Project 2: Painting Analysis

Chosen Painting: A Girl reading a letter by an Open Window by Jan Vermeer

Viewers are inevitably drawn to the painting due to their desire to understand the girl's emotional response towards the letter - however by purposely maintaining it as a secret, it enhances the mystery and allure of Vermeer's work. Thus while the central placement of the girl and intense atmosphere of stillness captures our curiosity, her expression is kept unreadable in both her reflection and figure.

We desire to delve into her thoughts because her firm hold on the paper reveals deep concentration. Her absolute separation from reality is then suggested by the heaped tablecloth and fallen plate of fruit - she hastily set aside her work so as to focus on the letter. This same haste is suggested by the placement of the curtain over the window; its unstable heap which threatens to fall, suggests the girl was only interested in achieving light to read the letter contents.

Thus the entire presence of the window and beautiful natural light which floods inside, are downplayed to emphasis her Internalisation. Bottom windows are rarely open in Dutch settings and would have granted magnificent outside views. However despite this privelage where the light embraces her figure and illuminates the wall, she remains absorbed in her letter.

The space feels distinctively feminine due to the soft, flowing texture of fabric which frames the painting, and prominent crimson colours. Furthermore through the use of the same tablecloth in Vermeer's painting 'A Girl Asleep', the painting arouses speculation that the girl's strong response to the letter could be due to young female love. This is what i felt was suggested in ‘A Girl Asleep’; with the door left ajar, the table set and the female sleeping on an upright arm, she would have fallen asleep reluctantly as otherwise she was waiting for the return of someone important to her. For me, 'waiting' communicates a sense of longing for human companionship, where space feels 'empty' until their return. Thus the space in 'A Girl reading a Letter by an Open Window' also feels stifled, as the girl's anticipation over someone valuable to her, freezes the moment for the viewer.

Our appreciation at being included in the moment is enhanced through the theatrical technique shared by many Dutch painters - the use of a curtain. In the painting, its placement to the side of the foreground suggests we are granted a rare and precious insight into a highly personal and secretive moment. This is supported by how the top windows are blocked out; as I believe they are symbolic of the presence of higher beings, their exclusion reinforces the privelage we have in viewing the situation.

ARCH1201 Submission 1

My awesome partner Daina and I were assigned Robert Venturi's Mother House :) It was my first time using white card/plasterboard as a modelling material and (aside from how difficult it is to make walls meet sloping roofs!) i really liked that medium. It had an amazing finish.

My poche emphasises how Venturi's Post Modern work sits firmly on the site (to oppose the Modern preference for elevated structures) and the heaviness of the walls. In elevation, these walls establish a strong silhouette which mocks the clique 'house' facade while in plan, reinforces the rectilinear building shape as it was based upon a longitudinal axis.

The exploded axonometric program reveals the separation of the house into public and private sectors. The left, as suggested by the walls, are private bedrooms while the right is the lounge, dining and kitchen area. It also portrays the fireplace and staircase as the central elements to the home.

Through the parti, Venturi's creation and deliberate disruption of Palladian rigidity and symmetry is evident; he moves the portico to inside the house, conglomerates the fireplace and staircase along the central axis so as to cause a diagonal entry and introduces diagonal walls. The sense of harmony prevalent in classical architecture is lost through the conflict suggested by the fireplace and staircase as they battle for dominance; the fireplace is pushed off centre by the stairs, and the stairs narrow halfway due to the chimney.

Then challenging Modern principles, Venturi incorporates only 1 column for structural purposes, applies ornament, uses his facades as 'masks' to hide rather than express internal horizontality, and introduces conflict of scale through the chimney that appears both too large and too small for the house.

I was assigned the front half of the house while Daina did the back and site :) It was an extremely confusing composition as building elements frequently overlapped and invaded others.

Daina's wonderful back facade!!




The inside of the front half of the house. We realised only towards the end that there was a basement level and therefore how the chimney also serves a structural purpose. To reinforce how the chimney/fireplace is the core of the building, i made it as a continuous structure where the rest of the house (floors, roof) wrap around it.

