Category Archives: Art & Design

Hubert Robert: Painting as a source of knowledge

Art & Design, Painting, Travel, Urbanism

Hubert Robert: Painting as a source of knowledge. I will admit that my passion for painting is equal to my passion for architecture, although I have practiced and taught architecture for many years and, for fear of embarrassment, never taken my personal attempts in the art of painting seriously. During my own architectural studies, a faculty member who was also a graphic artist, introduced me to the foundation of the science of color. She enticed me to learn how the subjectivity of color could trigger sensations; this would become the source of a lifelong astonishment and appreciation of color and painting.

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Door Locks in Corripo, Switzerland

Art & Design, Travel

Door Locks in Corripo, Switzerland. North of the Ticinese city of Locarno, Switzerland, high up in the Verzasca valley, is a picturesque 13thcentury vernacular village called Corippo. It seems to be built at the end of the world (the first official access road was only constructed in 1883), and, while not much has changed over the past centuries, it is a must to visit. With only 12 inhabitants in 2018, it is the smallest municipality in Switzerland, however, it is better known for its use of stone. Throughout the village, paved granite paths, granite walls, granite stairs, and steep slate roofs create a visual harmony that is both striking and overwhelming.

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Edward Hopper Cape Cod

Art & Design, Painting

Edward Hopper Cape Cod. Of course, I have a number of favorites painters that span over five centuries; from the international Gothic to contemporary iconographies. Yet, as an architect, I am particularly fond of the American painter Edward Hopper (1882-1967) whose work reflects on the dramatic urban changes that America underwent during the post World War Two economic boom of the 1950’s.

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Dish rack as object d’art

Art & Design
Detail of dish rack filled with dishes

Dish rack as object d’art. You barely finished a wonderful dinner and already fear the drudge of cleaning up pots and pans, dishes, and cutlery. While most of us rely on the modern convenience of a dishwasher -registered in 1850 and to only became part of the standardized US kitchen utilities in the 1950’s, I like to wash dishes the old-fashioned way.

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