Art Lovers discussion

These are just a few suggestions; Remember, if you choose to read a book in this category (and it can be any architecture and/or sculpture book) please put your name and the name of the book under 'comment'. You may even let us know your progress and what you are learning. When you finish the book, we look forward to your review!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14...

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76...

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35...

I thought this was a great way to go to through my library of books that I have shelved but not read. The book I found that caught my interest was "Looking Around: A Journey Through Architecture" by Witold Rybczynski. This is a collection of essays written by Rybczynski between 1986 and 1991 and compiled into this book.
Caryl

That book sounds good, Caryl. I have always thought architecture was interesting. I thought about studying interior design in college but had to take all the drafting classes for architecture and found that I just don't have the eye for it. I think I will just appreciate it 'from afar'.

Rybczynski"s book "Looking Around" is divided up into three main sections. The first section is devoted to essays on "Homes and Houses". I am enjoying the essays about Victorian homes and the purpose of rooms and how they have changed over time, the parlor being one example. Also, an essay on the history of porches and their popularity, demise and their reoccurring popularity is fun to read about. Porches are an extension of the house but yet a totally different expectation of behavior is supposed when they are utilized. That behavior being of a relaxed, sociable nature, interacting with the outdoors while still at "home". Part two is on "Special Places". I hope to get to that sometime this week.

That book sounds interesting already, especially the essay on porches. I never though of the 'expectation of behavior' while just sitting on a porch. Things one never thinks about yet it is true.

It will be too much for a single month, but I was going to start reading one of these days, so I pointed out. and I will try to reconcile with the rest .. I'm reading :-)..
A history of Western ArchitectureDavid WatkinA History of Western Architecture

Wow, 720 pages, I would say that is a little much for a single month! But I like your choice. I especially like how it explains, "Throughout the book the author's approach is to see architectural history as a living continuity rather than as a museum of neatly labelled styles." To me, it brings in more meaning and familiarity to the architecture rather than just memorizing different styles and eras. It sounds good!

dottie reading- Gaudi: A Biography by Gijs van Hensbergen

Wow, Dottie. Maybe I'm a bit ignorant as far as architecture goes, but I'm not familiar with Gaudi or his buildings. I looked and the book got some really good reviews. I will be interested to know what you learn, you can enlighten me a little more!

Gaudi has always interested me with his organic architecture. I am interested in what Dottie has to say about his style of architecture. I would definitely like to view it in person.

Getting to Barcelona is on my travel 'to-do' list and visiting his buildings will be awe inspiring.

Is a matter of taste, personally Gaudi do not appeal to me much , though I recognize its originality.

Have you made a dent in your History of Western Architecture yet, Fran?

my daughter is reading it now, I stayed in Egypt..., we must share it :-)

Caryl wrote: "Gaudi has always interested me with his organic architecture. I am interested in what Dottie has to say about his style of architecture. I would definitely like to view it in person. "

Heather wrote: "Wow, Dottie. Maybe I'm a bit ignorant as far as architecture goes, but I'm not familiar with Gaudi or his buildings. I looked and the book got some really good reviews. I will be interested to know..."

Heather wrote: "Wow, Dottie. Maybe I'm a bit ignorant as far as architecture goes, but I'm not familiar with Gaudi or his buildings. I looked and the book got some really good reviews. I will be interested to know..."

I was overwhelmed by the physical strucutures that he invented when I was in Barcelona in 2006. The Sagrada Familiar took my breath away and I had to sit down. The place was abuzz with artists molding plaster, carving sculpture, fitting glass and tile for mosaics, and pouring concrete. All of his buildings defy gravity and are surreal. To me there is nothing to compare him to. The catherdral is set to open for worship soon and I would encourge everyone to visit. The bio is very good and speaks to me after being in the city and visiting so many of the places that are referenced.
I read Gaudi Unseen over the weekend to give me more visuals of the buildings and the mathmatical concepts of the structures.
To visit his buildings is to step through to another dimension....truly magical!

Hi everyone. I'm new here. I hope you don't mind if I jump in to say that the new part of Sagrada Familia, where work has been going on, was not designed by Gaudi.

Gaudi is responsible for the older part, the part that looks kind of like a combination between a Gothic cathedral and a drip castle.

