Walter Gropius - Architect
Walter Gropius is also known as the promoter of the new form.
Gropius was an architect who did not have any knowledge of drawing, born in Berlin in 1883 and spending the rest of his days in Boston till 1969. Managed to create architecture with amazing developments. He had a slight handicap but, made the best out of it making one of the greatest of his time.
One cannot understand modern architecture with out understanding Walter Gropius's Work.Such as the Bauhaus building which is a flagship of his work.
Architecture was a profession to which Walter Gropius was born. Both of his parents came from wealthy families including famous book sellers. Including famous architect Martin Gropius who made Alfred Gropius's work famous after his death. Walter Gropius began studying Architecture in 1903, at the ( Polytechnic ). After graduating , Gropius was then employed as an assistant and building supervisor. As the '' artistic advisor '', of the Allgemeine Elekttricitats-Gesellschaft. ( AEG ).
Source - Gropius Book - Publisher Taschen - by Gilbert Lupfer & Paul Sigal
More information of Walter Gropius's Life and extensive work can be found on the following Sites ;
http://www.walter-gropius.com/ - online Last accessed 27/01/2014
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/gropius.html- online- Last accessed 27/01/2014
Monday 27 January 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright - Architect ( 1867 - 1959 )
Frank Lloyd Wright
Building For Democracy - Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright, in the turn of the century between 1895 - 1905, in the United States was producing architecture, signifying the way of the future. Where at first he was laughed at.
Being raised in a rather poor family, his father was a minister and mother was a teacher. He spent his younger boyhood on his uncles;s farm. His surroundings were pastoral, educational,agricultural and welsh. He grew up in the ancestral valley, and it was to that valley that he returned, after leaving wife and family, to build his own home.
Combined with his back ground he soon learned to read. He excelled in music, due to the playing at home and in church. His profession was later determined by his mother. Hardly of the farm, he enrolled himself in the University for special students of Wisconsin School of Engineering. Not satisfied he ran away to Chicago. Working with Adler and Sullivan over in Chicago for several years, he then had a disagreement and left . Opening his own office. His childhood in the valley and on the farm was reflected in his architectural designs, buildings had gently sloping roofs.
The first step in this direction of design was, developed quite naturally. More open spaces,screened off from one another by simple architectural devices, rather than using partitions and doors. This eventually came to be known in modern architecture as the Open Plan . The integration of the building with its natural site was another development.
Source ; Wright Book - Published by Taschen - by Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer
More on Lloyd Wright can be found on ;
http://www.franklloydwright.org/about/FLLWBio.html - Online - Last accessed 27/01/2014
George Eastman - KODAK co. Founder & Creator
George Eastman
After having read in various British magazines that photographers were producing their own emulsions, seeing that these systems worked out fine. Eastman picked one of the formulas from a magazine and began making his own gelatin
He became a workaholic, according to his mother he worked so much he usually slept on the kitchen floor. Experimenting with photography for a few years Eastman created a formula that worked. By 1880 he then invented the dry plate formula. Having a machine that could repair large number of plates, he started selling and making business with other photographers.
Being a high school drop out and always judged, Eastman was poor. He always did his best to support his family and two sisters.
At the age of 14 he started his business career working with an insurance company. He had the ability to overcome financial adversity. His strong point was being able to organize and manage. Having a lively and inventive mind he then became a successful entrepreneur by his mid twenties, and enabled him to direct his Eastman Kodak Company to the forefront of American industry.
At the age of 14 he started his business career working with an insurance company. He had the ability to overcome financial adversity. His strong point was being able to organize and manage. Having a lively and inventive mind he then became a successful entrepreneur by his mid twenties, and enabled him to direct his Eastman Kodak Company to the forefront of American industry.
Source - http://www.kodak.com/ek/US/en/Our_Company/History_of_Kodak/George_Eastman.htm - Last accessed 19/01/2014
Trials of an Amateur
At the age of 24 Eastman went on a trip to Santo Domingo,
documenting the whole trip, using a wet plate photographic process.
Being a heavy and bulky camera it needed a big tripod to carry
around. Also carrying a tent to spread the emulsion.
At the age of 24 Eastman went on a trip to Santo Domingo,
documenting the whole trip, using a wet plate photographic process.
Being a heavy and bulky camera it needed a big tripod to carry
around. Also carrying a tent to spread the emulsion.
A self-portrait on
experimental film.
|
After having read in various British magazines that photographers were producing their own emulsions, seeing that these systems worked out fine. Eastman picked one of the formulas from a magazine and began making his own gelatin
He became a workaholic, according to his mother he worked so much he usually slept on the kitchen floor. Experimenting with photography for a few years Eastman created a formula that worked. By 1880 he then invented the dry plate formula. Having a machine that could repair large number of plates, he started selling and making business with other photographers.
Sunday 19 January 2014
Le Courbusier - Architect of the Industrial age ( 1887 - 1965 )
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, better known as Le Corbusier, was an architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture.
'' Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of volumes brought together in light. '' - A quote by Le Corbusier
Few architects have embodied the hopes and disillusions of the industrial age, as Le Corbusier. Neither quite so scandalized and outraged their contemporaries, with an exception of Frank Lloyd Wright throughout his lifetime.
Le Corbusier's life and sarcasm were the architects keys in making him a well know household name. Le Corbusier's portfolio is rather impressive.
Having 44 sculptures, 400 paintings,8000 drawings and 34 books. The marvelous architect came at a time when cars and planes were becoming a common means of transportation. Thus being one of the first ever professional architects to ply his name on several continents at once.
