An Interpretation to design activity through painting art

Global Journal on

Humanites & Social Sciences

Issue 1 (2015) 199-207

Selected Paper of 3rd World Conference On Design, Arts and Education, (DAE-2014) 02-03 May 2014, Royal Princess Hotel Conference Center in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

An Interpretation to design activity through painting art Nilgun Kuloglu

*, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon

61080, Turkey. Aysel Yavuz, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon

61080, Turkey.

Suggested Citation: Kuloglu, N. & Yavuz, A. (2015). An Interpretation to design activity through painting art, Global Journal on

Humanites & Social Sciences. [Online]. 01, pp 199-207. Available from:http://www.world-education-center.org/index.php/pntsbs

Received January 28, 2014; revised Febaruary 15, 2014; accepted March 09, 2014. Selection and peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Siniša Opid, Zagreb University, Croatia. ©2015 Academic World Education & Research Center. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Design action is an original and creative process. However, that the creative process is unique leads to some problems experienced by designers and executives in the field of education. These problems can be summarized as lack of self-confidence in beginning to design, existence of an infinite number of design recommendations, difficulties in converting abstract ideas into concrete facts and the likes. It is occasionally tried to get help from various branches of art to minimize these problems and enable designers to meet with design problems that can open their horizons. Besides, getting advantage of the art objects could be another way of improving visual thinking. A new product can be obtained in a design problem by assimilating the bases forming a branch of art and the works belonging to it. In this study, contributions of the works of art to design activity have been discussed to resolve the above mentioned problems by considered applications. That this experience is a design review action has been explained with the help of various accounts. Two different applications have been sampled in this study in two different design areas selected from Piet Montrian’s works, and discussions are going on in connection with gains. One of the design fields is architecture, and the other is landscape architecture. The selected student works are evaluated in terms of design problems and results.

Keywords: Art, painting, design, design activity, design education

* ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Nilgun Kuloglu, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon 61080, Turkey. E-mail address: [email protected]

http://www.world-education-center.org/index.php/pntsbs

http://www.world-education-center.org/index.php/pntsbs

mailto:[email protected]

Kuloglu,N. & Yavuz, A. (2015). An Interpretation to design activity through painting art, Global Journal on Humanites & Social Sciences. [Online]. 01, pp 199-207. Available from:http://www.world-education-center.org/index.php/pntsbs

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1. Introduction

In general, many studies have been done on learning models. Beyond that, numerous studies conducted on the process of design problem have taken their place in the world of science (Durling, Cross & Johnson, 1996; Coffield, Moseley, Hall & Ecclestone, 2004; Kokotovich, 2008; Oxman, 2004; Eisner, 2004; Tokman & Yamaçlı, 2007; Kolb & Kolb, 2005; Demirbas & Demirkan, 2003; Kvan & Yunyan, 2005).

Design methods or design strategies also have similarly been named and classified by researchers in various ways (Alexander, 1964; Gregory, 1966; Jones, 1970; Bayazit, 1994). For example, according to Aksoy design method is a regular way held to achieve the goal (Aksoy, 1987).

And in the field of architecture, whatever strategy or method is followed there is the existence of a design problem for a start. And design is the end product of this process. Designers pass through certain stages in the process towards the solution (Kuloğlu & Asaoğlu, 2011).

Design process is complex and so requires creative solutions (Anderson, 2011). In this complex process, designers draw their own path and each obtained product becomes a kind of personal creativity product. And the most stunning way of triggering personal creativity passes through developing visual thinking. According to Arnheim, thinking requires images, and thoughts include images. Therefore visual arts are the slot of thinking. Some of the objectives attributed to art are the means of rendering visual thinking possible (Arnheim, 1997).

To develop visual thinking, design educators have tried a lot of ways. One of them is to utilize the art object. This benefit can form in different ways according to the researchers (Bradley, 2001; Ünverdi & Erdin, 2008).

