From Science to Art - Comenius

Sweet home Comenius (lyrics by Institut Vall d’Hebron students)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Modernism and the oriental art. (by Julia Sinusia)

If you try to connect the oriental art and the modernism, probably you won’t found nothing that this two kinds of art share in common.

But as far as abstraction and nature is concerned, we know that the modernism is basically the abstraction of the architecture transported to the nature world.

Gaudí, for example, tried to design buildings with the appearance of the vegetal and animal world.

And…what about oriental art?

If we study, for exemple, the ways of life of japanese and xinese people, we’ll realise that they involve the abstraction and the nature in all their culture, included the art.

But not just in the art, even their scripture sistem is the abstraction of the nature they see and feel: the kanji.

Kanji means “word”

The kanji is probably the most clear example of the oriental art in relation with the modernism; a kanji is a pictograme (that means that is a draw that tries to represent real things) wich is used by japanese and chinese people as their scripture sistem.

These characters are called "Ideographs", "Ideograms" or "Pictograms" because express an idea, and represents meaning in a visual way.

For example, some kanji characters are developed like this:

Kanji of HORSE

Kanji of EYE

Kanji of SUN

Kanji of TREE. With imagination, we can see the roots and the branchs of the tree.

Kanji of MOUNTAIN.

Thoese pictorial Kanji that are mentioned above are Kanji characters which have meanings themselves. However, they can be also combined together and can be different Kanji characters.

For example, by combining two 'tree' Kanji character together, the kanji will become "forest”.

And, if instead of two we put thre trees in the same carácter, it becomes “jungle”.

Let’s see one more example:

It is the kanji of “person”. And represents just that: a person walking.

When used as the left side of the kanji, it becomes the shape of "イ" .

And if we add the kanji of tree to the kanji of person it becomes…

…to rest!

To represent the action of to rest, they chossed to draw a man sitting under a tree.

As you can see, the kanji is the expression of the abstraction, and it is extremely involved with the nature.

The japanese culture did the same as modernism architects: try to find an abstract connection with the nature in order to express art.

There are said to be about 50,000 kanji characters in existence, of which a literate Japanese adult will be able to recognize about 3,500. Out of these 1,945 are officially recognized.

Modernism

Artistic and cultural movement produced at Occident at the end of the XIX century and at the beginning of the XX century.

It’s a middle-class art tries to combine, on architecture, all art with all type of arts.

Modernism characteristics

Inspired on the nature and use of a lot of animals and vegetables elements.

Uses of the bend line.

It’s not frequently the representation of the organic decorative realism.

Exotic decorative inspired in fantasy and old cultures.

Decorative element joins with set objet.

Middle-class done this architecture, a social status symbol.

Ildefons Cerdà thinks Eixample and it starts to build exuberant builds.

Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch encourage an architecture how an art, and not only how a job.

Lluís Domènech i Montaner (1849-1923)

Wealthy family.

He studied science and engineering.

Teacher at the Escola d’Arquitectura..

Political career: president of Lliga de Catalunya, deputy at Madrid, Esquerra Catalana: president de la Lliga de Catalunya, diputat a Madrid i fundador de l’Esquerra Catalana founder.

He died in 1923.

 

Domènech i Montaner work

Antoni Tàpies Foundation

Zoologic Museum.

Pere Mata Institute.

Casa Navàs

Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital.

Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital

 

Built between 1905 and 1930.

Pau Gil financed the Hospita that was called St Pau Hospital because of his name.

Similar to 9 Eixample island area.

Hospital model with underground communications.

All the pavilions have the same sun hours.

Vegetal decorative

Calendula officinalis

Family: Asteràcies

Trompeta flower

 

 

RoseFamily: Rosàcies

Inside

 

 

 

 

Vegetal decoratives

 

 

Quercus  robur L.

Family: Fagàcies

 

 

 

Symbols at garden

 

Palm tree:symbolize fame, victory...

 

Orange tree:symbolize pure.

 

Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1867-1956)

 

Well-to-do/wealthy family

Pupil of Domènech i Montaner

Scientific trilogy: “L’arquirtectura romànica de Catalunya” and 5 doctorates

President of the Mancomunitat de Catalunya, Association of Catalonia 1917

Creation of Technical collages and public professionals

Foundation of Catalan scientific institutions

Whit the coup d'état of Primo de Rivera he loses the charge and every type of political life

Works of Puig i Cadafalch

First stage, pink time: Casa Martí, Casa Macaya, Casa Amatller and Casa de les Punxes.

Second stage, white time: CasaTrinxet, Casa Muntades.

Third stage, yellow time: take place during the l’Exposició de Barcelona.

The family Amatller

Antoni Amatller: third generation of a family chocolate maker

In year 1898 he entrusts Puig i Cadafalch his reform of house and he asks him to represent his interests it

Contributions of Puig i Cadafalch

Architectural concept based on the ideals of the Renaissance

New style based on the adaptation in the antique ways in the new materials and in the new needs

He creates a rich language by symbols  to make known the personality, profession, tastes, values and interests of the owners.

Allusions in Catalan national referents and to|in traditions popular

Façade of the Casa Amatller

 

Mediaeval and Gothic details of inspiration

Symmetry and decorative elements in line in a vertical way

Iconographic elements.

 

Iconography in the Casa Amatller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside

 

 

Vitis vinifera L.

Família: Vitàcies

 

 

Silybum marianum

Família: Compostes

 

 

Crocus vernus

Família: Iridàcies

 

 

Pasiflora (pasiflora coerulea)

Família: Pacifloreàcies