Shulze, Franz. "Philip Johnson" Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1994
“Philip Johnson’s Glass House International Style” http://www.homehousedesign.com
“The Glass House” photo: Eirik Johnson. http://lookingaround.blogs.time.com/2007/06/22/people_who_live_in_glass_house/
“New York State Theater” http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_York_State_Theater_atrium_by_David_Shankbone.jpg
“Philip Johnson” http://tedmikulski.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/looking-like-an-artist-architect-designer/
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
"Commitment slows things down in the short run, but ultimately aligns interests."
"If Craigslist cost $1
Some things are better when they're not free.
If Craigslist charged a dollar for every listing, what would happen?
Well, the number of bogus listings and repetitive listings would plummet, making the site far easier to use.
The number of scam artists using the site would go down, because it's more difficult to be anonymous when money changes hands.
The revenue of the site would soar, which means that the people running the site could get (far) richer, or fund digital journalism or change the economy of an emerging nation.
Money creates a sort of friction. In the digital economy, magical things can happen when there is no friction. You can scale to infinity. On the other hand, sometimes you want friction.
If you lead a group that allows anyone to join, for free, your group might be large, but it's not tight, it's not organized to make important change. Commitment slows things down in the short run, but ultimately aligns interests."
This is so incredibly true. Just look at social networks like MySpace. In my mind, there is decreasing interest in sites like these because they are so inundated with repetitive pages and scammers. If you had to pay for your social networks, not only would you feel less vulnerable, but you would be more likely to invest time and effort into your network, thereby increasing the network's effectiveness for everyone.
via Seth Godin
Some things are better when they're not free.
If Craigslist charged a dollar for every listing, what would happen?
Well, the number of bogus listings and repetitive listings would plummet, making the site far easier to use.
The number of scam artists using the site would go down, because it's more difficult to be anonymous when money changes hands.
The revenue of the site would soar, which means that the people running the site could get (far) richer, or fund digital journalism or change the economy of an emerging nation.
Money creates a sort of friction. In the digital economy, magical things can happen when there is no friction. You can scale to infinity. On the other hand, sometimes you want friction.
If you lead a group that allows anyone to join, for free, your group might be large, but it's not tight, it's not organized to make important change. Commitment slows things down in the short run, but ultimately aligns interests."
This is so incredibly true. Just look at social networks like MySpace. In my mind, there is decreasing interest in sites like these because they are so inundated with repetitive pages and scammers. If you had to pay for your social networks, not only would you feel less vulnerable, but you would be more likely to invest time and effort into your network, thereby increasing the network's effectiveness for everyone.
via Seth Godin
Erm...
Somehow, this seems like a very bad idea... That cat looks like it is about to jump into the sleek new indoor fire.
Chimney-less Fire Pit
via core77
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Hyper-Measurement
"Everyone gets paid on commission
The Washington Post recently laid off a columnist because his blog posts didn't get enough web traffic.
Of course, in the old days, the newspaper had no real way to tell which columns got read and which ones didn't. So journalists were lulled into the sense that it didn't really matter. The Times quotes Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at NYU, “It’s an unusual public rationale for serious newspaper people, that’s for sure.”
Wrong tense. It's not going to be unusual for long.
In fact, in a digital world where everything can be measured, we all work on commission. And why not? If you do great work and it works, you should get rewarded. And if you don't, it's hard to see why a rational organization would keep you on.
You don't have to like the coming era of hyper-measurement, but that doesn't mean it's not here."
Where does this leave the millions of people who are paid living wages where the value is much higher than the ACTUAL value their work generates? If we were all paid on commission, the vast majority of us would starve! May as well let the robots take it all over and we can allow our species to slowly become obsolete.
Then again... I do understand Seth's point. As I'm preparing to enter the job market, I have to ask myself, "Is there anything I can do that it is worth a living wage to an employer?" More often than not, the answer I come up with is "No."
via Seth Godin
The Washington Post recently laid off a columnist because his blog posts didn't get enough web traffic.
Of course, in the old days, the newspaper had no real way to tell which columns got read and which ones didn't. So journalists were lulled into the sense that it didn't really matter. The Times quotes Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at NYU, “It’s an unusual public rationale for serious newspaper people, that’s for sure.”
