PDX art Special:
Fredrick H. Zal
contact at
http://www.fhzal.com/works
invitation to engage a site-specific
Fredrick H. Zal
contact at
http://www.fhzal.com/works
invitation to engage a site-specific
Sculpture Installation and Architecture Exhibit.
What: PAAG "Touchstone" Retrospective -
Where: University of Oregon,
Where: University of Oregon,
Portland Arts + Architecture,
White Stag Block,70 N.W. Couch Street, Floor 4R, Portland, Oregon 97209
When: The space is open to the public from 8am - 7pm weekdays.
My installation for the retrospective is focused
upon the deRidder Farmhouse project.
http://www.fhzal.com/works/040916
The purpose of the installation is to allow patrons to momentarily engage
a space defined by the empathic force vectors that inform our perception of space.
This work is significant as I was just notified
that I am a Portland Spaces:Root Awards Finalist in the "Outdoor"
category for my "Kinematic Spaces"sculptural environments.Shade Catcher 1: http://www.fhzal.com/works/050828Shade Catcher 2: http://www.fhzal.com/works/060828Kinematic Space: http://www.fhzal.com/works/060706Pearl Parasite: http://www.fhzal.com/works/051006Alberta 100:
http://www.fhzal.com/works/050929
Theory Narrative:
http://www.fhzal.com/theoros/fzal-BTES-EmpathicVectors-Proceedings.pdf
Publication ISBN: 978-0-615-54911-7
There are photographs, renderings, theory papers,
and a maquette of the project installed within a 16-foot x 16-foot x 12-foot sculptural environment of [100] woven 3/4" x 10-foot
galvanized steel EMT conduit"Empathic Vectors",
which allow patrons to engage a physical manifestation of the kinetic energy around us as it informs our perception of space.
[All steel will be pre-cycled.]
The sculpture also illustrates how I conceptualize my architectural design.
This process of designing with empathic force vectors began in 1999 after trying to find a medium that releases design truth and freedom from planes, cubes and NuRBs.
There is a book in the exhibit that walks through the design process,
and also two papers that explain the "Empathic Vector"
and "LandForm" theory behind the design
of the architecture project featured: the deRidder Farmhouse.
This home is on the edge of Portland, Oregon.
Phase I of the project has been constructed,
with the later phases of adaptive re-use are upon the horizon.
http://www.fhzal.com/works/040916
Thank you for your questions.
Here are some thoughts…
"Empathic Vectors", which allow patrons to engage a physical manifestation
of the kinetic energy around us as it informs our perception of space.
Q:
Can you elaborate on emphatic vectors is that a friendly neighbor?
A:
Hummmmmmmm… a friendly neighbor…
Well, if you like large, sharp, pointy, gouge your eye out neighbors… then sure!
Just kidding…
I like to think of the energy all around us as always having friendly
and nurturing intentions.
But, as with all elements of Mother Nature, you have to give her respect,
or she will crash around you like a tsunami and rip you to pieces.
If you are respectful, then she will treat you to the beauty of a sunrise,
the chirping of a baby bird, and the dance of clouds in the sky.
Q:
What can people expect to experience physically
and what kind of emotions are evoked?
Like is it uplifting?
A:
White Stag Block,70 N.W. Couch Street, Floor 4R, Portland, Oregon 97209
When: The space is open to the public from 8am - 7pm weekdays.
My installation for the retrospective is focused
upon the deRidder Farmhouse project.
http://www.fhzal.com/works/040916
The purpose of the installation is to allow patrons to momentarily engage
a space defined by the empathic force vectors that inform our perception of space.
This work is significant as I was just notified
that I am a Portland Spaces:Root Awards Finalist in the "Outdoor"
category for my "Kinematic Spaces"sculptural environments.Shade Catcher 1: http://www.fhzal.com/works/050828Shade Catcher 2: http://www.fhzal.com/works/060828Kinematic Space: http://www.fhzal.com/works/060706Pearl Parasite: http://www.fhzal.com/works/051006Alberta 100:
http://www.fhzal.com/works/050929
Theory Narrative:
http://www.fhzal.com/theoros/fzal-BTES-EmpathicVectors-Proceedings.pdf
Publication ISBN: 978-0-615-54911-7
There are photographs, renderings, theory papers,
and a maquette of the project installed within a 16-foot x 16-foot x 12-foot sculptural environment of [100] woven 3/4" x 10-foot
galvanized steel EMT conduit"Empathic Vectors",
which allow patrons to engage a physical manifestation of the kinetic energy around us as it informs our perception of space.
