tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22381576655073085232023-11-16T10:08:35.765-08:00Spacey Spaces: (Interior) Spaces + Sociologyraneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-55933269732659225512013-09-18T08:58:00.001-07:002013-09-18T08:58:35.320-07:00Test"Vineet's "Bold & Vibrant" Room — Room for Color Contest" http://feeds.apartmenttherapy.com/~r/apartmenttherapy/main/~3/lGFiFfG8Sa4/story01.htm raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-68741416502023356552013-05-19T16:29:00.001-07:002014-11-29T11:28:35.939-08:00psychology etc.<p dir="ltr">I'd like to figure out what is the psychology... what is the nature of the drive... that makes someone redo their space, by which someone has to gather resources and employ other's labor, and throw out old material which used to be a resource and a product that has gone through the whole cycle of transfer and production. And then someone at a different place wants to do the same thing, or redo what the prior person did. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The correlation seems to be on the surface-- a strict contingency that has to do with the sense, the perception, through the senses specifically VISUAL, that gets directly influenced by the visual read, with perhaps a less apparent spread of the pursuit of higher functionality. Regarding usage, there are certainly other factors involved and other stories that can connect to the motivation. The defining evaluator would be who is pushing and pulling the project? There is a division of entities. Owner, and non-owning modern-day bourgeois.... or instead of this type of hierarchy, there may simply be a more level partnership on some ends-- there is the deliverer of services, and the receiving, where the reciprocation entails the transfer of currency.... which basically acts as a credit on the whole process again, for the original deliverer to receive elsewhere, so that there is no decisive top and bottom. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Distance is becoming a cognizant non-issue.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Also, since inherently it is not just a matter of who is working what part, the project throughout the process has the same goals. How to specify and prioritize those goals?</p>
raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-22780852772961734692013-05-02T21:32:00.001-07:002013-05-02T21:32:54.043-07:00<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNOlb_eTg0wy9Kw0e_QlMqih_UzQqVtzesku3SQibqSKiZGTgH8gTbLUx4b-mlBIATS6xlIIQZUD5IrDwny_0ztiB0Jpz-UabuUJd3DBOQH8d-oGpUkoYfxE53Uk8p_dYl8uYpA5OJn4o/s1600/chinese-bamboo-garden1-505x336.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNOlb_eTg0wy9Kw0e_QlMqih_UzQqVtzesku3SQibqSKiZGTgH8gTbLUx4b-mlBIATS6xlIIQZUD5IrDwny_0ztiB0Jpz-UabuUJd3DBOQH8d-oGpUkoYfxE53Uk8p_dYl8uYpA5OJn4o/s640/chinese-bamboo-garden1-505x336.jpg' /> </a> </div>raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-60978997988749873312013-05-02T21:28:00.001-07:002013-05-02T21:28:05.680-07:00<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_pod13/dw/image/v2/AAFV_PRD/on/demandware.static/Sites-Tazo-Site/Sites-starbucks-master-catalog/default/v1367446236425/images/upload_here/January_Tazo/02-18-13_1/tazo_tea_ceramic_tumbler_1.jpg?sw=2000&sh=2000">tazo_tea_ceramic_tumbler_1</a><a href="http://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_pod13/dw/image/v2/AAFV_PRD/on/demandware.static/Sites-Tazo-Site/Sites-starbucks-master-catalog/default/v1367446236425/images/upload_here/January_Tazo/02-18-13_1/tazo_tea_ceramic_tumbler_1.jpg?sw=2000&sh=2000">.</a><a href="http://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_pod13/dw/image/v2/AAFV_PRD/on/demandware.static/Sites-Tazo-Site/Sites-starbucks-master-catalog/default/v1367446236425/images/upload_here/January_Tazo/02-18-13_1/tazo_tea_ceramic_tumbler_1.jpg?sw=2000&sh=2000">jpg</a><a href="http://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_pod13/dw/image/v2/AAFV_PRD/on/demandware.static/Sites-Tazo-Site/Sites-starbucks-master-catalog/default/v1367446236425/images/upload_here/January_Tazo/02-18-13_1/tazo_tea_ceramic_tumbler_1.jpg?sw=2000&sh=2000"> (2000×2000)</a><br>
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raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-24402161208445960252013-05-02T21:14:00.001-07:002013-05-02T21:14:18.105-07:00<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222578">How the Serial Entrepreneur Behind </a><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222578">Tazo</a><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222578"> Tea Brews Up Success | </a><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222578">Entrepreneur.com</a><br>
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raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-82612418921377291202013-04-14T16:22:00.001-07:002013-04-14T16:22:12.499-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-49036782747437493962013-04-14T16:20:00.002-07:002013-04-14T16:20:54.327-07:00Living Room Pops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-32909305169486840602013-04-13T01:05:00.001-07:002013-04-13T01:08:52.015-07:00Patterns/Wallpaper<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsH2GotbgtecAD3OJPtUsL-_5g0TWhiZ6ZQZ2rfBmnuFrQ3ObubN6PSJ7nuPLrDEv9dp4eGtfFfd3S-GtXtReJrA-iZAD7gsfukVq2B08yoUBGY-JVg-sa8TfvEZK48n2XzLPRaKOTlrI/s1600/great+baby+turquoise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsH2GotbgtecAD3OJPtUsL-_5g0TWhiZ6ZQZ2rfBmnuFrQ3ObubN6PSJ7nuPLrDEv9dp4eGtfFfd3S-GtXtReJrA-iZAD7gsfukVq2B08yoUBGY-JVg-sa8TfvEZK48n2XzLPRaKOTlrI/s320/great+baby+turquoise.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really like that lamp.</td></tr>
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-83913450581654326452013-04-13T00:20:00.000-07:002013-04-14T16:19:54.213-07:00Euro Modern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-26189032588856088162013-04-13T00:17:00.000-07:002013-04-13T00:17:01.953-07:00Bamboo Kitchen Cabinets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-86240136653546587842013-04-13T00:07:00.002-07:002013-04-13T00:22:09.635-07:00Painted Entry Doors<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, this is a stock photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9IkmgTLi4PGv697cKCwQsPbPZ-0fKuJFXwTfL50O5k3tARSJc2ERcuichXEaPIYDYFvEyjVeG4RshX5x1TB9VLf8STvQyE1pWqpyC9zeDONDygMb2xRkEGwApAlbmt0OQoXuQKEryg1k/s1600/Purple+door+scheme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9IkmgTLi4PGv697cKCwQsPbPZ-0fKuJFXwTfL50O5k3tARSJc2ERcuichXEaPIYDYFvEyjVeG4RshX5x1TB9VLf8STvQyE1pWqpyC9zeDONDygMb2xRkEGwApAlbmt0OQoXuQKEryg1k/s320/Purple+door+scheme.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What nice doors you have. HIGH GLOSS PURPLE LOVE.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnbP13iAlA9-dobebehrLno4Mo7SrOsrn0X15b5nVgYnQT0JZLccDyoJvWD5piAw6qx8eh8-vnu_CW93eJKgcF5hDgZekZJDaDRkzqqZ2hgPvYMTpQj2EjnHDM6m8QTw5VSYlkMvjcbcx/s1600/Painted+blue+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnbP13iAlA9-dobebehrLno4Mo7SrOsrn0X15b5nVgYnQT0JZLccDyoJvWD5piAw6qx8eh8-vnu_CW93eJKgcF5hDgZekZJDaDRkzqqZ2hgPvYMTpQj2EjnHDM6m8QTw5VSYlkMvjcbcx/s320/Painted+blue+door.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue and white, a classic duo. White is overpowering a bit though.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6T-Ab_tY3vlDv-4GWT8SE9WnKW3O-N2aXDlN4XQ7KO4-15meBCC3o1Y3U2OsvExwdHK3Ulwc7qv8KPul0NPmqKVTk0VfTRM6_LxeLJp5WDBEHOU6rA2p9B3kfuqZ-mM6PVFOUz4Rc0P4/s1600/Teal+and+brown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6T-Ab_tY3vlDv-4GWT8SE9WnKW3O-N2aXDlN4XQ7KO4-15meBCC3o1Y3U2OsvExwdHK3Ulwc7qv8KPul0NPmqKVTk0VfTRM6_LxeLJp5WDBEHOU6rA2p9B3kfuqZ-mM6PVFOUz4Rc0P4/s320/Teal+and+brown.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is called aging beautifully.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSR0ulHCUADdLXnyVbNQwKD5adjznvLEvZWo_Q758UcTzosDpeJdNqh643aQQuwOfGt6ekhkATARoECR5sYskLzO5dygjIPDBDiU-Lv7BHV93cKoYjlXoz6kG8ZiJ9q1zOqJIUsl23-_o/s1600/Hot+pink+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSR0ulHCUADdLXnyVbNQwKD5adjznvLEvZWo_Q758UcTzosDpeJdNqh643aQQuwOfGt6ekhkATARoECR5sYskLzO5dygjIPDBDiU-Lv7BHV93cKoYjlXoz6kG8ZiJ9q1zOqJIUsl23-_o/s320/Hot+pink+door.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-51309040171014767432013-04-13T00:02:00.000-07:002013-04-13T00:12:48.826-07:00Car Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElf7lmOh2qxD7sKtOPeuSbIoyEfQJOFntpEEkkWMvjl7ZJnzWgjJDsDtKaU6HS_iJkXY58DH0Il_jEc0rwyc8DorYvEj-rOpgeU9wQquqXqQbyLslu_cHoabs0vQ7-0SOI_3rxc1x6HLz/s1600/Rolls-Royce-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElf7lmOh2qxD7sKtOPeuSbIoyEfQJOFntpEEkkWMvjl7ZJnzWgjJDsDtKaU6HS_iJkXY58DH0Il_jEc0rwyc8DorYvEj-rOpgeU9wQquqXqQbyLslu_cHoabs0vQ7-0SOI_3rxc1x6HLz/s320/Rolls-Royce-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSMnNIcIL8xDER2DdVhlT74ljRxZ-VK5P6xK98ty7tSS2zQS2mOcjQLGOWp6N38SlkUmxChJCvQt1ZKvXJiRgOQOuRO5trP7aMPjTPUmgzXpzhkidaZopv_ZtMm49dnKvPJBwNZTYspxr/s1600/Purple+Gold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSMnNIcIL8xDER2DdVhlT74ljRxZ-VK5P6xK98ty7tSS2zQS2mOcjQLGOWp6N38SlkUmxChJCvQt1ZKvXJiRgOQOuRO5trP7aMPjTPUmgzXpzhkidaZopv_ZtMm49dnKvPJBwNZTYspxr/s320/Purple+Gold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5hJG_kFaxGq_B8vrafWiboAJASUw6BoUycAvJuOQt5uITe-uEVU48rOH6pMkIjngpXR2lbOZgbLUVZHmNkRU8xrKkSL3X8VFR-zZndoEiiF3h_cYye9MmSUBOvqDgI38lD3kEZdJ8R6M/s1600/Purple+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5hJG_kFaxGq_B8vrafWiboAJASUw6BoUycAvJuOQt5uITe-uEVU48rOH6pMkIjngpXR2lbOZgbLUVZHmNkRU8xrKkSL3X8VFR-zZndoEiiF3h_cYye9MmSUBOvqDgI38lD3kEZdJ8R6M/s320/Purple+car.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different car but I'm digging the glossy purple.</td></tr>
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-64568931002060412912013-04-12T23:58:00.003-07:002013-04-13T00:14:29.126-07:00Glass Countertops<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPwDkWhZo4TEIXMzHlr1CU45V2d9u0KRMK_gc9g558Va_XEq6eEY8vInahP5E4VuzKwL6i0_m6TNRvf_eiq44Jf-WFT17HAM5anwbxeDJwMrrnXz_s7gv9VOopuriG-eAIIIZ1iHo3eUC/s1600/glassart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPwDkWhZo4TEIXMzHlr1CU45V2d9u0KRMK_gc9g558Va_XEq6eEY8vInahP5E4VuzKwL6i0_m6TNRvf_eiq44Jf-WFT17HAM5anwbxeDJwMrrnXz_s7gv9VOopuriG-eAIIIZ1iHo3eUC/s320/glassart.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOoOAgvqdp9dSown6V34kb1phAedg_T2rD0Jgn0eubPFPJ_ziKyeOFlSly2dG7KIY8cnYw10gWaaRAShf5oWKOzi-P9lZc7rn0Qc-dNAkNafzAMBe2ukzROCAMe0L1Fift7zoYZpP_f7J/s1600/ThickGlass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOoOAgvqdp9dSown6V34kb1phAedg_T2rD0Jgn0eubPFPJ_ziKyeOFlSly2dG7KIY8cnYw10gWaaRAShf5oWKOzi-P9lZc7rn0Qc-dNAkNafzAMBe2ukzROCAMe0L1Fift7zoYZpP_f7J/s320/ThickGlass.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a thick piece of glass... :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8uOihD7yMjfLGTCdPvSZl2_WTg-u2YxiIO5eMA20RCP2Rh4czPMF0aW1JKBJC2Fcsrswn2jmXGNjaOPDHpgJ_h_CCmPvGdyMlFVzue2wbjhccJ5egatAw7cnbs8EFRECmcVOX2ymRecc/s1600/Glass+countertop+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8uOihD7yMjfLGTCdPvSZl2_WTg-u2YxiIO5eMA20RCP2Rh4czPMF0aW1JKBJC2Fcsrswn2jmXGNjaOPDHpgJ_h_CCmPvGdyMlFVzue2wbjhccJ5egatAw7cnbs8EFRECmcVOX2ymRecc/s320/Glass+countertop+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thinkglass.com/">http://www.thinkglass.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSR4GdTtwrxUvJcNwytRuvQ4Iru-Z1fdv81uYBDIzpjwcdJoMvfklZtc9IoGSUzbV9BRiaB4vj5kWZ-jT79-ffpmaBTjeFWchDZDOh5uw4Lg5vmiFW6qwGc1uWT0od34N3AXBlAmGeM24n/s1600/awesome+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSR4GdTtwrxUvJcNwytRuvQ4Iru-Z1fdv81uYBDIzpjwcdJoMvfklZtc9IoGSUzbV9BRiaB4vj5kWZ-jT79-ffpmaBTjeFWchDZDOh5uw4Lg5vmiFW6qwGc1uWT0od34N3AXBlAmGeM24n/s320/awesome+glass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zzQiGE-Dh5I734DDGWFrYlvOqTpzyB1eaDY7EqHzdXApaY7QQe-jLybxRuCTv7O7WpkJFavLftYDCFpqQGnAb5xBSYZrBxINPEkQHc5Ar228XkGdFQTwtEhScz3saB9MAEZtM22i6S3o/s1600/pretty+sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zzQiGE-Dh5I734DDGWFrYlvOqTpzyB1eaDY7EqHzdXApaY7QQe-jLybxRuCTv7O7WpkJFavLftYDCFpqQGnAb5xBSYZrBxINPEkQHc5Ar228XkGdFQTwtEhScz3saB9MAEZtM22i6S3o/s320/pretty+sink.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely.</td></tr>