At various times, to take advantage of the art object has become the subject to various researches. For example, Carcia mentions one of the ways to get benefit from the art object while recounting the Council Hall project they have prepared for Sarajevo in their study entitled, “How Kandinsky Helped my Design” (Garcia, 2009).

In their books called From Painting to the Space: Kandinsky, researchers have given examples of the applications made through the use of image area in the department of interior design (Erbay, Zorlu, Akgül, Onur, & Aras, 2013).

Advantages of starting to design with an art object have been the experimental subject of another study (Kılıçaslan, Kuloğlu, & Asaoğlu, 2011).

It is evident that art objects are acceptable as a starting point for the design process and the design action can be initiated through this tool. The scope of this article highlights that art objects happen to be an ideal tool for designing.

2. Modrian Works as a Design Tool

The reason why Mondrian works are the subject of this research is Piet Mondrian’s close relationship with the Bauhaus school. Bauhaus is a school that has been effective on the professions in the field of design not only during its academic existence, but also after that. For example Basic Design, which is taught today as an introductory course in design schools, is a course implemented in the Bauhaus school for the first time (Balcıoğlu, 2009). In this regard, Mondrian and the Bauhaus association is considered very important for design based studies.

This study, in which the art work has been used as a design tool, is on the sampling of two different applications. Mondrian works have been selected as a tool in the two different applications subject to this study. The most important reason of this selection is that Mondrian works contain many tips for designing. That the situation is available for using the art work as a tool in different design fields reveals the unique aspects of this study. Selected applications belong to two different design fields.


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One of them is the field of architecture, and the other is the field of Landscape Architecture. Applications carried out in both areas have been continued over the same painter’s works in different ways. Now this approach may be mentioned.

2.1. Designing with the Way of Staying Loyal to the Mondrian Works

Examples in the field of Architecture are the products of 4-week study performed in the Department of Architecture of KTU during 2009-2010 Fall-semester within the course of Narrative Techniques and Architectural Project 1 . In this course, students are taught two and three-dimensional drawing techniques, various graphical expressions as well as phrases such as model making techniques within the first 10 weeks. And in the last 4 weeks, the design problem introduced in the following is given to the students and expected to be delivered at the end of the period: At the end of the first 10 weeks, students have been described the design problem, and Piet Mondrian and his works have been introduced in this context. After these presentations, students have been asked to choose one of the 5 Mondrian woks introduced to them. Within 4 week period, selected works will be converted into three dimensional volumes from two dimensional picture planes, and a memorial place area will be created. However, nothing will be added or removed from the composition while these places are getting obtained. And in three dimensional planes, all kinds of addition and subtraction will be possible. Original sizes of the pictures have been considered as 1/100 scale, and open, semi-open or closed spaces were asked to form while creating the monumental space venue.

Within the scope of this application, to be adhered to Mondrian’s works has been essential. When the designed monumental space is viewed as a plan-space location, the original work must be preserved in its original state. Other than that, it s allowed to review as desired in the arrangement of the third dimension.

Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red

Place de la Concorde Broadway Boogie Woogie Composition with Large Red Plane

Composition with Yellow, Red, Black, Blue&Gray

Figure 1. Selected Works of Mondrian

2.2. Designing through Benefitting from Mondrian Works

And the application performed in the KTU Department of Landscape Architecture has been conducted within the Landscape Structures course of the 2012-2013 fall semesters with 60 students . In the first 7 weeks, structural information such as the ground plane, the living unit, walls, lighting and structural elements has been given within the course sustained as total 3 hours per week, two hours of which lectures and the other one application. In the application section of the first seven weeks, the students have been made to draw the plot details of structural elements, and for the remaining seven weeks, of the students to consolidate their knowledge in the area of a sample application has been targeted. This stage of the course has been continued mainly in application, and the famous painter Piet Mondrian and his works have been introduced as a prelude to this application. And then, the students have been informed about the architectural objects constructed in the light of the studies introduced to them. In practice, the students have been expected to redesign a pedestrian shopping street in the city with a composition reflecting Mondrian’s works. In this composition, black, white, red, yellow and blue colors have been intended to be used. Students have been allowed to select


