SOPHIEWHITFIELD [THE BODY AND PERCEPTION]
THE ROLE OF THE BODY IN ARCHITECTURE AND ART CULTURE.
'ARCHITECTURE IS TO BEING WHAT BREATH IS TO LIVING; UNAVOIDABLY INTEGRAL, UNREMITTINGLY TRUTHFUL, OPEN TO CONSCIOUS WELL-BEING AND CREATIVE JOY; OR VULNERABLE TO COMPLACENCY AND NEGLECT.' – Philip James Kirke (2006:8)
A multisensory experience of architecture is one of purity, spirit and vision; combining the idea of the context of space with the body, inner-being, memory and self. The beginning of the phenomenological approach to architecture can be traced from European culture and Greek philosophy; where the human body was perceived as the centre of universal harmony.
Throughout ancient history, the human body has been compared to that of the body of a building by an initial philosopher and mathematician; Plato, 3rd-4th Century BC. Two centuries later Architect and writer; Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (1st century BC), also compared the human body to that of a building through his academic works; forming the basis and principles of the drawing ‘The Vitruvian Man’ by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1490.
As Dalibor Vesely (2005:43) explains, the proportions of the human body in relation to the world resulted in ‘proportioning architectural elements’, creating ‘an articulated world in which the body is connected with embodiment and proportion with architectonics.’ Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Vitruvian Man’ is an excellent example of the importance of proportion and the ideals towards architecture at that time. Based on Vitruvius’ theory that in principle, the body of the idyllic, should accumulate to eight heads in height; Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing portrays the mathematical organism between art and science with its relationship to the universe.
My Artist's Impression of Leonardo Da Vinci's- Vitruvian Man using collage.
Phenomenology.
Even though the essence of the body in relation to the world can be traced as far back as the ancient Greeks, it was not until Edmund Husserl - the founder of the phenomenologist approach, in April 1913 ‘published the First Book of his planned three-volume Ideas towards a Pure Phenomenology and to a Phenomenological Philosophy: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology, hereafter, Ideas’ [MORGAN, D.2013: XIII], subsequently, creating a new movement of scholarly vision; inspiring phenomenologists and philosophers alike throughout the 20th century. Edmund Husserl explains ‘the work here presented seeks to found a new science...a science covering a new field of experience, exclusively its own, that of "Transcendental Subjectivity”. Thus Transcendental Subjectivity does not dignify the outcome of any speculative synthesis, but with its transcendental experience, capacities, doings, is an absolutely independent realm of direct experience’ [2013: xxxv].
Martin Heidegger – Being and Time:
It was this new mode ideology of the experience of thought on the sub-conscious self; causing conflicting controversy, which influenced 20th Century philosopher Martin Heidegger in his theories relating to ‘being’. Heidegger published his first book in 1927 -Being and Time, which was critically acclaimed and covered issues such as our natural intuition and characteristic to question the crux of the world around us; the human self-experience of morality, care and temporality. As a result, waning the rationality of thought (from precedents) of the primary objects that surround us; disputing traditional ways of grasping mortal reality.
Heidegger’s work presented a differentiation of familiarity between place, nature, being and the effect of time. Certain contemporary architects of today such as Sverre Fehn and Peter Zumthor address the experience of the sub-conscious and the body in space, as well as nature throughout their own architecture; attempting to engage multi-sensory thought, interaction and practise through design. From drawing, to perception; from art through to architecture:
‘phenomenology assists us in the development of a cognitive method of being in the world of the individual’ [NORBERG-SCHULZ, C.2000:14/15].
Sverre Fehn.
Sverre Fehn approached architecture holistically with complexity and silence; applying a continuity to the architectural process. Fehn views design as a narrative, merging subjective individualism that corresponds with the context or self of the physical space. Christian Norberg- Schulz describes Fehn’s architecture as ‘poetic vision’ stating:
‘To practise architecture, means to reunite a world and spatialize time through construction, which is perhaps the most important component of Fehn’s architecture.’ [BURTON, C., 1999: 189/190].
Fehn conveys a great deal of consideration and delicacy when dealing with the context of the location, its elements with the materials to be used and the meaning of the space. It has often been said that throughout Fehn’s work there is an ideology present between the earth and sky, with a predominance based around the space in-between; almost like the portrayal of the invisible self. Throughout Fehn’s architectural work, he displays an intuitive use of light and shadow which is present in his Nordic Pavilion in Venice, Italy.
 Relationship between the sky. |  The Nordic Pavilion. |  Light and Shadow. |
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 The Nordic Pavilion Exterior. |  Simplicity of Shapes. |  Seclusion of the Earth. |
 Ceiling Detail. |
Fig. 1: The Nordic Pavilion, Sverre Fehn.