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-56397320511999631822013-04-12T23:45:00.001-07:002013-04-13T00:13:14.324-07:00Color up in your face<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Orange + Complementary and Split-Complementray</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dezpL5kkYa7AC6fhWbcxDLhn5IYCpeuNdCmYRbyQrVbveJejA843kDlv52bti13DpAP5bmym542jYy4w6A815sNy7VI6L_Btz0kLjfAwnmmqyM3tVSIDgSypSnMx3SV9Pl7v_NUUIwdi/s1600/Orange+Magenta+bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dezpL5kkYa7AC6fhWbcxDLhn5IYCpeuNdCmYRbyQrVbveJejA843kDlv52bti13DpAP5bmym542jYy4w6A815sNy7VI6L_Btz0kLjfAwnmmqyM3tVSIDgSypSnMx3SV9Pl7v_NUUIwdi/s320/Orange+Magenta+bathroom.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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... with a dash of brown and analagous red.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsiDPCHZAL65d9ndjkRE7TAPLsgLAdjf7jZ2U-eEv3-8FYf3GJuYY1CvzfQe78GOtB_gJhieWUF_INlwhxssP8Xuzc_ipR5X40pjrlQso2DGG0uswFa0y2bp_wuAnX2zmvWKWbciG8dew/s1600/orange.wh+walls+and+green+red+brown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsiDPCHZAL65d9ndjkRE7TAPLsgLAdjf7jZ2U-eEv3-8FYf3GJuYY1CvzfQe78GOtB_gJhieWUF_INlwhxssP8Xuzc_ipR5X40pjrlQso2DGG0uswFa0y2bp_wuAnX2zmvWKWbciG8dew/s320/orange.wh+walls+and+green+red+brown.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf1nQ4K-UXo6555jPGIakpRmeCz_Jxjy3PAAmfJHqXVLe1SkoGIz38wWNz4tI_jEYbXgLGGqzFxTTwUG33NPAxCyvFibS1VfiYwm3tX8uazyDWRZUbg-D3HuruyMSaB3nLKWWz28qmwWG/s1600/Funky+bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf1nQ4K-UXo6555jPGIakpRmeCz_Jxjy3PAAmfJHqXVLe1SkoGIz38wWNz4tI_jEYbXgLGGqzFxTTwUG33NPAxCyvFibS1VfiYwm3tX8uazyDWRZUbg-D3HuruyMSaB3nLKWWz28qmwWG/s320/Funky+bathroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-68884667601853119422013-04-12T23:27:00.000-07:002013-04-12T23:27:49.379-07:00Browns and beiges can look pretty nice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAJu54Huj4WYh1VnRJZG2mylPxTgyswmYQPKK9MRrK0N2LD7BRzcjdTK2BLKDuaHNu8X4w24_UXG5yA_CRsaSlDmgya76quBgzM3MuZLfgsSrd6-N8WdwAYIxwGIF7reMyzG5rZEKvJI0/s1600/brown+tile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAJu54Huj4WYh1VnRJZG2mylPxTgyswmYQPKK9MRrK0N2LD7BRzcjdTK2BLKDuaHNu8X4w24_UXG5yA_CRsaSlDmgya76quBgzM3MuZLfgsSrd6-N8WdwAYIxwGIF7reMyzG5rZEKvJI0/s320/brown+tile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQDrXJqtATT0UXqKPdl_JZFn96sMzt_1wHYkdZ_o-Y3h73G6tZtwuSsR5k6-bpipg4gFM4UOCa0hsXSfJARS6YyTnhgRqr9LoLqmpV0NwTvsk5kIptaaQhOdEmJs5umZb8bVk6vIMNfyf/s1600/chambeige+powder+rm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQDrXJqtATT0UXqKPdl_JZFn96sMzt_1wHYkdZ_o-Y3h73G6tZtwuSsR5k6-bpipg4gFM4UOCa0hsXSfJARS6YyTnhgRqr9LoLqmpV0NwTvsk5kIptaaQhOdEmJs5umZb8bVk6vIMNfyf/s320/chambeige+powder+rm.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice floating toilet.</td></tr>
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-38535925193608589032013-04-12T22:48:00.002-07:002013-04-13T00:06:05.299-07:00Grays and whites... and a little more<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I really like gray.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFP7HEpHLtAj69sRJhVPi9i1sTMRo3H1T9aXf7v5oHCBkti1ofafbMwzB6pxPdEV46m25O2A603wv-5z40cPolG5sBtLtTKlcN-coHav-QFQVk81lK5zJs49ftbgS7uWG1OXB9WHBhyVG/s1600/another+gray+bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFP7HEpHLtAj69sRJhVPi9i1sTMRo3H1T9aXf7v5oHCBkti1ofafbMwzB6pxPdEV46m25O2A603wv-5z40cPolG5sBtLtTKlcN-coHav-QFQVk81lK5zJs49ftbgS7uWG1OXB9WHBhyVG/s320/another+gray+bathroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-47021434463758509572013-04-12T22:45:00.003-07:002013-04-13T00:14:14.694-07:00Back From HiatusI'm back....<br />
I'm still alive....<br />
<br />
I'm going to post some photos I saved on my desktop to clear up file space and access these better at a later time possibly.raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-13102700057124859952011-02-21T23:05:00.000-08:002011-03-05T01:37:54.442-08:00Interface as Infrastructure<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwe2InFyfVcmzwiD3n5_InCrLcsLg2Zxe9L-mA8S8kwdeiJgUJ9q6lxMxi5Qjcs_HtP7buz9xhxtfFjAtA3YPfu9LS0KrDtzr6dWZmtLykkKqbMNIjVbz3EY3ugRcdbWWQL0tNJcnBz00/s1600/techsociety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwe2InFyfVcmzwiD3n5_InCrLcsLg2Zxe9L-mA8S8kwdeiJgUJ9q6lxMxi5Qjcs_HtP7buz9xhxtfFjAtA3YPfu9LS0KrDtzr6dWZmtLykkKqbMNIjVbz3EY3ugRcdbWWQL0tNJcnBz00/s320/techsociety.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Internet and mobile technologies are dramatically transforming human interactions across space— this self-evident concept reveals a huge societal shift via our increasing closeness to computation technologies; we can understand this by the way we experience space in terms of the interface. </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLHMSM_IIwZJdeDf-9DoUvYx3-oT8tQMEjFwAwxVrO05W-TZyd7diZuok5EekieeJGSZKdII8ymK5dVh4KzHAGEcBOkUVXdG3xf-PUNmJfL0NKYzw4cAJdiGXR6oZSiG4HuJRag6igV3z/s1600/cpu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLHMSM_IIwZJdeDf-9DoUvYx3-oT8tQMEjFwAwxVrO05W-TZyd7diZuok5EekieeJGSZKdII8ymK5dVh4KzHAGEcBOkUVXdG3xf-PUNmJfL0NKYzw4cAJdiGXR6oZSiG4HuJRag6igV3z/s200/cpu.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CPU. <a href="http://www.technicaljones.com/2008/12/tech-terms-cpu/%20">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Simply put, an interface is a boundary that functions as a point of connection between two or more things. It is a kind of communication channel through which interaction takes place. The early meaning of “interface” describes the interaction among computing components— in a computer if you think of the CPU (central processing unit) as the brain and all the other pieces as different organs and body parts, the interfaces are the software and hardware connections like the nerves which communicate between the brain and the rest of the body. </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another basic conception of the interface is the user interface which comprises the interaction between humans and machines such as the keyboard which triggers computational signals in a way that both the human and the machine can understand. At a very basic level the keyboard is just a series of buttons. Today people take buttons for granted, because it is so simple and intuitive: We know that if we press a button, something happens. Now buttons have both analogous and diverse forms with the proliferation of icons in the graphical user interface (GUI) as well as through the advancement of sensor technologies such as touch screens, motion detectors, accelerometers, etc.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52529xe182Gpcfd2CBIf7VrMQ_rhW9dSTcTGsAvTSdLrsF2lMwXVdLNuXCQ9GF6m8bsw4wZU7awCrGmw-1U5TElvD0bRVTONmhp2uoQ8COeH4fTy2FDGOZAURnlJDuENFv5OzNrDfw0Jd/s1600/ubiquitouscomputing-300x197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52529xe182Gpcfd2CBIf7VrMQ_rhW9dSTcTGsAvTSdLrsF2lMwXVdLNuXCQ9GF6m8bsw4wZU7awCrGmw-1U5TElvD0bRVTONmhp2uoQ8COeH4fTy2FDGOZAURnlJDuENFv5OzNrDfw0Jd/s200/ubiquitouscomputing-300x197.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oldthinkernews.com/?p=209">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">With the ubiquity of computational technologies and their incorporation into space like traffic sensors and cross-walk buttons, motion-sensor doors, parking garage tickets, GPS receivers and mapping applications, Wifi hotspots, smart phones, and video telecommunication, human interactions are becoming increasingly mediated by technology. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">In early times, people were located in fixed places and so too was their communication (for instance, face to face conversation which requires bodies to be within close proximity). Over time, both bodies and communication have become mobile, made possible by vehicles and information networks. Eventually, however, information networks have developed into <a href="http://sensingarchitecture.com/1124/top-7-benefits-of-ubiquitous-computing-in-architecture/">ubiquitous computing</a> due to the aforementioned examples above, allowing people to overcome spatial limitations to the extent that even cities and countries are experienced in a mobile, de-located way. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_993069207" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7BrHMMTM2ZnNUAZSDxyAhvURexgcnokkwF7rbgxL5KLWPZT6MAYDcuqODk17ruolTO5ywNRi1HiDzlkKzwHrHh2coGQJHGhH6nji3LcvPnAZDkXxCBXnOvy68BvS8kQlzOmuAvqaxrIX/s200/graph-nodes-edges-md.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.clker.com/clipart-graph-nodes-edges.html">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In previous posts I have already discussed some aspects of this phenomenon (3D projection; virtual worlds), but according to <a href="http://bratton.info/projects/courses/image-and-interactivity-ucsd/">Benjamin Bratton</a>, the broad trend that encompasses these developments is: Interfaces were temporary as they connected two or more fixed locations, but with the mobilization of locations, interfaces now make up the infrastructure, albeit one that is transmitted virtually. In other words, the things that were being connected are now also produced by the connections.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">What all this means in our practical, lived experience is that information surpasses spatial boundaries as much as an individual or group like a business or institution is linked in to the wider computational network. Now, interaction, including economic exchange, can be conducted independent of the spaces that used to hold them immobile. For example, online purchases take place across servers and are usually processed by means of cloud computing where data is distributed in multiple servers across space rather than within one building— the network is the infrastructure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMcctCBvxwbNWksasMcQSz6-ykPcvudo3Kt3lqnP3Y9Y1ZRi2JRZoXtMROZ34LMGAyKFs2f7HrFpRnW7ggMK4QUChGdyW1GAHGbxnUfbrDVuj3n0hDXcDC18DZ41VlLnz6D-8QEBtcgnd/s1600/brain+computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMcctCBvxwbNWksasMcQSz6-ykPcvudo3Kt3lqnP3Y9Y1ZRi2JRZoXtMROZ34LMGAyKFs2f7HrFpRnW7ggMK4QUChGdyW1GAHGbxnUfbrDVuj3n0hDXcDC18DZ41VlLnz6D-8QEBtcgnd/s200/brain+computer.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credits: Bill Diodato <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=jacking-into-the-brain">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Also, heavy scientific investment in <a href="http://changeobserver.