DSDN 171: Locovisual: Te Papa

"The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa presents a postmodern simulacrum: making an effort to present New Zealand's nation, to harmonise different historical narratives and to provide a display that reflects the national imaginary of biculturalism." (Senka, 2003)

This sentence, almost sounding angry, presents Te Papa as an ideal imagination of the biculturalism of New Zealand, harmonising the two peoples of our nation in one National Museum, despite this not necessarily being the real truth.

Te Papa Tongawera (known colloquially as Te Papa) was built in 1998, and from its very inception was a deeply controversial building. The concept of the museum having been approved by then Prime Minister Jim Bolger "with the help of only a minority of other Cabinet Ministers" (Tramposch, 1998) meant that the building was on a knife edge with regards to approval from the public.
However, the museum was needed. The old national museum was in dire need of refurbishing, however it was felt that in the centre of growing political representation of biculturalism, the country needed a new, iconic building. This museum needed to serve as the centre-point of the new New Zealand. It needed to be iconic, and the new, modern vision of Jazmax Architects served to create the ideal harmony of cultures in the capital.

The combination of cultures through the different faces of the buildings creates a cohesive whole. The north faces the sea and is representative of the Maori part of NZ culture. "Its bluff-like walls embrace nature – the sea, hills, and sky. ... Te Papa’s south face greets the city with its vibrantly coloured panels."  (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012) and is strongly representative of the Pākehā part of NZ society.
These two halves are convincingly fused into a single modern building drawing on ideals of the Bauhaus and high modernism, forming both a reductive and a synthetic style. However, in many respects, it has created for itself a distinctly New Zealand design identity.

Te Papa in HDR, Sebastien Voerman

References


Bozic-Vrbancic, S. (2003). One Nation, Two Peoples, Many Cultures: Exhibiting Identity at Te Papa Tongarewa. The Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 112(No. 3), 295-313. Retrieved from Informit database.

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. (2012). Our Building - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongawera. Retrieved from http://www.tepapa.govt.nz

Tramposch, W. (1998). Te Papa: Reinventing The Museum. Museum Management and Curatorship, Vol. 17(No. 4), 339-350. doi: 10.1080/09647779800201704

DSDN 171: Curatorial

"Straight is the line of duty, curved is the line of beauty; follow the straight line, thou shalt see the curved line ever follows thee."  ~William McCall

Developed from his own original design, Sebastien Voerman's design is created from vellum, steel wire, and cotton thread.

The design was created with two things in mind. First, the design had to represent the idea of fluid form, and second, it needed to harmonise curves and straight lines. 

It was developed from two precedents, Joost Schmidt's "Plakat zur Bauhaus-Ausstellung in Weimar 1923" (Refer to Figure 1.) , for the straight lines, and then the Guggenheim in Bilbao (Refer to Figure 2) , designed by Frank Gehry, for the curves.
Both precedents have been profound inspirations for Voerman's work. The right angle and logicality of the Schmidt's work can be seen very clear in the orchestration of the wire and stitching, while the flowing curve and almost chaotic fluid motion is evident in the vellum curves.

Voerman wanted to present the idea of reason versus chaos in his work, an essence which he was trying to capture via means of juxtaposing the curve and straight line against one another.
The concept of playing these elements off against each other, while still harmonising them, is done in such a way that neither can "live" without the other. The stitching and wire could not support itself, and likewise, the vellum alone would not stay upright if it were on its own.

While the swinging curve harks both to Gehry's work and Art Nouveau, the stitching presents an ideal of the Gothic Revival movement. Elements that aid construction should not necessarily be hidden, but displayed in a fashion that complements the overall design.

Voerman presents a tasteful amalgamation of multiple periods and design ideals in a simple, minimalist work that successfully captures the idea of fluid form.


References

Christiansen, R. (2007).  Rupert Christiansen on regenerating inner cities through investment in the arts. The Arts Column. Retrieved from  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Figure 1. Schmidt, J. (1923).  Plakat zur Bauhaus-Ausstellung in Weimar 1923 [Colour Lithograph]. From the Bauhaus Archive, Berlin. Retrieved from http://www.bauhaus.de/aktuelles/neuerwerbungen+M52087573ab0.html

Figure 2. Pons, E. (2001). Inner Courtyard [Colour Photograph]. From the Guggenheim. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/3665615/The-arts-column.html

                  Figure 1.                                                                                   Figure 2.

Antiques Hunter: Gothic Revival Dining Set

Screen Capture from Trade Me (Auctioned Piece Webpage), taken 16/04/12

The very strong representation of the Gothic Revival style in this dining set caught my eye while browsing Trade Me for workable pieces for this assignment.

Mills (n.d.) states that "Heavy woods finished in a dark stain, such as rosewood, oak and walnut, are used to construct Gothic revival furniture." This dining table set done in walnut conveys the strength and durability of Gothic Revival. This marks the passing of much more finicky and delicate Rococo. The furniture created at the time was designed to last. The style was representative of religion, which, since it links to God, conveys longevity.


