Primary photograph
- Exposed, snaking wires very striking
- Though concrete appears as a single substance, actually contains multitude of other elements
- Almost appears like an organic form, as if vine twisting around a man-made structure
- Forms coming out of a flat surface
Often we do not associate concrete with a sense of fragility and weakness. However, the artist has evoked this sense of destruction and degradation. I want to see if this effect can be replicated using stitch work. By using thread, the effect of the lines can be quite disturbing and captivating. This piece inspires me to create that same emotion in my work.
Brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture (1950s - mid-1970s) is descending from the modernist architectura movement of the early 20th century. The term originates from the French word for "raw" in the term used by Le Corbusierto describe his choice of material béton brut (raw concrete). British architectural critic Reyner Banham adapted it into "brutalism" to identify the style.
Examples are typically massive in character, fortress-like, with a predominance of exposed concrete construction, or in the case of the "brick brutalists," ruggedly combine detailed brickwork and concrete. There is often an emphasis on graphically expressing in the external elevations and in the whole-site architectural plan the main functions and people-flows of the buildings. Brutalism became popular for educational buildings, but was relatively rare for corporate projects. Brutalism became favoured for many government projects, high-rise housing, and shopping centres to create an architectural image that communicated strength, functionality, and frank expression of materiality.
- Repetition of lines
- Long vertical lines reaching upwards
- Rectangles- work with geometric shapes
- Surprising curved and hidden details
- Pops of colour- blue, yellow, peach etc cut through the grey- blast of optimism
- Shapes in buildings, again in One Kemble Street similar to honeycomb
- Repetition
- Could also look at it being a 'hive of activity'- outside of hive seems still, inside busy, detailed
- Similar to buildings, strong, simple shapes on outside, multitude of apartments in interior
- Idea of wrapping
- Beautiful because still able to see form underneath, not obscuring or distorting but enveloping
- Lightness of it contrasts with heaviness and solidity of the brutalist buildings
Properties of Hardened Concrete
Concrete has relatively high compressive strength, but significantly lower tensile strength. As a result, without compensating, concrete would almost always fail from tensile stresses – even when loaded in compression. The practical implication of this is that concrete elements subjected to tensile stresses must be reinforced with materials that are strong in tension (often steel). The elasticity of concrete is relatively constant at low stress levels but starts decreasing at higher stress levels as matrix cracking develops. Concrete has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, and as it matures concrete shrinks. All concrete structures will crack to some extent, due to shrinkage and tension. Concrete which is subjected to long-duration forces is prone to creep.
Carlos Cruz-Diez
Courtesy of Americas Society Gallery, New York. Photo by: Arturo Sanchez.
There is also a disturbing quality in this piece. It could be that the orange lines create a chaotic and violent effect, which clashes with the cool, temperate nature of the concrete. I especially love how the use of textile materials are incorporated into this rougher surface. The effect is powerful and raw, something that contrasts the surface appearance of most stone. Instead, the artist is expressing a much more visceral and honest quality in her work.