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=15798">virtual, immersive, more “realistic” experiences</a> call into question the future need or lack thereof for transportation as telepresence becomes more advanced. For instance, will administrative, business, and corporate conferences eventually take place in virtual worlds, thereby eliminating the need for people to travel?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">My take on this is that no matter how much scientists and computer engineers work to make the virtual closer to real life, I have doubts about how successful they will be in rendering the experience of what is realistic under the default variable: disembodiment. I think that virtual re-enactment could only truly overcome this limitation by <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=jacking-into-the-brain">embedding these technologies into the human brain</a> once scientists fully understand how to wire up external computational processes to it.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">More food for thought:</span></i></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GrbGBhzZPic" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-47211274425018588002011-02-13T13:04:00.000-08:002011-03-05T01:33:16.064-08:003D Projections- Making Reality Virtual<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Have you seen any 3D films lately? I remember when the film Avatar came out (December 2009) there was a lot of hype about how it was <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1208038/Avatar-How-James-Camerons-3D-film-change-face-cinema-forever.html">taking 3D to the next level</a>. I understand the technology is a major step up from earlier 3D cinema, but when I saw Avatar in 3D, I was overall unimpressed by the disparity between what film reviewers praised and advertised compared to what I actually saw. Sometimes something popped out in the corner of the screen but that was pretty much it. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sorry.</span></span></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOzCsdE5fk9O6OJfI-rvVLGOn0DD-1lDoPtuPCnsBAU7w_hLkHzCrIH0MRfWj3YbaY3uzqdTBBTybAXrWeSOvoL7O59f7bBbsFPUhsHcqMrgalVnpR_1bAKUW4DAADLvHKxNN-Xnz71E2/s1600/avatar.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOzCsdE5fk9O6OJfI-rvVLGOn0DD-1lDoPtuPCnsBAU7w_hLkHzCrIH0MRfWj3YbaY3uzqdTBBTybAXrWeSOvoL7O59f7bBbsFPUhsHcqMrgalVnpR_1bAKUW4DAADLvHKxNN-Xnz71E2/s320/avatar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avatar (2009) is recognized as a ground-breaking 3D film.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Don't get me wrong-- I thought it looked really good. (I'm focusing on form over content.) It's just that the 3D-ness was not so 3D, although it was relatively more 3D than the complete flatness of non-3D film screenings, obviously. I did enjoy the film for its character designs, visual composition, and heavy use of blue. I like blue. But when I saw a couple other films in 3D, I couldn't help but feel ripped off. I did not experience any sense of immersion. The only benefit I see is that instead of red and blue shaded lenses, now you get to wear blurry sunglasses.</span></span><br />
<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then again, you shouldn't expect too much 3D in films (yet), because 3-dimensional <i>cinema</i> is constrained by a projection surface that is inherently 2-dimensional.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Did you know that there's an even <i>more</i> 3-dimensionally 3D media out there?</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">There's a particular kind of 3D projection. It's also known as 3D mapping. Given my background in Media Arts, I am familiar with the use of 3D projection in art, sometimes in interactive form. Some new media artists use this technology to create installation pieces, taking existing spaces and architectural structures and then transforming them into 3-dimensional canvases. The main difference between these 3D mapping projects and the common 2D projections used on flat surfaces is that 3D projection has the capability to computationally recognize differences in angle and depth in order to shed light accordingly and even in discrete sections. This way, the 3D projection which I am referring to takes on volume by default of the surface and corresponding technology. </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you run an online video search for "3D projection" or something like that, you can easily view samples of this type of technology. It's also becoming <a href="http://www.socialtimes.com/2010/06/3d-projection-mapping-taking-the-advertising-world-by-storm/">big in advertising</a>. However, let me direct you to the most masterful use of 3D projection I have ever seen. I recently discovered it, and it is exquisite. You don't need special glasses to see it, either.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Under the name <a href="http://www.mr-beam.nl/home%20">Mr. Beam</a> (<--Click for their homepage), a group of artists from the Netherlands create 3D projection works in a highly skillful way and present it with music as a kind of entertainment show. The reason their work stands out to me is not just the technology, but everything else they did with it. ("It's not what you do but how you do it.")</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of their video-recorded works thus far, I think this piece titled "Gent" really showcases the multi-dimensional capabilities of 3D projection.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/19698792?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffca00" width="400"></iframe></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/19698792">Licht Festival Gent 2011</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/mrbeam">Mr.Beam</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">This work highlights the form of the original standing architecture of the buildings with their different angled walls and the center cylindrical structure. I admire Mr. Beam's keen attention to detail in their incorporation of creative animations, eye-candy color palettes, complementary sound design, video production, and online presentation. It looks so <i>clean</i>! All the pieces fit together, complete with a characteristically distinct and immediately memorable logo.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">I see this kind of work as a combination of:</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Installation art</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Cinema</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Animation</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">- 3D modeling</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Computer programming </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Experimental music </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Music video</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Music concert</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">and </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Magic show. </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">How does this project function as a precursor to other areas of design and new media? Will it become a form of mass-consumer entertainment? </span><span style="font-size: small;">Could 3D projection translate into interactive video games? </span><span style="font-size: small;">Where is the line between virtual and reality, and is it changing?</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can imagine being a member of the live audience viewing this show, and I already feel like I am both in awe and a bit freaked out. These are real life structures, but the merging of projected light with 3-dimensional structures makes our material structures look like they are <i>made</i> of light. We often see virtual technology imitate reality; these 3D projection works do the reverse: Reality is made (to look) virtual.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">These are all very thought provoking questions, but I leave you with this one: What are some other practical applications of this 3D mapping technology? 3D "holograms" from our laptops? The extinction of 2D screens? Virtual interior designs in our own homes? (See video below!)</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">My other favorite project by Mr. Beam:</span></div><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/18460233?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffca00" width="400"></iframe><br />
<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/18460233">Living Room</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/mrbeam">Mr.Beam</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you, Mr. Beam, for being so awesome. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Check out <a href="http://videomapping.tumblr.com/">this blog</a> to see more 3D video projection/mapping projects.</span></div>raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-59345614443719098012011-02-07T18:14:00.001-08:002011-02-25T22:42:37.625-08:00Mainstream Minimalism<div style="color: #cccccc;"></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">I keep seeing minimalist styles over and over, not just in interior design and architectural forms, but also in color palettes, technological devices, branding and graphic design, fashion, etc. I think that minimalism as an aesthetic trend has become mainstream enough that whoever reads this has a sense of what I am talking about, and I am sure thousands and thousands of articles have already been written about this. My intention here is to bring together in one place pieces of minimalism from all different areas of art and design, and also to speculate why it has become so popular today.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">My understanding is that the early beginnings of minimalism were situated in modern art, starting in around the 1960s and 1970s after World War II. <a href="http://wwar.com/masters/movements/minimalism.html">Minimalism</a> represents a shift in style which art historians analyze as a reaction against Abstract Expressionism. Minimalism takes abstraction to a level which explicitly suggests no meaning, often in a more controlled manner, whereas <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/abex/hd_abex.htm">Abstract Expressionism</a> is abstract in the sense that it represents something more spontaneously and at times, more emotionally. In short, minimalism is about reducing the work to the bare minimum of formal elements without any deeper feeling or mood.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">For reference, here is a comparison between works of Abstract Expressionism compared to Minimalism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: large;">Abstract Expressionist art pieces:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Full Fathom Five, 1947. Jackson Pollock. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/AbEx-New-York/ab-ex-ny-moma-1011-06.htm">Image Source</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Agony, 1947. Arshile Gorky.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/AbEx-New-York/ab-ex-ny-moma-1011-05.htm">Image Source</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67ZkFx1wPVLdJeEXlbCk4AXtGyQlkuExX1rkFFr1WsqtXLxyXCzg1qBc9H2GX18JqZcl8o0TJP72ZbNXrJd0W_WY9x29oTfflTHZuOYUvNtGCibCfjMhF5B7pDn1rS2BPr9HL1e4jzL61/s1600/woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67ZkFx1wPVLdJeEXlbCk4AXtGyQlkuExX1rkFFr1WsqtXLxyXCzg1qBc9H2GX18JqZcl8o0TJP72ZbNXrJd0W_WY9x29oTfflTHZuOYUvNtGCibCfjMhF5B7pDn1rS2BPr9HL1e4jzL61/s320/woman.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Woman, I, 1950-52. William de Kooning.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/AbEx-New-York/ab-ex-ny-moma-1011-10.htm">Image Source</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Minimalist art pieces:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tree Bones, 1974. Carl Andre.</span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://fourcolorsfourwords.blogspot.com/2009/07/carl-andre.html">Image Source</a></span></span><br />
