Art and the Acknowledgement of World

Art and the Acknowledgement of World

We must face this reality: we tend to miss the majority of what goes around us, or even inside us, in our body perception. There are so many events occurring at once that we look past them. We are more likely to view through our phones instead of opening our eyes to the environment’s beautiful details.

I am guilty as well of missing out a ton, so that is why today's topic is dedicated to drawing and the relationship it establishes with our perceptions. To me, drawing is a form of self-expression that acts with a double purpose: connecting with myself and connecting with my surroundings, in a deeper way any other activity can. It is a way of regaining the private joy of seeing.

On the Pritzker Prize 2017 and the Essence of Architecture

On the Pritzker Prize 2017 and the Essence of Architecture

At the beginning of this month Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta of Spanish studio RCR Arquitectes have been named as the 2017 laureates of the Pritzker Prize, architecture's most prestigious award, and this is a wonderful annual event to give us the opportunity to talk and think about the significance of contemporary architecture.

The 2017 Pritzker Prize was a surprise to many, being awarded to three individuals for the first time since the prize began in 1979. Besides, this was a relatively low profile firm, located in the small town of Olot in Catalonia and I confess I was not too familiar with their work either. However, this does not diminish their importance, they have done fantastic work and deserve the praise.

Last week I participated in a conversational debate with a group of colleagues to talk about the prize, the firm's projects and core ideas, and how this meets the end of representing a contribution to the architecture practice. The dialogue was very interesting and offered a lot of food for thought, so I will take the chance to share some views around this topics.

Finds for Inspiration: Personalities of Colors

Finds for Inspiration: Personalities of Colors

Today's post is a search in the paths of color. I want to share a pretty delightful and unique find: Ken Nordine’s 1966 album Colors. Probably some of you are familiar with his voice, since he has participated in work with brands like Levi’s and Taster’s Choice. Actually this album began as an ad campaign for the Fuller Paint Company, each one running individually as part of a series of scheduled spots (originally just 9 colors), and I imagine it was quite challenge to carry out the advertisement of color in a medium like radio.

It is a great mixture of commerce and art, and in occasions, even involves social and political issues. In addition, what I find truly fascinating in a designer perspective is the capacity to imbue colors with a certain personality. The exercise of imagining a personification of elements like color can evoke rich rich mind pictures about how they make us feel, and in a deeper sense, about how we experience their intrinsic message.

 

It's not you. It's bad doors.

It's not you. It's bad doors.

Every one of us can relate to the experience of approaching confidently to a door and end up feeling dumb because you did the opposite of what you where supposed to do to open it. 

Duh. It says clearly says PUSH on the sign, doesn't it? 

But the thing is, we should not be worrying about doors. We can't just go around reading every label on our environment. What about it's shape? What about it's details? What about it's implicit message? It should be easier.

In fact, if you and other people continually get it wrong, it’s a good sign that it’s a really bad door. And we actually have a term for it: Norman door. 

A Norman door is a poorly designed door that confuses or fails to give you an idea whether to push or pull. It was named after Don Norman, the author of The Design of Everyday Things, who explored the phenomenon.

To deepen in this subject Roman Mars teamed up with Joe Posner of Vox to interview none other than Don Norman himself to bring you the story of terrible doors.

Is your home making you feel restless and gloomy?

Is your home making you feel restless and gloomy?

Have you ever been feeling anxious without an apparent reason? I had been experiencing this, every one other day. I would feel quite oppressed and gloomy, worried about something that I did not recognize. It certainly did not feel good at all. So I did what we usually do; try to relate this type of feelings with some direct cause in our daily life. A problem at work, a relationship issue, some particular stress, but while trying to analyze I could not manage to connect the dots. There was no evident origin for this.

In fact, the design of space has a huge impact on our behavior and emotions. To deepen in this area there is a field of science called “neuroarchitecture” that studies the relationship between brain processes and architectural environments and their impact on the emotional and physical health of people. It explores how one’s environment can be a trigger for hormones that either promote happiness and calm or add stress and anxiety.

From all of this research I took some action and reorganized several things in space. And guess what? I actually have been feeling better and more balanced. Therefore, I though this was a topic with interesting value, as stress and anxiety fill our surroundings and without recognizing it, our lives. Instead, our environment, and especially our house, should be a place to liberate and unwind, with spaces of calmness, comfort and clarity.

This is why I prepared a list of little things that you can do to your environment design and that in turn can make a major difference; and I hope it can help you too in some way.

 

Podcasts about design, stories and ideas you should be listening to

Podcasts about design, stories and ideas you should be listening to

Today I'm sharing my latest obsession: podcasts. I had no idea there were so many good ones out there until recently. Plus, it is a pretty cool way to consume content while you are doing other things, like going on the subway, cooking or walking to work, so these activities get less boring and routinary. 

Even though I am a very visual person (I don't like audiobooks very much for instance) this has been a captivating medium for me. You get familiar with other people's stories, learn from their process, obtain amazing references, or simply listen and appreciate the efforts and love put into somebody's work.

Are you loving podcasts and don't know which new ones to hear? 

Below a compilation of exceptional shows, from thought-provoking conversations on design to storytelling that strikes your heart. 

Gastronomical Landscapes

Gastronomical Landscapes

Design goes beyond objects, spaces and visuals, we can take it to daily activities, such as eating. In the experimentation of its applicability in various areas I got interested in a Design for Food course (ELISAVA) and it has been one of the most creative / fun things I have participated in recently, so I will share one of my favorite activities.

The guide of this assignment required the use of tools in an unexpected way, to create a food preparation. I had no idea of where to start and besides that, my skills in the kitchen were pretty average compared to my chef and culinary expert classmates. I was clearly doomed (okay, maybe not, but that was my evident conclusion at first).

After several sketches and research, considering my background in architecture school, I decided to take advantage of this and explore a combination of culinary and 3d model making techniques.  So I wondered:

Is it feasible to recreate the procedure of model-making, using food?

Visual Storytelling: Design Is Never Over

Visual Storytelling: Design Is Never Over

For over 35,000 years, since the earliest cave paintings, telling stories has been one of our fundamental forms of communication. We are all about them. As a daily act we will describe our experience with a previous event, our day at work or some kind of story, and even perform and embellish to be able to wonder our listeners with the tale we have told. Sharing our own reality with others is what connects us with our humanity.

The act of storytelling is present through several forms, with language and art as protagonic elements over time. So how can we combine these two to create stories that represent messages with richness, seductiveness and texture? 

Pilot - Curiosity Brought Me Here

Pilot - Curiosity Brought Me Here

It is quite wonderful that almost everything starts with writing. It's the base of theories, novels, films, music and even revolutions. Just the process of writing itself activates something deeply, it must; you suddenly begin to flow in a very interesting way, thoughts come and go and it can transform into something magical.

This is why I’ve decided to nurture the use of language and reflection, in the areas where my passions reside.