Proposal One: Greenhouses and their role in the environment (chosen topic)

A greenhouse is a structure, typically achieved using a metal construction upon which glass is assembled, hence this creation is also often referred to as glasshouse. Greenhouses are mostly used to create regulated climate conditions in order for plants to be grown, throughout the entirety of the year, which otherwise would require warm weather condition. To control these conditions, so that the desired plants can grow sufficiently, highly technical machines are installed within the greenhouse structure, regulating factors such as temperature and air humidity for example.

In my studio 2 class, I will further explore the idea of how a greenhouse is made and which materials are used. Also, I will explore photography and mixed media, as I feel the idea of mixed media relates to the idea of ‘mixing’ two ‘mediums’ such as metal and glass (for the greenhouse) with plants and other botanicals.

In addition, I  will research if  greenhouses are unsustainable or not, as they require a preponderance of electricity; or if planting inside greenhouses, actually is quite the opposite and would be great for the environment, as it  allows a reduction of planes, trucks and shiploads being sent from foreign countries in order to deliver food worldwide, which obviously creates great amounts of toxic pollution which is harmful to our planet.

Thus  I will explore and generate research about the various ways of generating food and which of them are more ‘ethical’, as well as which ways are more sustainable and prosperous to generate wealth.

Also, based on my research on greenhouses, I have noticed a lack of thorough investigation of this system. Therefore, having been left with questions regarding greenhouses and their effect on the environment. Thus, my research will seek to answer those remaining questions in an engaging and thought-provoking manner. Such questions would for example be whether food distribution via vehicles, such as trucks, is causing more pollution, due to frequency of travel, then creating greenhouse plantages near every city/town. Furthermore, I will also discuss the ethic standpoint of these options, related to the current environmental state of our planet.

For my research I will investigate the greenhouses in vienna such as the ‘Schmetterlingshaus’ as well as ‘the Palmenhaus’ and  look at books like:

– ”Comprehensive Guide to Greenhouses”

-”Comprehensive Guide to Greenhouses”

– ”The Urban Farmer”

Research Question:

-is it more sustainable to generate food in greenhouses or on plantages? – how does it influence the production of CO2 etc.

-How does one build a greenhouse, what materials are used and how does the technical side work?

-what would be other options to incorporate greenhouses into our food production in a way that is great for the environment but also sustainable economically?

-why haven’t greenhouses been used for food production in a greater scale to this point in time ?

-man vs. machine (manmade/machine-made)

Proposal Two:

The System of Food distribution

With this topic, I will discuss the system of food distribution and explain the different ways commercial facilities, such as supermarkets etc., are provided for with food. Additionally, I will explore and explain various systems and organizations, which are used for and in charge of transportation of goods worldwide, and evaluate their ethicality. The system of food distribution is executed using complex strategies, which vary rather drastically according to location. The most significant organization, right now, in charge of providing information and research about how to create a successful agriculture, which is prosperous and safe for all to consume, is theFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Thus I will discuss the impact the regulations of the FAO have upon the distribution of food globally and how this organization handles the increasing issue of pollution due to food dispersal.

Furthermore, for my studio 2 project, I will research the ‘flaws’ within the current system and how it fails to succeed within great parts of the world, as commercial food distribution is only evident in economically developed countries. This will lead to my creation of a three dimensional study using woodcut and string, possible lighting too, (to generate shaddow)  to evidence the connections between the issues I found and their  possible solutions.

My research will include looking at books like:  “Bet the Farm: How Food Stopped Being Food”

– “Bet the Farm: How Food Stopped Being Food”

-“Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America”

– “The Production, Distribution and Food Value of Milk: A Report to Herbert C. Hoover”

These observe and discuss different angles in which food distribution and the actual goods have changed over the last decades and are influencing one’s health. This is also a part of this research I am interested in and will observe further.

Proposal 3:

The  Nervous system

The nervous system is the part within the human which helps control our actions. It consists of many nerves, yet the most well known are the motor and the sensory nerves which send signals to the brain causing it to control for example limbs and other muscles within our body. However, what happens if one has disorder of some sort, does this mean the brain is ‘flawed’?

