Visual Space

Virtual Space

This article touches on many topics, not just sculpture, but architecture, culture, and painting, but what I pulled out from this article was a greater understanding of sculpture. Sculpture embodies volume, place, kinetic volume, scene, and materiality. All those aspects connect us to the sculpture through touch and vision. One of things I have always been fascinated by is how a sculptor can create a sculpture that is very much alive, possible holding in their very last breath through a material such as stone, a very hard material. It is the sculptures that contain the kinetic volume and motion that people should want to touch. I would like to disagree with the author that sculpture does not make people want to “handle every figure.” Most sculptures give off the presence that it shouldn’t be touched. Sculpture figures depending on their placement is directly connected to people wanting to touch it. A sculpture in the middle of a grass lawn simply asks not to be touched. A sculpture on the street immediately invites the viewers to look and touch. If sculptures were made to touch, why can’t we ever touch sculptures in museums? I have always wondered that.

The other interesting part of this article is the concept of creating space in architecture. What designers create may not be what is experienced. The intentioned is missed because we see it for its purpose and therefore the architecture if design is purely art because it does not relate to function. Where as in the case of a monument it is thought of less as a shelter and can be seen for what it is and its meaning. This simply makes me think of my own design. Is the design simply four walls or am I really designing something more? Simply by believing the space is a great multi-purpose space does not mean it will be used like the intended design. My thesis is using movable architecture to allow for a building to be multi-functional. Even though my project is very much hypothetical, how do I make a space used specifically the way I want to? And the only answer I have come up with is that it will require understanding the users and how they adapt to those uses. Anything that is too difficult or if there is one option that is more liked then the design may not become multifunctional. As much as I would like to sculpt my project for people to see, if it were to be built the building may not be used desired. Like sculpture if we simply look at it and see it as a piece of stone that is in the shape of a figure the desired intention may not be seen. Both sculpture and architecture require the users to understand the meaning and purpose to truly appreciate their creation.