Wrong tense. It's not going to be unusual for long.
In fact, in a digital world where everything can be measured, we all work on commission. And why not? If you do great work and it works, you should get rewarded. And if you don't, it's hard to see why a rational organization would keep you on.
You don't have to like the coming era of hyper-measurement, but that doesn't mean it's not here."
Where does this leave the millions of people who are paid living wages where the value is much higher than the ACTUAL value their work generates? If we were all paid on commission, the vast majority of us would starve! May as well let the robots take it all over and we can allow our species to slowly become obsolete.
Then again... I do understand Seth's point. As I'm preparing to enter the job market, I have to ask myself, "Is there anything I can do that it is worth a living wage to an employer?" More often than not, the answer I come up with is "No."
via Seth Godin
Night Clubs
I LOVE these interior designs. Designing an amazing space can transform a lackluster club into a true piece of art. When you go out (and spend money, of course), you want an experience, something that takes you out of the ordinary and into a world apart.
via core77
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Looking Glass
I love this concept. It's so imaginative and forward thinking. It reminds me of the way computers are often portrayed in futuristic movies. (Think "Minority Report.")
via core77
via core77
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Personally, I think...
...this applies to just about everything. Not just the web.
"Here's my list of difficult and important questions you have to answer before you spend a nickel:
What is the goal of the site?
In other words, when it's working great, what specific outcomes will occur?
Who are we trying to please? If it's the boss, what does she want? Is impressing a certain kind of person important? Which kind?
How many people on your team have to be involved? At what level?
Who are we trying to reach? Is it everyone? Our customers? A certain kind of prospect?
What are the sites that this group has demonstrated they enjoy interacting with?
Are we trying to close sales?
Are we telling a story?
Are we earning permission to follow up?
Are we hoping that people will watch or learn?
Do we need people to spread the word using various social media tools?
Are we building a tribe of people who will use the site to connect with each other?
Do people find the site via word of mouth? Are they looking to answer a specific question?
Is there ongoing news and updates that need to be presented to people?
Is the site part of a larger suite of places online where people can find out about us, or is this our one sign post?
Is that information high in bandwidth or just little bits of data?
Do we want people to call us?
How many times a month would we like people to come by? For how long?
Who needs to update this site? How often?
How often can we afford to overhaul this site?
Does showing up in the search engines matter? If so, for what terms? At what cost? Will we be willing to compromise any of the things above in order to achieve this goal?
Will the site need to be universally accessible? Do issues of disability or language or browser come into it?
How much money do we have to spend? How much time?
And finally,
Does the organization understand that 'everything' is not an option?"
How often do you see companies that CLEARLY have not thought through these questions? It's sad. Then again, maybe they've answered these questions and answered them INCORRECTLY...
via Seth Godin
"Here's my list of difficult and important questions you have to answer before you spend a nickel:
What is the goal of the site?
In other words, when it's working great, what specific outcomes will occur?
Who are we trying to please? If it's the boss, what does she want? Is impressing a certain kind of person important? Which kind?
How many people on your team have to be involved? At what level?
Who are we trying to reach? Is it everyone? Our customers? A certain kind of prospect?
What are the sites that this group has demonstrated they enjoy interacting with?
Are we trying to close sales?
Are we telling a story?
Are we earning permission to follow up?
Are we hoping that people will watch or learn?
Do we need people to spread the word using various social media tools?
Are we building a tribe of people who will use the site to connect with each other?
Do people find the site via word of mouth? Are they looking to answer a specific question?
Is there ongoing news and updates that need to be presented to people?
Is the site part of a larger suite of places online where people can find out about us, or is this our one sign post?
Is that information high in bandwidth or just little bits of data?
Do we want people to call us?
How many times a month would we like people to come by? For how long?
Who needs to update this site? How often?
How often can we afford to overhaul this site?
Does showing up in the search engines matter? If so, for what terms? At what cost? Will we be willing to compromise any of the things above in order to achieve this goal?
Will the site need to be universally accessible? Do issues of disability or language or browser come into it?
How much money do we have to spend? How much time?
And finally,
Does the organization understand that 'everything' is not an option?"