For example, a person affected by a Neurodevelopmental disorder, such as Autism, which impairments the proper growth of the brain or central nervous system, most definitely does not have the same system which is evident in a ‘normal’ human being. However, it is arguable that this makes the person even more advanced, in some ways, then the ‘uneffected’ person. By this I mean that a human being  affected by autism, when experiencing a sane moment, could be seen as rather superior to a person who does not resemble the same qualities. This is due to the fact that an autistic human is described to have ‘no filter’. To explain, in the brain of an autistic person information is being processed in by altering how their nerve cells and their synapses assemble and connect. It is barely understood how this process appears, hence this question is to this day rather puzzling. However, in simplified language an affected person takes in more information, all at the same time, then an ordinary brain, which often leads to the person being overwhelmed. Yet the idea of a ‘filter’ so to speak being missing or ‘switched of’ is rather fascinating, as this allows to feel, see and hear more intensely.

Within my research, I will look at the theories surrounding Autism and its connection to the genius gene. I will research the nervous system, as well as case studies related to ‘special cases’ in which a person was only slightly affected by this disorder and what effect the experience had on the person. I will take this research and create prints from MRI scans, which I will, prior to doing so, manipulate using laser cut methods and other techniques.

To do research on this topic, I would interview my grandfather and other people within this field, and observe books such as these:

Questions I will ask : ‘ is there a potential development of cells, possible ‘accidental’ connection within the brain, which could cause the growth of overly developed nerves due to Neurodevelopmental disorder case?’

-“The Genetics of Neurodevelopmental Disorders”

– “Autism Spectrum Disorder (revised): The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism” .

possible ideas:

-Nervous system- Autism

-Food delivery systems- worldwide

-Greenhouses

Sketches:

Nervous system- Autism:

Food delivery systems- worldwide:

Mapping a system: THE MET

I noticed my research was taking me towards the exploration of metal embelishments (maybe armor or jewelery or mirrors or such). I researched exhibits and found that the metropolitain museum of art had a great proponderence of supply on both. Hence I visited the met and found I was really interested in metal work and metal embellishments, armor such as for example found on medieval armor. Hence I chose to map the exhibition about metal armor at the met. However, the actual room in which the armor was displayed was barely exhibiting more then four pieces hence I chose to map the virtual ‘preparation’ and guidance toward the metal armor section,  from entering the met to the collection, as well as the increase in floral patterns, as I was particularly interested in this.

Firstly, when entering the museum I walked straight into the main exhibit entrance which leads to the first medical grande hall. On my way there I notice several sculptures and decorative art which appeared to be from Europe. As I looked at the descriptions of certain objects this became evident as well. The most medieval enigma was observable in the exhibit on my way to metal armor titled ‘French Church Decoration, 1530–1550’. The room was very dark and sinister, yet had delicately engraved wooden detail upon its walls. This felt like a harmonious, well planned to transition toward the armour room as some of the patterns seemed visually similar as seen on the renaissance arms (floral designs and geometric design etc.).  Next, I entered the collection called ‘the swiss room’ in which I saw the most beautiful chimney, which again displayed playfully designed floral drawings and wood cut designs. This again made me thing of the similarities to the metal armors I had previously seen in the ‘medieval armor’ exhibit at the met.

Upon entering the next room, the first of seven rooms dedicated to armor, I noticed the connection between the rooms I had just come from, as the first armor exhibited was from Europe. The collection   transitioned from hunting attire to show armor and precious weapons, all delicately engraved. The room greatest in size exhibited the European Armor for Field and Tournament and this armor was showed upon life-size horses and puppets. This made a great impact upon anyone coming to see it, due to its size and realism. Again throughout walking through these rooms the visual connection of European heritage was clearly recognizable. Finally, the collection transitioned into American armor, which still evidenced some floral detail, was rather shockingly similar to the European medieval armor. The intricate detail was on revolvers rather than armor, yet the outcome appeared to be achieved by a similar metal process. After this room, the collection started to venture into Asia and similar metal work, yet here the floral detail seemed to vanish slightly and much rather become more abstract. As this was the last room of this particular exhibit, which I mapped, I then returned to the main hall.

NOTES:

MAPPING : 

I chose to incorporate the system practiced in class (visual analysis practice) when mapping the met, by categorizing my walk through the exhibit. This way I could map out and trach the exhibition- how it was laid out time wise (historically) as well as visually (how much floral pattern increased within objects progressively throughout the exhibit leading toward the main ‘focus of floral patterns’, the armor exhibit. But also how this transitioning (increase of use of floral patterns) was evident throughout time historically. using documentation/mapping of the historical artifacts)

I did so by creating columns like I did in the exercise in class.

In class I had a variety of images which I separated into columns / groups such as ‘grotesque’ or ‘ornaments’, ‘color blocking pattern’.

