Aesthetics Exploration: Brutalism

Brutalism is an architectural style that began in the mid-20th century, characterized by its use of raw, exposed materials, bold geometric forms, and a focus on functionality. The term “brutalism” is derived from the French word “béton brut,” meaning raw concrete, which is a common material used in this style. Brutalist architecture is also characterized…

Aesthetics Exploration: Aerodynamic Design

Aerodynamic design refers to the science of designing objects in such a way that they experience minimal air resistance, also known as drag, while simultanesously generating either lift or downforce, depending on the application. Engineers achieve this by designing and simulating streamlined shapes that allows air to flow smoothly over the surface of the object,…

Aesthetic Exploration- SolarPunk

As an identified aesthetic Solarpunk is a relatively new concept and idea space. This is point further proved by the fact that Cyberpunk is recognized by the computer as I type and Solarpunk gets treated to the red squiggly line, suggesting that I may have meant to say “Solarium”. “The term, coined in 2008, refers…

Aesthetic Exploration: Kitsch

                      Kitsch is the German word for trash and is often used to describe cheap, meaningless forms of pop culture/commercial culture. Kitsch, also known as cheesiness or tackiness, and appeals to popular or uncultivated taste because the forms are often garish or overly sentimental, simply…

Aesthetic Explorations: Tessellations

A tessellation refers to the repeated use of geometric tiles to fill a larger space without any gaps. In this way, tessellations combine both artistic ideals and mathematical problem solving. Initially though, tessellations served a more decorative purpose, dating back all the way to 4000 BCE where Sumerians utilized them in patterned clay walls [1].…

Aesthetic Exploration: Product Design Sketches

Sketching by hand is not lost in today’s digital age. The ability to sketch by hand allows designers to quickly put ideas onto paper, make changes, and flesh out concepts. Hurricane Lantern sketches by Mike Serafin Early stages of design sketching often looks like this. Many simple images on one page. Often in a side…

Aesthetic Exploration: Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro, in its most basic form, is a contrast of light and dark without regard of color. It is commonly used to give subjects of a painting or photograph three dimensions with light falling on the subject from a particular light source out of frame. Though this technique has existed for a long time, it…

Aesthetic Exploration 2019: Beer Tap Handles

The aesthetic I have chosen to explore is the aesthetic of beer tap handles, and how they can range from incredibly minimalistic to functional works of art. Until the early 20th century, beer was typically served directly from the barrel, until artificial carbonation was introduced in 1936 thus beginning what we know as draught beer. …

Running through Time

Source: https://sojones.com/style-trends/sneakers/154825-the-history-of-sneakers/ Today, it would be hard to imagine a world where the category of shoes did not include sneakers of any kind. In fact, the most commonly seen type of shoe is sneakers. However, the sneaker was born not too long ago. The first ever sneakers were plimsoll shoes, made in 1930 by a…

Aesthetics Exploration: Tiny Homes

As someone who borders on the line of hoarder, I am mesmerized by the concept of tiny homes. Over the past decade, people have started to embrace the minimalistic lifestyle due to its low cost and environmental impact, as well as aesthetic appeal. Many tiny homes feature wood panelling and large windows giving them a seemingly open…

Aesthetics Exploration: Geometry as an Aesthetic

Patterns with distinct edges and shapes have been implemented by humans for centuries to use geometry as a form of expression. Studies of Palaeolithic cave art have revealed that even the earliest humans were fascinated by geometric patterns. Some of the earliest documented artistic examples came from the Geometric Art Period (circa 900-700 B.C.) in Ancient Greece.…

Aesthetic Explorations: Baroque Composers

The aesthetic I have chosen to explore is that of Baroque musical composition, a period of European musicianship lasting from 1600 to 1750.  Well known within this period are composers such as Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751), Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), and George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) among…

Roadkill: Cycling wall art

Bikes are a wonderful component to living in Boulder, as a capstone to the great infrastructure in the community I’d like to build something to hang my bike on. Something I love most about bikes is their simple mechanical design and ability to rebuild them. I think this behavior epitomizes upcycling and not just the…

WPA Posters

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b48847 Art to spread awareness for syphilis? During the depression in the 1930’s, jobs were hard to come by for most everybody in the United Sates. Artists especially felt the squeeze as Americans worried more about putting food on the table than supporting the arts. As part of the New Deal, the Works Progress Administration (WPA)…

“Retro” architecture

In modern architecture, the retro-style appears when brand new buildings are built with the same features (brick facades, roof materials, etc.) as the older buildings that surround them. The time difference between the new and old buildings is often nearly a century. This aesthetic instills a sense of oneness/homogeneity and nostalgia to the region in which it is applied. Modern baseball stadiums…