THE BRIEF
URBAN COMMUNICATION: parallels and paradoxes

INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS?
TIMELINES 6000BC & 1368AD
THE LIST
THE TASK
THE INSTRUCTIONSBIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

Beijing is to host the Olympic Games in 2008, London in 2012, therefore we look to China …………the land of ancient philosophers.

They are responsible for the initiation of communication, and the first stamp, simply known as Dragon.

They instigated the Art of Calligraphy – communication transmitted by sweeping brush strokes forming inky black characters on a surface.

They discovered the medicinal use of herbs, flowers and trees to form an infusion, known as tea.

They created an architectural landscape to reflect and shape their history to include the iconic Pagoda. The flat city of Beijing contains The Forbidden City and the Summer Palace with its "Jade Belt Bridge".

They are an integral part of the Silk route and its journeys to the west as the explorer Marco Polo exposed on his travels and explorations.

WHAT IS?

What is the Art of Calligraphy?
Calligraphy is an abstract art using its Chinese words as its vehicle of expression. Like a western painting one does not ask "What is it?"

It is not necessary to know what the word is.

What makes it Art?
It uses Chinese characters to communicate the spiritual world of the artist. Through the medium of form, way of handling the brush, presentation and style, calligraphy as a work of art conveys to the readers the moral integrity, character, emotions, aesthetic feelings and culture of the artist, affecting them by the power of appeal and joy of beauty.

What is a Pagoda?
A Pagoda is a general term for an eight cornered tiered tower with multiple eaves. Pagodas have antennae on the rooftop through which to conduct electricity known as a "finial". Pagodas are used for tea ceremonies as a daily ritual to promote longevity of life or chi.

What is silk?
Silk is spun from the mulberry leaf by the silk worm and the leaf is digested and then spewed into a cocoon as it transforms itself into a silk moth.

In China there is a legend that the discovery of the silkworm's silk was made by an ancient empress called Xi Ling-Shi (Chinese:; pinyin: Léi Zǔ). She was drinking tea under a tree when a cocoon fell into her tea. She picked it out and as it started to wrap round her finger, she slowly felt a warm sensation. When the silk ran out, she saw a small cocoon. In an instant she realized that this cocoon was the source of the silk.

Download a copy of "The Brief Timelines" PDF for your reference

THE LIST

THE CITY - BEIJING

THE SYMBOLS
PEONY – BEAUTY, ROMANCE AND PURITY
MULBERRY – CHANGE AND GROWTH
BAMBOO – FRIENDS OF THE PEOPLE

THE TIME ZONE – 8 HOURS

THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE – 39 55 N/116 26 E

THE ARCHITECTURE – THE PAGODA

THE ERA - THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

THE TRADITIONS – THE TEA CEREMONY

THE ART - THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY

THE COLOURS – CHARCOAL, RED, INK, SNOW, YELLOW

THE DESIGNER - BASSO AND BROOKE

THE YEAR OF THE… - 2008, BROWN EARTH RAT

THE FILM - CROUCHING DRAGON, HIDDEN TIGER

THE TASK

PART i

IN THIS INSTANCE WE LITERALLY TAKE THE STRUCTURES AND BLUEPRINT, (provided) OF THE CHINESE PAGODA IN KEW GARDENS, (BUILT BY SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS IN A PERIOD OF FASHION OF CHINOISERIE) AS OUR PATTERN FOR THE GARMENT.THIS WILL INITIATE A NEW NAME FOR A NEW GARMENT AND YOU WILL BE MAKING HISTORY ON THE TIMELINE.

THE PAGODA HAS THESE STRUCTURAL DETAILS.

163 FT TALL
10 STOREYS IN TOTAL
352 STEPS TO THE TOP
OGTAGONAL ROOFS
THE "FINIAL" ON THE TOP OF THE ROOF ACTS AS A CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICICAL STORMS…

WHEN DESIGNING YOUR AMAZING GARMENTS,WE ASK YOU TO BEAR IN MIND FAD’S ETHOS AND RETAIN THE DIGNITY OF THE WEARER.
DIGNITY, NOUN;
1. THE STATE OR QUALITY OF BEING WORTHY OF RESPECT
2. A SENSE OF PRIDE IN ONESELF

PART ii
FAD ARE INITIATING A NEW ELEMENT IN THE BRIEF AND A BUSINESS PLAN WILL BE REQUIRED, AS DIRECTED IN A FAD WORKSHOP LATER IN THE YEAR.

THE INSTRUCTIONS

ACTIVEWEAR

USING A LIMITED COLOUR PALETTE AS STATED IN THE LIST YOU ARE ASKED TO CONSTRUCT THE FOLLOWING:

OUTFIT 1: "CALLIGRAPHY: PARALLELS"

WE LOOK AT THE SPINE OF THE PAGODA’S STRUCTURE AS THE SPINE OF THE OUTFIT.

YOU ARE ASKED TO CONSTRUCT A ONE PIECE HYBRID LOOKING AT THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL FASHION PATTERNS I.E. TROUSERS, SHORTS, SKIRTS. DRESS, BODICE, SLEEVES, CUFFS, ETC. AND DRAW YOUR OWN ARCHITECTURAL PARALLELS WITH THE PAGODA‘S SILHOUETTE AND INNER STRUCTURE.

YOU MUST INCLUDE SOME REFERENCES TO THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY AND THEIR CHARACTERS IN SOME FORM AND INSERT WHERE APPLICABLE.

OUTFIT 2 – "TEXTING: PARADOXES"

WE LOOK TO THE MODERN ART OF COMMUNICATION, TEXTING, FORMED BY TYPING CHARACTERS ONTO A SCREEN AND THEN TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE AIR BY FREQUENCIES.

YOU ARE ASKED TO METAMORPHOSE THE PREVIOUS OUTFIT BY THE ADDITION OF 3 MORE LAYERS TO CREATE A SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED LOOK, I.E. A PARADOX: HARMONY AND JUXTAPOSITION.

THE 3 LAYERS WILL POSE AS A METAPHOR FOR 3 CHINESE SYMBOLS
1. PEONY
2. MULBERRY
3. BAMBOO

THE LAYERS WILL TAKE THE FORM OF A SASH OR BELT, USED IN ANCIENT CHINA TO HOLD A DAGGER OR SWORD, AND NOW IN THE 21ST CENTURY TO HOLD A MOBILE PHONE OR BOTTLE OF WATER.

Download a complete PDF of the 7th FAD Competition Brief - URBAN COMMUNICATION: parallels and paradoxes

BIBLIOGRAPHY

‘Marco Polo, The Travels’, translated by R. Latham, Penguin 1958 (only available in libraries)

‘China Costume in Transition’ by A.C Scott, published by Singapore Donald Moore 1958

‘A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture’ MIT Press, 1984

‘Architectural Encounters With Essence and Form in Modern China’ by Peter G. Rowe, Seng Kuan - 2002

‘The Classic of Tea’ by Francis Ross Carpenter

‘The Art of Chinese Calligraphy’ by Jean Long

WEBSITES
www.orientalarchiture.com
www.chinapage.com/calligraphy.html
www.wikipedia.org/
www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk3.html#2
www.travelchinaguide.com/intro
www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/future_exhibs/china_design_now/index.html
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/index.html
www.chinaculture.org
artsedge.kennedy-center.org
www.rbgkew.org.uk