ENG 1101: Composing Abstractions

In the article, “Architecture and Lost Art of Drawing” by Michael Graves, which was published in September 1, 2012, in New York Times, Graves states that technology has began to outweigh the natural passion for drawing and art.  Graves simply means the basics and love for drawings are not putting up enough of a competition towards computers and digital work.  He has defined architectural drawings into three groups “Referential sketch”, “Preparatory study” and “Definitive drawing”.  I agree with Graves that the final step, definitive drawings,  is exceptional for use by computers and the other steps are done by the artist themselves. The love for art and drawing may be fading away in time due to the ability of everything being digital, but Graves has positive thoughts to what drawings bring to the table for artists.

This is a picture i did not take of my room when the power was switched off. With only natural light from the rising sun my walls reflected this colors around the room. Each wall was a different shade of orange.

This is a picture i did not take of new Barclays Center located in Brooklyn. The new shape and exterior of the arena stood out as others crowded around taking pictures.  the entrance of the center has a rusted metal color and texture in a dynamic curved shape with video screens incorporated into it.

This is a picture i did not take of the incomplete world trade center tower. Walking to class early morning looking across into the lower skyline of the city is where i spotted the tower. While scanning this massive building it began to fade into the sky completely disappearing into the fog.

In Michael Graves article “Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing,” which was published in the September 1, 2012 edition of The New York Times, Graves describes how important drawing is, despite the fact we have computers to make our lives easier. In his article, Graves expresses his thoughts on computers bringing the end “of our most powerful means of conceptualizing and representing architecture.” Graves writes the three types of architectural drawings- “the referential sketch,” the “preparatory study” and the “definitive drawing. He says that the most developed of the three drawings is the definitive drawing. This is because of the definitive drawings are created on the computers, making it easier and faster to create. The referential sketch is is a simple shorthand notation, and the preparatory study is “part of a progression of drawings that elaborate a design”. Though we have so much technology to help us create drawings faster, our hand drawings will still be the real representation on architecture.

This is a picture I did not take of a bald old man sitting on a paint-chipped park bench. His belly sticking out of his half unbuttoned shirt, as he looks up to the sky with a clear face and no emotion.

This is a picture I did not take of BBQ. A stumpy-looking man was cooking on the charcoaled grill. Kids running around with one another and yelling in the yard, as the adults laugh obnoxiously.

This is a picture I did not take on a lonely night. The street was very foggy and mysterious, and the street lights were flickering on and off as fat rats were running scared searching for food.

In Michael Graves’ article “Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing,” which was published in the September 1, 2012 edition of The New York Times, Graves describes the importance of drawing in the field of architecture despite our advances in computer technology in this field. He expresses that the act of drawing in regards to architecture, cannot be dead, nor could architecture divorce itself from drawing, no matter how impressive our technology gets. According to Graves there are three types of architectural drawings; first, the “referential sketch”, second, the “preparatory study”, and last, the “definitive drawing.” He believes that “the referential sketch serves as a visual diary, a record of an architect’s discovery,” and “the preparatory study, is typically part of a progression of drawings that elaborate a design.” The most developed of the three is the definitive drawing, which is almost always appropriately developed on the computer due to the accuracy of computers. Despite the advancements computers have made for the field of architecture, drawing by hand is still integral.

This is a picture I did not take of the horizon shown at the beach. The yellow and orange in the sky complimented each other very well, and it was even more beautiful when the birds flew by.