Weaving Words and Drawing Lines: The Bauhaus Masters Endeavours to Establish a Universal Visual Language within Foundation Education

<p>This study investigates the roots of interdisciplinary architectural and design education and methodology in Europe and the United States during the first half of the twentieth century. In particular this thesis is concerned with the establishment of the principles of a universal visual language within this context. Walter Gropius' (1883‐1969) efforts to propagate a universal understanding of architecture, art and design at the Bauhaus is a central focus of this study along with the use of a universal visual language to facilitate such an ideal. This thesis argues that the instigation of the Bauhaus preliminary course, the Vorkurs, developed by Johannes Itten (1888–1967) and matured by Bauhaüslers Lázsló Moholy‐Nagy (1895‐1946) and Josef Albers (1888‐1976) offered vitality, integrity, creativity and longevity to Bauhaus pedagogy and posits that the beliefs and practices of the Vorkurs contributed significantly to the translation of European modern design education in the United States. Although Bauhaus pedagogical translations were refuted by some and misunderstood by others in the wholly different economic context of the United States, this study proposes that the translations of the Vorkurs methodology, by the émigré Bauhaüslers, Moholy‐Nagy at the New Bauhaus in Chicago, Albers at Black Mountain College and Yale and Gropius at Harvard contributed to the codification of modern twentieth‐century design education, and as such continues to offer relevance in current architectural and design pedagogical environments.</p>

Weaving Words and Drawing Lines: The Bauhaus Masters Endeavours to Establish a Universal Visual Language within Foundation Education

<p>This study investigates the roots of interdisciplinary architectural and design education and methodology in Europe and the United States during the first half of the twentieth century. In particular this thesis is concerned with the establishment of the principles of a universal visual language within this context. Walter Gropius' (1883‐1969) efforts to propagate a universal understanding of architecture, art and design at the Bauhaus is a central focus of this study along with the use of a universal visual language to facilitate such an ideal. This thesis argues that the instigation of the Bauhaus preliminary course, the Vorkurs, developed by Johannes Itten (1888–1967) and matured by Bauhaüslers Lázsló Moholy‐Nagy (1895‐1946) and Josef Albers (1888‐1976) offered vitality, integrity, creativity and longevity to Bauhaus pedagogy and posits that the beliefs and practices of the Vorkurs contributed significantly to the translation of European modern design education in the United States. Although Bauhaus pedagogical translations were refuted by some and misunderstood by others in the wholly different economic context of the United States, this study proposes that the translations of the Vorkurs methodology, by the émigré Bauhaüslers, Moholy‐Nagy at the New Bauhaus in Chicago, Albers at Black Mountain College and Yale and Gropius at Harvard contributed to the codification of modern twentieth‐century design education, and as such continues to offer relevance in current architectural and design pedagogical environments.</p>

Revisiting Black Mountain College

Every art university wants to give its graduates the greatest opportunities after graduation, as artists, curators, actors, conductors, musicians, designers, filmmakers, or dancers. How to get from A to Z in this project is based on the respective creativity concept. Do you want to equip the students with management knowledge in order to pave their way into the creative industries? Do you want to provide them with expertise in their field, or is critical thinking required above all, as well as the ability to cooperate that enables students to survive in an extremely complex world?

Revisitando Black Mountain College

Toda universidade de arte deseja dar aos seus graduados as melhores oportunidades após a graduação, seja como artistas, curadores, atores, maestros, músicos, designers, cineastas ou dançarinos. Como ir de A até Z neste projeto tem relação com o conceito de criatividade de cada instituição. Você quer dar aos estudantes conhecimentos de gestão para abrir caminho para as indústrias criativas? Deseja fornecer-lhes experiência em seu campo, ou é necessário acima de tudo um pensamento crítico, bem como a capacidade de cooperação que lhes permita sobreviver em um mundo extremamente complexo?

Cuando la nada se hace visible: el límite entre lo visible y lo invisible como origen de una próxima arquitectura

En 1933 surge en Carolina del Norte una escuela experimental que coincide con la llegada de aquellos que han de abandonar Europa, el Black Mountain College. Mientras los exiliados del viejo continente tratan de continuar en la nueva patria una historia lineal, la sociedad americana precursora del pragmatismo, se despoja de todo lo heredado y encuentra en la nada su propio punto de partida. En plena crisis económica, y tras la renuncia voluntaria de todo lo anterior, la nada, el material más abundante, representa la novedad. El auge de la ciencia y el descubrimiento del método de laboratorio que ya cosechara éxitos en el BMC, abren paso a una red de laboratorios domésticos que ambicionan manipular la nada para hacerla por un instante visible. La arquitectura encuentra en las efímeras apariciones de tan volátil material el origen de sus próximas ideas.

Paul Williams: The Cage Mix

Demystifying a largely misunderstood chapter in John Cage's biographical narrative, this article explores the pivotal role architect and philanthropist Paul Williams played in Cage's life, and for whom Cage named his famous magnetic tape composition Williams Mix (1952–53). Retracing the activities of both men, beginning with their earliest encounter at the experimental Black Mountain College in North Carolina in 1948, this investigation documents for the first time the extent of their mutually devoted relationship. Newly uncovered source material and photographs also reveal the valuable contributions Williams made as primary benefactor and mastermind of the intentional community called the Gatehill Cooperative (a.k.a. “Stony Point”), a place Cage called home for seventeen years (1954–71). There Cage developed a “hunger for nature,” wrote his widely read and influential book Silence (1961), and undertook some of his most significant musical projects.

Jonathan Williams

Poet and publisher Jonathan Williams was born in Asheville, North Carolina. He studied at the experimental Black Mountain College, located near Asheville, as well as at Princeton University and the Chicago School of Design. As an adult, Williams and his partner, Thomas Meyer, divided their time between North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and England. In addition to writing poetry, Williams founded the Jargon Society in 1951. Jargon published avant-garde poetry and fiction, photography, and folk art....