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<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Die Fahne Hock!, 1959. Frank Stella.</span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://brittanystiles.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-history-thursday-minimalism.html">Image Source </a></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLMVmXwxfZIjgX7CPaEYozRrG9rc0RoRTpFu2uSTxEk-vc_MehVMzn98ucRQkBLHzeL4NjNJvy7P5mXwsVeBYWUxAVIuYdR8xnLCWgvcdVWTAUfAu-nGph6Ns2ngZqBCZZBB78ffLtVTD/s1600/robert+ryman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLMVmXwxfZIjgX7CPaEYozRrG9rc0RoRTpFu2uSTxEk-vc_MehVMzn98ucRQkBLHzeL4NjNJvy7P5mXwsVeBYWUxAVIuYdR8xnLCWgvcdVWTAUfAu-nGph6Ns2ngZqBCZZBB78ffLtVTD/s1600/robert+ryman.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ledger, 1982. Robert Ryman.</span><br />
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<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let us also take a look at the minimalist aesthetic in other areas of art and design. </span></div><br />
<div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: large;">Photography:</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzU0gTrnc8Dn67M-kvsm82yAtDcJZHyluYePhtldnhT4ORPboip31qVT7wrfhKAZr6pDHhfajnsF-cHvAD9yh6vAFUM_gWnnXEig3h2sUX9yCKamxaLr_BLgOFHhcBAcVdWVez2dS92Eqc/s1600/marble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzU0gTrnc8Dn67M-kvsm82yAtDcJZHyluYePhtldnhT4ORPboip31qVT7wrfhKAZr6pDHhfajnsF-cHvAD9yh6vAFUM_gWnnXEig3h2sUX9yCKamxaLr_BLgOFHhcBAcVdWVez2dS92Eqc/s320/marble.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: x-small;">Photographer: Luigi Benedetti</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17PRC-e0zbdu7wkz5aekpwYpuuoFXVKz4RpGwVnEIFvWhOWSWqx0zKJCEZ2_ZqGgMv7LEW-eIrH_mQAF57hcvKXgm8TWqg1WAhPj2PXz19Y3NzJipDZVw8iBWGF7w8-oX7LThRC0tv5Vk/s1600/docks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17PRC-e0zbdu7wkz5aekpwYpuuoFXVKz4RpGwVnEIFvWhOWSWqx0zKJCEZ2_ZqGgMv7LEW-eIrH_mQAF57hcvKXgm8TWqg1WAhPj2PXz19Y3NzJipDZVw8iBWGF7w8-oX7LThRC0tv5Vk/s320/docks.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Photographer: </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremybrooks/" style="color: #cccccc;">Jeremy Brooks</a></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvKoQk0pmj82Ov09-bLjJWjS0IAG8f_X05ddEAZz6Uxe2ItqFNJXvtWv4P9EpkrBz-_rhGdfuWbBWqqtFA8ZVVKl0pegA8LAPKb9uGyXQ4M3dtUrTzpKwg4I1HksEVMCwcQS5h3Xw1hTn/s1600/sugimoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvKoQk0pmj82Ov09-bLjJWjS0IAG8f_X05ddEAZz6Uxe2ItqFNJXvtWv4P9EpkrBz-_rhGdfuWbBWqqtFA8ZVVKl0pegA8LAPKb9uGyXQ4M3dtUrTzpKwg4I1HksEVMCwcQS5h3Xw1hTn/s320/sugimoto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84s9TrhzRnTWOV18tHG_ytWEdlcqS1urp4jUWiYzXhBGeQm9q6nskld0Je3-99BkT-mEYbB1tfQy4WLFW9YU1-vo3GGJDnZ0ReKueFdKjvMZmYfKU0A7o2ACpCgE4FIPeYAtxboivnwfh/s1600/sugimoto_tyrrenian_sea.thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tyrrenian Sea, 1990. Hiroshi Sugimoto.</span></div><div style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/show-full/piece/?search=Tyrrhenian%20Sea%2C%20Amalfi&page=&f=Title&object=2001.269"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image Source </span></a></div><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Branding and graphic design:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvKoQk0pmj82Ov09-bLjJWjS0IAG8f_X05ddEAZz6Uxe2ItqFNJXvtWv4P9EpkrBz-_rhGdfuWbBWqqtFA8ZVVKl0pegA8LAPKb9uGyXQ4M3dtUrTzpKwg4I1HksEVMCwcQS5h3Xw1hTn/s1600/sugimoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/minimalistic-web-designs/">Image Source</a> <span style="color: #cccccc;">&</span> <a href="http://darrenalawi.com/">Web Designer</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIR3bs9bhs-l1ta58fq3aIFQtsC6_VS2QzcRPa7Kyg6LisQthl7h2fmWk7dY21TIdi8mVcPPUvqysdW6jClaySKlv46GWeJRlH89homd8BXRAQ8AMOliH2O-PheNrhQRHnpJQ48pY7arq/s1600/monoroot.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyDeadjSfWJeBG1NCLQDYOtmCazuMIUvpNT8BjjS_EZSs_jFvwog7rSSYIO17lbfMRVZgrUcgr9b7FilUBseWNdbRrIihLsCzri41LAnDa8jj_bDMWyoBhp1VXLpy1gWWc9Q_xCcQIFZ0/s1600/monoroot.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyDeadjSfWJeBG1NCLQDYOtmCazuMIUvpNT8BjjS_EZSs_jFvwog7rSSYIO17lbfMRVZgrUcgr9b7FilUBseWNdbRrIihLsCzri41LAnDa8jj_bDMWyoBhp1VXLpy1gWWc9Q_xCcQIFZ0/s320/monoroot.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/minimalistic-web-designs/">Image Source</a> <span style="color: #cccccc;">& its </span><a href="http://www.madebycreature.com/">Web Designer</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Fashion:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHDJxrVbeBWZPFv87a1WqlVuHoWnNEHmQ_a-UkZXbMvTGAk4PdsmBBbOjTHqqEVeaIXbn_oHbUhyVHiWTa7drHyoqid1NIziNywbVMqkF-PinqttORtosRWWGp3bheFy9pgxXW3Rg8Ryn/s1600/minim+fashion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHDJxrVbeBWZPFv87a1WqlVuHoWnNEHmQ_a-UkZXbMvTGAk4PdsmBBbOjTHqqEVeaIXbn_oHbUhyVHiWTa7drHyoqid1NIziNywbVMqkF-PinqttORtosRWWGp3bheFy9pgxXW3Rg8Ryn/s320/minim+fashion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.shopstyle.com/Minimalism-Fashion-9851485">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6Cgc-N0DtntusHjC-Z86x9jkZAb1qdcBvl8mgn9UoKOZE9bG1z426pKPksk8FAFxQoKvbfWmzxRKifY4gH6SmXHdYGfohVQQNtj3g6TdgXdcXu1qZMLc82xvId5o4zfiY4OKYgEvgy3S/s1600/PUMA-El-Rey-Cross-White-Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6Cgc-N0DtntusHjC-Z86x9jkZAb1qdcBvl8mgn9UoKOZE9bG1z426pKPksk8FAFxQoKvbfWmzxRKifY4gH6SmXHdYGfohVQQNtj3g6TdgXdcXu1qZMLc82xvId5o4zfiY4OKYgEvgy3S/s320/PUMA-El-Rey-Cross-White-Shoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">PUMA shoes. </span><a href="http://twsb.net/tag/velcro/">Image Source</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJApZmzWJicvTaX_gu6DbwhjKnLUpvan2oVNLqnDcj6VGtLhxJsnhU6y0L-oQqQ4gYe4z5knNqN5lBDLj22DEWxMSjtRBOPI-GwINkzd5eogvQMPAbaGM0zOA9W8ZVo15LzCziJ9I6VMI/s1600/american-apparel-hoodie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJApZmzWJicvTaX_gu6DbwhjKnLUpvan2oVNLqnDcj6VGtLhxJsnhU6y0L-oQqQ4gYe4z5knNqN5lBDLj22DEWxMSjtRBOPI-GwINkzd5eogvQMPAbaGM0zOA9W8ZVo15LzCziJ9I6VMI/s320/american-apparel-hoodie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">American Apparel hoodies. </span><a href="http://www.frenchtruckers.com/american-apparel-hoodie/">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="color: cyan;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Minimalist interiors & architecture:</span></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VAxjjdetsXcpvpa43YCsZcCIQpnTwZAyxjG5yDQEkX8JLXyj20myPzoLw7BLW1_OgCfeybL8EotWeZEVsxWH3HTlHhZgOC77Uau1kc4djaEgi1x_3v7EJSJPdItnHst7NAnhrEgPKHq_/s1600/apollo_tepe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VAxjjdetsXcpvpa43YCsZcCIQpnTwZAyxjG5yDQEkX8JLXyj20myPzoLw7BLW1_OgCfeybL8EotWeZEVsxWH3HTlHhZgOC77Uau1kc4djaEgi1x_3v7EJSJPdItnHst7NAnhrEgPKHq_/s400/apollo_tepe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Modern Japanese architecture. Tepe House. <a href="http://www.kurosakisatoshi.com/">Apollo Architects and Associates.</a> </span><a href="http://www.fixr.com/blog/2010/12/22/10-minimalist-japanese-houses/">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2Jx-eO7cS0zbkzPHnLdp_RdxibOyUzGm84NfCioveMMUbELOc-krODYYtOVHbdLymotCUdjN-J3UR_rIafc9wY8pXzKcOYKmgL7f6tJbd2x4ieOKXzpZfutatH8_k8k5LovMFVbmnlgV/s1600/PAC-House-Freshome-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2Jx-eO7cS0zbkzPHnLdp_RdxibOyUzGm84NfCioveMMUbELOc-krODYYtOVHbdLymotCUdjN-J3UR_rIafc9wY8pXzKcOYKmgL7f6tJbd2x4ieOKXzpZfutatH8_k8k5LovMFVbmnlgV/s320/PAC-House-Freshome-04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freshome.com/2011/02/21/refined-staircase-addition-to-a-minimalist-home-by-ar-arquitectos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FreshInspirationForYourHome+%28Fresh+Inspiration+for+Your+Home%29">Image Source</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrHlufjB_sXQiuoGLcSX1TG6pP5DruHgj7nFRdbbOHEkF1XpDxeb6VF-jwh8d9ECgdkUwT624hD_xDCrlGQrvrZV37ev3eQkiWuUOzeO4pfoLP7gC6PPfBkReJuLB1mvJXgsfzNfySYbe/s1600/Hampden-lane-House-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrHlufjB_sXQiuoGLcSX1TG6pP5DruHgj7nFRdbbOHEkF1XpDxeb6VF-jwh8d9ECgdkUwT624hD_xDCrlGQrvrZV37ev3eQkiWuUOzeO4pfoLP7gC6PPfBkReJuLB1mvJXgsfzNfySYbe/s320/Hampden-lane-House-3.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freshome.com/2011/02/21/refined-staircase-addition-to-a-minimalist-home-by-ar-arquitectos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FreshInspirationForYourHome+%28Fresh+Inspiration+for+Your+Home%29">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdqqsjeLSZ4Cc2iQftv1GiLy8rwPzDuxlazAH4yDi_AkLqvwS18zGBQHewRKFifqv5sElMNFvZ2XuLdvid9yTss7zB0h820uGTlUlpWgypzH_nZGqk_5T5B-UptnKwWJ0vtvyaoGjzMLF/s1600/black-white-interior3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdqqsjeLSZ4Cc2iQftv1GiLy8rwPzDuxlazAH4yDi_AkLqvwS18zGBQHewRKFifqv5sElMNFvZ2XuLdvid9yTss7zB0h820uGTlUlpWgypzH_nZGqk_5T5B-UptnKwWJ0vtvyaoGjzMLF/s320/black-white-interior3.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.momoy.com/2008/07/01/ice-wharf-black-and-white-interior-photo-by-ken-hayden/">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1p-PTnr43V1KCjLz2zTnqI4O1pR1CiVntLKF0XXxpVnNLQ923Xq3kmogFDNPkfgPZEJyEw8400Ucmhd2rC2sehdQhfInEj3h9jle6tVR8lJH_N-7Af_6jBUk3uQ_e0GTMHI4p5CD7qTCd/s1600/modern-spa-tub-bathroom-interior-furniture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1p-PTnr43V1KCjLz2zTnqI4O1pR1CiVntLKF0XXxpVnNLQ923Xq3kmogFDNPkfgPZEJyEw8400Ucmhd2rC2sehdQhfInEj3h9jle6tVR8lJH_N-7Af_6jBUk3uQ_e0GTMHI4p5CD7qTCd/s320/modern-spa-tub-bathroom-interior-furniture.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.newhouseofart.com/high-technology-pacific-luxury-spa-tubs-ultra-modern-design-systempool-ideas/">Image Source</a><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">The art history class that I took as a requirement for my major focused on the U.S; we did not really cover art movements on an international level, although there are separate classes for that. Independent of my studies, however, I wonder to what extent modern Western design has been influenced by styles overseas. More specifically, I can draw aesthetic parallels between the minimalist styles that have gained popularity in the U.S. with traditional Japanese architecture, as well as conceptual parallels to Buddhist philosophy. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jbGvy3vxASWG0mYVO4p6_64BJIxwje5pK1-KiIGxdlLUqxAHifiaz26CKN1ObiAbbi0oV9j5hBvNXcyiiY7DYdsPD7lGxij4cTY38GvuxkY6HXDuiHf9_XHVxJm0YYzK1ZqRmL87sO58/s1600/j_beams+and+pillars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jbGvy3vxASWG0mYVO4p6_64BJIxwje5pK1-KiIGxdlLUqxAHifiaz26CKN1ObiAbbi0oV9j5hBvNXcyiiY7DYdsPD7lGxij4cTY38GvuxkY6HXDuiHf9_XHVxJm0YYzK1ZqRmL87sO58/s320/j_beams+and+pillars.