[All steel will be pre-cycled.]
The sculpture also illustrates how I conceptualize my architectural design.
This process of designing with empathic force vectors began in 1999 after trying to find a medium that releases design truth and freedom from planes, cubes and NuRBs.
There is a book in the exhibit that walks through the design process,
and also two papers that explain the "Empathic Vector"
and "LandForm" theory behind the design
of the architecture project featured: the deRidder Farmhouse.
This home is on the edge of Portland, Oregon.
Phase I of the project has been constructed,
with the later phases of adaptive re-use are upon the horizon.
http://www.fhzal.com/works/040916
Thank you for your questions.
Here are some thoughts…
"Empathic Vectors", which allow patrons to engage a physical manifestation
of the kinetic energy around us as it informs our perception of space.
Q:
Can you elaborate on emphatic vectors is that a friendly neighbor?
A:
Hummmmmmmm… a friendly neighbor…
Well, if you like large, sharp, pointy, gouge your eye out neighbors… then sure!
Just kidding…
I like to think of the energy all around us as always having friendly
and nurturing intentions.
But, as with all elements of Mother Nature, you have to give her respect,
or she will crash around you like a tsunami and rip you to pieces.
If you are respectful, then she will treat you to the beauty of a sunrise,
the chirping of a baby bird, and the dance of clouds in the sky.
Q:
What can people expect to experience physically
and what kind of emotions are evoked?
Like is it uplifting?
A:
I would not label the experience as being uplifting,
or with any other prescribed adjective.
Experiences are purely personal, and each individual will react
to stimuli in a manner unique to their life experiences,
current emotional state, and daily events
and weather leading them to the space.
What I do intend is the people will become ‘awake’ for
even just a moment to feel the space around them
with every vibrating atom in their body.
That tingle that you feel as blood rushes back into a sleeping limb,
or when you leap out of bed in the morning
with prospects of an exciting day ahead of you.
Q:
What is kinetic energy in layman's terms
and are there positive side effects?
A:
Kinetic Energy, Chi, flow, are all ways to explain the forces
that connect us to the world in which we live.
These metaphysical lines of force were illustrated
by Michael Faraday in 1831
by scattering metal shavings around dipole bar magnets.
The metal shavings follow the lines of force
and create a series of discrete arcs radiating from each end of the magnet.
The lines of force are not just metaphysical, but have a physical sense,
which is why we feel differently about different spaces.
As an example that your readers may try out,
try placing your hands a few inches apart.
Try to feel one hand energetically with the other
without actually touching.
Now move your hands apart,
and you will feel a change in their shared gravity.
Q:
“The sculpture also illustrates
how I conceptualize my architectural design.”
What attracted you to this approach?
A:
I have always conceptualized work passionately.
Space is fluid, raw, always in motion.
We do not perceive urban spaces or buildings as flat architectural drawings,
but rather as sequences of experiences.
I enjoy working in a process that is as fluid as the spaces we love.
Q:
“This process of designing with empathic force vectors
began in 1999 after trying to find a medium
that releases design truth and freedom from planes, cubes and NuRBs.”
What are design truths and are there design lies?
A:
There certainly are many design lies, it is what is hidden
behind the miles of sheet rock and tar-based roofing out there.
Design truth is as the core, it is the intent that gets lost in
the ‘time is money’ mode of operation.
We all want to feel alive, we want to be happy, nurtured, loved, cared for.
Design truth taps into this, at close to the raw seed as possible,
without having to be packaged, marketed and sold,
it is naturally drawing to one, as a babe to Mother’s milk.
Q :
“By striking a balance between praxis
and theoros we passionately engage our work with a focus upon empathy, morphology, and materiality. “
Can you decode these three rhetorics into practical applications?
A:
Yes, certainly.
or with any other prescribed adjective.
Experiences are purely personal, and each individual will react
to stimuli in a manner unique to their life experiences,
current emotional state, and daily events
and weather leading them to the space.
What I do intend is the people will become ‘awake’ for
even just a moment to feel the space around them
with every vibrating atom in their body.
