Tim Formgren Portfolio UWE
Master of Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 2)
Iridescence Experiment, Hooke Park,
Dorset, UK.
THIRD YEAR
Petrol Stations in the UK. Architectural Association, School of Architecture
A short brief at the beginning of third year looking at different edge conditions. Service Stations, as we know them, are coming to an end and there’s now an opportunity to succeed the old with a new typology. A design to service its surrounding inhabitants both in the urban, edge and rural. For over 130 years this category of building, like no other, has provided the traveler with fuel for both themselves and their mode of transportation. As the era of petroleum driven transport is facing its inevitable demise, the world is now turning to electricity. What will become of the Service Stations? This project investigates the opportunities, potential, disadvantages and dangers of designing a new form of typology to attach itself, or fully replace, the old gas stations around London. Orphaned spaces adopted by a new era.
There are currently 531 petrol stations within the Greater London Area. New petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from sale in the UK in 2030. As the diesel and petrol vehicle are pashing out, what will become of the petrol station?
Excavating tanks.
E85, Diesel, Oil, EV-charging
Food, snacks, simple groceries, café
tire services
Amount of Petrol Stations in Greater London area, 2022.
Petrol,
Fast
Car wash,
Conveience
store
Excess petrol removal.
1:200 Plan of Petrol Station forecourt.
EV Charging point Standard size forecourt in plan. 2016 of EV charging points fitting on foreourt. Filling tanks with foamed
concrete. Removal and transport of tanks.
Stations
the UK. Year 00 01 07 13 02 08 14 03 09 15 04 10 16 05 11 17 06 12 18 19 20 21 15.000 12.500 10.000 7.500 5000 2.500
Decomission of fourcourt. Decline
of Petrol
in
UNDERGROUND OIL CHAMBER DESIGN
Third Year Architectural Association, School of Architecture
This design aims to expose what lies beneath the ground of a petrol station. A conceptual space where oil from an underground oil tank is slowly dripping and running through a series of grooves and channels, disappearing, appearing, dripping from walls and funnels to eventually all end up in a large pool of oil at the end. The slanting floors guide the oil through the space above your head, inside the glass brick walls, alongside the skirting of the walls and in the floors. Based on the domestic act of Hide and Seek, this space aims to give you hints and clues of the oils whereabouts but never knowing where it will turn up next.
Design iterations
Port
Undisguised infrastructure at the center
Hollow slits for the derricks to be
to different wells
Site: Los Angeles + Aesthetic Mitigation research
Third Year Architectural Association, School of Architecture.
The notion of Hide and Seek, the fascination of oil, and the oil industry, has led my project to Los Angeles and its “aesthetically mitigated” oil-infrastructure. Man-made islands and builings cover the ongoing oil extraction in the middle of the urban fabric in Los Angeles. In this example the island White, uses fake waterfalls, concrete panels, planted vegetation and other tricks to hide the interior oil infrastructure from people on the beaches of Long Beach. Island White is one out of 4 man made islands to extract oil on the fringes of Long Beach.
Island White, Long Beach, CA.
moved
Planted vegetation
Rocks and sand to imitate beach and natural coast line
Waterfalls to reduce noise pollution of the drilling
Different coloured lights lighting up the panels at night
Disguised Oil derrick
Concealing panels of Island White.
Concealing panels and man-made waterfall on Island White.
Tall wall panels blocking sound and visibility of the center exposed infrastructure
Open roof
Packard Well 5733 W Pico Blvd. 90019
Facade mimicking an office building
Colour to blend in with the surroundings
Tall walls surrounding the site to reduce visibility and noise pollution from the drilling
Retail / Resturants Residential
Tower of Hope 6417 South Normandie Ave. 90044
Fake facade covering the actual oil derrick
Facade consisting of a sound absorbing vinyl.