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://academic.csuohio.edu/makelaa/lectures/architecture/arch013.html">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56seVQk51tTHIlMjpX1ibMY1EUMu-HeF3rVzlRW9Hy6BLb6NY0w4GwXMcnfF2uOURduoREz6CZVH3BM8Y-W_4qEOC4cqnrH8qVDKeo1b2W6g7bgWMb9u3iJSKnqnuu8QoBKdwMxIKCnQT/s1600/j_openair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(See this <a href="http://academic.csuohio.edu/makelaa/lectures/architecture/index.html">website</a> for more examination of authentic traditional Japanese architecture.) </span></div><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmO3qgS74DEGR55-x7Y8yySrowkOmjq2dQa8UEG66pxDb1VBH9rJwGA5sFww_6aScYlPWTfMRPyaTBXX43Y-OLKk59QA-Nxk5LtgypiTSBMQkz2NzqklDjKTrjAdK5bHKOlXBKWKAv2any/s1600/j_indoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmO3qgS74DEGR55-x7Y8yySrowkOmjq2dQa8UEG66pxDb1VBH9rJwGA5sFww_6aScYlPWTfMRPyaTBXX43Y-OLKk59QA-Nxk5LtgypiTSBMQkz2NzqklDjKTrjAdK5bHKOlXBKWKAv2any/s400/j_indoor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">The entrance to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony room.</span> <a href="http://www.japanesearchitect.com/jproomset/source/3.html">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg3ScA2M-vQMGsAHM7kYn6W5Jlr75kkskUNAOowV0F5c8u-6gXs8YLsjHi9-gnaPJsJ5N3DKf33QcosTfiw2_waz1vJHrydhehscl3K-lgiGCwhlklAW9CAfRb-ZJbXV3INy6e7FPxrW-/s1600/buddha+statues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg3ScA2M-vQMGsAHM7kYn6W5Jlr75kkskUNAOowV0F5c8u-6gXs8YLsjHi9-gnaPJsJ5N3DKf33QcosTfiw2_waz1vJHrydhehscl3K-lgiGCwhlklAW9CAfRb-ZJbXV3INy6e7FPxrW-/s200/buddha+statues.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://eligerzon.com/blog/2009/11/tokyo-to-kyoto-first-few-days-of-worldschool-travel-tour-japan-2009/">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">I am not Japanese, and I am not a Buddhist, but I am familiar with the aesthetics of traditional Japanese architecture (like in the above images). Also, from my research on Buddhism and having a friend who is Buddhist, I understand that one part of Buddhist teachings emphasizes non-attachment—not necessarily in the material or relationship sense, but also in the context of not being attached to underlying motivations such as the idea of doing good or refraining from sin, though original sin does not really exist in Buddhism. As an idea, non-attachment is conceptually similar to the Minimalist art tradition of avoiding deliberate ascriptions of meaning. The way that meaning operates in Buddhism is not absent or meaningless, but its approach is starkly different from other religions by nature of having no requirement of faith or savior. Buddhism also brings attention to <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm">Karma</a> which refers to cause and effect; it is not fate or predestination, but instead the action and reaction of Karma which dictates the course of one’s life. In applying these ideas to my analysis of minimalist art, I think that the act of interpretation by the viewer is theoretically comparable to the way people make sense of faith-based religions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">(From what I have stated about Buddhism, someone please correct me if I am wrong. Also there is much more to Buddhism than I am referring to here, but I only focus on this point for the sake of argument.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, I am not saying that Americans are imitating the Japanese, not at all. What I am comparing are the formal elements in aesthetic style-- </span><span style="font-size: small;">the appearance of simplicity, the use of limited color palettes, and the emphasis on clean, geometric shapes and lines--</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and possibly also in ambiance, in relation to the conceptual origins of Minimalism in the context of art history. I wonder if, like the Minimalist artists of the post-World War II era, all the minimalist styles we see today are a kind of reaction to something that came before. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">But what exactly could this be a reaction to? Does it have anything to do with philosophy and our approach to life or religion? Is it a reaction to our world of image-saturated media? </span><span style="font-size: small;">Have we used up all our attention to shapes and color? </span><span style="font-size: small;">Is there too much mental clutter in our minds? Or maybe we are simply being influenced by technology.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take these devices, for example:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuOCn3z9uaBVrmnQrVoDrNluj7J-5Z3ObWL5ChXWXhrw7eItI0bfN6_n_O0TShraFoTrH4tpt3xgN0Cu3J6RbLSpGJwgdJTqLJdaPC0jidfvzQ8i_B-H7LcgLz-NEoMcg3h6Y4MKxeDq_/s1600/table-lamp-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuOCn3z9uaBVrmnQrVoDrNluj7J-5Z3ObWL5ChXWXhrw7eItI0bfN6_n_O0TShraFoTrH4tpt3xgN0Cu3J6RbLSpGJwgdJTqLJdaPC0jidfvzQ8i_B-H7LcgLz-NEoMcg3h6Y4MKxeDq_/s320/table-lamp-45.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">A designer table lamp by Munkii. </span><a href="http://www.fokal.com/f-1058/designer-table-lamp-45?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fokal+%28FOKaL%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Image Source</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span><a href="http://usedapplelaptops.org/used-apple-macbook-air-laptops/"></a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Technological advances enable the production of increasingly thinner, flatter electronic devices... How thin can you go?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Apple Inc. is notorious for their sleek, minimalist designs, from the hardware down to the user interface.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganx2vvIHrQg3Y-8r0X-M8oYmpyfJVx4UIrHshwAjJJvnjhdHSuA0iuGFQkK-r5CU2Gel9rd5UCOCmI3jxlsbNSDcZoqCtIbnYduuGuor57Z1EylZIzqPb6TY3Xa99SYhymAuY-hAVNM1t/s1600/iphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganx2vvIHrQg3Y-8r0X-M8oYmpyfJVx4UIrHshwAjJJvnjhdHSuA0iuGFQkK-r5CU2Gel9rd5UCOCmI3jxlsbNSDcZoqCtIbnYduuGuor57Z1EylZIzqPb6TY3Xa99SYhymAuY-hAVNM1t/s200/iphone.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">iPhone. </span><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9960064-37.html%20">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkZJ6GbNhVs9dKJTbInB7FySZ1ttOcgBl8VsXvnfp1H6sKqxGFoLk9hksviXWjx4qwHeCd_CMOTQVEUODJGA9Nz710ypP68ntWz2rcqBTxQxG3cpXh-ZIAaXqpgW9HR1v8ggAvyWEDi7X/s1600/ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkZJ6GbNhVs9dKJTbInB7FySZ1ttOcgBl8VsXvnfp1H6sKqxGFoLk9hksviXWjx4qwHeCd_CMOTQVEUODJGA9Nz710ypP68ntWz2rcqBTxQxG3cpXh-ZIAaXqpgW9HR1v8ggAvyWEDi7X/s320/ipad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">iPad. </span><a href="http://blogote.com/2010/apple-ipad/the-scope-of-apple-ipad-revolution.html%20">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XnOycQMkMjiP2kcEtyJ0_pCfm4NQxIL0mse0OiUO-MDSN72JV0nNIuGuqTLLTnXL-d-5gwUyirc03f9s1_I7qkDIK-pcQHrcBJmxGAUGwaUS_ywOsqZ5pZQfRcFwHrRdSF1zY7FZO0Hz/s1600/apple-macbook-air-laptop-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XnOycQMkMjiP2kcEtyJ0_pCfm4NQxIL0mse0OiUO-MDSN72JV0nNIuGuqTLLTnXL-d-5gwUyirc03f9s1_I7qkDIK-pcQHrcBJmxGAUGwaUS_ywOsqZ5pZQfRcFwHrRdSF1zY7FZO0Hz/s320/apple-macbook-air-laptop-pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Macbook Air. </span><a href="http://www.blavish.com/steve-jobs-does-it-again-with-macbook-air/">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Flat screen TV sets.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTbPqY2HTDUQcztV2orodz5Ap5oeR7aFpvsjj0ZcFeYpC_VXSDrAoby9gcY6_D423I0AxgHQcVx96LnkuB0jU5ORpcikZChaHh6Rj6pdrKezLA2YS8uSbWezIx-CXc3hgQhsmVnKqSAIO/s1600/flat-screen-TV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTbPqY2HTDUQcztV2orodz5Ap5oeR7aFpvsjj0ZcFeYpC_VXSDrAoby9gcY6_D423I0AxgHQcVx96LnkuB0jU5ORpcikZChaHh6Rj6pdrKezLA2YS8uSbWezIx-CXc3hgQhsmVnKqSAIO/s320/flat-screen-TV.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://coderanger.com/i/blog/flat-screen-TV.jpg">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">This device below, the ZERO wrist watch designed by Robert Dabi, has "<a href="http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/03/14/no-numbers-or-hands-but-it-tells-time/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+yankodesign+%28Yanko+Design+-+Form+Beyond+Function%29" rel="bookmark" style="font-weight: normal;">No Numbers Or Hands, But It Tells Time</a>."</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6ohOUX8j5qPY2Mtw6mNSBtvUIcZxorqXoTshVSn6vR330aFoCIZkkBFyadhSEcrRKvBLvXUitS_orRUzcDGf_Bm99JiTovGvU2j6wgeDGihIGwUEu6LcUszwUC20-bD6qyp3ouO7reD9/s1600/zero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6ohOUX8j5qPY2Mtw6mNSBtvUIcZxorqXoTshVSn6vR330aFoCIZkkBFyadhSEcrRKvBLvXUitS_orRUzcDGf_Bm99JiTovGvU2j6wgeDGihIGwUEu6LcUszwUC20-bD6qyp3ouO7reD9/s320/zero.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/8275513">See the video</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Here's another one:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgul6U-2xB5fNUBZsUceFimFLlMYPsAieMyeMQk-6pAah745ynybLDkGU92vwaF7MHwctt7zuRy0kikHPhyphenhyphenJd_r_dXfXElRT1j5D5G7oe6znhVxxbCYJcLS9XktFxhk3lrS5PauNi49Gjr5/s1600/wacom.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgul6U-2xB5fNUBZsUceFimFLlMYPsAieMyeMQk-6pAah745ynybLDkGU92vwaF7MHwctt7zuRy0kikHPhyphenhyphenJd_r_dXfXElRT1j5D5G7oe6znhVxxbCYJcLS9XktFxhk3lrS5PauNi49Gjr5/s1600/wacom.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Wacom Intuos 4 graphic tablet. </span><a href="http://www.khulsey.com/products_wacom_tablets.html">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Many science fiction films also incorporate the minimalist aesthetic thereby making it look visually appealing and associating it with the future. One example I can think of off the top of my head is one of the last scenes in Repo Men (2010), where all the interior design is white and sleek. The camera's focus was on Remy (Jude Law) and Beth (Alice Braga) getting hot and messy, and there was an element of dream or surrealism in the context of the plot, but still-- the interior design was quite futuristic. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Another example is the incorporation of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marin_county_civic_center">Marin County Civic Center </a>in the science fiction films Gattaca and THX 1138.