ARCHITECTURAL PRESENTATION PROBLEMS

The matter of architectural photography for publication has been raised before: see - https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2023/01/how-to-see-architecture.html. There are two issues that have been noted: the specialised framing of the subject that isolates and removes all possible references to context - or tries to; and the fragmentation of the vision that further isolates parts from their context - their content - by selecting a collection of specific details that have all been artfully composed as isolated photogenic gems to tell us all about the project. One is supposed to accept matters in this way, as though a collation of beautiful, arty parts might suggest that we are looking at a wonderful, bespoke architectural masterpiece that, with this approach to publicity, has been assembled from the reading of the pieces as gathered in our mind’s eye: it is as though we had been presented with a set of jigsaw pieces that eventually, progressively reveal a surprising vision.

The problem is that we have no master reference to use as a match for our assemblage; and the pieces have no necessary fit or rules for juxtapositioning that we could use to test likely adjacencies, as jigsaw pieces have. We are left in a quandary where our optimism and goodwill are assumed to be allies of our seeing in a way that gets the eye to dance happily over the very pretty, selected images that have been crafted by the camera as if for Instagram, allowing the reader to be cajoled into a blissful wonderment that promotes an enlightened feeling, engendering a positive attitude to assessment - ‘like’ - while infusing the understanding of the project in such a befuddled manner as to make the eyes see the subject as though through rose tinted glasses.

This coloured, emotional outcome glows with an indulgence that distracts the critical eye just as a child might be engrossed in front of a display of sweeties, leaving the viewer drooling with private delight - or so it seems that the authors, the architect, the photographer and the publisher, might wish for.

The presentation reproduced here appeared only recently; it is an excellent example of this approach to suave architectural promotions that suggest an array of slick details taken from the project might provide all the information one needs, when, in fact, the artful display shows very little, other than, perhaps, a sense of what the architect might have hoped was there. The apparent latent intent to conceal the reality with what looks like an unwillingness to publish the ‘Street View’ images of the scheme, leaves the thoughtful eye worried. The stance appears to suggest an ambition that wants to ignore matters as they might be and grasp at preferred fantasies: special ways of 'seeing as.'

It was tradition that noted that something had to be ‘real’ and ‘functional’ in the sense of being both useful and symbolically true, before it could be beautiful. The approach today seems to suggest a blind grasping at ephemeral beauty without any commitment to its roots and coherence.

This project has been selected to illustrate what has become a common strategy for architectural publications. The idea is to expose this technique rather than present a critique of the project itself. It could be that there is an expectation that this style is the preferred fashion that has its own driving force rather than being the personal preference of the architect.

This text seeks to highlight the problems with this strategy in an attempt to have more thought given to publicity options. Has the ‘creative media’ world taken over architecture and how we see it? We need to be aware of circumstances that can subtly manipulate our perceptions and change us, our expectations, and our world, leaving us with paraphrased intents. This situation has become more critical now that AI is readily available as a tool for all to use willy-nilly.

Why have we become so frightened of ‘street views’ - of seeing the world and its wonders nonchalantly; without carefully contrived preconception?

THE PROJECT

MANSFIELD HOUSE -  ROBBIE WALKER

https://thedesignfiles.net/2023/03/sustainable-homes-mansfield-house-robbie-walker/

and

https://thelocalproject.com.au/videos/mansfield-house-by-robbie-walker-video-feature-the-local-project/

27 March 2023

P.S.

Has this strategy some relationship with the 'cleansing' of older writings? - see: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/mar/26/agatha-christie-novels-reworked-to-remove-potentially-offensive-language?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other where it is reported that Agatha Christie's works are having the 'offensive' words and phrases altered or removed in the same way as Roald Dahl's and Ian Fleming's writings have been revised. Is this era intent on only seeing and reading about a 'cleansed' world to suit the current sensibility, its sensitivity, that appears totally intolerant of things everyday with its pretence for polite awareness and prim tolerance, as seen in its avoidance of Street View, and the very ordinary phrases like "their eyes are simply disgusting, and so are their noses," and "such lovely white teeth" - both removed; with "natives" being changed to "locals"? One has to express a serious concern with this self-conscious, selective distortion of perception and expression that prefers only a preconceived, 'sanitised' experience, and a modified, mannered understanding, all when the base layer of life remains just as brutal and raw as it ever was, complete with truly disgusting eyes and noses, but lovely teeth; and natives. Are these the same things that need to be erased in architecture too?

GOLD COAST SPARKLE DIMMED

 

Now that the police have raised their concerns about the local hoons who, like moths, are attracted to the light from this ‘GOLD COAST’ sculpture, Council is seriously reconsidering the future of this enigmatic work. Apparently this highway precinct is seen as an excellent place for vehicular highjinks, as the lighting is good enough for the local lads to take videos of their burnouts and put them online. So it is that the police have become involved in matters of art; and Council has decided once again to remove the public sculpture.