Painted with flowers by hospitalised children
Cardiff Tower 9101 W. Pico Blvd and S. Doheny Dr. 90035
Mimicking the appearence of a synagogue
Hospital
Vegetation
Retail
Tall walls
School / Sports field Residential
Offices / Retail
Residential
Parks
Engines
Draw Works
Crown Block
Derrick Traveling Block
Crown BlockBlock
Crown BlockBlock
Stand Pipe
Swivel
Kelly
Rotary Drive
Blowout Prevention
Mud Pump Mud Pit
Site: Los Angeles + Aesthetic Mitigation Research
Third Year Architectural Association, School of Architecture.
Oil Derrick
Other oil-sites are concealed using fake facades mimicking that of office buildings, synagogues or light houses. Cobined with tall walls, vegetation and dull colours, these structures are the perfect camouflage in the city of Los Angeles. A poisonous architecture hiding in plain sight.
Drill Pipe
Drill Casing
Drill Bit
the interior
exposing
Third Year Technical Thesis
Iridescence and Photoelasticity
As part of the Environmental Technical Studies at the AA, all third year students are to develop a technical design thesis and submit a book of the research and design. My interest in iridescence and birefringent colours resulted in a 200 page document of research, testing, and final design.
Photoelasitc Booth, final Technical Studies model.
PHOTOELASTIC APPARATUS 01.
Third Year, technical thesis.
Architectural Association, School of Architecture
My interest in interference and its colour produced further led me to investigate and work with photoelasticity and iridescence as my material for my technical thesis.
This model is a 1:1 Photoelastic Booth in which the birefringent colours of photoelasticity can be closely examined and interacted with.
Section Long Elevation
Short Elevation
PHOTOELASTIC APPARATUS 01.
Third Year, technical thesis.
Architectural Association, School of Architecture
The model was built during 5 days in Hooke Park, Dorset, UK. A series of frames and layers of polarising filters are attached to the booth. At the back, a LED-panel fixed onto a turntable allows for the polarisation to change between vertical and horizontal.
Horizontal polarisation
Vertical polarisation
No polarisation
Vertical polarisation
Horizontal polarisation
Diagram showing light-rays travelling through the polarisation filters through the plastic from the light source.
Applying stress to the plastic sheet.
PHOTOELASTIC EXPERIMENTATION. PLASTIC MOULDS.
Third Year, ongoing, technical thesis. Architectural Association, School of Architecture
A series of vacuum formed plastic objects shaped in angular, curved and porous appearence and form to induce as much stress into the object as possible to create different patterns and colouration of birefringence.
Technical third year thesis, Research + Experimentation.
Architectural Association, School of Architecture. Hooke Park, Dorset.
Iridescence and photoelasticity has a lot in common and aimed through this model to be able to better analyse and observe iridescent colours in oil. By applying thin layers of oil on top of water the colours could be observed with a macro lens showing its seemingly indefinate depths of colour.
Iridescence is not pigment, its the refraction of light which our eyes percieve as different colours. Going back to the notion of hide and seek, iridescence is the optimal “material” for this. It loves to hide and conceal itself only to be viewed in certain angles.
Video of iridescence in the box: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Dt6EAaZHj2s&t=47s
Other experiments investigating iridescence.
Funnel 0mm 50mm 500mm Light source
channel Funnel support Fish tank Think film of oil Water Frame Legs Mirror Light reflective surface
light absorbing surface Excess oil collection tube
Oil
Dark
Iridescent box model in Hooke Park, Dorset, UK.
Iridescence experiment, oil on water.
Diagram showing angles of constructive interference + destructive interference within the Iridescent Box model
Iridescent dragonfly wing under microscope.
Iridescence experiment. Soap bubbles. Iridescence experiment, nail polish on water.
Hooke Model 1 Elevation 1:2 @ A2
Iridescence of oil inside model.
30° 50° 60° 73° 76° 90°
Oil Monuments Final Third Year Project Architectural Association, School of Architecture.
