Contemplation Environments
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The overall exhibition structure was designed with one path throughout. Environments are numbered corresponding to the attached list. Since many of them are intended for one person, we request that when you reach an occupied environment, you either wait outside or proceed to another. CONTEMPLATION ENVIRONMENTS The Museum of Contemporary Crafts of The American Crafts Council 29 West 53rd Street, New York City 1. US CO/INTERMEDIA, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Contemplative Sounds. 1969. Recorded tapes contained within two upholstered fiberglass chairs; courtesy Lee Company, Los Angeles, California. 2. NEKE CARSON, New York City. "Moon-Man Fountain". 1968. Domed trans- parent plastic environment for two with water. Conceived as fountain in which people are the sculpture. Optical experiences result from water- filled platform. 3. RALPH HAWKINS, New York City. Environment for casting the I Ching elec- tronically. 1969. Steel container lined with fresh moss, stones, and wood. I Ching, the "Book of Changes", is an ancient Chinese guide to life. 8'x4'x4'. 4. JACKIE CASSEN, Rudi Stern, New York City. LARRY SILVERSTEIN: engineer. "Iswara" (principle of regeneration, Sanskrit). 1969. Environment intended to create electronically the effects of meditation. Negative oxygen ions; spiraling oscilloscope pattern; low frequency sound. 5. ALEPH, New York City: SAM APPLE, HARRY FISCHMAN, PETER HEER, JON OLSON. Plexiglas column containing stroboscopic crystal waterfall which surrounds participant. 1970. Structural Plexiglas courtesy Rohm & Haas, Philadelphia, Pa. H'x6'. 6. VICTOR LUKENS, New York City. "Inner Space Object" . 1970. Mirrored Plexiglas double-domed environment. Material courtesy Rohm & Haas. Phila- delphia, Pa.; Cadillac Plastic & Chemical Co., Linden, New Jersey. 7. UGO LA PIETRA, Milan, Italy. Open-ended tubular construction with lights activated by sounds made by viewer. 1969. Transparent plastic. 7' longx 3'x3' 8. PETER NICHOLSON, New York City. "Yantra" (word for meditation, Tibetan). 1970. Rhombicuboetahedron shaped overhead environment; reflective Mylar interior surfaces; illumination manually controlled to create warm or cool light. 5'x5'x5'. Sound by EMMANUEL GHENT, New York City. 9. ALEKSANDRA KASUBA, New York City. Walk-in form of stretched nylon; raised floor split with light. 1969. S'^xH*. 10. WENDELL CASTLE, Rochester, New York. Enclosed reclining environment for one. 1969. Laminated oak and flocked fiberglass; upholstered interior, sky- light, and reading light. Occupancy indicated by exterior light. 12' long x4'x50" 11. TED HALLMAN, JR. , Lederach, Pa. "Centering Environment". 1969. Woven cube Acrilan fibers on steel frame; fibers courtesy Monsanto Company, New York City. 12. ROBERT BORNN, New York City. Environmental Conditioning Room. 1969. Visitor's emotional output is given audio-visual form through the operation of a bio-electronic translator. Designed and built by Thomas J. Scarpa, Edison Instrument Co., Metuchen, New Jersey. Electrical equipment, courtesy Walters Electric, New York City. 13. TERRY FUGATE-WILCOX, New York City. Air Shower. 1969. Circular Plexiglas platform surrounded by pillars supporting mirrored ceiling. Warm air currents and light activated by stepping on platform. 9'x4'. 14. URBAN JUPENA, Bloomfield Hills , Michigan. Dimensional woven rug supported by illuminated platform. 1969. Multi-colored yarns; 7'x7'. 15. IRV TEIBEL, Syntonic Research, Inc., New York City. Aural environment attained through recorded sound, psychologically proven to effect moods. 1969-70. Recordings of ocean, computer-synthesized bells, dawn at New Hope, dusk at New Hope. Tape recorders courtesy Panasonic, New York City. 16. JOHN FISCHER, New York City. "Turf Room" 1970. Fresh turf surrounding the viewer on all sides induces security through prior conditioning. SKETCHES RICHARD ALASKEWICZ, Pratt Institute A sidewalk contemplation environment located in a densely, active area. The individual is able to withdraw from the activity of the city by entering passage- ways where light, color, sound, form and texture gradually transport him through an experience of closeness with nature and union with the inner self. NEIL CARNOW, Pratt Institute Suspended sound-proof sphere to be installed on the subway platform where one can remove himself from noise and congestion. NORMAN KATZ, CCNY School of Architecture Proposal for a contemplation environment in the Central Park Reservoir. A plat- form located in the center of the reservoir, accessible by tubular, covered walk-ways, where one is surrounded by a circular wall of water. DOMINGO KIM, Pratt Institute