How often do you see companies that CLEARLY have not thought through these questions? It's sad. Then again, maybe they've answered these questions and answered them INCORRECTLY...
via Seth Godin
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
I love this.
Design Glut is marketing what they're calling "statement products." If I wasn't a poor, starving college student, I might actually shell out the money for the Homeland Security Blanket with the color-rated threat levels.
Core77 pooh-poohs the prices, but can one really place a dollar amount on owning a defiled piece of history?
Perhaps the prices themselves are a "statement product"?
via core77
"The end of dumb software"
"In the age of rapid cycles and connected data, how long are we going to have to settle for dumb software?..."
"...I have tens of thousands of people in my address book. Some of these folks were put there ten years ago and, alas, are dead or long gone. Do I really have to go through and delete people manually? Why isn't my address book smart enough to sort the list in reverse order of use, so I can see records I haven't encountered in seven years first and start from there? Or, better, why doesn't this address book hook up with other address books of trusted peers and automatically correct and update?
The people who make desktop software are making themselves obsolete. When you start developing on the web, your default is to be smart, to interact and to be open (with other software and with your users). Desktop software (like Word) is insanely unaware of what I do, why I do it and who I do it with. Right now, the desktop folks have the momentum of the incumbent. Not for long. Time to hurry."
via Seth Godin
I'm always surprised by the lack of intuition that a lot of software possesses. Who in their right mind would build an infrastructure without a thought to ease of use? Then again...
Too much intuition in software can be a horrendous mess. Take Seth's example, Microsoft Word. Half the time, it autofills and autocorrects and auto-make-me-a-latte's INCORRECTLY. I would figure about 80% of the time, I have to self-correct the autocorrect. Now, of course, this might just be a failure on my part to understand the inner workings and settings of Word, but do you think there's a line that cannot be crossed with automation in software? Is there a point at which "smart" software is so smart that we assume its correctness and don't bother to examine the actual information?
That, I do not know.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Essay Draft 2.0
Glass houses and mammoth, sometimes controversial, towers dot the landscape that was the career of Philip Johnson, with angular designs that helped shape the architectural landscape of the 20th -Century and continue to influence the artistic conceptualization of structure today. In addition to maintaining his post as a revered architect, Johnson cut a wide and irreverent swath through the social and political climates of his day.
Philip Johnson was born on July 8th, 1906 and, from a young age, found himself fascinated with architecture (anecdotally, early passions stemmed from seeing photos of the Chartres Cathedral in France). Johnson graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Philosophy in 1927. As early as a year later, Johnson had already developed a friendship with acclaimed German architect, Mies van der Rohe. After a five-year stay in Europe, Johnson returned to the United States and found a position in the department of architecture at the Museum of Modern Art, a department he would later chair. He later returned to Harvard as a student at the Graduate School of Design and, upon graduation in 1943, immediately volunteered for the army. Upon his return, he entered the world of the working architect in full, receiving numerous high-profile projects. Throughout his career, Johnson continued to also enhance the reputation of his friend, van der Rohe, including writing a book about his architecture.
In 1949, Johnson completed what is perhaps his most recognizable structure, his Glass House in New Canaan, CT. In 1950, he joined van der Rohe in the design of the Seagram Building in New York, while continuing to extend the borders of design for both public spaces and private homes. The Seagram Building helped establish Philip Johnson as a true force in the New York architectural scene and led to further commissions including on at Lincoln Center. His confidence bolstered, Johnson’s designs continued to expand in size and creativity. Some of the projects include the Transco Tower, Tisch Hall at New York University, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Bombay, India and the controversial AT&T Tower in New York City.
Stylistically, Philip Johnson was very much a part of the modernist movement in architecture, eschewing reaching into the past for designs and instead, finding new and innovative concepts. He found a good deal of early success as a result of a book he published titled “The International Style: Architecture since 1922.” Even in this early in the 20th-Century, the modern architectural designs coming from Mies van der Rohe and others in Europe captivated the young architect's imagination. Another important artistic concept adopted by Johnson was that of “processional whole, ” the idea that building is the conduit through which people progress according to defined paths.