For my final Third Year project, conceptualized a compelling narrative that wove together my proposals, utilizing a multimedia approach. The focal point of my presentation was a blend of 3D animated videos, drawings, and researched content, all choreographed to synchronize seamlessly with a pre-recorded narrative. This narrative not only served as a guiding thread throughout my presentation but also encapsulated the essence of my entire project. My work aimed to challange traditional presentation formats, embracing a storytelling approach to engage and captivate the audience. The following is a concise overview of the narrative conveyed, providing insight into the overarching theme and objectives of my project.
“Among the boundless expanse of the California desert, eight majestic monuments proudly rise, paying homage to oil. These monuments are a celebration of oil’s essence, tracing its origin back to ancient living beings, and appreciating its inherent beauty. Each structure showcases distinctive aspects of oil, from its alluring aroma to its mesmerizing iridescence and reflective qualities. This symbolic procession signifies the poignant homecoming of Californian oil, retracing its path to the underground depths where it began, thus completing a profound journey through the annals of time.
These structures, hidden amidst the rugged terrain, bear witness to a clandestine chapter in history - the legacy of the Oil Resistance Effort (O.R.E), a secretive society founded in the late 1920s amidst the encroaching shadow of oil derricks that began to dominate Los Angeles.
As the city’s skyline transformed with the relentless march of industrial progress, a group of visionaries, environmentalists, and rebels united to form the O.R.E. Fueled by a shared concern for the environment and a staunch resistance against the unbridled exploitation of oil, this society took root in the heart of Los Angeles. The O.R.E operated in the shadows, its members dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the land and resisting the unchecked power of the burgeoning oil industry.”
1:120000 Map of Los Angeles showing oil fields, active oil wells, idle oil wells, as well as, redlined areas in connection to the oil wells and fields.
Timeline diagram showing amount of transported oil into Anza Borrego desert over time. Dimensions: 250 mm x 1700 mm
O.R.E Logo
Monument
1: Collection
Monument 6: Oil-fall
Monument 7: Scent
Monument 8: Burial
Monument 2: Refuge
Monument 3: Iridescent Pathway
Monument 4: Reflection Monument 5: Sound
TROPHIC MUTUALISM
Second Year Studio Project.
Architectural Association, School of Architecture, London, UK.
The site of Canvey Wick is famous for its incredible biodiversity which is in essence what this project aimed to enhance and provide for. By creating a space for scientists and farmers across discipline, one of this projects goals were to fuse the gap between scientists of different fields as well as bringing farmers into the mix to create new conversations and ideas around biodiversity and sustainable food production.
By looking at the importance of the mycorrhizal network in relation to vegetational growth, as well as, the crucial components of white rot fungi aiding natural pollinators, the building invites the three kingdoms of animals, plants and fungi to become a part of both the surrounding landscape as well as the building itself.
Plan 1:200 A2 Exterior view Interior experimental field beneath mesh canopy
SECOND YEAR
Section and acivities around and inside the research center.
South elevation view and surrounding of orchard and experimental agricultural fields.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Purcell Architects, London Studio.
The National Archives, Competition, Kew, London.
Thirty different practices were invited to envision The National Archives’ visitor experience and exhibition spaces. Purcell was shortlisted, securing one of the three spots remaining from the initial pool of 30 practices.
In this competition, I assumed significant responsibility for designing, creating visuals, and conceptualizing the entire project. Under the guidance of a senior architect, I largely worked independently on the project. I was thrilled to learn that we had been chosen as one of the three finalists.
The submission featured a multitude of my hand-drawn illustrations seamlessly integrated with 3D modeling, accompanied by clear, colored line drawings outlining our proposals.
I have also been working on plenty of listed buildings ranging from old manor houses to Town Halls which as helped me increase my knowledge in old building techniques but also about conservation and heritage which is something im passionate about.
Aerial
Front page hand drawing for Competition document.
Vignette showing proposed signage
Vignette showing extension of cafe and members area
Exploded axonometric showing all proposed areas on Ground, First and Second Floor.
Section overlooking the Ground Floor and proposed exhibition, shop, cafe, entrance and circulation spaces.
