Extreme Makeover, Tenderloin Edition

Extreme Makeover, Tenderloin Edition A “National Park” grows in a gritty San Francisco neighborhood Could a dead-end street that at the time attracted little more than dumping, defecation, and drug use be an interesting place for people to enjoy? The answer is yes! Cohen Alley in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco has been called more than a national forest, a mural gallery a green laboratory or a hip-hop performance. “Gardens are universal.” The sentence says by Smith could call for lots of Landscape Architects’ passion to design more pleasant neighborhood for the people to live in. Perhaps the softer noises and cooler air will no longer be a dream for most of citizens if the designers concern more about people and pay more attention to the details of the city even if the “dead-end”. The San Francisco neighborhood is a good example. A nice neighborhood is not only related to the people’s emotion and health, but also can inspire the imagination and art talent of the children. In the document that we saw today, Maya Lin is also influenced a lot by the woods behind her house when she was young. Design better space, for ourselves and for the next generation.

The “Shells” I Picked Up in Cap Cod

The “Shells” I Picked Up in Cap Cod
Name: Leilei Gao
Major: Landscape Architecture

All of these days, I am always thinking about the travel to Cap Cod and have tried lots of times to write something down to record this exiting experience. However, all of the attempts are still in vain. Sometimes, memory should be left alone, and then rinsed by the pass of time. Finally, the sand disappeared. Then you could see clearly how the shells you picked up on the beach look like.

The peace and beauty of Cap Cod captured me by the first sight after traveling and sleeping the whole way. Quiet roads and woods separate and connect the houses both well, since they make the neighborhood no barriers but give each one private space. The nature needs of human being when accompany with one another is just like this, as it has been decided from the ancient days. People need own space to make them feel safe and private, at the same time, they want to say “hi” and communicate, and are eager to see how the others’ life goes on.

As it is to my major, landscape architecture, that’s an interesting case. How could I design space in public place? How can I make private but friendly space for each one nature and harmony?

Interestingly, the differences of space and privacy exist not only in the neighborhood but also in the single houses. Even though all of the houses impressed me deeply, I do want to compare two houses of them. One is The Kugel / Gips House, which was built by Charlie Zehnder in 1970 and the other is Jack Hall’s summer cottage.

I have thought about the problem of privacy when visiting the Kugel/ Gips House. Actually, I admire the fresh air and beautiful views surrounding this house. But I feel uneasy when imagining if I should stay in the house for one night or some days longer. The designer did concern about the environment and the landscape, which could be proved well by using the pillar to support this house which can preserve the landscape well if this house would be moved away one day. At the same time, he made few boundaries between the house and the environment as designed some part of the wall all made of glass. This part of design makes people closer with the wild nature. However, is it to near? Even though few people would pass by, but how about the animals? It’s a bit scared to image some wild creature staring at you when you are sleeping or watching TV. What’s more, this house is not economical because it is only a house that could be used for summer vacation. The heating costs too much if someone wants to live in winter because the transparent glass is much easier to let heat the radiate to the environment.

In fact, Jack Hall’s summer cottage didn’t attract me so much for it seems like some big wood containers sitting above the landscape. However, I like it better as I know more about it. It surprised me when I heard that a grandma who was 93 years old could live here alone till last year. What a romantic story it is that a grandma painted here and collected stones on the beach even before she died. The length and quality of life relate a lot with the living condition. Unfortunately, we did not see the walls be lifted up as it should be when in summer. But it’s not hard to imagine. The architect is creative to design the walls and pergolas as a whole which is simple and functional. It makes the resident enjoy the cool wind and shade in summer, as well as the warm sunshine and protection in winter. And it won’t make the house lack of privacy when having the transparent walls in summer because of the large pergolas, which provides a good transition between the interior to the landscape.
It gives me lots of inspiration even though I cannot imply his design point in my future case. I will concerns more about the function and privacy to the human beings.
The trip to Cap Cod taught me a lot and is really helpful to make me concern better in the future study.
All of the thoughts above are the precious shells I picked up in Cap Cod, certainly, including the friendship among us.

label words

Gao, leilei Landscape Architecture

Information about the art work:
Pepon Osorio
Puerto Rican, RESIDES U.S. B 1955
T.K.O 1989
Maxed Media
Helen M Dan forth Acquisition Fund 2001, 30

Label words:
Humor & Kitsch:
The inbox scene is composed with the forks and spoons decorated by some toys and pictures. It is colorful and childish. It seems interesting, funny but also ugly, silly and worthless.

