blog four: curatorial

A Straight Curve

A Straight Curve - Ursula Nichols

“Think simple... reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles.”

                                     - Frank Lloyd Wright, 1987 (The Vancouver Sun, 2007)

A Straight Curve explores the idea that everything can be made from a straight line; that when an object is looked at in it’s most innocent form, it can be broken down into basic, geometric shapes.

The use of basic shapes and lines is seen repeatedly throughout design history from Neoclassical design to the Bauhaus and Minimalists; the idea that beauty is found in simplicity is the key element of this design.

A Straight Curve uses elements of design by Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry. In Wright’s design, geometric forms are used to create compelling forms  that give unity and form to his work (Keane & Keane, 2005). This concept was carried into A Straight Curve - the piece showcases the way in which an irregular form is made merely by a series of straight lines with multiple pieces of wire. In this, A Straight Curve looks at how a curve can be created in an unconventional way. The curve which is created was influenced by Gehry’s innovative use of the curve as he devloped the curve into unconventional and contemporary ways (Forgey, 2001).

A Straight Curve juxtaposes the fluid curve with the bold horizontal line, made from black card, which cuts through the vertical lines which create the curve. A Straight Curve essentially conveys and emphasises the way in which a fluid form can be made entirely out of straight lines.


Reference List:

      Duplexes built in an arts and craft style. (2007). The Vancouver Sun, pp. M.1-M1. http://search.proquest.com/docview/242027275?accountid=14782

    Forgey, B. (2001, May 27). Architect frank gehry, ahead of the curves. The Washington Post, pp. G.01-G1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/409146489?accountid=14782

    Keane, Mark & Keane, Linda. (2005). The Geometry of Frank Lloyd Wright, Nexus Network Journal, vol. 7 no. 1. Retrieved from http://nexusjournal.com/Keane.html