Monticello - Plan from memory and ponderances.....

From our trip to Monticello and Falling Water, I chose to write about Monticello.  Monticello is a more formal layout which resonates more with and how I live.  There is a privacy gradient from formal to personal space which I enjoy in a home.  I am most intrigues in the ways that Jefferson built the house.  The structure was a constant design evolution, Putting up and Tearing down.  His does seem to be an extreme case though.  The technologies that he used intrigue me.  Using octagonal rooms to avoid dark corners and give you more usable wall space.  I didn't think this would work in theory, yet in actuality it does so quite well.  Triple hung windows, aid in ventilation as well as act as impromptu doors.  The brick pattern, which ads strength to the structure.  I really enjoy tall ceilings and the relationship to how one feels in the space.  What is tall enough and what is too tall or not tall enough.  This concept was definitely challenged at Falling Water.  The ceilings there were 6'4", which I thought would be extremely oppressive, yet they were not.  I was most perplexed in Jefferson and his "perfect outside" of his home related to the many un-resolved interior issues.  Such as window sizes, Moldings and trim not being correct.  I would have thought that he could have this figured out.  Seeing a classical structure such as Monticello and comparing that to A modern structure such as Falling Water was amazing. 

kennedy, Blog Post #10, Iarc 221

Revolution Through Silver

 

 For me Silver carries a message of revolution.  During the Revolutionary war in the U.S.A. the way that one ate with their silver told others who they stood with, which side there were on.  Those eating in the continental style were the enemy.  The "proper" form in which Americans eat today is not continental style, it's an adapted style.  A style that was developed to be different and to show others that they were different.  Silver also represents Revolution in the way that it is produced.  Once reserved for royalty only, new technology in the industrial revolution allows for mass production of silver pieces.  This allowed the newly emerging middle classes to live like the king.

Silver also represents stratification in the classes.  Only those with the resources could afford silver, which separated the classes.  Some patterns like the one pictured take it a step further.  The first picture shows the basic pattern.  The second picture shows the three basic pieces, fork, knife, and spoon.  Here we see that they are engraved.  So we have taken a newly "mass" produced item and added a layer of hand tooling or customization to the object.  This adds a layer of stratification to the haves.

Above is a close of up the fork handle.  You can see the hand engraving as well as the monogram.  so we have, not only custom pattern engraving, but also, initial of the owners.  A second layer of stratification for the haves.

One of the greatest aspects of separation is seen in the above pieces.  From left to right, oyster fork, ice cream fork, and grapefruit spoon.  All of these items were created for one purpose, to eat one individual item.  This item would have been an extreme luxury during the time, especially considering a specific piece of silver was made for its consumption.

 

The final layer would be in serving pieces.  Coffee services, trays, large serving pieces.  All are large in scale, serve a specific task, are highly ornamented, and highly coveted.  This starts the clock for future revolutions.  The haves end up having more and more and the have nots, less and less.  This creates unrest and ultimately can lead to another revolution.

RR10, Revolution

Kennedy, Blog Post #9, IARC 221

Through the development of buildings the dome has come to symbolize power, wealth, and the heavens.  Originally for the church only, they become more and more prevalent everywhere as time marches forward.  Colonial expansion to the United States proved to be an excellent place for us to adapt the Dome to our own liking.  Look around and we will see our Nations capitol has a dome.  This directly trickles down to many of the state capital buildings as well.  This starts to create a cohesive "look" for our democracy and sets up a Language of government for us.

Modern objects that we have created and spread across the world are numerous.  I'm choosing a group of objects by a singular company, Apple.  Apple was created here in the states, all the design work is here in the states.  Multitudes of jobs are created by Apple across the entire world.  The new colonial expansion has put intuitive, well designed products that work in the hands of millions.  People crave new items from them.  It's almost like a religion.  Individuals work long hard hours, save up their money and give it all to the new Religion.....  maybe that is a bit far, or not.  Their products and the use of their products has created their very own lexicon for what technology is and should be.  Click on the image below to see the progression of design ideas that has come from Apple and has been spread across the world.

http-_edibleapple.com_wp-content_uploads_2009_04_apple_evolution

http-_www.manhattanconstructiongroup.com_wp-content_gallery_20090204020256_1907-oklahoma_capital_dome_exterior_at_night_3

http-_www.bruceq.com_galleries_photo_20_658

http-_farm4.static.flickr.com_3585_3287360783_94ce75da41

http-_thumbs.dreamstime.com_thumblarge_38_1137785692K7A3Nn

RR9, Tempietto