“Architecture is surely not the design of space, certainly not the massing or organization of volumes. These are ancillary to the main point, which is the organization of procession. Architecture exists only in time.”
In an environment where there is little room for “superstars,” the lingering influence of Philip Johnson on American architecture is undeniable. The testaments of his genius stand tall and steadfast in cities and towns across the nation and the world, while his off-beat place in the artistic history of the 20th-Century lives on in his own words:
“Art has nothing to do with intellectual pursuit—it shouldn’t be in a university at all. Art should be practiced in gutters—pardon me, in attics.”
Sources:
Noble, Charles. "Philip Johnson" Thames and Hudson, Ltd. 1972
Shulze, Franz. "Philip Johnson" Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1994
Walker, Jade. "Philip Johnson" The Blog of Death, Jan. 31, 2005. http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001296.html
Philip Johnson was born on July 8th, 1906 and, from a young age, found himself fascinated with architecture (anecdotally, early passions stemmed from seeing photos of the Chartres Cathedral in France). Johnson graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Philosophy in 1927. As early as a year later, Johnson had already developed a friendship with acclaimed German architect, Mies van der Rohe. After a five-year stay in Europe, Johnson returned to the United States and found a position in the department of architecture at the Museum of Modern Art, a department he would later chair. He later returned to Harvard as a student at the Graduate School of Design and, upon graduation in 1943, immediately volunteered for the army. Upon his return, he entered the world of the working architect in full, receiving numerous high-profile projects. Throughout his career, Johnson continued to also enhance the reputation of his friend, van der Rohe, including writing a book about his architecture.
In 1949, Johnson completed what is perhaps his most recognizable structure, his Glass House in New Canaan, CT. In 1950, he joined van der Rohe in the design of the Seagram Building in New York, while continuing to extend the borders of design for both public spaces and private homes. The Seagram Building helped establish Philip Johnson as a true force in the New York architectural scene and led to further commissions including on at Lincoln Center. His confidence bolstered, Johnson’s designs continued to expand in size and creativity. Some of the projects include the Transco Tower, Tisch Hall at New York University, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Bombay, India and the controversial AT&T Tower in New York City.
Stylistically, Philip Johnson was very much a part of the modernist movement in architecture, eschewing reaching into the past for designs and instead, finding new and innovative concepts. He found a good deal of early success as a result of a book he published titled “The International Style: Architecture since 1922.” Even in this early in the 20th-Century, the modern architectural designs coming from Mies van der Rohe and others in Europe captivated the young architect's imagination. Another important artistic concept adopted by Johnson was that of “processional whole, ” the idea that building is the conduit through which people progress according to defined paths.
“Architecture is surely not the design of space, certainly not the massing or organization of volumes. These are ancillary to the main point, which is the organization of procession. Architecture exists only in time.”
In an environment where there is little room for “superstars,” the lingering influence of Philip Johnson on American architecture is undeniable. The testaments of his genius stand tall and steadfast in cities and towns across the nation and the world, while his off-beat place in the artistic history of the 20th-Century lives on in his own words:
“Art has nothing to do with intellectual pursuit—it shouldn’t be in a university at all. Art should be practiced in gutters—pardon me, in attics.”
Sources:
Noble, Charles. "Philip Johnson" Thames and Hudson, Ltd. 1972
Shulze, Franz. "Philip Johnson" Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1994
Walker, Jade. "Philip Johnson" The Blog of Death, Jan. 31, 2005. http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001296.html
Essay Draft 2.0
Glass houses and mammoth, sometimes controversial, towers dot the landscape that was the career of Philip Johnson, with angular designs that helped shape the architectural landscape of the 20th -Century and continue to influence the artistic conceptualization of structure today. In addition to maintaining his post as a revered architect, Johnson cut a wide and irreverent swath through the social and political climates of his day.
Philip Johnson was born on July 8th, 1906 and, from a young age, found himself fascinated with architecture (anecdotally, early passions stemmed from seeing photos of the Chartres Cathedral in France). Johnson graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Philosophy in 1927. As early as a year later, Johnson had already developed a friendship with acclaimed German architect, Mies van der Rohe. After a five-year stay in Europe, Johnson returned to the United States and found a position in the department of architecture at the Museum of Modern Art, a department he would later chair. He later returned to Harvard as a student at the Graduate School of Design and, upon graduation in 1943, immediately volunteered for the army. Upon his return, he entered the world of the working architect in full, receiving numerous high-profile projects. Throughout his career, Johnson continued to also enhance the reputation of his friend, van der Rohe, including writing a book about his architecture.