Vignette showing improved entrance
Vignette showing opened up existing wall to be occupied by food trucks.
Vignette showing proposed playground with oversized books and reading tables found inside the archives as part of the playground.
Purcell Architects, London Studio.
University of London, Boathouse, Chiswick.
During my year out I have worked at Purcell Architects in their London Studio. I joined straight after graduation from the AA and have since been working on around 12 different projects. This page highlights some of the work and projects have been involved with over the last 6 months.
University of London, Boathouse, Chiswick, London.
During this project I have been involved from Stage 0 where we designed an extension to the existing boathouse for University of London’s rowing club. Together with my line manager we developed a student residential scheme, new gym, improved ERG room, changing rooms as well as boat storage as part of the brief. I produced a series of diagrams showing the historic development of the building from 1936’s up to the 1980’s.
Alongside the diagrams a series of hand drawn plans and elevations were also produced for the pre-app, as well as, a physical 1:200 site model showing the proposed design which can be taken a part leaving only the existing building.
1:200 model. Proposed scope of works. Historic Development Diagram 1:500 Hand drawn site plan
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Isometric drawing showing historic development.
PRAY REFUGE
Hooke Park, Dorset, UK.
Environmental Technical Studies, third year. Architectural Association, School of Architecture.
The building sits upon a pile foundation of concrete attached to a steel frame that is comprised of eleven steel sections which supports the rammed earth interior walls, corck insulation and exterior charred timber cladding. The exterior facade protects the rammed earth walls from rain and wind but leaves interor rammed earth walls exposed. The roof uses reclaimed corrugated steel which is supported by a series of timber beams opened in the middle for a roof window to fill the space with light. On the east and west facing walls, and the south facing shorter wall, a narrow window is sliced through the envelope to create a view of the surrouding forest. The windows are purposely set close to the floor at head height when lying down, on the slanted floor which cantilevers over the stream. Inserted in the slanted floor, another window creates a top view of the below stream. By minimizing the windows in the space and opening up for natural hints of the surrounding environment, the attention on praying, relaxing and sleeping is in focus within the space. The building is slightly raised from the ground to prevent ground moisture and potential flooding to cause any damage to the structure.
North elevation
Cantileved floor floating above the stream
South elevation
West elevation
Top view
Roof plan
Floor window above the stream
Hooke Park, Dorset, UK.
Water permeable layer
Steel Frame Section
Concrete foundations
Charred timber cladding
Cork insulation sheets
Air gap
Rammed earth
Timber floor
Sub flooring
Floor joists
Window Reclaimed Corrugated
Steel Roof
Window Frame
Inner Roof
Timber Roof Supports
Primary Timber
Roof Beams
Secondary Timber Roof Beams
Rammed Earth Walls
Cork Insulation Sheets
Floor Charred Timber Cladding
Steel Frame Support
Steel Frame
Concrete foundation Stream
The rammed earth walls are constructed by making a plywood framework in which different layers of soil, clay, gravel, sand and stabilizer is filled. Once the frame is filled to the desired amount the earth-mixture is compressed using a pneumatic tamper. Once the earth-mixture has reached about half its size in volume more material can be added on top.
The walls are resting on the steel frame. A cladding of charred timber is used on the exterior to prevent weathering and erosion of the rammed earth walls. The charred timber cladding is a inexpensive and relatively environmental friendly way of making sure the cladding resist both weather and insect infestation. Between the cladding and the rammed earth wall a insulation layer of cork is added to help the pray center keep the temperature during the colder winter months.
TECHNICAL STUDIES - THIRD YEAR
HISTORY & THEORY- THIRD YEAR
A magnified voyage into the realm of the microscopic.
Snowflake in electromagnetic microscope
Tim Formgren HTS3, 22-23
Architectural Association, School of Architecture
Essay: A magnified voyage into the realm of the microscopic
Introduction
How does an art object’s identity transform through its lifetime? How do we percieve an object whose intention was not at first to be displayed in a museum, and what happens to that object when its context and function is changing?
