Most Enjoyable!

This week in class we discussed a number of things, from architecture and anxiety dreams about teaching, to painting, and red chairs. I think this last Wednesday was one of the best classes we've had. It was very enjoyable.

The class started out with a quiz on architecture we'd talked about on Monday, and then we moved on to Modern Architecture. I found it interesting that with modern architecture is so different from older forms of architecture. I mean, before it was how beautiful you could make the building, and with modern it almost seems that we're just trying to do whatever is easiest, instead of what is more appealing. On my brief visit to Europe I noticed that all their buildings, even if it is an apartment complex, still looks good. Their buildings are not at all skyscrapers and each building has it's own individual look. I think that European architects have done more with their capabilities than any American architect I've ever heard of. Personally I think most American architects that came after colonial times got into the make as many houses or buildings as possible, instead of building them all different and unique.

I loved our group/class discussions about From Bauhaus to Our House. Our groups questions were about Walter Gropius, his architecture, how Frank Lloyd Wright's aesthetic differs from Gropius's, and Kahn's contribution to Yale Campus. I found the idea of starting from zero quite interesting in a couple of ways. There is the fact that the architects coming over from Europe during the Great Depression had to start from zero, because they were penniless. Then there is also the part where Philip Johnson decided to give up everything and move to Chicago to study to become an architect at the feet of Walter Gropius. Lastly, there is the part where Modern Architecture comes in; literally starting from zero. I also like the part in the book where it says that everyone started from zero. The only thing I have to say to the citizens of America at the time when Kahn built on to The Yale University Art Gallery is why didn't you buck up and tell the man that he'd ruined the building?! I also found it interesting that people back then would just deal with whatever was going on in the architecture world, while now we rebel against that stuff, and architects of today focus more on what we want then what they think is aesthetically pleasing to us; we get a say.

I LOVED our discussion about color and it's emotions!! I took A.P. European my Junior year of high school(as I've mentioned before), and so I understand all the artists we talk about it class. I also love that color can do so much to a painting, and that the same color can mean so many different things when presented differently. I was amazed at the power of color in painting. Still I would have to say that our discussion of the red office chair was still the best part of class. It was cool to see everyone's reaction to the different colors and to discuss them as a class. It was interesting to see how when the red was by itself it it gave off a bad feeling, but as soon as you added the yellow and orange, the feeling of the painting started to lift. I also enjoyed looking at the Van Gogh painting, and discussing how even though most of the painting was yellow, it was almost a sickly yellow and it made the feeling of the painting as a whole less enjoyable. I never realized that color could have so much influence on a painting and how we view it. This Wednesday's class was very good, and I feel I learned a lot about color and its emotions, as well as more about architecture in general, and Modern Architecture.