That tingle that you feel as blood rushes back into a sleeping limb,
or when you leap out of bed in the morning
with prospects of an exciting day ahead of you.
Q:
What is kinetic energy in layman's terms
and are there positive side effects?
A:
Kinetic Energy, Chi, flow, are all ways to explain the forces
that connect us to the world in which we live.
These metaphysical lines of force were illustrated
by Michael Faraday in 1831
by scattering metal shavings around dipole bar magnets.
The metal shavings follow the lines of force
and create a series of discrete arcs radiating from each end of the magnet.
The lines of force are not just metaphysical, but have a physical sense,
which is why we feel differently about different spaces.
As an example that your readers may try out,
try placing your hands a few inches apart.
Try to feel one hand energetically with the other
without actually touching.
Now move your hands apart,
and you will feel a change in their shared gravity.
Q:
“The sculpture also illustrates
how I conceptualize my architectural design.”
What attracted you to this approach?
A:
I have always conceptualized work passionately.
Space is fluid, raw, always in motion.
We do not perceive urban spaces or buildings as flat architectural drawings,
but rather as sequences of experiences.
I enjoy working in a process that is as fluid as the spaces we love.
Q:
“This process of designing with empathic force vectors
began in 1999 after trying to find a medium
that releases design truth and freedom from planes, cubes and NuRBs.”
What are design truths and are there design lies?
A:
There certainly are many design lies, it is what is hidden
behind the miles of sheet rock and tar-based roofing out there.
Design truth is as the core, it is the intent that gets lost in
the ‘time is money’ mode of operation.
We all want to feel alive, we want to be happy, nurtured, loved, cared for.
Design truth taps into this, at close to the raw seed as possible,
without having to be packaged, marketed and sold,
it is naturally drawing to one, as a babe to Mother’s milk.
Q :
“By striking a balance between praxis
and theoros we passionately engage our work with a focus upon empathy, morphology, and materiality. “
Can you decode these three rhetorics into practical applications?
A:
Yes, certainly.
Empathy is the perception of individual or another’s emotions.
I enjoy experimenting with this in relation to the size
and orientation of spaces, textures, colors, etc.
Morphology is how one form changes into another,
like a caterpillar into a butterfly.
I have been curious about how we transition
from Earth to Sky, from roof to wall, from cozy to enraged.
These are the forms of morphology that I love.
Materiality has to do with the art of making, of carving wood,
welding or tooling steel, casting glass,
and then how multiple elements with different properties
are joined together either physically or through perceptual proximity.
The work of the Russian Constructivist
and Italian Architect Carlo Scarpa best epitomized this legacy.
If you would like to learn some more about these, please do take a look:
http://www.fhzal.com/theoros/fhzal-theory.asp
Q:
“These projects range in scale and typology from graphic and
web design, to furniture, component design, remodels, single-family custom
homes, multi-family mixed-use housing, retail environments, civic and
institutional buildings, pedestrian bridges, urban design, design
competition management, and hybrid pre-fabrication techniques.”
Tell me a little bit about hybrid fabrication
that sounds interesting?
A:
Hybrid fabrication is the processing of intelligently evaluating
a construction to know how to most effectively build.
When I say effectively, this takes in a number of factors:
Aesthetics, Budget, Construction Processes, Transportation, Environmentalism,
amongst many others.
In a lecture I just presented at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst on Pre-Fabrication,
I spoke about a few of my projects
that are composed of a hybrid of ‘intelligent modules’,
‘complex forms’, ‘panelized elements’, and ‘site-work’.
Intelligent modules are complex systems
[such as plumbing cores for bathrooms and kitchens]
which are assembled in a factory as a composite unit,
as it allows for higher quality construction
and less associated labor then doing the same type
of work in the field with traditional site construction.
Complex forms are elements that would require dozens of jigs and/or scaffolding
to build in the field, but can be formed
easily in a factory by using the standard crane hold elements
in place while being assembled, or that have geometry
that is way too complicated to figure out in a rain storm,
but needs the clarity of a warm and dry shop to be resolved.
Panelized elements are planer or folded forms
that may be built up out of a series of flat pieces,
much like a gingerbread house.
that are composed of a hybrid of ‘intelligent modules’,
‘complex forms’, ‘panelized elements’, and ‘site-work’.