The Nordic Pavilion (1962):
The Nordic Pavilion conveys Fehn’s delicate approach to combining nature of the self, from the given location into his design. The essence of the surrounding elements has been purely captured and re-evoked within the interior of the build; bringing the metaphysics of human existence back to one with nature, whilst feeling protected.
According to Arnfinn Bo-Rygg [2012], Fehn describes the intended experience of the relationship between the body and architecture, as:
‘You converse with the material, through the pores of your skin, your ears, and your eyes... Through the sense of touch, you exchange heat, and the material gives an immediate response.’
Norwegian Glacier Museum (1991):
Similarly, The Norwegian Glacier Museum designed by Fehn, has been handsomely considered in relation to the surrounding mountains of Fjaerland, Norway. Fehns’ use of tonal grey concrete harmonises with the mountains and the use of striking slopes enables us to comprehend the complexity and harshness of reality and nature. The exterior contains a longitude of steps leading to a roof terrace. The steps fulfil the sensation of arising to the mountains, referring back to that relationship between the earth and sky; which in turn, creates a worldly experience of the soul and the body ascending to the heavens.
 The Norwegian Glacier Museum. |  Interior Cafe. |  Rustic Elements in Landscape. |
|---|---|---|
 Steps Ascending to the Sky. |  Correlates Flow of the Mountains. |  Surrounding Landscape. |
 Mountainous Shapes. |  Abstract Entity of Earth. |
Fig. 2: The Norwegian Glacier Museum, Sverre Fehn.
The openness of the terrace allows the spirit of the mountains to flow right through us, surrounding us with the natural cosmological process of the earth since the beginning of time. In the conjoining Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre, we are able to see what effects global warming has on our earth today. We grasp the need to see what is not visible; exposing ethical ideologies of nature vs. nurture and the need for care, morality and substance so as to avoid becoming the temporality; the ephemeral existence.
Peter Zumthor.
Peter Zumthor is an Architect who likewise uses the phenomenologist approach to design; his work explores and creates a sensory experience that awakens the tactile qualities of the space and the materials. Zumthor seeks to evoke memories and expressions of distinguished elements from one’s personal being and emotion. Zumthor portrays a strong correlation of design experiences through all of the tactile senses; taking into consideration the physical presence of place through the body and proportions of scale, the movement of light, the sense of smell and the aesthetical textures of materials through touch.
The body and memory are integral themes portrayed by Zumthor; hence most of his work is private and unpublished, he takes a phenomenological approach to architecture embracing the essence of first-hand, multi-sensory experience. In his book Thinking Architecture [2006] Peter Zumthor expresses his processes and ideals towards his own architecture:
‘To me, buildings can have a beautiful silence that I associate with attributes such as composure, self-evidence, durability, presence, and integrity, and with warmth and sensuousness as well; a building that is being itself, being a building, not representing anything, just being. The sense that I try to instil into materials is beyond all rules of composition, and their tangibility, smell, and acoustic qualities are merely elements of the language we are obliged to use. Sense emerges when I succeed in bringing out the specific meanings of certain materials in my buildings, meanings that can only be perceived in just this way in this one building.’
Fig.3: Peter Zumthor Swiss Architect.
Thermal Baths Vals:
The Thermal Baths situated in Graubünden Switzerland, looked at the aesthetic role of harmonizing the body with the surrounding beauty of the landscape. The idea was to merge the mountains with the design of the Baths creating a sensitive, seclusion of serenity and freedom. The positioning of the baths above natural thermal springs exemplifies that connection between the body and nature; using the earth’s natural resources in order to cleanse the soul. Furthermore, the relationship between the building and nature is demonstrated through elements being built into the hillside and beneath the grass mounded rooftops. By using local materials - Valser Quartzite slabs, Peter Zumthor creates a synthesis between the cave and quarry ideology. The historic ritual of bathing and the intimacy of self were key themes which led to luxurious acoustics of the space; ‘bubbling water in a world of stone’ [SHARE DESIGN: 2012].
 Therme Vals Hotel and Spa, 1996.Sensory Experience. Photograph courtesy of ArchDaily. |  Therme Vals Hotel and Spa, 1996.Isolated Areas. Photograph courtesy of ArchDaily. |  Therme Vals Hotel and Spa, 1996.Simplistic Features. Photograph Courtesy of ArchDaily. |
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 Therme Vals Hotel and Spa, 1996.Interior Baths. Photograph courtesy of ArchDaily. |  Therme Vals Hotel and Spa, 1996.Fabrication harmonizes with Nature. Photograph courtesy of ArchDaily. |  Therme Vals Hotel and Spa, 1996.Built into the Cliff Face. Photograph courtesy of ArchDaily. |
 Therme Vals Hotel and Spa, 1996.Mood Serenity. Photograph courtesy of ArchDaily. |
Fig. 4 Therm Bath Vals, Peter Zumthor.