The newer part, which is still under construction, was designed by a committee (and it looks it) riffing off of Gaudi's partially destroyed plans with "modern adaptations."

This is Gaudi's work. The new construction is going on in the rear.

Thanks for the info on Gaudi! And for the picture of his work Ruth! I like what he did over what they are building in the back. Sad they are adding on to it and not keeping it close to his design.

Absolutely, Andrew. The new stuff already looks dated and seems to have little connection with the old.

But as the cathedral was never finshed according to Gaudi's plans, they're not adding on, but trying to complete it. Too bad the halves don't match.

But if you think about it, this merely continues what happened earlier with cathedral building. In the Medieval, the Age of the Cathedral, it often took a few hundred years to get one finished, and plans would be changed to keep up with "modren" times.

Here is the cathedral at Chartres, with its unmatched towers.

Yup sucks that it took them so long to build these buildings that they end up looking awkward! But hey I guess it is good they have a roof over their head :)

Gaudi didn't leave plans which is one reason they've been inventing all this stuff. The Sagrada Familia is the one Gaudi structure I don't tend to visit because of all the additional work that has been done by others. As someone mentioned, it will be finished soon and they say the Pope may come to consecrate it. My favorite Gaudi buildings are the crypt at Colonia Guell, the Parc Guell, and Casa Mila with those incredible chimney formations.
Ruth wrote: "Absolutely, Andrew. The new stuff already looks dated and seems to have little connection with the old.

But as the cathedral was never finshed according to Gaudi's plans, they're not adding on, ..."

I thought he left some plans, but they were incomplete or lost. Never matter. If you stick to the old side, Sagrada Familia is well worth a visit.

But I love Parque Guell. Fantastic. We were there on a Sunday when the place was thronged and lively. It was wonderful.

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/20...

The Ghost City of Ani.
These photographs are amazing.

http://www.offgridquest.com/inspirati... Now this, this, is a tree house. Seems worthy of
Tolkein!

Ed wrote: "http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/20...

The Ghost City of Ani.
These photographs are amazing."

wow, thank you, Ed. Some of those are kind of freaky.

PBS is showing "Super Skyscrapers" tonight at 9 central. Not Gaudi or Tolkien material, probably, but might be interesting. It's the first of a four part series. Don't know if I'll get to watch it or not.

Sorry, I didn't post this earlier. Thought about it, but didn't get it done.

I found some books on/with Gaudi in MSSU's catalog a few minutes ago. Planning on getting them Monday night, if the weather's well. Suppose to get another batch of snow and rain/sleet/etc. this weekend. I am so ready for warm and dry weather!

Theresa

The episode was more on the glass pane setting and the concrete pouring and the spire than showing building plans, etc.

But still interesting. There's a 90 minute deadline from loading the cement trucks at their company to site arrival to getting the concrete pumped up to the proper floor, through only a six inch pipe, for example. Emotionally moving was the parade of spire components from the dock to the site, with many of the ironworkers walking beside, and a full police escort, with lights and sirens and moving several streetlights etc. in the process to let the spire parts through. With the spire the building is 1776 feet tall.

There was some footage of the Trade Centers being built, and some of the attack, if you or should you see it.

Next week is an episode set in China.

Theresa

By the way, I checked out a sculpture technique book and "The Pride of Place" by Robert A.M. Stern from the Webb City library last week for sculpture and architectural. There's not any Gaudi in the latter book, but a little about Isabella Gardner :). She had more spunk than I imagined her to have when we read the theft book.

Ah, looks like another Missouri Evergreen library has Gaudi: the Visionary. MSSU has Gaudí: an architecture of anticipation, Antonio Gaudi (by George Roseborough Collins - but I don't think it's the right Gaudi), and
Art nouveau (Jeremy Howard - again, maybe not the right Gaudi).

I also spotted an entry for the History of Western Architecture, looking now for the other books suggested above, if anyone wants to discuss further????

Haven't seen much for the Ghost City of Ani, though. :(.

Theresa

Gaudi's first name was Antoni (in Catalan) or Antonio (in Spanish), and he worked in the art nouveau style, called modernista in Catalunya/Spain, so it seems like the right Gaudi.