« Ohhhhh, back to school, back to school… | Main | You know... »
August 16, 2005
Working nine to five... right.
Ahhhh, summer school, lazy days, napping in class, no homework, easy As... Boy, those were the days. Week 1, as you know, was drawing. I'm kind of glad I was too busy and the computer stuff took so long to set up because the first half of that week was a bit frustrating and I'm not sure entries made between Mon-Wed would have shed a positive light on the experience. Not that I mind the work, but when they tell you class is 9-5 and then it turns into 9-9 and then 9-11:30 it gets to your head when you had planned to do other things with you day. Not to mention the heat and the drawing outdoors, etc. I've never sweat so much in my life sitting in one place. Thursday, although it was the longest day, was probably the best. I finally felt like I was doing something right and things were turning out looking decent. Much better than, say, Tuesday, figure drawing. I've never done real figure drawing, and my ability to draw a proportional human being has always been lacking; elongated torsos, legs different lengths, Popeye forearms, not to mention the 55-year-old, homeless, freaky looking specimen of a figure we had to draw. This is an Ivy League school for god's sake, there's got to be plenty of buxom coeds around who don't mind "going wild," as the TV says, for some food money or ching for some new Abercrombie cut offs. Jesus.
So now here we are, Week 2, Studio, which basically involves investigating a site, drawing it, surveying it (I learned how to triangulate terrain based on a single known length; incidentally, the English used this same method to plot the entire country on India, golly!), create representational drawings investigating layers or phenomena that one is interested in, making models, etc.
All these things take time to examine, to interpret, to represent; there is extensive trial and error, what works, what doesn't. Now I look back on that first week longingly. Oh, if I could go home and 9. Hell, I'd even take 11:30. Monday, Day 1, class started at 9 in the morning as usual, only this time I left class, or "studio" as desgin grad students call it (get with it, jerks), at 1 in the morning on Tuesday. But I'm not complaining, it was a really fun day and I learned some pretty cool stuff, but you know me... I like-a da sleepa.
What I will complain about is that on Monday morning we went out to select our pseudo-selected sites and we had to take a bunch of photos of the site so that we could later put together a montage (tell it with a montage!!) of a plan view of the site (view looking straight down, as much as possible) and a sort of panoramic, more experiential view of the site. So, I open an old box of color film that I have around, checking that it doesn't say "slide film" anywhere on the box, and then proceed with the picture taking. I'm not so good at the foreshadowing without being obvious so, yes, it was slide film. Apparently if the word "chrome" appears anywhere on a box of color film in any way, shape, or form, that means it's slide film. Hence, Fuji ChromaColor is slide film. Beware. So, after being up until 2 a.m. I had to get up early, at 6:30, and go back to the site and photograph it with real film. And... today I had to take a five minute lunch, get my film, and put together one of my photo montages so I could catch up. But it's fun, wicked fun, and this is only the beginning... I had a hard time understanding how, when students at the open house said you'd work 80-100 hours a week your first semester, that was even possible. I'm starting to get it. I'll try to explain this project and include some photos later in the week or weekend.
Now... the sweet embrace of sleep...
Posted by austin at August 16, 2005 9:39 PM
Comments
Oh man, it sounds like you are working hard. But it does sound fun. Except for the parts about the humidity, and then about the slide film. I'd leave those parts out in a do-over. :)
Posted by: V at August 17, 2005 11:12 AM
Whoa! Such a hard working boy you are! Fascinating though austin! We do miss you in MN no-doubt... that goes for you too virgina! Anyway - tears are being shed all over minneapolis in the name of missing austin, but sounds like it is all worthwhile - keep the updates coming. it's gotta be more exciting than my life - although last weekends trip to lake maria beats philly any day - I'm sure! :)
Posted by: Shannon at August 18, 2005 3:33 PM
Austin! Hey, I wrote you an email about two weeks ago, maybe you forgot that you have TWO sisters. Anyway, if you didn't hear, I'm moving to New York, so we're going to be in the same Time Zone. Neat, huh?
Posted by: Nora at August 22, 2005 3:00 AM
Hey Austi,
It sounds like a ton of hard work but you also sound driven which is kick ass! It's fun to have goals and feel a sense of acomplishment when something comes out good. You're going to be the best architect ever. Tell them to get rid of the bums and hit up the Undergrads to do some modelling.
What NORA's moving to New York! Great news!
Becca
Posted by: Becca at August 23, 2005 2:24 PM
i didnt read this post but judging by what people wrote....Man you got it tough keep your head up and all that shit.......FOUR MCINERNYS IN THE SAME TIME ZONE, it will change the east side forever...p.s. you guys gotta rep the midwest-side fo reals
Posted by: spud.... at September 4, 2005 11:38 AM