Steilneset Memorial:
The Steilneset Memorial was designed by both Peter Zumthor and the late contemporary artist Louise Bourgeois; they collaborated on this piece ‘In memory of those persecuted in the seventeenth-century Finnmark Witchcraft Trials, the Steilneset Memorial rests along the jagged coastline of the Barents Sea in Vardø, Norway’[ROSENFIELD, K: 2012]. The coastline itself conveys a purity of freedom for the soul; open spaces and metaphorical tones. When the light fades to dusk, we are over powered with thoughts of the innocent soul, burning; engrossed into the flames with the everlasting glow of embers and shadow. When interviewed by Artinfo, Zumthor describes their collaboration as if two entities forming a new existence together, stating: ‘there is a line, which is mine, and a dot, which is hers... Louise’s installation is more about the burning and the aggression, and my installation is more about the life and the emotions [of the victims]’ [ARCHDAILY: 2012].
 The Steilneset Memorial.The Vivid Environment. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |  The Steilneset Memorial.Earthly Fabrication. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |  The Steilneset Memorial.Walkway to Entrance. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |
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 The Steilneset Memorial.Hanging Lights. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |  The Steilneset Memorial.The Memory and The Aggression. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |  The Steilneset Memorial.Shadow of the Soul. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |
 The Steilneset Memorial.Symbol of the burning witches. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |  The Steilneset Memorial.Lost in Time. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |  The Steilneset Memorial.Serene Environment. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |
 The Steilneset Memorial.Exterior Corridor. Photographs by Amy Frearson. |  The Steilneset Memorial.Dominance of Structure. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |  The Steilneset Memorial.Architectural Elements. Photograph by Amy Frearson. |
Fig. 5: Steilneset Memorial, Peter Zumthor.
This extraction of substance and emotion through the experience of the viewer is physiologically haunting; forcing our mind to retrieve thoughts of what it would be to melt away, to be accused of a life at fault. The emotions felt are so strong and contrasting that our body joins us like a fever, seeming helpless to the cruel nature of the world. The rawness and presence of thought here cannot be held back; how the body will turn to ash, to the innocents tortured through no will of their own. The nature of place and the body in such seclusion, exposed to the elements is equally as dramatic, ninety-one lights hang down through glass panes symbolising the lives lost; echoing a sense of desertion and sorrow.
The sensory experience created is one of overwhelming consciousness caused by the narrative; the past, the context, the location, the tones, the tactile senses and the invisible void. We feel the presence and the story through the air on our face and the soil beneath our feet; with every breath a morose silence; a memory, an emotion.
Critical Discussion.
The experience of architecture on the human form has to this day become a domain of presence, place, compulsion and hostility. Spanning from the industrial revolution -‘the flatness of today’s standard construction’ [PALLASMAA. J, 2005:31] and continuous eras of mass production; how are we ever meant to find essence in self, after being subject to such homogeneous methods? The skill of the craftsman became obsolete and the pride of man through craft deteriorated. As Juhani Pallasmaa explains ‘architecture is deeply engaged in the metaphysical questions of self and the world, interiority and exteriority, time and duration, life and Death.’[2005:16]. Yet; as this world of technical innovation and science progresses, are we simply deceiving our mind in order to try and strife to see which is beyond the visible? Is it possible to deny the sub-conscious such apparentness and lean into the void of spirit, wonder and existence? ‘We ask ourselves how this could be possible when computer technology has supplanted a true contact with reality. Nowadays, information is quantified, and everyday existence shades off into abstractions.’ [NORBERG-SCHULZ, C., 2000:14]
The Perception of Existence and significance of the Body in Art Culture Today.
Today, there are several artists and sculptors of our modern culture that have sought to embrace and engage in these metaphysical questions of the self in relation to the world. Antony Gormley and Anselm Kiefer; share an approach to art culture which is to be admired. They question the materiality of the world around us through experience and the presence of being. Their creations substitute that which is the ephemerality such as our own bodies, playing with ideals of remembrance and mortality; showing that these structures have time and place on this earth, yet we do not. Existence is an important theme throughout these works and the approach to the pieces themselves. Each piece is a journey, each process is a symbol and each element can withstand a far greater length than our own human form. The artists create a sense of being and the essence of memory in their pieces which will last within the landscape of the world and make future generations question what once was, evoking the same emotions from them as once was taken from ourselves; deriving a relationship between all beings through time, space and immortality.