In 1949, Johnson completed what is perhaps his most recognizable structure, his Glass House in New Canaan, CT. In 1950, he joined van der Rohe in the design of the Seagram Building in New York, while continuing to extend the borders of design for both public spaces and private homes. The Seagram Building helped establish Philip Johnson as a true force in the New York architectural scene and led to further commissions including on at Lincoln Center. His confidence bolstered, Johnson’s designs continued to expand in size and creativity. Some of the projects include the Transco Tower, Tisch Hall at New York University, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Bombay, India and the controversial AT&T Tower in New York City.
Stylistically, Philip Johnson was very much a part of the modernist movement in architecture, eschewing reaching into the past for designs and instead, finding new and innovative concepts. He found a good deal of early success as a result of a book he published titled “The International Style: Architecture since 1922.” Even in this early in the 20th-Century, the modern architectural designs coming from Mies van der Rohe and others in EuProxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0
pe captivated the young architects imagination. Another important artistic concept adopted by Johnson was that of “processional whole, ” the idea that building is the conduit through which people progress according to defined paths.
“Architecture is surely not the design of space, certainly not the massing or organization of volumes. These are ancillary to the main point, which is the organization of procession. Architecture exists only in time.”
In an environment where there is little room for “superstars,” the lingering influence of Philip Johnson on American architecture is undeniable. The testaments of his genius stand tall and steadfast in cities and towns across the nation and the world, while his off-beat place in the artistic history of the 20th-Century lives on in his own words:
“Art has nothing to do with intellectual pursuit—it shouldn’t be in a university at all. Art should be practiced in gutters—pardon me, in attics.”
Sources:
Noble, Charles. "Philip Johnson" Thames and Hudson, Ltd. 1972
Shulze, Franz. "Philip Johnson" Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1994
Walker, Jade. "Philip Johnson" The Blog of Death, Jan. 31, 2005. http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001296.html
Philip Johnson was born on July 8th, 1906 and, from a young age, found himself fascinated with architecture (anecdotally, early passions stemmed from seeing photos of the Chartres Cathedral in France). Johnson graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Philosophy in 1927. As early as a year later, Johnson had already developed a friendship with acclaimed German architect, Mies van der Rohe. After a five-year stay in Europe, Johnson returned to the United States and found a position in the department of architecture at the Museum of Modern Art, a department he would later chair. He later returned to Harvard as a student at the Graduate School of Design and, upon graduation in 1943, immediately volunteered for the army. Upon his return, he entered the world of the working architect in full, receiving numerous high-profile projects. Throughout his career, Johnson continued to also enhance the reputation of his friend, van der Rohe, including writing a book about his architecture.
In 1949, Johnson completed what is perhaps his most recognizable structure, his Glass House in New Canaan, CT. In 1950, he joined van der Rohe in the design of the Seagram Building in New York, while continuing to extend the borders of design for both public spaces and private homes. The Seagram Building helped establish Philip Johnson as a true force in the New York architectural scene and led to further commissions including on at Lincoln Center. His confidence bolstered, Johnson’s designs continued to expand in size and creativity. Some of the projects include the Transco Tower, Tisch Hall at New York University, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Bombay, India and the controversial AT&T Tower in New York City.
Stylistically, Philip Johnson was very much a part of the modernist movement in architecture, eschewing reaching into the past for designs and instead, finding new and innovative concepts. He found a good deal of early success as a result of a book he published titled “The International Style: Architecture since 1922.” Even in this early in the 20th-Century, the modern architectural designs coming from Mies van der Rohe and others in EuProxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0
pe captivated the young architects imagination. Another important artistic concept adopted by Johnson was that of “processional whole, ” the idea that building is the conduit through which people progress according to defined paths.
