost of new house: 11,787 pounds
~Gallon of petrol: 0.72 pounds



1975 BCE

Technology
-
Babylonians use highly developed geometry
-Horses are used to draw vehicles
-Earliest written form of Greek

Institutions
-The Hebrews wandered as shepherds in the land of Canaan
-Abraham dies
-Classical period of art and literature
-Mentuhotep 1 built mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari
-Re-established pyramid building and every pharaoh after was buried in one

Governance
-Era of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom
-Mentuhotep reunites Egypt
-Amenemhat 1 founds a new royal residence near Memphis
-Egypt conquers Lower Nubia under Senwosret 1 and 2
-Minoan palace civilization on Crete
-Indus valley civilization

Commerce
-Indus Valley civilization produces wheats and barley
-Trade was made easier by bullock carts and flatbed boats on canal
-Used domesticated animals, including pigs, cattle, cats, dogs, and buffaloes