Contrasts

So I was walking my dog around my area and just thinking about how weird some of the architectural and social juxtapositions are. These are all photographs taken of houses on the exact same road but with some big differences between them. Some of the most expensive houses in the city are combined with local authority housing. These are houses that reflect each other while at the same time contrasting hugely. I wanted to combine images together to illustrate this and the different every day lives of people living in very close proximity.

They're just iPod pictures so they're not great quality but at this stage it's more about the idea and the combination of images than the images themselves.

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I like how the two trees mirror each other in this set of photos. It adds a sense of flow, while the actual buildings are really different to each other. Having the images different sizes adds interest.

I put these two images together because I felt the triangular roofs echoed each other, whilst again the buildings themselves are completely different in style. 

 I took these two because they're both bungalows but completely different in style. They look pretty boring together though.

 These were two houses right next to each other that contrast. However although they are completely different eras and styles, their overall shape and silhouette sort of mirrors each other which I thought was interesting. I wonder if this is coincidence or if it was intended by the architect of the second house. Anyway it shows a kind of coherence through time. They're very grey photos together though.


I want to continue looking at this theme. Firstly by taking more and better photos - probably with a camera this time. I could work towards making a photobook or something. I could also work with drawing houses. As well as this I could follow the idea of contrast and similarity by drawing over the photographs on acetate or tracing paper or other translucent medium so that both aspects can be seen at the same time. I could also try drawing with sewing over the top.

Lens°ass Architects at Mobilia, The Atomium, Brussels

The exhibition Mobilia at the Atomium in Brussels features the work of thirty Belgian Architects from the past hundred years, specifically their work with furniture and home objects. The piece that really interested me was the table and chairs by Bart Lens of Lens°ass Architects. Designed in 2008, it is formed of MDF, plywood, steel and second hand chairs.

I really like how it adds a new spin on a very classic table and chair set-up. It adds a note of almost Alice in Wonderland style surreality and subverts a well known and very mundane item of furniture, making us look twice at it. This idea of subverting the every day is one I want to look at. This is why I feel this piece is relevant for me to look at in my project.
As well as this I think it is also very aesthetically pleasing, with the chunkiness and solidity of the table contrasting with the delicate appearance of the already existing chairs.

I then went on to look at more of Bart Len's work on his website, objetb'art. My favourite piece from those shown on the website was the °led on fire, a hanging LED candle which also burns as normal. I like how they have subverted the original archaic idea of a candle by hanging it up and passing a current through it. Again this is a great idea of how an every day object can be evolved and looked at differently. We get so used to every day objects that often we wouldn't even consider changing them, but as seen here, it can have an interesting and beautiful effect.