“Architecture is surely not the design of space, certainly not the massing or organization of volumes. These are ancillary to the main point, which is the organization of procession. Architecture exists only in time.”
In an environment where there is little room for “superstars,” the lingering influence of Philip Johnson on American architecture is undeniable. The testaments of his genius stand tall and steadfast in cities and towns across the nation and the world, while his off-beat place in the artistic history of the 20th-Century lives on in his own words:
“Art has nothing to do with intellectual pursuit—it shouldn’t be in a university at all. Art should be practiced in gutters—pardon me, in attics.”
Sources:
Noble, Charles. "Philip Johnson" Thames and Hudson, Ltd. 1972
Shulze, Franz. "Philip Johnson" Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1994
Walker, Jade. "Philip Johnson" The Blog of Death, Jan. 31, 2005. http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001296.html
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
"The End"
A fascinating (and slightly awkward) piece of hybrid performance/fine art by Icelander Ragnar Kjartansson. The paintings themselves are very simple and child-like and the Kerouac-style execution of the art will no doubt earn Kjartansson and his muse, one Mr. Paull Hauker Bjornsson, a great deal of hipster street cred. Frankly, I like the idea, but wonder about the significance of the yellow and black speedo and why a man from Iceland would look like he had so much experience wearing it...
Check out the slideshow at NYT.
Seth Godin on Clout
Clout
The web knows something, but it's not telling us, at least not yet.
The web knows how many followers you have on Twitter, how many friends you have on Facebook, how many people read your blog.
It also knows how often those people retweet, amplify and spread your ideas.
It also knows how many followers your followers have...
So, what if, Google-style, someone took all this data and figured out who has clout. Which of your readers is the one capable of making an idea break through the noise and spread? Bloggers don't have impact because they have a lot of readers, they have a lot of impact because of who their readers are (my readers, of course, are the most sophisticated and cloutful on the entire web).
If you knew which of your followers had clout, you could invest more time and energy in personal attention. If we knew where big ideas were starting, that would be neat, and even more useful would be understanding who the key people were in bringing those new ideas to the rest of the world.
Back in the old days, we had no idea, so we defaulted to big newspapers, or magazines or the TV networks. But now we know. We just need to surface the data in a way that is useful.
via Seth Godin
I was always amused by MySpace telling me that my extended network included 334,567,894,230.86 people. Who in the world would need to know that? It's an arbitrary number considering if you are a friend of "Tom," the default friend and founder of MySpace (and, indeed, everyone is). What does this tell you? It's MySpace bragging about how many users they have. It doesn't tell you about your influence, your clout.
Same with Twitter. I laughed at the race for a million followers between CNN Breaking News and....what? ASHTON KUTCHER? Here's the thing. Call me a snob, but I'm gonna wager a guess that CNN's followers carry, on the whole, more clout than Ashton's.
I agree with Seth. The big shiny rainbow is a method of finding out who's actually absorbing and sharing the information they're finding on your measly blog. The pot of gold at the end is endless *cough* (money) *cough* and clout.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Brochure Essay Draft 1.0
Glass houses and mammoth, sometimes controversial, towers dot the landscape that was the career of Philip Johnson, with angular designs that helped shape the architectural landscape of the 20th -Century and continue to influence the artistic conceptualization of structure today. In addition to maintaining his post as a revered architect, Johnson cut a wide and irreverent swath through the social and political climates of his day.
Philip Johnson was born on July 8th, 1906 and, from a young age, found himself fascinated with architecture (anecdotally, early passions stemmed from seeing photos of the Chartres Cathedral in France). Johnson graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Philosophy in 1927. As early as a year later, Johnson had already developed a friendship with acclaimed German architect, Mies van der Rohe. After a five-year stay in Europe, Johnson returned to the United States and found a position in the department of architecture at the Museum of Modern Art, a department he would later chair. He later returned to Harvard as a student at the Graduate School of Design and, upon graduation in 1943, immediately volunteered for the army. Upon his return, he entered the world of the working architect in full, receiving numerous high-profile projects. Throughout his career, Johnson continued to also enhance the reputation of his friend, van der Rohe, including writing a book about his architecture.
