Introduction- Comparative Study

Being an aspiring architect, I wanted to focus on three dimensional

forms by various architects and artists in my portfolio. After discovering
Peter Zumthor and his minimalistic artwork, I was fascinated by the
meditative effect it had. Simultaneously, I saw Charles Ptillons
Heartbeat on display in the Covent Garden in London, and saw that it
also had a similar effect on the viewer. I became interested in the
dynamism and intimacy of these enclosed spaces, and wanted to further
study such meditative aesthetics. Hence, I looked at Kengo Kumas
Great Bamboo Wall, a space built to be a retreat for the pursuit of
peace and enlightenment. I found that the main similarity between the
three works was that they have dynamic environments created by the
movement and repetition of the materials, overwhelming the viewer with
its intricate qualities and making them want to pause and observe. I tried
to follow this theme into making contemplative work that leaves the
viewer in awe of their surroundings and with a feeling of inner peace.

Charles Ptillon- Heartbeat

The Invasion series in Covent Garden

(Petillon).

(Covent Garden).

(Petillon)

(designboom)

(Bruder Klaus Field Chapel)

(Bruder Klaus Field Chapel)

(Pawson)

(Pawson)

Exhibition work
I was Inspired by Kumas repeated use of bamboo in the Great Bamboo
Wall because it is an important symbol of peace in the Japanese culture
and because of the way its organic qualities contrasted to the man-made
materials around it. Hence, I used bamboo skewers with clean white foam
board to create this contrast. This sculpture is similar to a mini-model that I
made while experimenting with cardboard in the process portfolio, except
that it is much sturdier due to the rigidity of bamboo. The strips of foam are
elevated at different levels to form a wave, and they are also of different
lengths so that there is a wave formed at the back of the strips. Moreover,
the strips and sticks create interesting shadows when they are illuminated
by light, further emphasising the sense of dynamism that the sculpture has.
Hence, with the use of repetition, colour and texture, this model overwhelms
the viewer with a contemplative effect. I imagine that these qualities would
be magnified if this was at a greater scale, intimidating and towering over
the viewer, much like Zumthors chapel.

Although the model

illustrates a wave, it is
symmetrical and
balanced, so that the
viewer is not
completely
overwhelmed. It
therefore has a
greater sense of
control like Kumas
work, and unlike
Zumthor and
Petitions asymmetric
compositions.

Looking at Petillons work, I like how an artwork can have a dynamic

character even if only one medium is used and repeated. I wanted to
create a similar cloud-like effect in a minimalistic way, and therefore
decided to use simple thick paper. With the repetition of geometric forms at
different elevations, this sculpture also communicates movement. I
particularly like how the light hits it so that different geometric faces have
different tonal values. This individualises the different shapes and sharpens
the edges between them. I found that the varied lighting is similar to the
soft pulsing light in the Heartbeat installation, and wanted to recreate
these tonal values to show their effect in a dark area. Hence I created the
painting to the left. It isolates the sculpture in a dark vacuum, so that the
only focus is on its movement and tones, which the viewer can appreciate
in contemplation.

The sculpture stands by

itself, with no bolsters
required underneath. At
a large scale, I imagine
that it would offer a quiet
place inside with the soft
lighting and shadows.
The limited space and
enclosure inside
emphasises the intimacy
which can also be seen
in Heartbeat.

This sculpture shows another cloud-like form inspired

by Charles Ptillon. The material of the mesh is very
malleable, and I bent it as if it was a wave of water or
had wind flowing through it (such as in Ned Kahns
wind curtains). It reflects light in such a way that the
the bumps and dents get highlighted and looks as
though the light is almost pulsing through the form. Its
intricate mesh texture also projects interesting
shadows on the walls around it. Such a texture
emphasises its movement and makes it look as if it is
a piece of large cloth flowing in the wind. I elevated
the mesh in an enclosed, intimate space with narrow
gaps of entry. At a larger scale, a viewer could enter
through the gaps and see such a form up-close,
invading the space above them. The drawing I
created to accompany this sculpture shows what I
imagine to be a suitable context to this form- an
isolated area with this cloth flowing past above our
heads.
I suspended the mesh using red
thread, which is a common motif
in my process portfolio that I used
to trace movement in different
places. I found that it would be
useful in creating thin, tense
attachments to the walls, so that
the mesh looked as if it was really
floating/ invading the space/ trying
to escape. Moreover, the bright
red contrasts to its monotonous
surroundings, making it more
dynamic.