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjWIEObabVfr7pUoXMlQXDzkluY5WdqXwWDlPW-gNylp3sSWhFxqHp7JIRASp9O3xCQ3PShq7XGLp-VriyTrfvObmkKVuWJOf2zjNQ48dEUy3S31FH074Dkbf6xo61teSEnLIrGSeSVrZ/s1600/gattaca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjWIEObabVfr7pUoXMlQXDzkluY5WdqXwWDlPW-gNylp3sSWhFxqHp7JIRASp9O3xCQ3PShq7XGLp-VriyTrfvObmkKVuWJOf2zjNQ48dEUy3S31FH074Dkbf6xo61teSEnLIrGSeSVrZ/s200/gattaca.jpg" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.celtoslavica.de/chiaroscuro/films/gattaca/gattaca.html">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiONTzH3cUAWdINBCqWliSb61ZbgwnnyX2EjkHd672wKZ3FjcG7Ww6uVtEa0RpHocTX1EoIqNjJAhCBplHc8WyYV8QoX0gwrj4p5rEcF80KkMFcpFTymLIMThKg1j_kC5ny7kY_HGe2s8/s1600/marincountycivicctr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiONTzH3cUAWdINBCqWliSb61ZbgwnnyX2EjkHd672wKZ3FjcG7Ww6uVtEa0RpHocTX1EoIqNjJAhCBplHc8WyYV8QoX0gwrj4p5rEcF80KkMFcpFTymLIMThKg1j_kC5ny7kY_HGe2s8/s320/marincountycivicctr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62092813@N00/2885421005">Photo Credits</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think that with further research this could be a pretty interesting argument: Technology represents progress and the future, and many designers of technological devices have taken up the minimalist aesthetic. As a culture we embrace technology, and the minimalist designs complete the package. (It also photographs well.) Therefore, we have come to value minimalism as high-tech, modern, futuristic, and therefore, cool. In this way, the minimalist style has come to be trendy and mainstream. </span></div>raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-32246541073932037792011-01-30T13:59:00.000-08:002011-02-21T17:33:08.557-08:00Home (Re-)Design Meets "DIY" Consumer Culture<div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #cccccc; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1913344170" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVO152TwVpQNriXaNSILIdnSG962u59Yda1xSIYnFefEnQg2Ki5j7JTC0yb5ipEgzPJGobnPwCBY0OMGgzPO8EMdJFcm99kMvJ7jEqIeY-tcWGrYi01VQq1TRsBOTeCUD9fXEOeYtFxlR/s400/Bedroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.homeinteriores.net/beauty-of-a-modest-bridal-room/">Image Source</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">When it comes to interior design, I think that it is especially distinct within the home, because the home space is the most personal and thereby subject to the most control by its inhabitants. Unlike spaces in the public arena, if people want to change their living space they can, to the extent that their level of ownership allows them of course. By this I am simply pointing out that an apartment dweller may be limited to rearranging or replacing the objects and furniture within their homes, whereas a house-owner has the liberty to paint the walls, drill holes, and build more things as long as it is not restricted by city building codes. (There are exceptions such as when people do make holes in their apartment walls, or when people create street art, but regulations do not permit these acts and impose consequences when they are violated.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">All of these circumstances seem fairly simple, but my question is: Why do people feel compelled to change their spaces? Where does this impulse to redesign come from?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #cccccc; float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHdk_SgUD7cj014QpNQ_8qIKh0F69uvea1_1ZeXuHj68SbrX-uBuKzMVSI_DDE5-C22V4ZrczEAvhyphenhyphenWfDAOdZzR1BKdipuhmutoDQvb9Rweqrteh95YiP0xNu0u_4ltIFWB1nnuQM3Md5/s1600/messyroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHdk_SgUD7cj014QpNQ_8qIKh0F69uvea1_1ZeXuHj68SbrX-uBuKzMVSI_DDE5-C22V4ZrczEAvhyphenhyphenWfDAOdZzR1BKdipuhmutoDQvb9Rweqrteh95YiP0xNu0u_4ltIFWB1nnuQM3Md5/s320/messyroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Some like it messy. <a href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2009/05/19/dad-calls-cops-for-son-s-messy-room.aspx">Image Source</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">On one level, the motivation is preference. For instance, everyone has different levels of sensitivity to their immediate surroundings-- some people are open to all kinds of colors, some people prefer neat spaces to messy ones or vice versa, some enjoy the presence of other people, others like to have alone time. These examples demonstrate a variety in sensations, different types of acclimatization, an assortment of associations, etc. Related to this is the psychological framework of space, where one perceives the environment as a kind of extension of one’s mentality or identity; some people may find that a messy space jumbles the mind, or find comfort in filling their space with objects, textures, and colors that hold positive memories and feelings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">But where does feeling lead to action, and where does the appeal of redecoration originate? If we think of redecoration and redesign as an expression of creativity, creativity comes from inspiration, and inspiration comes from everything else that we process from the world around us. This perspective aligns with the old adage that there is nothing new under the sun, so there may be nothing truly original from the sources. Taking derivatives of these sources, however, we do achieve a degree of novelty that marks a move away from what came prior. But how much novelty does this mean?</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #cccccc; float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A-IcmzP6jViq7o9cEE52W5WrnJPt9zFwWx_bMJhokUuNwWh5F2D0Z7l84-ADqH1dp0jefkAUjpUr_jcU7ydBzY-kpwOb572Zdj_MDgW_YEsBIGTQQEs5dfcXnTZn6W9g9wrteXdal_CQ/s1600/diy+paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A-IcmzP6jViq7o9cEE52W5WrnJPt9zFwWx_bMJhokUuNwWh5F2D0Z7l84-ADqH1dp0jefkAUjpUr_jcU7ydBzY-kpwOb572Zdj_MDgW_YEsBIGTQQEs5dfcXnTZn6W9g9wrteXdal_CQ/s320/diy+paint.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">PIY- Paint It Yourself! <a href="http://www.do-it-yourself.us/">Image Source</a></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In our modern society, I think that these sources of creativity for residential interior design often have close relationships with consumer culture in combination with the <a href="http://diy.wikia.com/wiki/Do_It_Yourself">DIY (Do-It-Yourself)</a> ethic. Although <a href="http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=3987">DIY culture</a> originally stands as a critique against modern consumer culture, it seems that consumer culture is recently adapting to the DIY mentality. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I have come to this conclusion after thinking for the past month about residential interior design in terms of the media (TV, magazines, blogs, online shopping), the economy (suppliers, marketing, consumption), personal observation (of the media and from recently visiting IKEA), and the insights presented in <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=0T3-3Ce5VocC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+system+of+objects&source=bl&ots=8IvPvgvttj&sig=LBw6f7i12EArzMm9OmVQELuqUeo&hl=en&ei=nAJjTdj2BoaWsgP0qonOCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false"><i>The System of Objects</i></a> by French sociologist <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/mar/07/guardianobituaries.france">Jean Baudrillard</a>. Given that this book was first published in France in 1968 (as <i>Le Système des Objets</i>), many of Baudrillard’s arguments are not applicable to today’s American society or at least in California as I am familiar with it, but some of his claims do ring true. </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #cccccc; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwdVuj_FmZgF7XK9gxKRT9Jwke06smCPeHD_44oNgKzRy5hoMkXmRCZVGBH_GU9uS-sF80WFG8-o3YbO_u9PWqxcOrSFvvJ02Pk8e5MmFjKHybA0wK_Xp6rqxAw3C-x_DZi6iP03sR3pW/s1600/DeskToBed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwdVuj_FmZgF7XK9gxKRT9Jwke06smCPeHD_44oNgKzRy5hoMkXmRCZVGBH_GU9uS-sF80WFG8-o3YbO_u9PWqxcOrSFvvJ02Pk8e5MmFjKHybA0wK_Xp6rqxAw3C-x_DZi6iP03sR3pW/s400/DeskToBed.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The above design optimizes a small space by having an interchangeable desk-to-bed arrangement. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://stagetecture.com/2010/02/home-too-small-office-bedroom-all-in-one-space/%20">Image Source</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baudrillard indicates that objects embody both a “technological system” in their bare materiality and construction, and also a “cultural system” in the way they structure human behavior and relationships. In his analysis of interior design, Baudrillard argues that with the increasing proliferation of objects, the relationships between people and furniture has become more spatially open and multi-functional. The earlier bourgeois function of furniture has been to mark boundaries within family relationships, but the modern role of furniture now places less emphasis on this symbolism and instead, pushes for “greater mobility, flexibility, and convenience” (Baudrillard 17). Baudrillard demonstrates how this transition comes into play in consideration of how the construction of interiors is broken up into parts, or “modular components,” which together value organization over traditional symbolism. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxcWmqri-FxDA4dK_H6Br39nTriFJGGpppd4xPqOuSTdRVwbITLVfPourC3dYD1QirhzPjfW9OSP4_LqrfJ93s-FcRUNaqTSQ2rGEcYRK3BMo-cTFP3tm-KNeu20JLQvaPYCzisxMD9q3/s1600/DeskByDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #cccccc; float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39JgjkPg72hcNjQ7YdFqIBHh8iwIje8M-SgNgH6hq4VAsY5hEs1CFau7TgZW__pTu9y4GmpmsU1iYUzTwJew3_TrbQEiB0CAGlz_xuQ1yWJ8CAC-ZolH2ySaG10v9cWeR5C56ZWB1cv34/s1600/hill_180510_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39JgjkPg72hcNjQ7YdFqIBHh8iwIje8M-SgNgH6hq4VAsY5hEs1CFau7TgZW__pTu9y4GmpmsU1iYUzTwJew3_TrbQEiB0CAGlz_xuQ1yWJ8CAC-ZolH2ySaG10v9cWeR5C56ZWB1cv34/s320/hill_180510_21.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A model interior. <a href="http://freshome.com/2011/02/17/charming-sustainable-home-in-washington-with-an-inviting-interior-design/">Image Source</a></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Good design highlights problems and proposes effective solutions, and organization is one commonly valued solution. When organization meets appealing aesthetics, it is even better design. Moreover, when these designs are structured into a business, presentation is of paramount significance. The display of cleanly furnished interiors at showrooms or in magazine catalogs represent Baudrillard’s concept of the “model interior” (Baudrillard 19). The “model interior” displays an ideal; it shows sublime examples, encouraging people to strive to attain it, to emulate it, and at least, be inspired.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Furthermore, Baudrillard discusses how the interior design market presents the subject more as an actor who creates the space. Perhaps this has to do with the proliferation of objects I referred to above and also with <a href="http://www.willamette.edu/%7Efthompso/MgmtCon/Fordism_&_Postfordism.html">Post-Fordism</a> which both attribute to the growing appeal of individual customization and independent design. </span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #cccccc; float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53tVlFO9XnxrfHHmD5Mq0vm76Q8vIt5w5Ix8S4v1w6QKBqqICyEKYR8_VdQRIBA3-lQknuiZH1lYWqtAdv0e_JwHpky1iSPwWeAV4Jk-7er_rJCG68ECZcXsI_xoTzehH5liYF-g6-uPK/s1600/2009-ikea-catalogue.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53tVlFO9XnxrfHHmD5Mq0vm76Q8vIt5w5Ix8S4v1w6QKBqqICyEKYR8_VdQRIBA3-lQknuiZH1lYWqtAdv0e_JwHpky1iSPwWeAV4Jk-7er_rJCG68ECZcXsI_xoTzehH5liYF-g6-uPK/s320/2009-ikea-catalogue.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">IKEA catalog cover. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.simplydecoration.com/page/38/">Image Source</a></span> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The point is, people more and more think of themselves as in control of their space, and they value the ability to customize to their own wants and needs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Businesses like Home Depot or Lowes, or furniture stores that sell self-assembly goods (which provide and package the parts so that the customers can assemble the furniture themselves) have adapted to this cultural yearning for individualization and turned it into a business model-- the trick is to provide the parts and designs, shape inspiration within the consumer’s mind, and ultimately, satisfy the consumer with a sense of uniqueness, independence, and cost-efficiency. By guiding customers with model designs and the tools to do the work themselves, companies like <a href="http://www.ikea.com/">IKEA</a> save money and gain the capacity to offer lower, more competitive prices. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">After all, who doesn’t love to save money? (ie. Spend less, still spending, nevertheless). And who cares if this sense of uniqueness and independence is an illusion if it is cheaper, useful, and looks nice? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">One possible criticism here is that as people turn to consumer avenues to recreate their spaces, they are simply buying a mainstream aesthetic style. This way, our spaces will only be as novel as the mind of the designer. Customization can certainly go steps further from the initial purchase (like by assembling in a different way or painting something different colors), but my impression is that most people are too lazy, too busy, or too indifferent to go that far. </span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another problem area is increased market competition— those who are not adapted to these user-oriented trends may not have the leverage to reach the average consumer and will instead be forced to focus on high-end, niche markets (at least if we are talking about residential interior design).</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So, in what ways does residential interior design translate into the vocabulary of consumer culture AND the Do-It-Yourself mentality? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span>Home is a personal space. It makes sense that people want to fashion it the way they see fit, and it is a space that people can realize their control.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span>Redecorating is not just a matter of moving around pre-existing objects. A lot of times, it requires an acquisition of new, different objects—an exchange of out with the old, in with the new. In other words, get/buy more stuff. (If it’s just a matter of changing colors, one still needs to buy more paint, more paint supplies, or just more colored textiles.)</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">3.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span>Inspiration comes from model, idealized interiors-- conceptualized by the designers and visually presented for consumers.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">4.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span>DIY activities are empowering and fun. (Well, for some it can be a hobby; for others it can be grueling frustration.)</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">5.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span>The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDHiCOvBMNU">DIY ethic is an ever-growing cultural trend.</a> We see it become increasingly pervasive in part because of the Internet which provides people a democratic way to exchange ideas and the means to shift market forces. </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">6.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Consumer culture with a DIY twist and a low price tag is purchase-friendly. Just take a look at <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_46/b3959001.htm">IKEA and their successful marketing strategies</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Work cited: Baudrillard, Jean. <i>The System of Objects.</i> Trans. James Benedict. New York: Verso, 1996. Trans. of <i>Les Système des Objects. </i>1968.</span></div>raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-49694323947305217712011-01-24T11:49:00.000-08:002011-02-16T13:10:36.639-08:00Fast-food (& Slow Food) Restaurants As Socially Mediated Spaces: The McDonald’s Effect<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #cccccc; float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRvEA79IA_t4yGMyVJ0AgVFxpmwNF7mJTEaGcqcpXUMEJTASCWyFibz3k-MvpqcOL1-fkv1so3svEUDVQSDDAHEgZvvEIr6XtHfcut-zYQExUPlRDrkkw3gAwO0OZO653xdsuBh2AcP2s/s1600/asian+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRvEA79IA_t4yGMyVJ0AgVFxpmwNF7mJTEaGcqcpXUMEJTASCWyFibz3k-MvpqcOL1-fkv1so3svEUDVQSDDAHEgZvvEIr6XtHfcut-zYQExUPlRDrkkw3gAwO0OZO653xdsuBh2AcP2s/s320/asian+restaurant.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lephantmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/picture-203.png">Image Source</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">In today’s day and age, there are all kinds of restaurants which serve an endless array of food with its multicultural flavors and in varying levels of speed and formality. Fast-food and drive-through places which emphasize convenience and low prices seek to earn profits from mass numbers of customers, whereas fancier restaurants can charge higher prices for their attention to details, service, and of course, taste. A major way to define the restaurant's style and corresponding social protocol lies in its spatial design and architecture which strongly shape the way the restaurant is run and in turn, how its customers respond.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8X-Q2IBboZKK-skGgU6hwFk1vQGch1HNOFsRJC8v0OSRzr5oQ237JdbfmzM2IdWfyi9wsKqt0pGTmFw4d9Di4xn7XIBBjJkICiQV6nd1jLxipQD5AgYiqFQPUHHNnv8AXKbLGf0OZ4Qki/s1600/inside+mcdonalds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8X-Q2IBboZKK-skGgU6hwFk1vQGch1HNOFsRJC8v0OSRzr5oQ237JdbfmzM2IdWfyi9wsKqt0pGTmFw4d9Di4xn7XIBBjJkICiQV6nd1jLxipQD5AgYiqFQPUHHNnv8AXKbLGf0OZ4Qki/s320/inside+mcdonalds.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://images.tdaxp.com/china/20060523/CIMG2300.JPG">Image Source</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">As a very straight-forward example, </span><span style="font-size: small;">McDonald’s and other comparable fast-food restaurants are sociologically significant, because they are spaces which are structured to mediate customer behavior in specific ways. </span><span style="font-size: small;">What many sociologists refer to as “<a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/whatisit.shtml">McDonaldization</a>,” beginning with George Ritzer’s <i><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=rMHZWgv4SrUC&pg=PT205&dq=mcdonaldization&hl=en&ei=sqRPTdeqNpG4sAPA7YCiCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">The McDonaldization of Society</a>, </i>provides an effective way to understand the social dynamics of physical space<i>.</i> I have read parts of this book for a <a href="http://sociology.ucsd.edu/undergraduates/documents/SOCB137WI09HAYDU.pdf">sociology course I took on food</a>, and I recall its explanation of how the common fast-food restaurant also has a strongly embedded cultural system within it as exemplified in part by the undeniable success of the McDonald’s fast-food chain.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ritzer argues that the success of McDonald’s has been premised on values of rationalization, such as calculability and efficiency, by means of controlling both the workers and the customers. McDonald’s production is heavily standardized and monitored, and the culture of eating at McDonald’s is also – perhaps subconsciously—controlled as well. Fast-food customers somehow adapt to the space and its processes by adjusting their behavior accordingly.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spatial cues such as the positioning of the menu, the uncomfortable chairs, the presence and locations of trash cans, and the layout of self-serve fountain drinks and condiments all add to the customers' ideas of how to act.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtbCt53xt1qTkGGUNBYqJ0R0ZTrokvguE-uCZuU5CJNldDvxoOLakbR3U0iHxSQoZQRHWyrhBHUE2aK_MkjIxwOi0-27mnsaPp5iAMloqPW3N8eexKOg3qLz2kj5Qt_pO3SHrC3BjRTXx/s1600/trash+can.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtbCt53xt1qTkGGUNBYqJ0R0ZTrokvguE-uCZuU5CJNldDvxoOLakbR3U0iHxSQoZQRHWyrhBHUE2aK_MkjIxwOi0-27mnsaPp5iAMloqPW3N8eexKOg3qLz2kj5Qt_pO3SHrC3BjRTXx/s320/trash+can.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.insidefortlauderdale.com/wp-content/gallery/photos/fiveguys_inside.png"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image Source </span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the defining features of the fast-food restaurant is the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">trash can which is intended for the customers to clear their </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">own tables after finishing their meals.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">People familiar with eating at a fast-food restaurant in the U.S. know that it is not a place to sit down and wait for a server. Instead, people wait in line and prepare their order in their head before they get to the cashier. If they have trouble deciding, the cashier is trained to prompt the customer for answers in a specific way and to input requests for more customized orders into the cash register. The customers are then given a number and must wait for their order to be called when ready. Ritzer explains that fast-food places like McDonald's use these numbers to keep track of how many orders have been prepared for the day and what kind, so as to optimize the business strategy. Also, the customer knows that the order shouldn’t take too long; if it does, s/he will probably want to verify the order or complain. Also, as Ritzer points out, most people who eat at the fast-food place understand that they are to bus their tables themselves.</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2PcbPCcio87OL9b4pgc_mm2iFS8koyBjoLbXomT5v7nP3qUFP-2eecKSw2cOAHRDSD2hHGXQ_howrDfMRJnXDeqNTQGKwZlrsU3oTk52UHZwxpUm4H08GhoLFgP1J6sRbloYHeRpXUR8/s1600/restaurant2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2PcbPCcio87OL9b4pgc_mm2iFS8koyBjoLbXomT5v7nP3qUFP-2eecKSw2cOAHRDSD2hHGXQ_howrDfMRJnXDeqNTQGKwZlrsU3oTk52UHZwxpUm4H08GhoLFgP1J6sRbloYHeRpXUR8/s320/restaurant2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ayresarchitects.com/html/images/hob_carolinaroom3_lg.jpg">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">In contrast, fancier sit-down restaurants design their interior spaces to convey a different ambiance and kind of social space with their particular attention to details. For instance, the combination of colors, light fixtures, decorative pieces, tables, chairs, floor panels, silverware, sound, waiter outfits, and overall geometry all add to an image. This image contributes to customer expectations of service, and may also explain to the customer why the bill is larger, making higher prices seem more legitimate. (However, </span><span style="font-size: small;">even if the restaurants scores low on interior design points</span><span style="font-size: small;">, it could still do relatively well given that the food is impressively delicious and less expensive, the place isn't horrifically dirty, and on top of that, the restaurant has a long-standing positive reputation.) </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">I may be pointing out the seemingly obvious here, but for the designer of the space, the decisions made about all these details in a restaurant are important. When a customer walks into a place to eat, the details I have examined come together to influence expectations, attitudes, and behavior. I would say that another emerging aspect of analysis, though, is cyberspace where a restaurant’s reputation and online presence --like a business website or <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-venice-san-francisco#hrid:-rvGtsL9pOyONQXi6S0gAg">web page</a> on social networking/review sites like <a href="http://www.yelp.com/">Yelp</a>-- are now of greater importance than ever before. </span></div>raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-57851406427179905642011-01-17T22:36:00.000-08:002011-02-07T00:57:14.707-08:00Interior Design in Virtual Worlds: The Sims<div style="color: #cccccc;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">I recently came across this article:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Signifying Play: The Sims and the Sociology of Interior Design,” by Charles Paulk in the Game Studies journal (Vol. 6, Issue 1, Dec. 2006. Web). Click <a href="http://www.gamestudies.org/0601/articles/paulk">here</a> to view the article.