In 1949, Johnson completed what is perhaps his most recognizable structure, his Glass House in New Canaan, CT. In 1950, he joined van der Rohe in the design of the Seagram Building in New York, while continuing to extend the borders of design for both public spaces and private homes. The Seagram Building helped establish Philip Johnson as a true force in the New York architectural scene and led to further commissions including on at Lincoln Center. His confidence bolstered, Johnson’s designs continued to expand in size and creativity. Some of the projects include the Transco Tower, Tisch Hall at New York University, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Bombay, India and the controversial AT&T Tower in New York City.
Stylistically, Philip Johnson was very much a part of the modernist movement in architecture, eschewing reaching into the past for designs and instead, finding new and innovative concepts. He found a good deal of early success as a result of a book he published titled “The International Style: Architecture since 1922.” Even in this early in the 20th-Century, the modern architectural designs coming from Mies van der Rohe and others in Europe captivated the young architects imagination. Another important artistic concept adopted by Johnson was that of “processional whole, ” the idea that building is the conduit through which people progress according to defined paths.
“Architecture is surely not the design of space, certainly not the massing or organization of volumes. These are ancillary to the main point, which is the organization of procession. Architecture exists only in time.”
In an environment where there is little room for “superstars,” the lingering influence of Philip Johnson on American architecture is undeniable. The testaments of his genius stand tall and steadfast in cities and towns across the nation and the world, while his off-beat place in the artistic history of the 20th-Century lives on in his own words:
“Art has nothing to do with intellectual pursuit—it shouldn’t be in a university at all. Art should be practiced in gutters—pardon me, in attics.”
Sources:
Noble, Charles. "Philip Johnson" Thames and Hudson, Ltd. 1972
Walker, Jade. "Philip Johnson" The Blog of Death, Jan. 31, 2005. http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001296.html
Philip Johnson was born on July 8th, 1906 and, from a young age, found himself fascinated with architecture (anecdotally, early passions stemmed from seeing photos of the Chartres Cathedral in France). Johnson graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Philosophy in 1927. As early as a year later, Johnson had already developed a friendship with acclaimed German architect, Mies van der Rohe. After a five-year stay in Europe, Johnson returned to the United States and found a position in the department of architecture at the Museum of Modern Art, a department he would later chair. He later returned to Harvard as a student at the Graduate School of Design and, upon graduation in 1943, immediately volunteered for the army. Upon his return, he entered the world of the working architect in full, receiving numerous high-profile projects. Throughout his career, Johnson continued to also enhance the reputation of his friend, van der Rohe, including writing a book about his architecture.
In 1949, Johnson completed what is perhaps his most recognizable structure, his Glass House in New Canaan, CT. In 1950, he joined van der Rohe in the design of the Seagram Building in New York, while continuing to extend the borders of design for both public spaces and private homes. The Seagram Building helped establish Philip Johnson as a true force in the New York architectural scene and led to further commissions including on at Lincoln Center. His confidence bolstered, Johnson’s designs continued to expand in size and creativity. Some of the projects include the Transco Tower, Tisch Hall at New York University, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Bombay, India and the controversial AT&T Tower in New York City.
Stylistically, Philip Johnson was very much a part of the modernist movement in architecture, eschewing reaching into the past for designs and instead, finding new and innovative concepts. He found a good deal of early success as a result of a book he published titled “The International Style: Architecture since 1922.” Even in this early in the 20th-Century, the modern architectural designs coming from Mies van der Rohe and others in Europe captivated the young architects imagination. Another important artistic concept adopted by Johnson was that of “processional whole, ” the idea that building is the conduit through which people progress according to defined paths.
“Architecture is surely not the design of space, certainly not the massing or organization of volumes. These are ancillary to the main point, which is the organization of procession. Architecture exists only in time.”
In an environment where there is little room for “superstars,” the lingering influence of Philip Johnson on American architecture is undeniable. The testaments of his genius stand tall and steadfast in cities and towns across the nation and the world, while his off-beat place in the artistic history of the 20th-Century lives on in his own words:
“Art has nothing to do with intellectual pursuit—it shouldn’t be in a university at all. Art should be practiced in gutters—pardon me, in attics.”
