a certain revelation
I think this is the point in my life where i'm no longer held back by a stifling education system, or 'the way my society should think', and I'm no longer frustrated with learning things that I didn't find useful, or was particularly interested in.
Especially with the internet, everything is open for me to learn, to see with my own eyes, to hear with my own ears, to discover things that i'm interested in, to feed my tendency to be thoroughly obsessed with different subjects, disciplines and strands of thought.
Studying architecture, beyond it's crazy hours, datelines, and it's ruthlessness in bringing me down, has in some ways, allowed me to pursue a more open way of thinking, a freedom to express myself in design, a freedom to explore what i liked, and what defines me as a person. and this has made me realise the beauty of things when different disciplines collide, when people take inspiration from one subject to lend it to their own work, when the appreciation of all things expressive and creative come together in one giant geeky relevation that all artistic disciplines are intrinsically linked to one another.
Architecture inspires fashion, fashion inspires architecture. Fashion is as much as a three dimensional discipline as Architecture, creating forms and silhouettes. I used to be confused by the world of fashion - i knew that what i was seeing on the runway was pleasing to the eye, i liked certain shapes and configurations of fabric, and i liked some less. But I couldn't fathom the thought of someone wearing that on a daily basis - but as we all know now, fashion isn't necessarily about being wearable. Some labels use fashion as a means to communicate an idea - which is what most of the different art disciplines employ regularly. McQueen used fashion to empower women, and each runway show had a distinct storyline and a theme.
(Agatha Ruiz de la Prada Spring Summer 2011 Ready-To-Wear collection)
(Theo Van Doesburg, Maison Particuliere 1923)
Some other labels explore materiality - Architecture does that ever so often, especially with architects such as Peter Zumthor.
(Peter Zumthor, Gugalun House)
(Yohji Yamamoto, Fall Winter 2011-2012)
Usually though, there isn't such a clear distinction between disciplines when they collide. They become a new work altogether. Although such works may employ a primary discipline to convey the idea, as a whole it embodies the different aspects of the disciplines that are being discussed. Take Wim Wender's film on Yohji Yamamoto for example. It's called 'A Notebook on Cities and Clothes'. It combines a discussion of identity, fashion, film, photography, and ever so slightly, architecture. Film is the primary art form here, and with this encompassing envelope, there is a meeting of these disciplines that create a poignant reflection on fashion and identity, and...film and photography. As Wim Wenders quietly reflects: 'maybe there is a connection between film and fashion'.
so many creative minds are influenced by the images, silhouettes, mood and feeling of a place, a film, an art piece, a space - and to me, all these are fueled by the presence of music. What music can do in a split second is something that takes a whole paragraph of words to describe, and even then, it only conveys half the emotions that music is able to invoke.
Music in a space: Zumthor's Swiss Sound box for the Swiss Pavillion in the Expo Hanover (2002), creates a space where sound resonates in different pockets, creating different moods throughout the day. Music in films - these two practically go together in telling a story. Music and fashion, music and art - but music doesn't only lend itself to disciplines, it influences disciplines when people are inspired by a particular piece of music to create something out of that inspiration, and many turn to music for inspiration in even acting and dancing.
and then there is literature. The world of words, the deluge of words, the entire clouds that span pages and pages of a book, stringing together an entirely new world in such vividness that it seems almost magical that singular letters that form a word, and these words form sentences, and these sentences form paragraphs, then chapters, then sequels and spin-offs - nestled between two covers, waiting for the next person to open it again. Each book is an entire universe on it's own, and books are constant sources of inspiration for films especially.
But not only film and literature share this connection - don't you ever read and re-read a part of a book because of the quality it inspires? How the description of a place reminds you so much of a place you've been? I have no doubt that there are people who are inspired by literature to create other pieces of art.
and of course, words as a means of discourse. Without it, I wouldn't even be able to express what i'm trying to say in this post. It substantiates a design idea (mostly adding fluffy volumes to a concept) and helps people to understand the artist and the message he is trying to convey.
I'm sure i've left out some part of this intrinsic web, but I hope that i have said enough to give an idea of the greatness of what i've personally discovered. I guess it has something to do with my vulgar interest in such a wide range of disciplines: architecture, film, photography, art, literature, fashion, music - that i can't help notice these little connections.