I found out quickly that by having expectations of having expectations for this trip, I had set my expectations too high. Thinking conventionally is not going to help.
Class began this morning with a drawing lesson. Drawing is going to be an important element of Vienna. Tate opens by sharing some thoughts on drawing:
1. You draw by drawing, not by thinking about drawing.
2. Mies van der Rohe used to say less is more. Not in drawing. In drawing, more is more. Hoffman drew on graph paper. A contemporary once noted that he draws "like a frog laying eggs" (i.e. a whole bunch at once).
3. Proximity speaks of availabilty. Keep your sketchbook out and ready to fire.
4. Lastly: you must fall in love. Don't judge.
He shows us drawings by Ferrari, le Corbusier, Aldo Rossi, Coop Himmelblau, Frank Gehry, Scarpa, Paul Flora. I discover it's not what I draw, but how. Why. Tate likens our drawing skills to a quiver of arrows. "Today, you may have 2," he says. "You must have 30."
He shows us a table by Phillipe Starck. Everything about the table is a product of his growing up. His father was an aeronautical engineer; the legs evoke images of airplane wings and the flow of air. He lives in Paris; the size and compactness are suited for small spaces.
After lunch, we head to Blumenkraft, a shop that Gregor designed. I am forced to rethink how a flower shop is supposed to look. It's full of little treats. There is no sign on the facade; indeed, the only indication that there is a flower shop there is two plants flanking the flass door. There is some type on a window next to the door, but it is obscured by the plant. Yet the shop is far from empty. "Signs are weak points," explains Gregor.
There is a door in the back of the shop. It is like nothing I've seen before. On one side it is textured fabric, almost like canvas or burlap. On the other it is stainless steel. The interesting thing is the door is for two different doorways. Gregor doesn't like doors, so he only put one in his shop. It can close off the bathroom, or the entire back room of the shop.
Some stainless steel tables rest in the middle of the rear space. Gregor analogizes the vibration of the tables to the oscillation of the universe. By this point I can tell why Tate likes him. Gregor goes on to say that everything is made up of billions of tiny subatomic particles, all vibrating at high speeds, nothing to stop them from flying apart at any given moment. Gregor is a little out there, but I like that about him.
After the flower shop intervention, Gregor treats us to beers at a nearby snack shop.
By this time, Tate's son Lee has joined us, along with Tate's wife Kak and other son Graham. It is fascinating, meeting the rest of the Tates. Although I don't think I'll ever unravel the mystery that is Tate, getting to know members of his family gives me a slightly better insight into how his mind works.
Class began this morning with a drawing lesson. Drawing is going to be an important element of Vienna. Tate opens by sharing some thoughts on drawing:
1. You draw by drawing, not by thinking about drawing.
2. Mies van der Rohe used to say less is more. Not in drawing. In drawing, more is more. Hoffman drew on graph paper. A contemporary once noted that he draws "like a frog laying eggs" (i.e. a whole bunch at once).
3. Proximity speaks of availabilty. Keep your sketchbook out and ready to fire.
4. Lastly: you must fall in love. Don't judge.
He shows us drawings by Ferrari, le Corbusier, Aldo Rossi, Coop Himmelblau, Frank Gehry, Scarpa, Paul Flora. I discover it's not what I draw, but how. Why. Tate likens our drawing skills to a quiver of arrows. "Today, you may have 2," he says. "You must have 30."
He shows us a table by Phillipe Starck. Everything about the table is a product of his growing up. His father was an aeronautical engineer; the legs evoke images of airplane wings and the flow of air. He lives in Paris; the size and compactness are suited for small spaces.
After lunch, we head to Blumenkraft, a shop that Gregor designed. I am forced to rethink how a flower shop is supposed to look. It's full of little treats. There is no sign on the facade; indeed, the only indication that there is a flower shop there is two plants flanking the flass door. There is some type on a window next to the door, but it is obscured by the plant. Yet the shop is far from empty. "Signs are weak points," explains Gregor.
There is a door in the back of the shop. It is like nothing I've seen before. On one side it is textured fabric, almost like canvas or burlap. On the other it is stainless steel. The interesting thing is the door is for two different doorways. Gregor doesn't like doors, so he only put one in his shop. It can close off the bathroom, or the entire back room of the shop.
Some stainless steel tables rest in the middle of the rear space. Gregor analogizes the vibration of the tables to the oscillation of the universe. By this point I can tell why Tate likes him. Gregor goes on to say that everything is made up of billions of tiny subatomic particles, all vibrating at high speeds, nothing to stop them from flying apart at any given moment. Gregor is a little out there, but I like that about him.
After the flower shop intervention, Gregor treats us to beers at a nearby snack shop.
By this time, Tate's son Lee has joined us, along with Tate's wife Kak and other son Graham. It is fascinating, meeting the rest of the Tates. Although I don't think I'll ever unravel the mystery that is Tate, getting to know members of his family gives me a slightly better insight into how his mind works.
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