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">The author describes the emergence of The Sims and its widespread popularization since the year 2000. He comments on its then- unique subject matter—“virtual domesticity”—and describes its more gender-neutral appeal as compared to other games dominated by masculinity. He proceeds to analyze the “democratization of interior design” which refers to how interior design has developed over time into more of a do-it-yourself activity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I was surprised by the amount of depth the author goes into his analysis and research, because he even references Baudrillard’s <i>The System of Objects</i> (which I intend to read myself… perhaps the author has a background in sociology?) Basically, Paulk refers to Baudrillard to point out how objects like furniture are becoming increasingly commodified, “disposable,” and reduced to being an element of restructuring an environment, absent of its historical symbolism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #cccccc; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dMz6IW1aMJi_GbRYZj1M1Ik1Y9DJJvrCh12cjqqQKpgXWdruq-iGVcDnwKPJirXz4pn_A1K-ZGiU4Z0oJmK6FJCh3HD7l-XvEyNItG-yu5-EDsOhmMxaEB7gsunxdo6_lDwxg-M9Ra2N/s1600/Post+2_Sims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dMz6IW1aMJi_GbRYZj1M1Ik1Y9DJJvrCh12cjqqQKpgXWdruq-iGVcDnwKPJirXz4pn_A1K-ZGiU4Z0oJmK6FJCh3HD7l-XvEyNItG-yu5-EDsOhmMxaEB7gsunxdo6_lDwxg-M9Ra2N/s320/Post+2_Sims.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> (<a href="http://www.totalvideogames.com/TVG/preview-14854.html">Link</a> to image source)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">I found this article to be an enjoyable read. It does bring up some interesting thoughts of my own, however, some of which relate to my own personal experience of playing The Sims:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">I played The Sims when I was in 5<sup>th</sup> grade. Everyone plays it in their own way, some being forced to give up their Sim children to Social Services (is that what they're called?) due to neglect and poor childcare. It was entertaining to experiment with different building structures and decorative elements for the home which Paulk discusses more in depth in his article. It is interesting to look back on my experience, because I was not using it by saving up my Sims money or being careful about my purchases. Instead, I used codes my friend taught me which gave me instant money in my balance, which I could then use to choose the furnishings and architecture on purely aesthetic grounds. I eventually lost interest in the game, but this gaming experience demonstrates Paulk's arguments in the way I played the game, and my identity as female, because I'm not really a gamer. Also note that the time I used the game was before the newer variations of The Sims which caters to different niches of players, including an Interior Design version.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;">The possibilities for analysis of The Sims and its relationship to sociology are copious-- I could go more into the issue of gender or virtual identity, but my comments end here and I recommend the article.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
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</div>raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238157665507308523.post-70728741781820050012011-01-17T16:56:00.001-08:002011-02-25T22:25:52.087-08:00Introduction<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Welcome to my blog. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I will use this site to explore concepts of interior space and spatial design as they intersect with sociological issues.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: small;">What is sociology, you may wonder? (For those so inclined, Wikipedia comprehensively explains <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology">here.</a>) Given my background in sociology, I would explain the field as the study of anything having to do with society. More specifically, this means taking something seemingly ordinary and taken-for-granted, and then examining its underlying—often macro-level— processes. By studying its systems and relationships, the object or phenomenon of study can yield insights about society within a variety of areas like its economy, politics, history, culture, art, and much more. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Take clothes, as a generic example. (For the purpose of this blog, I picked a tangible item rather than an intangible thing such as an institution, human interaction, etc.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2056097898" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvUsviStFH5q2kzNi7wc62Nmb_flJGakzczi17v4np-9hYZE21VolC9xj3-6rZb1VYoDOoF_Y9wAmIuSoiogeGmRd7S8LhlZ_GwfRK2AXXaOXm9wHsqSRvvaqGsaHVNmHazinp16usU5S/s320/clothingrack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eastsideministry.org/clothing_bank.htm"> </a></td></tr>
</tbody> </table><span style="font-size: small;">What appears on the outside in its bare materiality is an outfit.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> A sociological perspective on this outfit, however, may look at the style, fabric, and the price, and then see a cultural product, textile technologies, exchange value, capitalist market economy, division of labor, globalization, class, gender, identity, media images, and so on.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">My particular interest lies in interior spatial design, which includes the industry of interior architecture and design, as well as the larger culture and past history of society’s approach to its built environment. I am generally more curious about the interior rather than the exterior, although this boundary is not always mutually exclusive. I am not quite sure why, but I think it is because I see the interior as more personal, psychological, and widely relevant, and these aspects raise many intriguing questions. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-RZmFhLxmXJdBpiY9Tqox-kpfGmLsQ1TySuIkUrykwfyOJcdOlLxuaj7JacOU4IFcMWEOdusxxzelnNCaVj1XdkLgsQ7yMNmGSJouZ-aGM60agKC-lXKFcCYyu7DTyxfVCIzdi8N7IEF/s1600/blueprint.gif" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-RZmFhLxmXJdBpiY9Tqox-kpfGmLsQ1TySuIkUrykwfyOJcdOlLxuaj7JacOU4IFcMWEOdusxxzelnNCaVj1XdkLgsQ7yMNmGSJouZ-aGM60agKC-lXKFcCYyu7DTyxfVCIzdi8N7IEF/s320/blueprint.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/files/original/blueprint.gif">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5G9hk8VJ8Qf1vgGjV3x645NqERT1ZxPE9VI9BbfkNGE_zm75TS-S-1F25HsHaQQaDOrULvT1VZvQDt2pC3mzfQt6thIH1sRoJ96SJ-Hf_rsv_A1yD00RPLx5ZVyCoiyOjCxhFV40yl2v/s1600/network_graphic1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5G9hk8VJ8Qf1vgGjV3x645NqERT1ZxPE9VI9BbfkNGE_zm75TS-S-1F25HsHaQQaDOrULvT1VZvQDt2pC3mzfQt6thIH1sRoJ96SJ-Hf_rsv_A1yD00RPLx5ZVyCoiyOjCxhFV40yl2v/s320/network_graphic1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.liv.ac.uk/researchintelligence/issue35/images/network_graphic1.jpg">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody> </table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Although disciplines like urban development, environmental studies, or even the sociology of technology touch upon some related issues, this type of focus that I highlight has not been available in my university studies. I do not think there has been much sociological research regarding interior spaces either. I am not even sure how such a study may be conducted, because interior design seems to be a highly interdisciplinary art form while sociology is a social science— how would one approach art in a social-scientific way? Art and science seem to contradict each other on principle, but I know the connection is present wherever there are patterns, trends, or people like Leonardo da Vinci. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Currently, I think that many art and design schools out in the world offer courses that address sociological concerns, but spatial design from the art perspective does not seem to be widely recognized by sociologists yet. Moreover, my understanding is that interior design is fairly new as an established profession. (The <a href="http://www.asid.org/">American Society of Interior Designers</a> is less than 50 years old.) The sociology of interior spaces is therefore a subject that I will research on my own, and which I may pursue more in-depth later on as I see how it goes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, interior design is distinct from and more complex than interior decorating (which is often what people think about when given the term “Interior Design,” in addition to the appearance of interior decorating projects in mainstream media). I recognize this difference, but I anticipate that I will include the issue of interior decorating in my blog here and there since it is still relevant to the way people use and experience their interior spaces.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Overall, I will approach this subject in my blog as a pastiche of observations, questions, and analyses. I would also like to draw upon classic sociologists and intellectuals like <a href="http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/75">Georg Simmel</a> and <a href="http://gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kellner/essays/baudrillardandart.pdf">Jean Baudrillard</a> who present some valuable ideas regarding the human use of space. My inspiration comes from my coursework, my own observations, independent research, and random findings. I am a student and claim no expertise in the matter-- I am just learning more about the world in front of me and would like to share my discoveries with other designers, artists, sociologists, and curious people in general, and I hope to have a broad audience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you for visiting.</span></div></div>raneboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579123134312319911noreply@blogger.com0