Simply, this nov 27 2013 post is to show a few photos of a sample panel I made in my office, exploring the idea of how to incorporate Indian jewelry into architecture.
Yes, it is literal. Jewelry literally incorporated in the panel. The panel is flitches (thin veneers) of Fir glued onto a substrate panel 5/8" thick. The reveals were left between the flitches for colour. There is a vertical reveal of about 1-1/2" wide (derived for a variety of reasons; not important here..) to accommodate the jewelry. The first panel had a red and gold necklace installed in the wide reveal; the second plays with a lovely light green bracelet and colours. Both had an anklet on a dark brown piece of wood. On the right side of the panel is a vertical flitch veneer. For me it is the pallu of a sari...
And for interest, a few words of background.
In the last five years, I've developed a real longing for colour, in clothes, in drawings, in buildings.
For a few reasons.
I started using it again, for one; on my comic strips (drdaytrade.com) and on the back of architectural sketches. Rather than 'colour subtracting' as Picasso put it, I found it enhanced my joy and focus a thousand fold ...
Then there was a trip to India five years ago, followed almost immediately by encountering Paromita Naidu and the beautiful saris she designs and sells through her company Lotus Eye. I bought one of them for my office and it is one of only 2 or three items I value above everything else in life.
More recently, I travelled to Hyderabad in May of 2013. I don't buy things easily, randomly; but by the the time I left for India I was already very interested in Indian jewelry, and realized abruptly that this was for me a chance I had been waiting for. The first day I bought like a shopper would; sparingly,
by a process of elimination. The second day I bought passionately..... I bought because I knew it was for inspiration not just consumption.
I basically want to incorporate the grace and elegance, colour and surprise of Indian jewelry and design into architecture. And I don't find it extravagant; I find it essential.
(A second very powerful strand of this intention is the result of a chance meeting of Iti Chandra/Kalsi,
who now puts henna on my left wrist as often as possible and not often enough. Iti has graciously said she would act as a consultant on my projects; she will always have a place in them if I have any say in the matter...)
I should just say that my primary interest in architecture is designing for groups of inhabitants, for community. Some of the architects that inspire include Aldo Van Eyck and Hermann Hertzberger.
While I was in Bombay I was fortunate enough to be part of a group that walked in Dharavi, the 'slum'
(there were so many beautiful places there..) of the city that is under attack from developers and big capital. Post that trip I have spent a lot of time thinking about and designing collections of dwellings for both India and North America, for Dharavi inhabitants in their fight (oh no...not another saviour..!) and for houses here in Canada. I'm always interested in re-interpreting precedents and trying out good ideas from one culture or place to another..not that that is always possible, obviously.
Hopefully in the future I can post some of that work.
While in Hyderabad, I spent time working in the office of Soujanya Dasari. We have talked about collaborating and in fact while I was there I worked on a SketchUp model for a potential residential project there. It is somewhat in limbo, but will be resurrected soon with luck. I can never thank Soujanya and her parents enough for their generosity on a personal level and am still trying to figure
out how we can collaborate professionally.
Just a few more unsubstantiated words, more about which later...
Guess what?
Modern contemporary architecture is all about ornamentation!
Yes, it is literal. Jewelry literally incorporated in the panel. The panel is flitches (thin veneers) of Fir glued onto a substrate panel 5/8" thick. The reveals were left between the flitches for colour. There is a vertical reveal of about 1-1/2" wide (derived for a variety of reasons; not important here..) to accommodate the jewelry. The first panel had a red and gold necklace installed in the wide reveal; the second plays with a lovely light green bracelet and colours. Both had an anklet on a dark brown piece of wood. On the right side of the panel is a vertical flitch veneer. For me it is the pallu of a sari...
And for interest, a few words of background.
In the last five years, I've developed a real longing for colour, in clothes, in drawings, in buildings.
For a few reasons.
I started using it again, for one; on my comic strips (drdaytrade.com) and on the back of architectural sketches. Rather than 'colour subtracting' as Picasso put it, I found it enhanced my joy and focus a thousand fold ...
Then there was a trip to India five years ago, followed almost immediately by encountering Paromita Naidu and the beautiful saris she designs and sells through her company Lotus Eye. I bought one of them for my office and it is one of only 2 or three items I value above everything else in life.
More recently, I travelled to Hyderabad in May of 2013. I don't buy things easily, randomly; but by the the time I left for India I was already very interested in Indian jewelry, and realized abruptly that this was for me a chance I had been waiting for. The first day I bought like a shopper would; sparingly,
by a process of elimination. The second day I bought passionately..... I bought because I knew it was for inspiration not just consumption.
I basically want to incorporate the grace and elegance, colour and surprise of Indian jewelry and design into architecture. And I don't find it extravagant; I find it essential.
(A second very powerful strand of this intention is the result of a chance meeting of Iti Chandra/Kalsi,
who now puts henna on my left wrist as often as possible and not often enough. Iti has graciously said she would act as a consultant on my projects; she will always have a place in them if I have any say in the matter...)
I should just say that my primary interest in architecture is designing for groups of inhabitants, for community. Some of the architects that inspire include Aldo Van Eyck and Hermann Hertzberger.
While I was in Bombay I was fortunate enough to be part of a group that walked in Dharavi, the 'slum'
(there were so many beautiful places there..) of the city that is under attack from developers and big capital. Post that trip I have spent a lot of time thinking about and designing collections of dwellings for both India and North America, for Dharavi inhabitants in their fight (oh no...not another saviour..!) and for houses here in Canada. I'm always interested in re-interpreting precedents and trying out good ideas from one culture or place to another..not that that is always possible, obviously.
Hopefully in the future I can post some of that work.
While in Hyderabad, I spent time working in the office of Soujanya Dasari. We have talked about collaborating and in fact while I was there I worked on a SketchUp model for a potential residential project there. It is somewhat in limbo, but will be resurrected soon with luck. I can never thank Soujanya and her parents enough for their generosity on a personal level and am still trying to figure
out how we can collaborate professionally.
Just a few more unsubstantiated words, more about which later...
Guess what?
Modern contemporary architecture is all about ornamentation!