Political & social issue:
The artist uses lots of political people’s icon to decorate the spoons and forks. At the same time, he attempting the show the audience some political and social issue with arranging some other items such as aborigines, children and soldiers.

Miniature installation:
The icons and figures in the box are tiny. With arraying them well in the box, it seems the artist is making a miniature installation.

Three-dimensional Collage:
The whole scene is created by the toys and pictures decorated on the spoons and folks. In contrast to the common collage, instead of pasting the pictures in a plane, this piece of art is three-dimensional.

Decades of corruption:
The scene in box is talking about some issues that could be called “Decades of corruption”.

Violence:
As guns and soldiers frequently appear in the box, the artist presents a violent scene to the audience.

“Technical knockout”:
This is the issue that the artist talking about. Not only in the story he is trying to present, but also the technique he implies to create the work.

Still conscious boxer:
This box is there to show some political and social issues to the audiences. It seems the box is conscious like a story teller.

Information about the art work:
Toots Zynsky RISD BEF 1873
American. B, 1951
Lucent, 2001
Glass, filet de verve (fused & thermo formed colored glass threads)
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Joseph A. Chazzan 2002.79

Label words:
Innovative voice:
This piece of Glass work is different from the ordinary ones. The colorful line wreathing in the Bowl seems like a melody to sing a beautiful song to the audience.

Filet de verve (net of glass):
This is a kind of technique the artist uses in this piece of work..

Bowl-shaped:
This piece of glass work looks like a bowl that can hold water or fruit.

Colors undulate:
The colorful lines in the bowl are moving gently up and down which looks like small hills, slopes, and waves.

Misty appearance:
The appearance of this glass work has no definite image, but some colorful lines that seems like an abstract and misty picture.

Information about the art work
Pierre Soulages
French, B, 1919
17 March 1955, 1955
Oil on canvas
Gift of Richard Brown Baker

Label words:
Lyrical:
Even though the main tone of this picture is black, dark red and bright white which is hidden behind the black strokes shows something that could be called hope and passion.
Highly personal abstract style:
This piece of art is applied with a palette knife or spatula instead of a brush, which makes it different from the other abstract painting.

Broad gestural stroke:
As it is mentioned above, the way the artist creates this picture is different from the others. The main element of this picture is planes rather than lines.

Vibrant:
The black in this painting is juxtaposed to several red and white tones. It makes this painting have different spirits hidden inside, as if the picture is vibrant.

A departure from pre-war Europe’s abstract tendencies:
The artist believes that art is the result of a spontaneous and unpremeditated painting process instead of tightly organized or surrealist.

Design Vocabulary

1 Impressionism: a style of painting, originating in France in the 1860s, in which the artists, including Renoir and Pissarro, tried to represent the effects of light on what they were painting;
2 Landscape: a large area of countryside, esp. in relation to its appearance; a landscape is also a view or picture of the countryside;
3 Saturate: to make (something or someone) completely wet;
4 Unbridled: out of control
5 Intensity: extreme and forceful or (of a feeling) very strong
6 Scenery: the general appearance of natural surroundings, esp. when these are beautiful
7 Kelly: fresh or yellow green
8 khaki: a khaki color is a dark yellowish-brown color
9 Transitory visual effects of light
10 Color perceived: to see (something or someone), or to become aware of (something that is obvious)
11 Immortality: living or lasting forever, or very special and famous and therefore likely to be remembered for a long time
12 Passion: a very powerful feeling, for example of sexual attraction, loves, hate, anger or other emotion
13 Adventuresome: an unusual, exciting and possibly dangerous activity, journey, experience, etc. or the excitement produced by such activities
14 Distort: to change (something) from its usual, original, natural or intended meaning, condition or shape
15 Anomaly: a person or thing that is different from what is usual, or not in agreement with something else and therefore not satisfactory;
16 Reverie: literary (a state of having) pleasant dream-like thoughts;
17 Rage: (a period of) extreme or violent anger
18 Peaceful: calm and quiet
19 Metal suffer:
20 Agony: Painful

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