Notes : Instrumental and Existential Knowledge

Notes from ‘The Thinking Hand’ by Juhani Pallasmaa

“In addition to operative and instrumental knowledge and skills, the designer and the artist need existential knowledge moulded by their experiences of life. Existential knowledge arises from the way the person experiences and expresses his/her existence, and this knowledge provides the most important context for ethical judgement. In design work these two categories of knowledge merge, and as a consequence, the building is a rational object of utility and an artistic/existential metaphor of the same time

All professions and disciplines contain both categories of knowledge in varying degree and configurations. The instrumental dimensions of a craft can be theorised, researched, taught and incorporated in the  practice rationally, whereas existential dimensions are integrated within one’s own self identity, life experience and ethical sense as well as one’s personal sense of mission. The category of existential wisdom is also much more difficult to teach, if not outright impossible.” (119)

Drawing 05

A series on drawings i am exploring to understand ideas of geometry and enclosure

I would use words – field and intersection- to relate to this drawing.

12copy

Research and Design

Just a quick diagram to articulate a question I’m thinking about. What is the relation between research and design? Particularly for an undergrad design thesis student. Will the research lead to a singular ‘profound’ statement or a diagram and then the design will just happen? Or a combination of research and design (with a lot of overlap) that will lead hopefully to think about architecture in a thoughtful manner?

 

Class Drawing1

Seeing oneself in paper

I am quoting a brilliant paragraph from Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird : Some Instructions on Writing and Life) on writing here. I feel this emotion is similar to the act of drawing too.
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Talking about a poem which got published when she was in second grade, Anne Lamott writes “I understood immediately the thrill of seeing oneself in print. It provides some sort of of primal verification: you are in print; therefore you exist. Who knows what this urge is all about, to appear somewhere outside yourself, instead of feeling stuck inside your muddled but stroboscopic mind, peering out like a little undersea animal – a spiny blend, for instance – from inside your tiny cave? Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to actually show up somewhere. While others who have something to say or who want to be effectual, like musicians of baseball players or politicians, have to get out there in front of people, writer who tend to be shy, get to stay at home and still be public. There are many advantages to this. You don’t have to dress up, for instance, and you can’t hear them boo you right away.”
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I feel the same with drawing.
drawing as ’seeing oneself in paper’