So, the last piece of the puzzle in this extraordinarily long portfolio ordeal is my "design statement". As if it wasn't difficult enough to put together a hodge-podge of projects that I'll never be happy with... now I have to commit myself to some "intelligent" comment about all of this work I've done. I'm not sure what I have to say about myself, about these projects... when I look back on my time spent as a student I really 1] don't remember very much from all the all-nighters and 2] am so jaded by the workload, the opinions, the competition, that it's hard to say what my unique vision is for my "style" or whatever it may be that I have at this point in my studies of architecture...
Well, seeing as I can't write this thing myself I did what any good RPI'er would do... "research" the thing.. and I found this awesome statement:
Designer's Statement
Britt Whitaker
I had a hard time trying to to write an “artist statement” and I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t know how to write about my work or why I do what I do, I don’t have some underlying theme and I feel pretentious writing about how it might impact anyone else.
I’ve read a hundred artist statements, so I tried to copy some fluffy bullshit. Something about being the next up and coming artist trying to better the world with my work. That was some bullshit. It took about 15 minutes of contrived emotion for me to realize that there was some inherent flaw I took offense to at the idea of me writing an “artist statement”. It stemmed from the realization that I’m not some kind of artist. To describe myself as an artist or say why I do what I do only shows I understand the traits and characteristics, or what society considers to be the definition of an artist, and in and of itself that kind of destroys the whole point. So if I actually had the capacity with words to give my own definition I suppose that would be an acceptable replacement. But seeing as I can’t, I can only say what I’m not. And I’m not an artist. I’m a designer. There’s some inherent difference there that permeates anything and everything that surrounds us. It slips unseen into our eyes, and the realization rarely crosses our lips.
Art is selfish. But before anyone decides to deconstruct that idea, design is too. The difference is in it’s assimilation into the world. Who understands it, who judges it, and who assigns its monetary value is more or less irrelevant. I love art, but it’s appreciated by those who choose to appreciate it. Design is everywhere and everything. It’s the pauper of the art world. It doesn’t ask to be understood, it doesn’t ask to be ordained as anything. It exists in and of itself and every piece of every design exists only to support the structure that it forms. My work is everywhere and everything, and because of that, it is invisible.
I design because I know no better way of communicating my thoughts and emotions, and in theory that’s a philosophy. As far as I know it’s not reflected in anything I do, but that’s kind of the point.
^ Love that one.
Ahh, what are my designs about? Well, my good ones are all about experimentation... trying something new and seeing where it goes... but that kind of makes for a number of throw-away projects I have... I guess I design my architecture akin to fashion or music. They reflect the trends that are going on in my mind, and my surroundings at the time I'm working on them. I guess that's interesting...? I'm not sure there are some deep philosophical meanings behind my work.. I am very interested in experiential spaces, you know... a lot of that transcendental bullshit that the French would looove. I also love Christian Nordberg-Scultz, so I guess some of it was inspired by his awesome writing... I mean, really. What does someone expect from an architecture student? I rebel against my professors ideas now that I'm older... maybe that could be a good point to put out there... hahaha I really have nooo idea. I saved a whole page for this writing, too... maybe that wsa a bad idea - I think it would be much better to just be short and sweet about the whole thing, okay maybe a little sour, too, we archies love to have a bad side [we are notorious for weearing black anyway...]. Okay, I got try writing this stuff down on paper... I won't get anywhere trying to write something on the computer...
- c
Well, seeing as I can't write this thing myself I did what any good RPI'er would do... "research" the thing.. and I found this awesome statement:
Designer's Statement
Britt Whitaker
I had a hard time trying to to write an “artist statement” and I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t know how to write about my work or why I do what I do, I don’t have some underlying theme and I feel pretentious writing about how it might impact anyone else.
I’ve read a hundred artist statements, so I tried to copy some fluffy bullshit. Something about being the next up and coming artist trying to better the world with my work. That was some bullshit. It took about 15 minutes of contrived emotion for me to realize that there was some inherent flaw I took offense to at the idea of me writing an “artist statement”. It stemmed from the realization that I’m not some kind of artist. To describe myself as an artist or say why I do what I do only shows I understand the traits and characteristics, or what society considers to be the definition of an artist, and in and of itself that kind of destroys the whole point. So if I actually had the capacity with words to give my own definition I suppose that would be an acceptable replacement. But seeing as I can’t, I can only say what I’m not. And I’m not an artist. I’m a designer. There’s some inherent difference there that permeates anything and everything that surrounds us. It slips unseen into our eyes, and the realization rarely crosses our lips.
Art is selfish. But before anyone decides to deconstruct that idea, design is too. The difference is in it’s assimilation into the world. Who understands it, who judges it, and who assigns its monetary value is more or less irrelevant. I love art, but it’s appreciated by those who choose to appreciate it. Design is everywhere and everything. It’s the pauper of the art world. It doesn’t ask to be understood, it doesn’t ask to be ordained as anything. It exists in and of itself and every piece of every design exists only to support the structure that it forms. My work is everywhere and everything, and because of that, it is invisible.
I design because I know no better way of communicating my thoughts and emotions, and in theory that’s a philosophy. As far as I know it’s not reflected in anything I do, but that’s kind of the point.
^ Love that one.
Ahh, what are my designs about? Well, my good ones are all about experimentation... trying something new and seeing where it goes... but that kind of makes for a number of throw-away projects I have... I guess I design my architecture akin to fashion or music. They reflect the trends that are going on in my mind, and my surroundings at the time I'm working on them. I guess that's interesting...? I'm not sure there are some deep philosophical meanings behind my work.. I am very interested in experiential spaces, you know... a lot of that transcendental bullshit that the French would looove. I also love Christian Nordberg-Scultz, so I guess some of it was inspired by his awesome writing... I mean, really. What does someone expect from an architecture student? I rebel against my professors ideas now that I'm older... maybe that could be a good point to put out there... hahaha I really have nooo idea. I saved a whole page for this writing, too... maybe that wsa a bad idea - I think it would be much better to just be short and sweet about the whole thing, okay maybe a little sour, too, we archies love to have a bad side [we are notorious for weearing black anyway...]. Okay, I got try writing this stuff down on paper... I won't get anywhere trying to write something on the computer...
- c
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