Through this timeline-essay I want to investigate two objects in par-ticular. ‘Fountain’ by Marcel Duchamp and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, or Nike of Samothrace, creator Unknown. Can the his-tory of the object be traced along with its shift in identity and what similarities do these two objects share are within their respective timelines?
I intentionally chose objects that in almost every aspect differ from each other apart from their Masterpiece or iconic status. A sculpture of religious importance versus a urinal of no more importance that just being that, a urinal. How did they both end up in two of the most prestigious museums in the world, and why are they there?
“In the realm of what I have called ficti-tious arts, the fragment is king. Does not the Nike of Samothrace suggest a Greek style divergent from the true Greek style?”
5
Malraux mentions Nike of Samo-thrace when referring to the frag-mented sculptures exhibitied in todays museums. Our perception of the art of the ancient Greece is that of a fragmented, broken, and mutilated statue. We have fabri-cated this idea of the fragmented art so deep in our minds that we now consider it an artform in itself. We think of these sculptures as bro-ken relics of a bygone and myste-rious time, when in fact they in real life are religious representation of Gods.
Malraux argues that art works reverberate a mute truth and opens up the possibility of somehow listening to that which is inaudible. If the piece is locked away behind a glass barrier protected from everyone and everything, even the air we breathe, then what is the point of a museum? It is certainly not to experience the true essence of the object but the rather the idea, or concept, behind it. As was working on mapping out these two objects kept considering that, in a sense, Duchamp’s Fountain acts as a physical embodiment of Malraux’s argument. An object that is removed from its context- whether religios, social, or moral and fundamentally transformed into something else.
Identity is formed.
As an object is physically cre-ated the identity is generated which is when the object is born.
Whether it is in a religious context, practical use, or purely from an artistic point of view, the object is still prone to its identity being changed.
Art or not?
“Fountain” became highly disputed whether or not it was a piece of art and in an article in Blind Man, 1917, author anonymous, an editorial piece defends the the work of “R.Mutt”.
“Whether Mr. Mutt with his own hands made the fountain or not has no importance. He CHOSE it. He took an ordinary article of life, placed it so that its useful significance disappeared under the new title and point of view-created a new thought for that object.” 4
victory-of-samothrace-is-back-at-the-louvre/
Object: In transit Introduction HTS2, 2022. Tim Formgren, Y2. `Tutor: Theodosia-Evdori Panagiotopoulou Winged Victory of Samothrace. Ca: 190-200 BC. Right wing. ‘Fountain’ Marcel Duchamp 1917 Right hand of Nike of Samothrace found in 1950. Photo: Anne Chauvet X-rays of the left original wing showing interior steel structure. Photo: unknown. Photo: Alfred Stieglitz, 1917. Photo: Julian Wasser, Duchamp smoking infront of fountain. Pasadena art Museum. Photo: Unknown. The Fountain hanging in Duchamp’s studio. Richard Mutt Case editorial piece in The Blind Man, 1917. Nike of Samothrace taken away for restoration the Louvre. Photo: Unkown. Identity reborn Losing identity Identity is formed. As an object is physically created the identity is generated which is when the object born. Whether it in a religious context, practical use, or purely from an artistic point of view, the object still prone to its identity being changed. As Nike of Samothrace is being unearthed her previus identity of being a religious sculpture, a monument of safety and protection, changing. Her parts will now be collected and packaged to be put on a year long journey from her home of Samothrace in the Egian sea, to a museum in Paris. As any religious art piece Nike of Samothrace intended use was not to be a piece of art to be viewed by the general public. She was an important Goddess within the secretive Samothracian religion and protected sailors and ships from dangerous sea trips. Creation Details about the date and creation of Nike of Samothrace vary but can be placed somewhere around 190 BC to 200 BC. Unfortunately the creator Unknown. Creation The creator behind the object not Marcel Duchamp but a sanitary company called Mott Works. Duchamp signed the urinal, using a fake name “R.Mutt”, as was an art-piece and submitted to Society of Independant Artists in New York. The idea of submitting a readymade was formed during a conversation between Duchamp, Walter Arensberg and Joseph Stella. Refused Duchamp himself was a member and