The red thread became a

consistent symbol of
movement in my work. Its
stark contrast to the
monotony of colours and
the delicate linear forms
added to the
contemplative quality of
the work.
When I took these
photographs, I intended to
capture the gracefulness
with which our body parts
move, showing that our
very own bodies embody
a sense of meditation and
contemplation with simple
movements. I started by
tracing these movements
with red thread by simply
connecting the fingertips.
However, I became
interested in the forms
created by the red itself
and evolved the thread
into more complex,
parabolic patterns. Similar
to the teardrop-shaped
interior in Zumthors
chapel, I used the
repetition of liner forms to
create curves.
The threads look as
though they are slowly
restricting the movement
of the hands, almost as if
they are growing larger
and larger and invading
their space, much like the
mutating bubbles in
Petillons Heartbeat.

I tried to create the same parabolas

composed of straight lines in a threedimensional form. Inspired by Kumas
wooden lattice works, I wanted to create
a lattice of sticks which had great
mathematical complexity. The use of
maths shows that there was again a
sense of control behind this form and it is
not completely asymmetrical. Similar to
the Great Bamboo Wall, the pale beige
tone of the sticks contrasts well with he
plain black background, directing all of
the viewers focus to the form. The
intricate texture and the curves are also
emphasised through this contrast. If there
was a light source on this form, it would
illuminate the walls with the shadows of
the sticks, agains creating a dynamic yet
contemplative atmosphere.

The form is suspended with a

thin black thread, to give the
impression that it is floating in
space, almost like a cloud of
sticks. This floating cloud gives
the impression of movement as
it is itself made up of a dynamic
arrangement of sticks.

Our body may not only experience

contemplation in its movement, but also in
the ways that we interact with our
environment and the aesthetics around us.

After taking the previous photographs of the series

of hands and connecting them with thread, I wanted
to explore the graceful movements of our hands in
slow motion. Hence, I decided to make this video in
which the hand turns over and leaves behind a soft
trail of silhouettes. The transition in each frame is
joined by a red line, emphasising the style of
connecting the fingertips with thread. However,
these are not as fine as the thread and have a
rougher texture, adding to the organic and natural
appearance, and also looking more dynamic when
the video is played.
While taking the photos, I made sure to have sharp
focus on the hand itself and position it right at the
centre. This puts the viewers attentions on the
movement and contemplative qualities of the
hands. I also chose a black, blurred background as
it makes the pale skin of the hands and the red
paint stand out.

The video of the portrait shows certain forms

invading and escaping a girls body. The
sequence of the video is as follows: first a
stationary head observes dynamic patterns
which eventually invade the stationary head.
Then the head starts to tilt down as if the
energy from the moving forms was transferred
to the body and made it move in response.
Next, the scattered lines start to connect to
each other and make forms that are similar to
the geometric ones that I used in the paper
sculpture, as I found that they were an
effective way of creating dynamic movement.
Finally, the geometric forms are absorbed
into the body. This video illustrates our
process of contemplation- the way we
observe and interact with the aesthetics
around us and absorb them so that we can
contemplate their beauty. It also
communicates my intention of showing how
our natural body movements themselves have
a sense of beauty to them.
The forms are red in colour as I again wanted
to create the sharp contrast between the
black background and the pale skin of the
girl. The texture of the acrylic paint can be
seen in these scans and effectively create the
organic effect that I was aiming for.

Works Cited
"Bruder Klaus Field Chapel." - Architecture of the World. N.p., 16 Mar. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Caroline, Kurze. "Invasion by Charles Ptillon." IGNANTde. N.p., 05 Feb. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
"Covent Garden." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Designboom. "Charles Ptillon Floats a Cloud of 100,000 Balloons inside Covent Garden." Vimeo. N.p., 25 Sept. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Ellis, David. "Covent Garden Now Full of 100,000 White Balloons." Evening Standard. N.p., 27 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
"Great (Bamboo) Wall." Chinese-architects. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Howarth, Dan. "Charles Ptillon Fills Covent Garden Market with White Balloons." Dezeen. N.p., 27 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Katw Goodwin. "Meet the Architects: Kengo Kuma." The Royal Academy of Arts. N.p., 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Kengo Kuma and Associates. "Great (Bamboo) Wall | Architecture | Kengo Kuma and Associates." Kengo Kuma and Associates. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
NK. "GREAT (BAMBOO) WALL." Inhabitat Green Design Innovation Architecture Green Building. N.p., 26 Feb. 2006. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Pawson, John. "John Pawson Visits Zumthor's Bruder Klaus Chapel | Architecture | Agenda | Phaidon." Phaidon. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Petillon, Charles. "INVASIONS (en)." Charles Ptillon. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Sveiven, Megan. "Bruder Klaus Field Chapel / Peter Zumthor." ArchDaily. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Timmons, Heather. "Kengo Kuma Is Reclaiming Japanese Architecture." Quartz. N.p., 03 June 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.