"Breathe chicken breathe... Chickens don't get no life after death" -the Felice Brothers rocking the accordian

Whiskey in my Whiskey:

Day two of the festival: Diane Birch stole my heart.

Live blogging from the XPN festival. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are cooking with every band member on drums...

Seven Bottles of Light in a Stone Box

Ever since his lecture at Pratt Institute in February of this year, I've been fascinated by architect Steven Holl. Coincidentally, he designed the recently completed connection of Higgins Hall Center, part of Pratt's School of Architecture.

Holl is not one of these modern architects who finds a need to rationalize architecture through modern technology. I acknowledge my naiveté in this field, but all of these architects like Brett Steele (chair of the Architectural Association in London) that look to the internet and the massive interconnected networks of the 21st century as some sort of basis for the future of architecture drive me crazy. It is not even a case of the human element being lost in this process, for it isn't even there to begin with. There is not attention to or care for form, and is that not where all architecture is "doomed" to end up, intentional or not? Yet an overarching notion is that none of these projects are intended to even be completed. This architecture that lacks a human purpose and element disturbs me, despite its intentional efforts as experimentation.

But Steven Holl is different. He is an artist-- but an artist in a way that is very much architecturally minded. He paints, but painting is not separate from architecture for him. His projects reflect this artistic approach, as they play with forms and are routed in concepts based on human interaction and physical realities. If there were any overarching guide to his architecture, it would be the constant play of light. Many architects speak of the prominent importance of light in architecture, yet Holl is more deliberate and successful in its use and exploitation than any other I have studied. Case in point is his project at the Seattle University, the Jesuit Chapel. It is without a doubt my favorite piece of architecture of modern times.

The Chapel of St. Ignatius is based on a very simple concept-- "seven bottles of light in a stone box." This water color painting became the concept and basis for the entire project:

These bottles of light function as both beacons of light in seven directions at night, as well as nets which capture multiple types and colors of light throughout the day. The entire project surrounds Jesuit principles of spirituality. As such, the multiple sources of light emphasize the Jesuit idea that "different methods [of spiritual exercises] helped different people" (Steven Holl).

A further play of light is that although light is admitted from all directions, there are no views out. The enclosed space creates an incredibly meditative experience as the shifting light and colors (created from colored baffles behind each "bottle") change throughout the day.

This piece of architecture is intimately connected and geared to the human experience of space. Its concept is a concept of form, and its program is derived from its intent and human flow through space. Similarly, the implementation and usage of light is derived from its purpose and inhabitants. This project, to me, is the essence of what a modern architectural project should be. Perhaps it is an age-old idea for architecture; yet I believe it has the ability to be, and is in fact only effective when, molded and shaped for its contemporary context.

Quotes and images from www.stevenholl.com

Cash for Architecture

My first "real" architecture project is finished-- not one defined by a professor or done for a grade-- but a project for a client that finishes with a paycheck. I found it pretty exciting, and thought I'd share. A project for an expansion of a backyard porch:

Bluegrass Revelation

Couch-bound due to a wisdom teeth operation, I've had plenty of time in the past few days to soak in the boob tube. One program that I've found and particularly enjoyed is PBS's "WoodSongs." They bring on whole ranges of bluegrass and other acoustic performers, all of them exceptionally talented.

On the show tonight was bluegrass legend Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Lawson, an aged mandolin player who grew up in Tennessee growing up to the sounds of bluegrass and gospel, learning from his father, has tended to glean away from his own voice in favor of 3 and 4 part harmonies. As a result, he and his band Quicksilver have won the International Bluegrass Music Award for Best Vocal Group seven years in a row.

I was blown away by the musicianship both instrumentally and vocally. Two songs that the played stopped me dead in my tracks, and I'm anxious to share them with anyone who will give them a listen. Unfortunately, I cannot find the recordings from the show on YouTube, but these videos will have to do.

The first one is an a capella number that is truly stunning. "He Made it All Right" by Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver:

And the second one is a bit more upbeat, its sure to knock your socks off. "Blue Train" by Doyle Lawson:

The Spider Concept-- Oscar Howe

Recommended to me by a friend from South Dakota, this artist produced significant and innovative work that followed in many of the Native American art traditions as well as created new forms and styles reflective of its time. Arguably influenced by Cubism, Oscar Howe's work transcends the style as a hashing of many different artistic influences and ideas. It was really very exciting to take a look at this work, and as I read more about it and see more of it I become more interested in it.

A brief biography written by John A. Day, director of University of South Dakota art galleries, sums up the scope of this artist's work: "In retrospect, O'Neil finds the frequently-stated opinion that Howe was influenced by Cubism during his graduate education to be unfounded. Rather, he believes that Howe returned to the abstract traditions of Plains Indian art and utilized its linear patterns to add dimensionality or illusion to a style that had become flat and static."

www.oscarhowe.org

John A. Day. Director, University of South Dakota- University Art Galleries. The South Dakota Magazine. July/August 1996.http://www.oscarhowe.org/about.php