founder of the Society of Independant Artists and therefore decided to submit the fountain under the name “R. Mutt” to test the board’s objectivity to the art submitted. The “Fountain” was refused because of it’s indecency, immorality and vulgarity and considered by some, plagiarism and plain piece of plumbing, which therefore could not be considered a piece of art. Art or not? “Fountain” became highly disputed whether or not was a piece of art and in an article in Blind Man, 1917 author anonymous, an editorial piece defends the the work of “R.Mutt”. “Whether Mr. Mutt with his own hands made the fountain or not has no importance. He CHOSE it. He took an ordinary article of life, placed it so that its useful significance disappeared under the new title and point of view-created a new thought for that object.” “I always felt that showing one painting in one place and one in another place is just like amputating one finger each time” Marcel Duchamp, 1956. “A Romanesque crucifix was not regarded by its contemporaries as work of sculpture; nor Cimabue’s Madonna as a picture. Even Pheidia’s Pallas Athene was not, primarily statue.” Replicas Several replicas were made since the original “Fountain” was lost after it was photographed by Alfred Stieglitz in 1917. The replicas were signed “Marcel Duchamp 1964” and carried on to be exhibited in museums and for Duchamp himself. By replicating the “Fountain” some believed that it diminished the status of the readymades as that particular object was chosen by the artist himself during a specific moment in time. Duchamp himself was happy to removed the aspect of the objects distinctiveness. The same argument could be associated to Fountain, although a bit different. Marcel purposely deprived the urinal its original context of the restroom and changed it to the museum. The object becomes immortal, frozen in time in its new context but will forever have lost its true surroundings as time moves on outside the museum doors. As the sculpture eventually move in to the Louvre, the idea and the purpose behind becomes lost. This a perfect example of what André Malraux writes about in “Museum Without Walls”. “But the works of art that comprise this heritage have undergone a strange and subtle transformation. Though our museums conjure up for us a Greece that never existed, the Greek works in them patently exists; Athens was never white, but her statues, bereft of colour, have conditioned the artistic sensibility of Europe.“ Now gleaming in her white naked marble, Nike of Samothrace, stands in the same staircase she has been standing in since 1883. Not in her original body, state, colour, or context, but in a modified and constructed manner of which we want her to be seen. An object in transit who’s origin as a god has turned into statue. “Indeed every work surviving from the past has been deprived of something-to begin with, the setting of its age. The work of sculpture used to lord it in a temple, a street or a reception-room. All these are lost to it. Even the reception-room is “reconstructed” in museum, even the statue has kept its place in the portal of its cathedral, the town which surrounded the reception-room or cathedral has changed.” “In the realm of what have called fictitious arts, the fragment is king. Does not the Nike of Samothrace suggest Greek style divergent from the true Greek style?” Malraux mentions Nike of Samothrace when referring to the fragmented sculptures exhibitied in todays museums. Our perception of the art of the ancient Greece is that of a fragmented, broken, and mutilated statue. We have fabricated this idea of the fragmented art so deep in our minds that we now consider an artform in itself. We think of these sculptures as broken relics of a bygone and mysterious time, when in fact they in real life are religious representation of Gods. Similarly, Duchamp’s “fountain” was not created with the intention of being art. It was Duchamp himself chosing to label an ordinary object art and by doing so, asking the question: What is art? In a filmed conversation in 1956 between Duchamp and Johnson-Sweeney, Duchamp talks about the satisfaction of having a large collection of his works gathered under the same roof. It connects with Malraux’s idea of Nike of Samothrace being both literally mutilated, and how that changes her identity, but also the disconnection from her original context and how that erases the way the object were to be truly experienced from the beginning. As the urinal physically made somewhere in a factory in New York, the objects identity is thereby created. When submitted to the Society of Independant Artists, the object went through its first transit of identity change, changing its identity forever, as it miracously won the jackpot in the lottery. Discovery The Winged Victory of Samothrace