202

freely the works they should interpret. While the works are getting interpreted, the basic approach expected from the students has been to design a shopping street, starting from the geometry of that work. The design elements in the pictures have been converted into vertical and horizontal planes within the students’ compositions. In addition, the design elements in Mondrian’s works have been expected to be converted into three dimensional structural elements, namely sculpture, seating units, wall, billboards and structural elements on the pedestrian street. It has also been expected that the pedestrian shopping street to gain a unique entry and an activity space in addition to the ground plane and building facades to be designed with the same approach. Since the students redesign an existing pedestrian street, they have also been asked to pay specific attention to the design be functional in accordance with the user needs.

Recognizing Mondrian works, understanding, interpreting as well as using them in the space plane have been considered very essential in this application. Taking advantage of these works, designers have made various spatial arrangements in the pedestrian shopping street. Ways of getting benefit from art works may be spatial, structural as well as decorative.

Composition with Large Red Plane

Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red

Schroder House, Gerrit Rietveld

Schroder House, Gerrit Rietveld, Interior Space

Design in Mondrian Style

Figure 2. Mondrian works introduced to students and examples from their reviews

3. Applications and Benefits

This subtitle introduces the products obtained with different approaches as a result of using the same artist’s woks as a tool. Five samples have been selected from each of the two fields and exemplified with their model photos.

3.1. Design examples through remaining loyal to Mondrian works and outcomes

Selected examples of the applications are shown in table 1. Issues emphasized during the design and achievements can be summarized as follows;

One of the major achievements of students is that they learn about the artist whom the selected art objects belong to, his other art works, his understanding of art as well as the era to which he belongs. These gains are seen crucial for an architecture student. For example, when the project starts, students have already learned about Mondrian as a member of De Stijl movement, the artists who participate in this movement, the art works produced on the woks by Mondrian and structures. In addition, students have also become aware of the other works of selected artists, and even got benefit from these works while converting two dimensional planes into three dimensional spaces.

Created spaces are open, semi-open and closed spaces, while they are at the same time functional with their feature of being monumental venue. Attention has been paid to human scale and every kind of spatial element to be interpreted in this context. Spatial elements such as elevation differences, staircases and gaps have been utilized in creating spaces. Thus, it has been understood at the end of this process that an art object can easily be converted into a functional space.


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And another major achievement of students is that they can easily overcome the sense of insecurity they feel while starting project work, because to start a design without any datum is a very difficult experience for every designer. Designing case is oriented with restrictions, limitations, determinants of place and space, building programs and the like. For the first semester students, it is far more difficult to start a design without such guidance. Abstract designs presented to students to develop the first ideas are considered extremely guiding in creating a place with available linear and formal elements. Getting separated from the composition, these elements are raised and lowered, and sometimes perceived as a whole provided they shatter, and converted into spatial elements with the help of vertical and horizontal planes.

Finally, this approach should be noted that the time has been used very efficiently. Time given to students to produce a monumental space is four weeks, including presentations. The gain of making use of the give art works has been very great in getting able to create so qualified a space as well as to express it with the techniques the course requires during this short time. The main idea of getting benefit from art works helps the time to be used in the best way.

Table 1. Samples of monumental spaces produced by the students of KTU Department of Architecture through Mondrian works.

Student Mondrian work stayed loyal to

Monument-Space

İlke

r G

ücü

Nih

an B

Ayd

ın

Hav

va A

ltu

cu


204

Can

tuğ

Özc

an

Emir

han

Ko

zan

Table 2. Sample pedestrian shopping streets designed by KTU Department of Landscape Architecture students through Mondrian works.

