- Introduction
For the layperson, architecture is mostly the process and design, planning and construction of buildings and physical structures. But many fail to understand that architecture is perceived as a work of art from where early stages of design are initiated. It can be equally expressed as a visual and physical psyche of an architect’s vision and way of thinking similar to art. Yet, art and architecture can be conceptually interchangeable where these talented artists do not perceive themselves as talents. The following subgenres of art, including elements of architecture, shall be explained, as well as described, to analyze how they correlate with another, and how they forward expressive behaviours to understanding the creative minds behind them:
- Paper Architecture
- Avant-Garde Architecture
Each category is utilized to create end products of solid structures. Different ingredient tools may be gathered, but nonetheless, the end result is similar. Only the channels to reach the finish art form are different. Whatever subgenre of these art forms select, it reflects on the architect’s social responsibilities beyond architectural practice.
A. Paper Architecture
Paper architecture is an alternative form of perceivable creations of a finished structure as opposed to using wood. The most basic and simple paper ingredients can be used to piece together the most complex building design representations. Many creations are reproduced from cut-out and folded paper, and are comparable to complex pop-up models. In itself, paper architecture is a skilled to be acquired as part of a building design process as part of a training practicum to somehow visualize the erection of a building transitioned from scaled drawings to full size construction. Depending on the building model to be formed, they can be cut out from a single sheet of paper, where some involve at least two intertwined sheets. Hence the skills related to an architect are required. However, many architects do not have the time to piece together such intricate models and prefer to hire artists highly skilled in paper artwork.
B. Avant-Garde Architecture
Avant-garde is an art form expressed in various solid conical shapes besides architectural aspects. Artists of the avant-garde movement have made their mark in 20th century architecture with many of them influenced by the German arts and crafts school Bauhaus with links also to Neoplasticism and Russian constructivism (Kovalenk, 2003). Avant-garde involves mainly building design comprising of asymmetrical clusters of articulated planar elements surrounding a volumetric focal point. Specific elements of architecture are paid close attention to such as plastic to represent function, mass, surface, light, volume, and color as established by the famous Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg. As far as more solid materials are concerned, this type of art is more economical. Van Doesburg’s style of De Stijl architecture is mostly characterized by time and space.
Avant-garde evolved to commit a completed abstraction to integrate modernity where geometric forms display themes pertaining to universal messages from the Russian Constructivism movement (Friedman, 2010). This means Constructivist themes are limited in expression and separated into its constituent elements to identify the meaning of he artwork. Over time, new forms of media were used to create works of art in an orderly fashion. What made avant-garde desirable at the time of the movement was following World War I suggesting the need for global unity and peace, hence its universal messaging. Following WWI, avant-garde was practiced by artists to educate the public. An officiated art derived from avant-garde utilized conical shapes to illustrate practical materials in real space. International modernism was then born into avant-garde architecture as a symbol of Constructivism.
2.0 Opposition Between the Avant-Garde and the Vernacular
Vernacular art is a form of outsider art with a trait of self-teaching influenced by the artist’s culture and very different from mainstream architecture. It is also inherited from the artist’s traditional background. Since tradition plays a role in the artist’s experience and perception, it can be observed as the artist’s responsible role to cultural regions. Vernacular art composes of traits of modernism in which the way the artist views surroundings and the world. It incorporates mediumistic or ritualistic elements and portrays an abstract feature reflecting the social issues of the times. This art can be displayed as a form of environmental building where they are ingrained in regional culture and found in all sorts of exhibits providing close proximity for viewers.
Avant-garde, on the other hand, can be integrated into architecture as has been recorded during the Russian constructivism where their option was to express visual arts through architecture. It portrays how constituent conical parts are connected to form a more mundane work of art. This practice has found its ways into renowned architecture and sustainable design innovations, where vernacular is merely for visual admiration of the artist’s tradition (Perchuck & Singh, 2010). How various colors are set against one another prepares the architect for the viability of the design for further advanced art practice. In whichever way these types of art are perceived, they each hold abstract traits based on the artist’s or architect’s intent and vision, although avant-garde is better known for acquiring practical designs.
3.0 Architect’s Social Responsibilities
One of the social responsibilities of architects becoming widespread is sustainable design. Architects have been seeking to reduce building material affects on the environment and connecting people to the natural environment (Jubany, 2011). Community planning as well as architecture is the root of achievable liveability. However it cannot present solutions as a catalyst to social issues, but only the tools to influence effects and improving the well being on a community. Therefore architects need to practice critical thinking for public awareness and environmental conditions. Posing as an artist can an architect plan the integrity of organizations responsible for setting strategic goals.
Rather than expected to formulate designs, they shall volunteer into community programs and non-profit organizations. What they may propose best is remain actively involved in community programs if they have been the vessel of a specific community for many years. This way the community becomes very familiar with the architect’s past practices and develops trust in the architect’s judgement in proposing future planning (Linn, 2008). Even if not all social conditions can be resolved by structures, artwork can be proposed to improve the visual appearance of a neighbourhood.
Volunteer services can be a rightful niche for architects to donate their time into community improvement. Their staff can be designated to schedule volunteer work to understand and be part of a neighbourhood to forecast future development that would benefit a community. Simultaneously this can be an opportunity for new architects to gain experience in planning for future neighbourhoods and for non-profit organizations to contribute to society with mutual assistance. Each and every contributor from the architectural firm and the volunteer program would make all persons feel honourable in exemplifying social responsibility.
4.0 Conclusion
Do art and architecture represent divergent genres? Maybe only in form and vision to they vary. Regardless of how they interpreted, they both involve drawing, painting, sculpting, and sketching. Although not entirely interchangeable, the end result is created by the mind and details only need to follow afterward. But the reason why laypeople do not appreciate art and architecture is because they dedicate their efforts to understanding how and why the artist pieced together the intricate forms. Perhaps that is not the artist’s intent. It could be the artist has designed artwork and structures to allow the viewers to perceive the end result on their own and develop their own abstracts from the end result. Many artists and architects in history were misunderstood, and perhaps always will be. Hence to understand the artist is for viewers to perceive on how to interpret the final artwork or building design left by the artist’s frame of mind. By leaving perception up to the viewers of art and architecture do architects represent and share their responsible roles in society.
Work Cited
Jubany, H.L. “The Social Responsibility of Architects”. Design Intelligence, 29 June 2011.
Perchuck, A. & Singh, R. “Harry Smith: The Avant-Garde in the American Vernacular”. Getty Research Institute, 2010.
Friedman, J. “Beyond Symbolism and Surrealism: Alexei Remizov's Synthetic Art, Northwestern University Press, 2010.
Linn, K. “Building Commons and Community”. Oakland, CA: New Village Press, 2008.
Kovalenko, G.F. (ed.) “The Russian Avant-Garde of 1910-1920 and Issues of Expressionism”, Moscow: Nauka, 2003.