Sources:
Noble, Charles. "Philip Johnson" Thames and Hudson, Ltd. 1972
Walker, Jade. "Philip Johnson" The Blog of Death, Jan. 31, 2005. http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001296.html
Service Design
Bruce Nussbaum relaying an Alice Rawsthorn piece in the NYT that I can't see because I don't have a subscription:
"...design has evolved to design social systems that deliver services and experiences—that can be used to benefit people as well as entertain them. We call it Design Thinking in the US and Britain. Alice calls it “new design,” or “service design.”
You would think that this is common practice now, but if so, why are so many products and service still based on the bottom line and not on a total user experience? Everything I've seen on the topic clearly indicates that you can't just make a product that looks nice or works well. It has to give the user an experience. It has to mean something. That is, if you want any longevity.
via Business Week
"...design has evolved to design social systems that deliver services and experiences—that can be used to benefit people as well as entertain them. We call it Design Thinking in the US and Britain. Alice calls it “new design,” or “service design.”
You would think that this is common practice now, but if so, why are so many products and service still based on the bottom line and not on a total user experience? Everything I've seen on the topic clearly indicates that you can't just make a product that looks nice or works well. It has to give the user an experience. It has to mean something. That is, if you want any longevity.
via Business Week
Future Shock
Is Orson Welles a classy precursor to Michael Moore? Some fascinating points and some completely absurd ones. Not to mention a groovy soundtrack. ----> Future Shock
Clearly this "documentary" of sorts was created to be something edgy, provocative in its time. How often do you see echoes of this now kitschy aesthetic in video/print? I see it all the time.
via pantopicon. may 8.
Clearly this "documentary" of sorts was created to be something edgy, provocative in its time. How often do you see echoes of this now kitschy aesthetic in video/print? I see it all the time.
via pantopicon. may 8.
Utility vs. Aesthetic
Friday, September 4, 2009
Magic beans, TV and the web
"New media isn't the perfect marketing medium, and it won't be until we find the magic beans.
TV had magic beans for forty years. For forty years, anyone, even a complete moron, could make a lot of money using TV ads. Buy enough ads, don't screw up, you're rich.
The hard part was buying enough ads, but once you did that, victory could be declared.
On the web, there are countless marketers just standing around waiting for someone to hand them the magic beans. And that's the problem.
Marketing online takes too much measurement, patience, creativity, technical knowledge, flexibility, speed and authenticity. It requires too much thinking and not enough going out for dinner with clients.
Perhaps there will never be magic beans again. Perhaps marketing is about to transition to a new kind of profession, one that requires insight, dedication and smarts.
Or maybe someone will find some magic beans."
via Seth Godin
This is the exact reason I laugh when those who are quite obviously less than tech savvy proclaim the wonders of marketing on the internet. Any conscious teenager can tell you that the internet is simply super-saturated and most people are highly adept at tuning out the "noise" that clutters probably 90% of the internet. Finding truly unique, insightful ways of marketing is the key to success in the 21st Century; eschewing the outdated advertising paradigms and working with the reality of the available medias. It's no longer about slapping up your ad and watching your profits roll in.
TV had magic beans for forty years. For forty years, anyone, even a complete moron, could make a lot of money using TV ads. Buy enough ads, don't screw up, you're rich.
The hard part was buying enough ads, but once you did that, victory could be declared.
On the web, there are countless marketers just standing around waiting for someone to hand them the magic beans. And that's the problem.
Marketing online takes too much measurement, patience, creativity, technical knowledge, flexibility, speed and authenticity. It requires too much thinking and not enough going out for dinner with clients.
Perhaps there will never be magic beans again. Perhaps marketing is about to transition to a new kind of profession, one that requires insight, dedication and smarts.
Or maybe someone will find some magic beans."
via Seth Godin
This is the exact reason I laugh when those who are quite obviously less than tech savvy proclaim the wonders of marketing on the internet. Any conscious teenager can tell you that the internet is simply super-saturated and most people are highly adept at tuning out the "noise" that clutters probably 90% of the internet. Finding truly unique, insightful ways of marketing is the key to success in the 21st Century; eschewing the outdated advertising paradigms and working with the reality of the available medias. It's no longer about slapping up your ad and watching your profits roll in.
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