Intelligent modules are complex systems
[such as plumbing cores for bathrooms and kitchens]
which are assembled in a factory as a composite unit,
as it allows for higher quality construction
and less associated labor then doing the same type
of work in the field with traditional site construction.
Complex forms are elements that would require dozens of jigs and/or scaffolding
to build in the field, but can be formed
easily in a factory by using the standard crane hold elements
in place while being assembled, or that have geometry
that is way too complicated to figure out in a rain storm,
but needs the clarity of a warm and dry shop to be resolved.
Panelized elements are planer or folded forms
that may be built up out of a series of flat pieces,
much like a gingerbread house.
And lastly, site work are those beautiful elements
that are specific to the topography of a site, and need to be created in-situ,
like the site-specific sculptural installations in this exhibition.
Q:
What is the root philosophy behind design pedagogy ?
A:
Pedagogy and Methodology are the two components of all educational processes.
Pedagogy does not have a ‘root’ philosophy,
as it is the philosophy itself that is unique to the institution or professor.
Methodology is how we go about bringing ideas into creation.
It involved the process of thinking and creating,
which in my opinion is perhaps more important then the actual product at the end.
Q:
What are the fundamental concepts of light,
static's and kinetics
and how do you harmonize them?
A:
We might capture light beautifully in a silver gelatin photograph,
but light is kinetic, active, alive.
It is the movement of light through space that intrigues me.
I am a whore for the play of light and shadows.
The movement of light can transform a boring static form
into something playful or even profound, hence Stone Henge,
or the gaze through moving tree branches transforms in a Pollock painting.
On another note, I just love gizmos, things that move,
little mechanism with gears and pulleys.
Kinetics tends to be more about light,
and people moving through space then gizmos, but they are rather fun too.
Plus, I love the high level of craft that goes into the making of such works.
Q:
How does bodily movement fit into urban environments
what is a desirable environment in that regard?
A:
Any environment can be desirable, or foreboding,
it all depends upon your cultural perception.
But, as far as how bodily movement fits into an urban environment, that is simple.
We all move around through our cities, be that in a car,
via bicycle, skateboard or on foot.
But, it is not what we use for transport,
but how we use it that matters, and now our city engages us
to be aware of our movement.
I am not talking about traffic lights, and stop signs,
but about the change in texture from asphalt to brick to concrete,
the rumble as you drift too close to the edge of the highway
and how it makes your fingers
and brain jump back into consciousness.
It is about watching the clouds pass overhead,
the shadows cast by trees and buildings.
I enjoy being a performance artist a few time a year,
mostly interpretive and contact-improv dance pieces.
I wish that everyone could spend a day moving slowly through their city,
enacting a dance of their own, feeling every cold surface, the wet of puddles,
the rough of rusted steel,…
No, make that I wish everyone could spend their entire lives dancing through our cities.
Living life fully.
Q:
You have a lot of very specific terminology that seems like encoded data
it's fascinating but beyond the ordinary capacity of understanding
talk a bit about our interaction with your designs/sculptors
and your goals or the impact you wish they reach?
A:
It is really quite simple,
I enjoy engaging others in dialogue as a way to learn and share.
I hope that people will be intrigued by the work to ask a few questions.
Questions of themselves, questions of the society we have formed,
or just questions about where I purchased the zip-ties.
The work itself is much like a singing because you are happy.
I simply love to create,
and was happy to contribute to the exhibit space that commissioned the installation.
I also love to collaborate,
so whether that is working with another artist,
or a patronage for a sculpture or building,
I look forward to starting a dialogue…
http://www.fhzal.com/
Ciao,
Fredrick H. Zal
.
Zal is a sculptor and the principal architect of Atelier Z,
an architecture and industrial design studio,
which advocates dialogue in the fine + applied arts.
By striking a balance between praxis and theoros
we passionately engage our work with a focus upon empathy, morphology, and materiality.
Fredrick lectures on these subjects around the United States,
where the work is regularly published and exhibited.
As a guest professor at a number of Institutions,
Fredrick educates fine and applied art students
about the impetus of their design pedagogy through
speculation upon fundamental concepts of light,
statics and kinetics, material science, land form,
and bodily movement by investigating
their correlation to the spaces
we form into our urban environments.
Now watch your next step more closely
thanks Frederick for enlightening us
Richard
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