was discovered by Charles François Noël Champoiseau, a french diplomat and amateur archeologist in 1863. By receiving permission from the French Ministry of Public Instruction, Champosieau started an excavation on the island of Samothrace, unearthing pieces of the sculputre. Nike’s head, arms, and left wing has never been discovered. They might still lie beneath the earth of Samothrace or found in a private collection or home somewhere in the world. However, when initially discovered, blocks of Rhodian marble were found scattered close to the scultpure. These blocks of marble would later be discovered to be the base of the sculpture and take the shape of a ship upon which Nike of Samothrace would have been erected. How does an art object’s identity transform through its lifetime? How do we percieve an object whose intention was not at first to be displayed in museum, and what happens to that object when its context and function is changing? Through this timeline-essay want to investigate two objects in particular. ‘Fountain’ by Marcel Duchamp and the Winged Victory of Samothrace or Nike of Samothrace creator Unknown. Can the history of the object be traced along with its shift in identity and what similarities do these two objects share are within their respective timelines? intentionally chose objects that in almost every aspect differ from each other apart from their Masterpiece or iconic status. A sculpture of religious importance versus a urinal of no more importance that just being that, a urinal. How did they both end up in two of the most prestigious museums in the world, and why are they there? The Winged Victory of Samothrace entered the museum as a goddess but, by cutting her off from the sacred realm, instead resurrected as a work of art, a sculpture. As Duchamp intentionally places the urinal in the exhibition space, the ready-made object transforms and elevates to a dignified piece of art. The evolution of the urinal, through Duchamp’s seemingly revolutionary act, finds its theoretical justification in Malraux’s writings to be just that- when gods lose their sanctified nature to instead be petrified sculptures. To help me with my investigation have read André Malraux’s book “Museum Without Walls” and used as a frame and guide for this essay. Malraux’s argues that when an object enters the museum its identity and original function shifts. A sculpture becomes a statue and a painting becomes a picture. “In the past a Gothic statue was a component part of the Cathedral; similarly classical picture was tied up with the setting of its period, and not expected to consort with works of different mood and outlook.” Malraux’s quote addresses the problematic behind the museum and its contents and argues that the museum is confrontation of transformations. “Metamorphosis is not a matter of chance: is law governing the life of every work of art.” Art, in all its shapes and forms, is not created to be put into a museum, is made by an artist as a reflection of how the artist, himself, see the world around him. Quotes from “Museum Without Walls” are highlighted in bold. My timeline attempts to trace the life, survival, but also, the afterlife of Winged Victory of Samothrace and Fountain through analysing some of the crucial character-defining moments encountered in their lifespan. The timeline attempts to juxtapose, analyse and associate the two different storylines by introducing images and text which divulges an array of connections between the two. The intervowen moments of change that define them as works’ of art reveals a relationship between the two objects and unites them through their individual metamorphical moments. Conclusion By tracing both the lifetime and transit of Nike of Samothrace and Fountain this essay is composed as a visual device that attempts to understand them both as a work of art, but also as objects that transcend time; a metamorphosis that infuses new life into history as well. Although Marcel Duchamp’s original Fountain is lost but it considered to be a masterpiece. Replicas of the object are now replacing the original. So is not the object itself that important, but rather, the notions invested in the object, giving a new use; different to that of its original intention and function. Nike of Samothrace a fragmented memory of long-lost religion. is her dismembered and broken body that attracts millions of visitors to the Louvre every year even though her current state is not what she originally looked like. If she were to be found with her original colour and unbroken limbs in a perfect condition, would we change our attitude on antique Greek art or would we still favour the white dismembered marble bodies? What is the purpose of the museum the objects are not able to be displayed within their true origin, context and appearence?
