Tuesday, March 10, 2009

First impression


I got an assignment to draw one of the most memorable spaces I've been in. Tough call. First, I thought of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao built by Frank Gehry. Then I thought of standing below the I.M. Pei pyramid in the entrance of the Louvre. I felt so small and stood imagining what it must be like during dusk, or in the early morning.

Then I thought of the cactus garden, Le Jardin Exotique, on top of the Mediterranean Castle village in Eze, in Southern France. Never been anywhere nor seen anything quite like it. The light from the Mediterranean was amazing. The foliage felt like I was on another planet.

Then I remembered my best friend, Cathy's home while growing up in Hawaii. The first time I remember visiting, I was about 7 years old, it made a huge impression on me. I loved the space. I was suddenly conscious of volume, integrated spaces, light that changes throughout the day, windows becoming picture frames for the outside, primitive folk art that decorates surfaces, and clean, sleek lines of furniture...I'd never experienced a place where my eyes feasted on my surroundings. Don't know how accurate this drawing is, but the experience influenced my personal style from that moment on.

2 comments:

  1. Wow ... you have an amazing memory and an inspiring eye. The room you remember from your childhood has remained basically the same. The artwork hasn't budged. The windows are still there. Next time you're back in Honolulu, lets go pay a visit.

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  2. Thanks, I think it would be fun for me just to see where my imagination filled in what I couldn't remember! I'd like to be there soon. But we'll have to see how things go. Right now we're slated for August??

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