Underwater plastic environments suspended from the deck of a ship such as the Circle Line or the Staten Island Ferry. ROBERT KLEIN, CCNY School of Architecture Public environment in which water is circulated between tiered seating units. MARIANA LISNEVSCHI, CCNY School of Architecture Portable, self-inflatable contemplation environment which the individual can set up anywhere to escape the city. STEVEN ROTHENBERG, CCNY School of Architecture Series of cubicles in a capsule traveling by cable between the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. YVES SARANGA, CCNY School of Architecture A structure to be placed in Herald Square which will allow the individual to escape the city by ascending a tower to a series of isolated cubicles. MARK SALTZ, CCNY School of Architecture Public Environmental Center. A vacant space between existing buildings where walls serve as projection surfaces for continuously changing, multi- media presentation. A SERIES OF PROPOSALS BY ALEPH: Sam Apple, Harry Fischman, Peter Heer, Jon Ols 1. ORANGE FREEZE: foam undulations form a place to sit, a nest to lie, arms to cover. Urethane forms grown off of a wall surface, heat, light, sound. 1970 Jon Olson 2.COSMIC RAIN FOREST: the sound of rain, the gleaming jungle colors, the peace of rain, inside reflections of self. Mirrored half dome, air plants, heat, light, soft upholstered couch, sounds. 1970 Jon Olson 3. A CLOUD: high inside, mist of glowing balls, cloth-soft and giving to the touch. Inflated spheres with embedded lights suspended on cables or supported on pneu- matic tubes. 1970 Jon Olson 4. RUSH: fluid form, a bursting, crystal colored flow of liquid motion. Air bubbles in glass tunnels, heat, light. 1970 Peter Heer 5. CLEAVAGE: return, sense of golden warmth, soft, rounded shoulders, shapes of women's breasts create a cave. Urethane foam, embedded flourescent lights, sound. 1970 Sam Apple 6. ROUND YON VIRGIN: a smooth dark weightless bed, a tunnel in freefall, filled with rich sound. 1970 Sam Apple 7. AIR MEMBRANE BLOW BAG: the space is air, poured under plastic, light caught, spread, flows the surface. Plastic film, air jets , projections , foam flooring. 1970 Sam Apple 8. SLICES OF A FLY'S SIGHT: particles of light, each small slice of reality, trapped in its own plastic stem, and streaming back together. Acrylic rods in a helmet shape. 1970 Jon Olson 9. THETA FORCE: an expression of life's growing thrust. Form for a mile-high city. 1970 Harry Fischman 10. FURTHER OUT: impression of gravity free form. 1970 Sam Apple. CONTEMPLATION ENVIRONMENTS Museum of Contemporary Crafts of the American Crafts Council January 20 to March 8 This exhibition is primarily concerned with the effect of spaces on man as a contemplative spirit (being) / with the kinds of physical and architectural surroundings which elicit a peaceful, meditative response from man. The exhibition does not seek to enumerate or explore the various processes by which man achieves contempla- tion in a systematic or religious sense nor does it intend to imply that such contemplation requires a particular environment. CONTEM- PLATION ENVIRONMENTS is intended as a series of experiences in which the architectural surroundings and their physical and visual content interacts with, and modifies, the mood and psychological state of each individual visitor. The significant aspect of the exhibition is that it was developed and not collected. As the staff of the MCC researched the subject of contemplation environments , we found that many artists were extremely interested and involved in the concept, and were excited by the possibility of participating in an exhibition where each would have an area to work in. In some cases, partial elements of the final structures already existed; in other cases, pieces had to be completely fabricated. We were aided by the generosity of various suppliers who contributed materials and fabricators who collaborated with us. Because of the scale and environmental quality of the exhi- bition as we envisioned it, we engaged an architect, Gamal El-Zoghby, to work with each artist to find the best architectural solution to each concept. An underlying challenge was the development of a totally unified environment, one which would direct the viewer through the exhibition in the most efficient manner, would be expressive of the theme of the exhibition, and would provide each environment with discrete space. I wish to extend my appreciation to all the artists who cooperated in developing the exhibition and to Gamal El-Zoghby for his architectural coordination. I also wish to thank the companies who generously contributed materials toward the construction of several environments. Paul J. Smith Director .