Influence The “Fountain” was voted as the most important piece of art in the twentieth century by over 500 British art experts in 2004 and is still to this day questioning the very foundations of art. Transport As the pieces of the sculpture unfurl from the ground the object has gone from a majestic representation of a God to an unkown broken artefact rediscovered by an amateur archeologists. Restoration The sculpture undertook a million euro, and a one year long, restoration in 2013 in order for it to regain its appearence of how was when was found. The focus was not to restore the object to its original state but to the state of which it was found, highlighting the two different marbles of the sculpture and the prow. Ludovic Laugier, Louvre’s department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities, told Le Figaro that the sculpture was never to return to its original colour palette. As Nike of Samothrace enters a year long restoration she will, again picked apart, dismembered and put in boxes. It interesting that the restoration of the sculpture meant to restore and bring out the contrast in the white marble of Nike herself and the darker Rhodian marble of the prow and not to restore her with the original colour she once carried. It so important to us, that the statue remains in the state of our perception of the Hellenistic era, that the sculpture is restored, not to its original condition, but instead to the exposed marbled of how it was found. Is there a difference of a replica and a heavily modified original? Repairs Nike of Samothrace has been through several repairs through the nineteenth century and onwards. Several pieces of her left leg has been remade, the right wing was cast in plaster to substitute for the missing one. The prow has also seen exstensive repair and modification. Bibliography: 1. Andrew Stewart. “The Nike of Samothrace: Another View.” American Journal of Archaeology 120, no. (2016): 399–410. https://doi.org/10.3764/aja.120.3.0399. 2. Hamiaux Marianne, Laugier Ludovic, Martinez JeanLuc. “The Winged Victory of Samothrace, Rediscovering a Masterpiece”. Louvre Editións, 2016. Lhttps://issuu.com/ baranes/docs/the_winged_victory_of_samothrace_-_ 3. Lawrence, Arnold Walter. “The Date of the Nike of Samothrace.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies 46 (1926): 213–18. https://doi.org/10.2307/625309. 4. Anonymous. “The Richard Mutt Case”, Blind Man, May 25, 1917 5. Malraux, André. Museum Without Walls. Translated by Stuart Gilbert. New York: Bollingen Foundation, Pantheon Books, 1949. 6. “Marcel Duchamp Fountain, Tate Modern, accessed March 21, 2022, https://www.tate.org. uk/art/artworks/duchamp-fountain-t07573 7.”Winged Victory of Samothrace back at the Louvre. Cleaner, whiter and more complete,” Archeology Wiki, accessed March 22, 2022, https:// www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2014/07/16/winged-
HISTORY & THEORY- SECOND YEAR Timeline essay. Object: In Transit.
Graphic Novel - First Year. The Noble Gas Heist
Graphite on black paper. Deconstructed roof drawing of Skogskapellet, Skogskyrkogården, Stockholm, Sweden.
DRAWINGS
Map of Upper Street, London, UK showing all man-hole covers on the pavements. 3000 x 420 mm.
Smudged graphite. Swedish highway drawing. 7000 x 594 mm.
A1 graphite and tracing paper. Spore-chimneys and central forests attracting settlers to cultivate barren lands.
Excerpt from Sketchbook. Sketch of a tidal house for a competition.
Model-making and hand drawing is an important part of my work and use it as one of the prime methods of developing a project. can spend hours losing myself in the work and enjoy solving anything from tiny detail issues to large scale design problems with both drawing and model-making.
1:200 massing model of hotel in the desert. Card and paper. Year 1.
1:20 model of Absalon’s Cell No. 5. Cardboard and paper. Year 1.
1:200 chunk model of Canvey Wick and initial platform field proposal. Year 2. Magnifying frame + miniature drawing. Year 3.
Stone piece made out of Purbeck marble and sand stone. Year 1.
1:50 Spore-creature. Kinetic model year 2. Paper pavillion. Year 1.
MODELS
