Entry No 1

In this assignment, my first task is to research the three areas: ART, DESIGN & FILM. My research should fall under one common heading which should be chosen from the following titles : CONFLICT, HARMONY & TRANSFORMATION. I`m going to focus on TRANSFORMATION.

When it comes to TRANSFORMATION I see CHANGE.  Lots of stuff come to my mind, like changes in emotions, the stages in life from being young to getting old, seeds transforming into trees and later decaying and dying, natural elements causing erosion to the rocks, refurbishing of homes, biting into an apple and changing its form and appearance, Cinderella`s pumpkin transforming into a carriage .... and transformation even reminds me of humbug Ebenezer Scrooge`s huge change of heart after spirits whisk him into the past, present and future.

Now I`m going to start researching different aspects of transformation in Art, Design and Film ........

TRANSFORMATION IN ART



Several artists and sculptors all over the world are aware of the damage that waste materials is causing to our environment. By recycling waste, such as scrap metal that can be found anywhere, they can produce brilliant artwork. For instance, scrap metals coming from damaged cars and vehicles, garages, kitchens, store tops, factories, nuts and bolts, spark plugs and nails, can be transformed into sculptors of animals, people, robots and imagined aliens. This way the artists are making money, contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment by reducing waste, helping us to decorate gardens and parks and much more. Below are pictures showing sculptures made from scrap metal that I discovered on a "Scrap Sculptures" Blog.

 

 

scrapsculptures, (2012), Use Scrap metal sculptures for the entertainment industry [ONLINE]. Available at: http://scrapsculptures.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/why-is-scrap-metal-art-gaining-immense-popularity-2/ [Accessed 28 October 12].

 

 

 

 scrapsculptures, (2012), Handicrafts of the Modern Era. [ONLINE]. Available at: http://scrapsculptures.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/why-is-scrap-metal-art-gaining-immense-popularity-2/ [Accessed 28 October 12].

 

TRANSFORMATION IN DESIGN 





Modern designers are quite practical, and it is very common for them to come up with ideas that involve transformation, in order to make their creations multi-functional.  Furniture comes straight to my mind when I think of multi-functional designs.  However, in my research I came across a very unusual building that is multi-functional.  The Prada Transformer Building is an enormous portable building designed by Office for Metropolitan Architecture / Remkoolhaas.  It is used for various cultural events such as fashion shows, exhibitions and concerts. This structure involves transformation because it changes shape depending on the event that takes place. 

 

 

 

As shown in the above pictures, the Prada Transformer Building has the form of a tetrahedron and its sides have different shapes – hexagon, circle, rectangle and a cross-shape. By laying its different sides on the ground, unique platforms are created. This is demonstrated better in the following video.

 

 

 

 

 idnworld. (2009). Prada Transformer by Prada. [Online Video]. 23 November. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ZcGAzJOvI&feature=player_embedded. [Accessed: 28 October 2012].

 

 

Another building that transforms itself, but differently from the one mentioned before, is the “Transformation House”. Michael Jantzen designed it in a way that it changes its shape automatically depending on what its owner requests. This house is made up of five sections and they rotate to change the function of its interior.

 

 

The changes that take place in this house are based on a preset program or else the owner can choose to do so at the touch of a button. Either way, various sections of the home catch the sun’s rays to warm it up, collect rainwater, and allow wind to cool it down via natural ventilation while the interior living space remains in one place. The furnishings also involve transformation.  They are stored inside four containers that rotate out of the glass floor when needed. This house expands and its windows can be rotated 360 degrees. Therefore a person living in such a house, will never get bored of seeing the same view, and whereas in a normal house one turns on a lamp when the sun moves away from the window, in this house a window can be moved! ”

 

 

 

geobeats. (2012). Home Design That Changes Shape Based on Climate. [Online Video]. 31 October. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbuJNfXR1Yw&feature=player_embedded. [Accessed: 28 October 2012].

 

 

TRANSFORMATION IN FILM

 

 

In the film THE GODFATHER (1972), "transformation" is strongly shown in the character of Michael (Al Pacino).

 

The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the head of a New York Mafia "family", is taking care of the wedding of his daughter Connie and Carlo Rizzi. His beloved son Michael has come home from World War II just in time for the wedding of his sister.
 

All of Michael's family is involved with the Mafia. The family is kind and generous to those who show them respect only.  Those who stand in their way or are in any way against the good of the family will be punished violently.  Michael, unlike his family, just wants to live a normal life. He does not intend to become part of his father's business.
 

Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo is looking for Mafia families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit that he makes on drugs. He approaches Don Corleone about this but Don turns down the offer because he is morally against the use of drugs. Sollozzo is disappointed and he orders some of his men to shoot Don. The Don barely survives. This leads his son Michael to seek revenge against Sollozzo but his violence causes the Corleone family to tear apart.

There is a drastic TRANSFORMATION in Michael`s character and in my opinion, without this transformation, the story wouldn't have unfolded the way it did. From a soldier who didn`t want anything to do with the family business and just wanted to live a normal life, Micheal turned into the "head of the family", a chip of the old block, through and through ..... the next generation of THE GODFATHER.

 

 

Buzzati. (2007). The Godfather Trailer. [Online Video]. 30 June. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAfWMr26KQk&feature=player_embedded.

 [Accessed: 28 October 2012].

 

 

References:

http://scrapsculptures.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/why-is-scrap-metal-art-gaining-immense-popularity-2/

www.prada-transformer.com

www.inhabitat.com

http://www.tgdaily.com/sustainability-features/67202-this-solar-concept-house-is-a-transformer

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/plotsummary