ARCH1142 Reflection

Due to the range of skills and mediums employed in this course through its alternating electives, it has been a highly beneficial and insightful experience. A major highlight would be our ability to choose what we want to learn, whether it be a first encounter with such techniques/concepts or a desire to further hone our skills. Some new concepts i learnt was the importance of navigation, from the Atlas of Colour, and proper use of white space so as to enhance images. That was honed by my study of a precedent book in the Atlas of Colour, and compositional issues in Technical Drawing. Meanwhile while i was already experienced and confident with drawing, i felt that Technical Drawing further disciplined the values of patience and precision, while Fluid Thoughts taught me the importance of letting go of previous conceptions and attitudes, as experimenting allows one to further develop their skills and thinking.

Lowlights and the greatest challenge, would have been the pressure of time constraints, which i felt especially in the Atlas of Colour workshop as the cohesive presentation & navigational system (a huge aspect of the course) had to be left to the final week when all exercises had been completed. I have always been proud of my time management skills and desire to perfect what i do, so it was quite frustrating to have to present without being 100% satisfied with my final work.

I will definately carry on in further years, the skill of a sophisticated approach to composition, correct use of white space and successful sequencing. I also desire to change my rigid approach to art - sticking only to the techniques and mediums i am confident with - to instead embrace all approaches and methods. This course has taught me a range of ways to capture 3D space on 2D mediums, where i need to keep an open attitude so as to further my learning.

ARCH1142 Fluid Thoughts

A few photos of the daily day&night, interior&exterior sketches we had to do :)
At first i made the mistake of using pencil - sorry!!! But from week 2 i switched to charcoal.

This was one of my favourite sketches, because although simple, it really explores light and shadow during the day in a subtle, beautiful manner.

Another one of my favourites! I like the scratchy/grainy texture i managed to achieve with the charcoal (a first!) and how the scattered shoes add a human quality to the space...in again a subtle manner.
Charcoal is quite amazing for the various shades of grey and extreme black it can achieve! I think this tonal exploration is quite evident in this sketch.





I like the dramatic contrast between the untouched white paper and grey/black shadows.

I was quite surprised and happy with how i achieved such opacity/transparency/reflection with the media here! A celebration of the qualities of light :)
Final Drawing Presentation

3 views of the Sydney Opera House as one composition, so as to capture movement and a spatial experience. I found transparency the greatest technique, but looking back upon it, i should have further explored the other 2 techniques. I rushed my sky and so it's quite flavourless - just grey smudges.
Anton and Chrissie's desire for us to draw quickly and capture an impression, meant that i couldn't use the charcoal medium in the way i was accustomed to; slower, more traditional sketching, where the result would be a realistically shaded and rendered image. This 2nd drawing was achieved in such a manner, because we had more time and only needed to capture one view.
The still life exercise although our objects weren't moved until a long time later, and so we didn't get to finish our drawings. As evident through the cup, i carried over the technique of transparency i learnt from the Sydney Opera House experience. I also tried to intersect images...although that wasn't finished in the drawing. Another interesting technique i learnt was using the eraser to take away some of the previous drawing (especially as my tones were quite heavy), and work over the space again.

It was difficult at first to break the mindset of subtracting some of the drawing we had done, but i realised this experimental, unrestricted attitude to drawing was neccessary for one to embrace all possibilities in capturing space and sensations of movement.
Another unfinished drawing ( of a view from the Red Centre and then a close-up element placed boldly over it. As i knew i couldn't finish my background sketch in time, i was purposely selective with the elements i decided to shade, so that i could provide an impression of my intention. I chose the trees for their whimsical character, and in contrast the building with its defined rectilinear edges and strong shadow/light relationship. Through transparency, i was able to preserve the original fabric of the drawing and make it of almost equal strength to the close-up, despite being unfinished. I like how dark the shading is on the left of the funnel, as it's quite bold and dramatic :)
Finally our group collaboration, where Alise gave me a description of the space. I personally am not too happy with this drawing as i feel - by drawing off my imagination - it all looks a bit cartoonish rather than realistic :S And therefore, may be a bit restricted in conveying a true spatial experience? Therefore I tried to get the shading right so as to bring forth some realism.