Antony Gormley.
Antony Gormley is concerned with using the memory of a human body, which could be anybody, in order to encapsulate a memory once more. He talks about his sculpture as if they are a paradox of material propositions, resonating the idea of the inner body and the essence of lived moments in time. Antony Gormley relates his work back to the Ancient Greeks and their 'idea of pointing to identify the skin' he explains how Aristotle 'defined as the distinction between substance and appearance, the thing that makes things visible.' [Tedtalks: 2012]. It is apparent throughout his work the relationship he combines between the greater horizon and the decay of the body; formulating the bond between the human object into time and space.
'Close your eyes for a minute. Here we are. In a Space. The subjective, collective space of the darkness of the body. I think of this as the place of imagination, of potential. But, what are its qualities? It is objectless; there are no things in it. It is dimensionless. It is limitless. It is endless.' - Antony Gormley [Tedtalks: 2012]
Critical Mass [1995].
 Naples, Italy, 2006.Photograph courtesy of Museo D’Arte Contemporanea Donna Regina Napoli (MADRE). |  Tate St Ives, England, 2001.Photograph by Bob Bory. |  Vienna, Austria.Photograph by Stephen White, London. |
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 Vienna, Austria.Photograph by Stephen White, London. |  Vienna, Austria.Photograph by Stephen White, London. |  Tate St Ives, England, 2001.Photograph by Bob Bory. |
 Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria, 2009Photograph by Markus Tretter. |  Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria, 2009.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |  Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria, 2009.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |
 Moulding.Photograph by Elfi Tripamer. |  Moulding.Photograph by Elfi Tripamer. |  Moulding.Photograph by Elfi Tripamer. |
 Moulding.Photograph by Elfi Tripamer. |  Moulding.Photograph by Elfi Tripamer. |
Fig. 6: Critical Mass [1995]. Antony Gormley.
Throughout Antony Gormleys' work there is a coherent apparentness of the industrial revolution and the eras of mass production through his casting and replication methods; he states:
'I was trying in this work to isolate basic body positions and then to test them by lying them at rest in different orientations - giving them contradictory and sometimes absurd connotations. Critical Mass is made up of 5 casts of 12 positions: ground-hugging, crouching, foetal, squatting, sitting, kneeling, standing, mourning and a final instability - an ascent of man ranging through the complex syntax of the body. The body forms were cast from the outside of a plaster mould and all the imperfections of the mould surface are reproduced on the finished work, as are the signs of the loose pieces in the sand mould, the flash lines that exist between them, and the out-runners of the metal-pouring which are integrated into the surface, declaring their industrial birth.
Critical Mass was made in direct response to a specific building, the Remise, an old tram storage station in Vienna. It is nearly 200 m long and 30 m wide, with 5 tram tracks embedded in the floor. I cut 14 pits into the floor between the tracks. This was also a way of activating the whole building and destabilising the architectural context. The work is an anti-monument evoking the victims of the twentieth century. It also communicates the useless status of sculpture itself.' [Antony Gormley: 1995].
Another Time [1997-2013].
 Herm Island, Guernsey, 2010.Photograph by Chris George – Coast Media, Guernsey. |  San Gimignano, Italy, 2012.Photograph by Ela Bialkowska, OKNO STUDIO. |  Limehouse Reach, London, 2013.Photograph by Max Creasy. |
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 The Museum of Modern Art, Japan.2012-2013 Photograph: © Tadasu Yamamoto |  Knokke, Belgium, 2013.Photograph by Pieter-Jan Depue. |  Mardalsfossen, Norway, 2014.Photograph by Be Andr. |
Fig. 7: Another Time [1997-2013]. Antony Gormley.
Another time has again been produced from seventeen individual casting sessions of the human form which has produced 100 sculptures in total, these sculptures are directly identical to the 100 sculptures of Antony's project 'Another Place' situated on Crosby Beach. The difference being the orientation of each individual sculpture; Another Place looks out towards the point of the horizon, however another time, appear disorientated around the world looking upon sites of the earth and architectural importance. The sculptures obtain presence in some of the most impacting surroundings; the sculptures view perspectives that our human imagination can only dream to exist through the use of technological irony.