The burnouts.

Now one would usually come to the artist’s defence in these matters, but the work has inherent problems that have been discussed in https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2019/01/gold-coast-dazzle-removed.html. One could argue that, while being a good idea, the artwork has problems that are almost impossible to overcome in its current location. In the midst of this kerfuffle, the artists themselves have raised their voice to defend the qualities of their work. One can sympathise with their plight, but it is difficult to understand how they are unable to see the problems that are greater than the hooning issue.

The police are concerned about the hoons.

The work has no relevance to all the thousands of people driving past it every day. This might mean little if the work was not located in the centre of the highway at the border of the Gold Coast, unmissably proud and dominant. All that the passing traffic sees is a stack of yellow light poles of varying height during the day, and a pool of light at night. That this sculpture might read ‘GOLD COAST’ in sparkling lights at night from the passing train, if one happens to look at the right time, is a fact that is just not evident to those on the freeway who have to drive by the muddle of poles and wonder 'What?' and 'Why?' Little wonder that there is much concern when it is discovered that this artwork cost $2.1 million.

The other issue of address has to do with the obvious mirrored reading of the sculpture from the motorway: it clearly 'faces' two ways. The form gives every indication that, once one has been told that it reads ‘GOLD COAST’, that it does this on both the east and the west; but no - the reading is unusually only one way in spite of the split form - from the east.

So, in spite of the artists’ vision of a starry sparkle, and the very pretty image that the night-time photograph from the train line provides, the basic problem with this public work is that it has a very obscure public presence with its puzzling clutter of very public poles. The work misses the very point of its existence, being there saying ‘GOLD COAST.’ Why is this declaration so secretive?

The carefully managed image is very attractive.

One has to be concerned with the artists who continue to promote their vision, as though there were no issues with their work. One frequently sees artworks that are ahead of their time, as the cliché goes; works that are not understood or are misunderstood: but it seems foolish to try to argue about qualities of an artwork that unfortunately has serious contextual problems with its identity.

Brilliant visions are not enough; they have to be constructed and brought into this world, and reveal their qualities in spite of all of these challenges. Louis Kahn spoke of the creative process of going from idea, to facts, and back to ideas:

A great building must begin with the unmeasurable, must go through measurable means when it is being designed and in the end must be unmeasurable.

One could suggest that this ‘GOLD COAST’ sculpture has failed to address the facts, the things ‘measurable,’ and in doing so, has destroyed the idea, the 'unmeasurable' matters in the desired everyday experience.

One can get a glimpse of the idea when stationary,* but not when driving past the work at 110kph.

Highway art needs to address its context - speed: one could  perhaps 'learn from Las Vegas.'#

Sadly, one can agree that the work should go: the challenge now is to know what to do with it. Might there be a future for this clever piece beyond becoming scrap? This is the matter that the artists can turn their mind to. The sculpture might be able to truly sparkle if the facts are all addressed. Arguing in a ‘passionate defence’ that the work is ‘welcoming’ and ‘mysterious’ seems to be a way of using words to address the obvious problems, an attempt to explain them away; but there seems to be a basic misunderstanding even here: things ‘welcoming’ are rarely ‘mysterious.’ The facts of the vision need to be addressed, not excused. There is no joy in being kept in the dark by a sculpture that floods the highway with light.

The articles:

https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/council/yatala-lights-artists-write-open-letter-in-defence-of-controversial-project/news-story/6606835b26cb2d5c1f745c49634424b0

https://7news.com.au/news/qld/controversial-gold-coast-public-art-installation-to-be-torn-down-c-10038377

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-13/gold-coast-m1-light-display-attracting-hoons-police-say/102088476

 #

Learning from Las Vegas is a 1972 book by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. Translated into 18 languages, the book helped foster the development of postmodern architecture.   (Wikipedia)

28 March 2023

And now MOMA is involved! - see:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-28/yatala-lights-to-be-removed-from-m1-by-gold-coast-council/102145364

The New York-based designers Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano issued a public plea to councillors to keep the lights earlier this month.

The Architecture and Design curator at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York (‘senior curator Paola Antonelli’) urged council not to let personal opinions sway its decision.

Has this senior curator seen the work, or is she responding to the pleas of her American colleagues?

This artwork has serious problems that cannot be explained away with words, or as a matter of ‘personal opinion.’ One could liken it to presenting the Mona Lisa to be viewed end on, and suggesting that this would be ‘welcoming’ and ‘mysterious.’

If MOMA thinks that this sculpture is such a masterpiece, then perhaps it should purchase the work for its collection, paying the $2 million plus for it, overcoming Council's problems with this piece of public art.

*

3 APRIL 23

One has to point out that the reading of the 'GOL . . ' in this image is only possible when one stops, gets out of the car, and looks back against the flow of the traffic. Might the American-based designers have forgotten that we drive on the other side in Australia? The image below this one shows that the traffic flow can read, at best, only the mirror image of the message.