Pics from critique

Inca article and 2nd project

Ok I am going to play the devils' advocate here and say that the long winded article (on Inca's use of natural outcroppings integrated into building) is a whole lot of religiosity and romanticizing about what most likely started out as being a brilliant move on the part of the very first and earliest " builders"; i.e. they saved lots of time and effort by using a wall already half built! Then of course, as the human species is prone to, they made up stories about their origins, (creation myths ) snowballing until they became divine/ sacred thus providing impetus for incorporation of more and more religious notions into further developments. Man also has a tendency to make himself "more special" than all others - as the Inca did when making the assertion that theirs was of "unique relationship" with Mother Earth and their "two extremely handsome babies" born of the union of that special relationship.

Now apart from all that, I found the masonry and natural integration absolutely beautiful!! Not being a patient person, I have tremendous respect for the tedious intensive work of "nibbling" and the ingenious work or uncoursed masonry reflected in Figures 15 and 16.

Thoughts about Space altering construction Project #2:
I WAS considering doing a garden wall construction with found rocks and ceramic tiles....but after reading this article I might abandon that idea---for surely I could not live up to their masonry. Sheesh forget all that nibbling and chiseling, I'd use cement/mortar/epoxies.
Another idea for project #2, is continuing my work with driftwood constructions, perhaps incorporating my collection of spent Orton Cones.
While thinking about this project, I realized that I already have made many space altering contructs in various parts of my yard; one uses a collection of old fashioned window sash weights, another a set of iron cast bathtub feet and yet another is an old catamaran hull that I cut, reconfigured and painted. Since I have done that already, and this IS a ceramics class, I really should be pushing myself to construct with clay..... what to do , what to do......

Alison's Response/Project Ideas

I found the article "The Inca Married the Earth" to be interesting at times but overall a bit dull. I do admire the Incan culture's appreciation for nature. The way in which the Incans worked around the land and incorporated it into their architecture really shows their respect for mother earth. They felt it should not be changed. While rock outcrops may be considered obstacles, Incan architecture was actually enhanced due to their presence. The structures created within this culture are far more interesting than almost all structures created today. Since the Incans worked with the land, there is a lack of uniformity among the structures which appeals to me.
For the second project concerning systems and architecture, i have come up with some general ideas. They are more physically developed than they are conceptually at this point. I would like to make many small indentical units and put them together to create something larger. I will play with the idea of repetition and multiples. The point of this idea is for one form to be repeated over and over again to form something entirely new and different. I am considering using the extruder to make the small units as circular shapes. I am unsure how I will choose to attach them yet. I plan to develop this idea a great deal further as i continue to research.

Ben Lenoir

Response to Inka Article:

I found the article to be excruciatingly boring. Getting past the verbose and repetitive parts of the article, it became mildly interesting. I think it was a very important point to raise that the Inka used these structures almost as a marriage to the mother earth, because it was their form of altering her natural beauty into something orderly in which to live. I also found it nice that it was only shaped stone that went into the structures and they used no mortar to seal the gaps. The pictures of the outcrops were themselves very pretty but I believe to see this in real life would be overwhelming. The stories that were part of their oral culture of man being wild before there was an order to living was intriguing, because they saw no separation between man and animal without some ordered structure to call home. I wish the article had not turned me off to the subject because it is really interesting to reveal how a culture converts their land to make it their own but also to make it a system that interacts with the earth instead of overtaking it.


System/Architecture Project:

My initial idea for the project was at the atomic level and how atoms interact together. Mostly their interaction to form stable bonds is open space. I find it very interesting that something that is so loose and open can create such a stable structure like clay, rock, or metal. I dont know if I can illustrate that point witout being too obvious or science project-esque. My second idea which I like better is illustrating the way parents absurdly explain sex to their children through the use of silly anecdotes. I also do not know if I can achieve this without making a piece that is taken at face value because it is humorous. I have too many broad ideas right now to give a good description of what I would like to do and a lot of kinks must be worked out before I can begin.

article & second project

I thought it was interesting that the Inka used the integrated rock outcrops to articulate the coming together of natural and built environments. The Inka had a great appreciation for Mother Earth and took full advantage of its useful materials. These outcrops that were bonded to the Earth tell the story of the place where Panchamama and Inka met. Structures that grew out from the outcrops were considered the "extremely handsome babies" of the union between Inka and the earth which makes this not only naturally important but culturally as well. I think this article gives a whole new appreciation for the way the Inka's cared for their land and made use of ready-made materials. The pictures that go along with the article help to give a better view and perspective of what the article is about. I feel that without them I wouldn't really understand what exactly an outcrop was.



As far as my second project goes, as creepy as it sounds I'm really fascinated with the aspect of voyeurism. So I was thinking of doing something along the lines of setting up a surveillance system. I haven't worked out any of the logistics yet but I want to try and incorporate ceramics and maybe video feeds or projections into the project. Hopefully I will be able to stick with this idea, but it might change a little bit. We'll see!

Second Project

For my second project, I am actually interested in exploring some of the concepts found in the architecture of the Inka people. I really liked the idea of making changes to structure and design in order for something to exist in its environment. I’d like to create something similar to what I made for the first assignment (creation, destruction, and reassembling of thrown vessels) however I would like to force it to be placed into an unexpected and possibly unpractical environment. As a result I want to be forced to make changes so it can exist in this environment, rather than constructing or changing a place that can accommodate the piece.

Dan Rucker- Inka Article Response

Even before reading this article, I was familiar with the Inka's techniques of cut stone and structure relationships. I like to think of the Inka as primitive "Frank Lloyd Wright'ish" architects. The Inka believed in relating the structure to the surrounding landscape and in some cases, literally attached the structure to large rock formations or cliff overhangs. Their idea of implied lines and joint connections enhance the theory that even in ancient times, people were conscious of what is architecturally good and what isn't. The layout of the communities were much like the current studies that urban planners practice today. I found it very interesting when they discussed how the construction of dwellings is ceremonial and that an offering of alcohol or oil is poured out beneath the footing for a new construction. I also was impressed with the Inka's ability to product views from inside the structures, using window spaces, outdoor areas, and multiple level architecture.

My idea for the second project is closely related to the Inka's architecture. With the use of multiple layers of material to construct a "dwelling" and the symbiont relationship between the structure and its surroundings, I hope to represent that in my project. The same way the Inka used underlying structural elements to enhance the exterior, I am also going to use a material that I can fasten or build up an exterior facade around. Ultimately I want my next project to be a function structure with an interior and exterior, so that the viewer can experience the piece inside and out.