Self Portrait Le Corbusier
Source - http://www.neuchateltourisme.ch/en/decouvertes/guided-city-tours.4728/le-corbusierbrla-chaux-de-fonds.5537.html - Last accessed 19/01/2014
Source Le Corbusier BookPublished by Taschen - 2004
'' Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of volumes brought together in light. '' - A quote by Le Corbusier
Few architects have embodied the hopes and disillusions of the industrial age, as Le Corbusier. Neither quite so scandalized and outraged their contemporaries, with an exception of Frank Lloyd Wright throughout his lifetime.
Le Corbusier's life and sarcasm were the architects keys in making him a well know household name. Le Corbusier's portfolio is rather impressive.
Having 44 sculptures, 400 paintings,8000 drawings and 34 books. The marvelous architect came at a time when cars and planes were becoming a common means of transportation. Thus being one of the first ever professional architects to ply his name on several continents at once.
Self Portrait Le Corbusier
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| Portrait of Le Corbusier - 1887 - 1965 |
Source Le Corbusier BookPublished by Taschen - 2004
Alfred Steiglitz - Pioneer of Photography as an art form
Pioneer in photography as an art Form
Photographer, a writer, publisher and curator Alfred Steiglitz. Was a visionary far ahead of his time ( 1864 - 1946 ). Around the turn of the century, he founded the Photo-secession, a progressive moment concerned with advancing the creative possibilities of Photography.
By 1903 Steiglitz began publishing Camera work, an avant- garde magazine devoted to voicing the ideas, both of images and artistic works of the Photo - Secession. Camera work was the first photo journal whose focus was visual, rather than technical. It's illustrations were of the highest quality hand-pulled photogravure painted on Japanese tissue. In all 50 issues were produced.
Steiglitz Had the abilities of a Renaissance man. Having a vision of enormous perspective, having remarkable accomplishments. What makes steiglitz different from all the rest is the fact that he owned an art gallery. His photography earns him one of the major places in the history of photography.
More can be found on Alfred Steiglitz
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/stgp/hd_stgp.htm - last accessed 19/01/2014
Alfred Steiglitz Self Portrait
Picture Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Stieglitz - Last accessed 19/01/2014
Photographer, a writer, publisher and curator Alfred Steiglitz. Was a visionary far ahead of his time ( 1864 - 1946 ). Around the turn of the century, he founded the Photo-secession, a progressive moment concerned with advancing the creative possibilities of Photography.
By 1903 Steiglitz began publishing Camera work, an avant- garde magazine devoted to voicing the ideas, both of images and artistic works of the Photo - Secession. Camera work was the first photo journal whose focus was visual, rather than technical. It's illustrations were of the highest quality hand-pulled photogravure painted on Japanese tissue. In all 50 issues were produced.
Steiglitz Had the abilities of a Renaissance man. Having a vision of enormous perspective, having remarkable accomplishments. What makes steiglitz different from all the rest is the fact that he owned an art gallery. His photography earns him one of the major places in the history of photography.
More can be found on Alfred Steiglitz
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/stgp/hd_stgp.htm - last accessed 19/01/2014
Alfred Steiglitz Self Portrait
 |
| Alfred Steiglitz ( 1864 - 1946 ) |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Stieglitz - Last accessed 19/01/2014
Henri Cartier-Bresson - '' The Decisive Moment'' photographer
Henri Cartier-Bresson is one of the most influential photographers. Living in Paris most of his life but also traveled the world in search of new work and inspirations. Europe made him bored after a while. After a few years he returned to Paris. His body of work, and influences through out decades reflect on this.
The African continent fascinated him and he mainly focused his work on the locals and big game. Cartier-Bresson describes photography as instant drawing, comparing it to a hunter the shot must be right not letting a shot animal run loose injured and die some place else in pain. One shot one direct hit, every shot must be right. Properly framed in the camera's view finder. His camera was a Leica, which was compact and light weight. Was easy to carry around. His collection the decisive moment express his accuracy and how he could calculate all instances in getting the right shot which was a split second from a second capture.
He knew artists like Duchamp and Dali who had great influence on his works. Cartier-Bresson lived through the era of surrealism, which was a major movement at the time.
Link to Henri Cartier-Bresson's Biography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson
Some of the Decisive moment shots From Henri Cartier-Bresson's Collection
Self Portrait - Henri Cartier-Bresson
The African continent fascinated him and he mainly focused his work on the locals and big game. Cartier-Bresson describes photography as instant drawing, comparing it to a hunter the shot must be right not letting a shot animal run loose injured and die some place else in pain. One shot one direct hit, every shot must be right. Properly framed in the camera's view finder. His camera was a Leica, which was compact and light weight. Was easy to carry around. His collection the decisive moment express his accuracy and how he could calculate all instances in getting the right shot which was a split second from a second capture.
He knew artists like Duchamp and Dali who had great influence on his works. Cartier-Bresson lived through the era of surrealism, which was a major movement at the time.
Link to Henri Cartier-Bresson's Biography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson
Some of the Decisive moment shots From Henri Cartier-Bresson's Collection
Self Portrait - Henri Cartier-Bresson
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| August 22, 1908 – August 3, 2004 |
Saturday 30 November 2013
Henry Fox Talbot - Pioneer in Photography & Inventor
Henry Fox Talbot : Feb 11 1800 - Sept 17 1877
A young English gentle man who later became an artist. Being the pioneer and inventor of photography. Fox Talbot invented the calotype process, being one of the most influential people in photography's history.
Talbot looked at photography to be an artistic medium, a way to express and be creative. He evolved his process to the engraving process.
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