Image from Trade Me (Auctioned Piece Webpage), taken 16/04/12

Mills (n.d.) also states "Upholstery choices are generally heavy fabrics, such as velvet, brocade or leather." The choice of leather for seat covers is distinctly Gothic. Campbell (2006) states "... Gothic architectural features - Pointed arches, lancets, tracery, crockets, quatrefoils and trefoils, and naturalistic foliage - were applied to furniture...". These features make this piece a very specific style. The quatrefoils cut in the tops of the chairs, along with the arch designs as a stylistic support underneath the table, the foliage design in the legs of the table and the top edge lining, as well as the crocket inlay along the top edges of the chairs; all define this piece and its identity.


Image from Trade Me (Auctioned Piece Webpage), taken 16/04/12

I still have one doubt about the piece. The seller states the piece is "early 1900s", which is at least 40 years after the high point of Gothic Revival, which would mean that it isn't original Gothic Revival, however the style is still heavily imbued into the piece, and it is impossible to doubt the nature of the antique and its workability for this project.

Trade Me Link: http://www.trademe.co.nz/antiques-collectables/furniture-woodenware/furniture/19001949/auction-466962094.htm

References
 
Campbell, G. (2006). The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts, Volume 1. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.
 
Mills, A. S. (n.d.). Characteristics of Gothic Revival Furniture. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5730871_characteristics-gothic-revival-furniture.html

Research Statement & Annotated Bibliography: Bauhaus

The research topic I have decided to delve into is the History of the Bauhaus, along with the design styles, ideas, and concepts generated by said school. 

Source 1: Book with a single author

Hochman, E. S. (1997). Bauhaus: Crucible of Modernism. New York, United States: New York: Fromm International.

Elaine Hochman analyses the context of the Bauhaus school. Why the time the Bauhaus School was created and open was so turbulent, and yet why it was so instrumental to making it an icon for Modernism worldwide today. Placing the origin of the Bauhaus in social and historical context is both important for understanding the style as well as the why it came about.

Source 2: Scholarly journal article

Sachsse, R. (2000). Made In Germany As Image In Photography And Design. Journal of Popular Culture, 34(3), 43-58. Retrieved from ProQuest Central database.

Rolf Sachsse looks in depth at the origin of the white or black background when photographing design objects. It appears that said style is derived from original Bauhaus photography and printing methods. This article is definitely useful since it shows how the Bauhaus has influenced some of the little commonplace things we don't expected to be designed per se. 

Source 3: Edited book 

Wingler, H. M., & Stein, J. (Eds.). (1978). The Bauhaus: Weimar, Dessau, Berlin, Chicago. Cambridge, United States: The MIT Press.

The Bauhaus is the definitive book on all things Bauhaus. Wingler & Stein have collated a huge collection of sources of note regarding the Bauhaus. Sources include public manifestos, meeting discussions, books, newspapers, magazine articles. The assembled material isis a significant collection of primary sources, which makes it invaluable for a research paper. 

Source 4: Website 

Design History. (1999). The Bauhaus. Retrieved from http://designhistory.org/

Design History's lecture topics provides a detailed account of the history of the Bauhaus, and also talks in depth of the teaching styles and education topics used in the School itself at the time. The source is easily accessible, and also sources its data from a lot of primary sources, which again is valuable for a research paper.

Source 5: Image

Schmidt, J. (Graphic Artist.). (1923). Poster for Bauhaus Exhibition in Weimar [Poster], Retrieved March 29, 2012, from http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=4297

The Poster for Bauhaus Exhibition in Weimar is a very significant image historically. It shows a new, fresh take on advertising at the time, and it many respects, has inspired thousands of graphic artists the world over. The importance of this poster to the history of the Bauhaus cannot be understated.

Design Personae

Well hello there, my name is Sebastien Voerman. However, most of my friends like to call me “Bas”.  I’ve just recently moved to Wellington from Nelson, and I love it here. 

I’ve travelled all over the world with my family due to my father’s job, and I’ve had the opportunity to experience a mass of cultures and countries. I think this lends me a broader perspective on the world. I’ve been exposed to the many different styles and uses of design in all these places, and I’d like to say it has impacted my inherent design abilities. However, I think it’s more given me the ability to develop my work from a more diverse range of memories and experiences. That’s probably the best part about having travelled. Memories last a lifetime. Memories give strength. Memories grant inspiration.

But, seeing a lot of what the world has to offer hasn’t diminished my desire to compete in the world of Design. I think that the reason I always loved design was due to my fixation on why things were constructed the way they were, as well as creating things. (Lego was a key inspiration.) I had a certain knack for taking things apart, much to the displeasure of my parents, as well as a fascination for the natural and man-made world.

My current aspirations (they have a tendency for fickleness) are towards Industrial and Media Design, as well as photography, which is a hobby of mine. Some of my graphic design work for Year 13 stemmed from a modernist style, lending itself towards the Bauhaus, as well as a more abstract style that was inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s work, as well as other Russian Constructivism, a style I think I want to explore in more detail.

I can’t wait to start creating!

George Kubler on Tools and Art

"A tool is always intrinsically simple, however elaborate its mechanisms may be, but a work of art, which is a complex of many stages and levels of crisscrossed intentions, is always intrinsically complicated, however simple its effect may seem."  

~ George Kubler (The History of Things)

Kind of makes you want to decide which path to take. But simple IS beautiful, so just because something isn't art doesn't mean it won't be beautiful. Simplicity of usage is always a beautifully refined aspect of design.