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Hold No Hostage
Futura hit GPS
I made a small pilgrimage to the gherkin, but this fucker blew it out of the water close up.
Michael Cross & Julie Mathias at the Design Museum, plunging bulbs into water. I'd seen a smaller installation in Liverpool last week - this was a treat.
As you descend into the crypt at St. Pauls, check the plaster details. That's what happens to people who slip in through the exit without paying... ;)
Now recovering from a fine weekend in London. I went down to catch the Futura opening. He's a long-time hero of mine. Also managed to catch a few other exhibitions too.
In my tutor's words "every holiday is now an architectural holiday", and this was no exception. The Cedric Price retrospective at the Design Museum, and the Herzog & de Meuron model show were two of the more obvious examples of this, thoroughly perused and absorbed as they were. Perhaps I'll write more about the CP exhibition at greater length in the future. It made a great impression on me and its analysis fills two pages of the journal which I write each weekend as I travel to work in Manchester - not that I'd subject you to that in its entirity!
H+dM was impressive too, featuring many tables of process models and materials samples which, despite lengthy descriptions in the most part, spoke well of the creative process at that practice. They couldn't fail to give the young architecture student a few ideas.
Work has been going well. Before starting I barely trusted myself to 'keep on top of things'. Last time I had a full time job in an office environment was four years ago, and then I struggled to some extent with those background monotonous tasks which must be done daily. I sought fresh challenges, often to the detriment of essential tasks which I knew that I was capable of, such that I would occasionally amass terrifying backlogs.
This time round I'm rocking it! The mundane sorting, filing, printing and letter opening, etc., is truly ticking over. Perhaps due to the architectural interest which it all has, and definitely due to hindsight...
As a consequence I'm actually receiving design tasks at this early stage. I've been assisting one architect with a new building containing several apartments, and the other architect with an exercise in furniture design. At least ninety percent of the work I've produced has failed to make the cut - client or co-worker opinions, or changes in the project itself making work redundant, but I'm prepared to accept every minute of this as part of my education.
Big thanks to
+
for hospitality, and to all the people who make me feel at home in London, even though I doubt that I could ever live there!
3 Comments
Interesting reading, cheers!
Saw H+DM too, was pretty impresseive...those poor grad students must have sore hands!
Thanks, man! It's hard finding the time to do this, but there's more motivation if people are definitely reading!
So you liked the exhibition? I found it very inspiring. Did you check the concrete slabs with images on them, in the far left hand corner of the room? I reckon they did screen printing with mortar or something. That was a highlight for me!
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My pleasure, really ;) I think it's great that people take time to share their thoughts and experiences..it makes the world at least a little more interesting.
I did like the exhibition, though I have to say just now I'm pondering my future in, and hence the potential of, architecture. Not that I don't love it or anything, but I've just finished my degree and wasnt to consider what's next. So I walked around the exhibition feeling a bit jaded, but wow, really, what an incredible amount and variety of inquiry they carry out, it's quite reassuring in a way, I mean if anybody is going to discover something new, it's these guys. Means we can all just relax!
The concrete slabs are very cool, I got into concrete big time this year, but I heard the technique they use is a secret? hard to believe I must say, though with these two it might be true.
As a side note, I graduated today, and would you believe I nearly missed my graduation ceremony because I slept in, I had to run there like a nutter with only ten minutes to spare before it started! horrific I can tell you. The really strange thing I suppose is being awarded a first, and then having serious doubts about architecture afterwards. The curse of the first they call it... :(
Anyhoo, this is turning into an essay, I'll be sure to call back, cheers,
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