Proud.



Last year, during my first semester as a second year student of architecture, we were assigned to design an addition to a museum.

This year, my work along with 9 other students have their work being shown in the museum.



In retrospect, it's kind of a crazy thing. My design was chosen to be presented as one of the top from my section of students, and 9 other amazing designs were picked too. And then our work was realized in the three dimensional form by the means of 3D printing.

Here we are, a year later and the work is in an exhibit in the museum. I thought the gallery opening was cool enough, but one of Capital Regions newspapers ran a story on it. Not only did they run a story, they conducted interviews and I happened to be around for that so now I'm IN the newspaper article. And then we got photographed for the article, and somehow only three images ran with the article; one of the group of us whose work was exhibited (shown at top), one of Jackson's (a grad student and a friend of mine) interior render, and me with my model.

And our work was published in a book by the School of Architecture. We all got one. It's kind of fantastic.

I do not in any way own these photos, all credit goes to the Daily Gazette and Gazette Photographer: Stacey Lauren-Kennedy

The more places I'll go


This semester I'm taking an elective course that is geared towards reconnecting contemporary painting with contemporary architecture, and there is something about it that makes me want to fully invest my life in learning about our contemporary culture. Recently we have covered information regarding stylistic periods of art from the 19th century to now, and the external learning that we have been given leave me searching for more. We were required to watch a documentary called Painters Painting which opened my eyes to how an artist creates. As an architect, we are given a predetermined paradigm of functionality or a restriction, which, due to our medium is one that requires our attention in design. But instead of working towards an idea and stopping at our restrictions we should learn how to break down those restrictions in order to find something new.

I just watched this lecture/discussion between an artist and a film maker as part of researching how Matt Connors as an artist conceptualizes his own work, and there is a whirlwind of thoughts running through me currently.

I want to go to museums. Wherever I go my new goal is to go to a museum. Historical, art, science, anything. Especially in the contemporary realm. In schooling we are taught history. It is given to us as sheet of information that we are supposed to retain. But no one tells us about the world we are living in right now. We're just expected to know about it, which, if you are anything like me, you don't even realize how many innovative things are happening, and how many ideas are being realized in different manners. Not only the fact that things are happening, but we need to experience them, and try and understand them.

I need to watch more movies. Not romantic comedies or action films. Documentary's. Films with a message, with a story, with art. I've neglected considering films to be a source of "art" persay, since I've considered movies to be more so involved with the entertainment of masses, and quality suffers. There are movies of course that I thoroughly enjoy and would praise for several things, yet the connotation of art had never been realized. I'd like to change that.

I want to read more books. For a while now I've been wanting to read Heidegger's Subculture: The Meaning of Style because I find society and its representational qualities to be a fascinating aspect of our contemporary life. In that respect there are a lot of books that conceptualize relationships of our future to that of our past. One that was mentioned in the discussion I previously addressed was titled Retromania and discusses specifically music, but overall conceptualizes our modern fascination with reproducing the past into contemporary culture.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” 
- Dr.Suess

Edge.


1 // 2 \\ 3 // 4 \\ 5

Lately I've been craving a style change, and it all started with me wanting a new hairstyle, and with it a few new pieces in my wardrobe. It's taken me a really long time to actually figure out the rules (and consequently how to properly break the rules) of style, but as of late I've been extremely comfortable in how I choose to dress. Now, you're all probably thinking "that's a splendid thing for you old sport!" but for some reason I want to start moving into a trend that has been been evolving into something modern and aesthetically interesting; something with edge. 

Whether it is the architect from New York mentality or the fact that Halloween is rapidly approaching, I've been drawn towards a lot of black lately. While looking online for a nice thick knit shawl collar cardigan I stumbled onto the Zara website and instantly became transfixed with these pieces with leather embellishments. Now if we take a look at the pieces above the four on the right could actually probably be easily incorporated into my wardrobe without too much of a style shock; they incorporate elements of edge to ordinary pieces. The first piece however is not something I could see myself wearing, even though all of the photos of it being worn make it looks like such an amazing piece. It's too much of a statement, mainly because the shape is unlike anything I have ever, or currently own.

Unrelated, I'm pretty excited for Halloween festivities.

Mid Term.



I've had quite a tumultuous week. I had a few mid-term tests recently and my studio midterm presentation in which our dean winked at me. A lot of the grimy had to do with the prospects of a relationship that from the beginning was not going to work out - we both knew it too. But oddly enough I'm not upset about it. I also came to the realization that without swimming looming over my life I would have time for a relationship if I wanted one. But enough about that.

In the past few weeks there have been a lot of people coming back to RPI as alumni and it's so weird to think that I'm a junior in college now. Like, I even started thinking about whether or not grad school should be an option so that I could teach if  I wanted to. (And since when would having a Masters hurt in finding a job?) Just a few years ago, some even less than that had graduated and are now part of the real world which is a moderately terrifying prospect. Already I am concerning myself with summer internships, and seasonal jobs for when I go home during winter break.

In general though, not much else has been going on. I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and although they have a consistency similar to muffins they are too good. One of my roommates got me hooked on American Horror Story. Natalie is supposed to be coming up next weekend! I met a grad student at my school today who grew up with Maggie and she was really nice, and excited about the fact that we had a mutual friend. Sometimes you just have moments where all you can think of is, "it is a small world."

<<jacket: dead poets society by UO > < sweater: j.crew > < navy blue tee shirt: nordstrom > < belt: old navy > 
< off white denim: levis > < clarks desert boots w/  blue j.crew laces>>

Countdown



1 // 2 \\ 3 // 4 \\ 5 // 6 \\ 7 // 8 \\ 1

It's the first day of October, and that means that my Birthday is rapidly approaching. For the most part, Birthdays aren't too big of a deal, except for a certain few; 16 when you can get your license, 18 when you become a legal adult and can vote, and 21 the age of being able to purchase alcoholic beverages.

In thirty days I turn 21. Needless to say I'm pretty excited about it. It has more to do with the social aspects of being in a college setting, and having a lot of friends who are older than me that I'm not able to spend time with because of an age restriction.

Anyways, since moving into an apartment I am starting to feel like there are some things I can own now, simply because I have a place to put them, or things to use them with. Like those straws? I don't even need them. I don't even like drinking out of straws to be honest. The rest of the things are more practical, like watch straps, and a wallet, and even though they're not on there I'd love a pair of wayfarer sunglasses.

However, lets talk budgeting real fast. Because most, if not all, of these items are not things I will need in the near future, rather they are things I would like to own. This is true with a lot of things, so this month I'd like to do a budgeting exercise for myself. My goal is to not purchase anything not absolutely necessary for survival. So, groceries I can purchase, I just want to be smarter about them. Everything else, all of the impulse buys that I have been known to do, I am going to resist.

Here's to October!

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