Student Interpretation of Mondrian work

Pedestrian shopping street

Gü

lnu

r Y

ılmaz

Um

ut

Bü

yükk

urt


205

Sed

a Ç

avu

ş

Ye

liz T

aş

Sen

a A

kyo

l

3.1. Design examples through the interpretation of Mondrian works and benefits

Selected samples of the applications are shown in Table 2. Gains of the designing process are as follows;

Students continue to their education through recognizing De Dtijl movement and its veteran reviewer Mondrian just in the second year of their training, which is an important gain. Interpretation of an art branch in another one and making it possible for the students to develop ways of creative perspective is also another important gain. In addition, students acquire knowledge about the other works by Mondrian, his understanding of art and the era he belongs to besides the art objects they interpret. These gains are considered very important for a landscape architecture student.

And another gain of students in the process is that they become able to transfer the knowledge and experiences they acquire within the scope of a course to other projects. This approach is an important guiding for the second grade students who have just begun project lessons to overcome the feeling of insecurity they initially feel when solving design problems. It is also an important gain to form the faith that an abstract work of art will be effective in solving design problems.

Getting interpreted in horizontal and vertical planes, two-dimensional works are converted into three-dimensional spatial elements. While having a project course of 14 weeks, revealing a project on

http://ressamyilmazaydin.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/mondrian-dressing-with-artists.jpg


206

the other hand within landscape structures course of 7 weeks has given great self-confidence to the students. It has been observed that unlike the students who begin the project works with some uncertainties, those who start with this approach complete the process much more comfortably thanks to the products obtained in a short time.

Besides this, reminding the students design elements and design principles, the topics of their first year basic design course has been another gain of this approach. Students have lived a new learning process while interpreting art works as well as seeing and interpreting the perfect integration of the design elements such as line, direction, shape, size, spacing, color and the design principles, namely harmony, contrast, balance and etc.

A great benefit has been achieved from the art objects used in creating highly qualified and functional spaces as well as expressing them with the techniques the course requires within a short time, which should not be disregarded. It can be said that the main idea of getting advantage of art works helps the time to be used very efficiently. That an art work can easily be converted into a functional space can be seen at the end and this process. The fact that each student develops designs different from one another in the same field of study, confirms the notion that design problems have an endless number of solutions.

4. Conclusions

The results of this study are actually outlined in detail in the section of gains. To summarize, the fooling comments can be made;

Having knowledge about an artist and his works increases the interest and curiosity, and the

function of art and artistic products in understanding and interpreting the design is recognized.

Present art works or artifacts are chosen on the grounds that they belong to an important period. Thus learning about the best or most beautiful one of these works is possible. There are many things to be learned from these works such as correct proportions, good shape relationships, accurate color selections, and so on.

To begin a design study taking advantage of an existing art object, especially in the first terms, provides students both time and self-confidence as well.

In the scope of this study, design students learn through seeing that they could adapt to real spaces the design elements and design principles they have learnt in the basic design course.

It is understood that many different solutions can be achieved, even though a design study has one way out.

Experience is obtained in transforming two-dimensional surfaces into three-dimensional spatial compositions.

It is realized that functional solutions could be achieved in converting picture surfaces into spatial expression when intended.

Using the idea of creating spaces through painting art in different design fields is understood to be possible.

In this text, two types of approach are put forward. The first of these has been presented as “designing through being loyal to art works” and the other as “designing by the way of interpreting art works”. Either way can be said to be a valid path “to create a three-dimensional space through a two-dimensional picture surface”. Neither approach is considered superior to the other one. Creativity is a phenomenon necessary for both cases.


207

Finally, contribution of this study and the similar ones to each type of design field can be said to be inevitable. The images presented throughout this article and the said gains are the evidence of this discourse in a sense.

The world of design makes constant progress on the way to understand and express designing, and goes on carrying out researches with similar or different methods.

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An Interpretation to design activity through painting art