For my mapping of the Metropolitan museum (floral pattern increase) I created a collums/groupings of the area (Europa, Swiss, Italian, etc) as well as columns for the time the occurrence of floral patterns first started, as well as the category the pattern was most evident in / used in (woodcut, painting etc) and then finally created a visual order mapping the history and development of floral influences and patterns throughout the exhibit and at the same time history.

I did this in form of a timetable that reads vertically as well as horizontally.

Vertically: it reads the individual categories including time and occurrence (with materials etc.)

Horizontally: it reads the individual exhibits and which category of pieces were exhibited, as well as their use and how much they portrayed growth in floral design or not (which display ).

From this exersise I found out that I was even more interested in the floral aspect of this research rather them the metal attributes (armor) therefore i looked into topics which include floral aspect. After a proponderence of resear looking at various empelishments, paintings and real  flowers, I found I was still feeling interested in the idea of a metal aspect too. I then started to look at how I could combine these two factors / ideas within one research topic. This ultimately led me to look at greenhouses, as these incorporate an aspect of metal (the greenhouse itself, at least its ‘skeleton’) ans a floral / botanic aspect, the actual plants inside the greenhouse. Furthermore, this topic was also very fascinating to me on a systhematic side, as I am strongly interested in the idea of production of food and growth of plants within these circumstances (within a greenhouse) and if these factors alter the plant at all? Is it ethical if they do to produce food and plants in a greenhouse then? Is it economical? These questions also were harmonious to combine with my seminar 2 class, which was also part of the reason I started to consider this topic as my final research topic, as it is so variable, yet also includes 3dimensional building aspects as well as non physical research. which i felt was fascinating. Furthermore, I am also very interested how the plants and the metal ‘live’ amongst one another-do the plants cause a greater accumulation of rust? what factors does one have on the other. These are some of the question I will be exploring within my foster research towards my final project, which were triggered by the met museum research and systhem mapping of floral patterns within metal (for example Rennaissance) armor.

Today in class:

I did an exercise which necessitated me to execute certain exercises which helped me organize my material for future practice and future reference.

Exercise One:

I brought into the class all the images I had previously collected through my research trip to the picture gallery of the New York public library.

I then divided these into individual categories in order to get an overview of the material I had collected to.

This exercise helped me understand which sort of images I seemed to have been drawn to, as well as understanding a sense of connection between the individual categories.

My categories were:

– Grotesque

– Geometric

– Detail/Ornaments

– Color Blocking

– Psychadelic

– Volume/Drapery

I then partnered up with another class mate and repeated this process, ordering his images into my categories and creating new categories/adding to the ones that existed: for example, Detail became Detail/Ornaments.

This part of the exercise really helped me see that the categories I created were universally usable and also showed me how diverse images can be even if they fall under the ‘same’ category so to speak.

I then wrote down inspirational words, which were relevant to my categories, as well as a view short sentences each which described the category. This was helpful, as if again helped to foster my understanding of which images I was most drawn to, as well as investigate in further detail, what it was exactly that drew me to these images. It also helped me to generate ‘mini categories’ to look into when executing foster research.

Next, was an exercise which desensitise me to mad a system of my choice, I chose the human digestive system. 

I felt that this exercise helped me to foster my understanding of the blueprint and strategies behind a system. It helped me understand the foundation of the system itself and how it works which was very informative and enjoyable.

When analyzing and mapping my chosen system I worked rather systematically, as I wanted to not only map out the systems individual factors but progressive order. When applying this process to other systems in my free time, I noticed that my mind tends to enjoy ‘way finding’. By that I mean, when brainstorming, I noticed my brain immediately picked up upon/created/saw a greater connection between the individual ‘stops’ of the system and how these work together but also separately quite fascinatingly.

Understanding this basic principles, of the concept of a system was really helpful, as this way, I am now able to project this understanding onto systems and projects, I am observing and/or creating in the future.

I wonder however if this truly applies to any system? Is there system which works without these connections and separate ‘stops’?

I would be very interested in researching systems which evident a random process in order to generate their outcome, yet seem to function perfectly flawless. Furthermore, I wonder if one could create a system combining both factors?

As I was ill, unfortunately when this exercise was held in class, I did it by myself, hence I could not monitor how this exercise would differ when executed in a group. However, I feel as if the main difference would be a greater amount of categories which would be generated, as well as a preponderance of brainstorming as many minds put together always have so many various ways of thinking which the process would definitely profit from even more. Yet I feel as if, even alone, this process turned out really successfully, as it helped me understand the blueprint of a system successfully.