'The works are corpographs: indexical body impressions that freeze time. I wish to celebrate the still and silent nature of sculpture. The work is designed to be placed within the flow of lived time. Recently, the works have been placed high on buildings against the sky, standing apart from the shelter and protection of architecture. The work is made from iron, a concentrated earth material found at the core of this planet, and each sculpture is massive: a solid body. Another Time asks where the human being sits within the scheme of things. Each work is necessarily isolated, and is an attempt to bear witness to what it is like to be alive and alone in space and time.' [Antony Gormley: 2013].
Another Singularity [2008-2009].
 Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial, Japan.Photograph by Takenori Miyamoto + Hiromi Seno. |  Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial, Japan.Photograph by Takenori Miyamoto + Hiromi Seno. |  Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial, Japan.Photograph by Takenori Miyamoto + Hiromi Seno. |
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 Galleria Continua, Beijing.Photograph by Oak Taylor-Smith. |  Galleria Continua, Beijing.Photograph by Oak Taylor-Smith. |  Galleria Continua, Beijing.Photograph by Oak Taylor-Smith. |
Fig. 8: Another Singularity [2008-2009]. Antony Gormley.
Another Singularity seeks to reinforce the conceptual body in a trajectory field of space, time and dimension. It relates to the structural microcosm of the infinite universe and the idea of the transfer and relocation of energy and particles in mass. These ideals all interlink with the principles of ancient philosophy and cosmology; trying to interoperate how form can span from matter - at the beginning or at the expansion of all things.
'The idea is to treat the body as an a-dimensional space, rather than as an object, and to connect it to architecture and internalise the foundational conditions of space/time 13.7 billion years ago. The gallery space is activated by high tension bungee lines which catch the light from the upper windows, creating a field which contradicts and modifies the orthogonal geometry of architecture and our passage within it.' [Antony Gormley: 2009].
Horizon Field [2010-2012].
 High Alps of Vorarlberg, Austria.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |  High Alps of Vorarlberg, Austria.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |  High Alps of Vorarlberg, Austria.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |
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 High Alps of Vorarlberg, Austria.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |  High Alps of Vorarlberg, Austria.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |  High Alps of Vorarlberg, Austria.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |
 High Alps of Vorarlberg, Austria.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |  High Alps of Vorarlberg, Austria.Photograph by Markus Tretter. |
Fig. 10: Horizon Field [2010-2012]. Antony Gormley.
Horizon Field embodies the idea of looking at the elemental world, not the technological world which now surrounds us. It appears to embrace the memory of the Earth from a perspective high above the sea level; these areas are mostly approachable however they are all viewable from vantage points separated from the normalities of everyday life.
'The works are neither representations (statues) nor symbols, but represent the place where a human being once was, and where any human being could be.
Horizon Field engages the physical, perceptual and imaginative responses of anyone coming within its relational field. Over the two years during which this installation was in place, the work was exposed to the elements, to different lighting conditions, and to the changing seasons, thus enabling constantly new perceptions and impressions.' [Antony Gormley: 2012]
What is clear is that these vantage points and the essence of the darkness of the inner body, become a playground of individual perception. The sculptures stand alone, contemplating, remembering and foreseeing. Their being remains untouched and their decay lies within the forces of earth itself; rather than mortal conformity. It is the presence of now, the unity and connection with life, which this presence of the human form seeks to create. As Antony Gormley has previously referred to, the ancient Greeks saw pure vision as the higher sense, they tried to depict the relationship between the body and the surrounding world as much as the sculptures within this landscape do. Vision leading towards the horizon, vision correlating the beauty of the earth, vision to embody all senses and experiences of memory and imagination.
'Is art about trying to imagine what lies beyond the horizon? Can we use, in a way, a body as an empty catalyst for a kind of empathy with the experience of space-time as it is lived?' - Antony Gormley [Tedtalks: 2012]
Fig.11: TedTalks [2012] Antony Gormley: Sculptured Space, Within and Without.
This video clip shows Antony Gormley discussing that which inspired him into his vast exploration of the darkness of the body; he speaks of his interpretation of perception and the influence of this cosmological dark matter in relation to the reality of place and being. The action of time and erosion played a dominant role within his sculptures, forcing us to view the elemental world once more. Antony Gormley describes his sculptures on Crosby Beach in Liverpool which shall be used as primary research in order to further connect with his ideals of the consciousness of the surrogate body in a landscape which will appear and disappear; experiencing the elements, the erosion of the body and the 'narrative through space, light and darkness' [Tedtalks: 2012].
Anselm Kiefer.
Anselm Kiefer is both artist and sculptor come philosopher, focusing on the essence of memory and mythology; his work often resembles the emotions from past events in history, regarding his own life experiences of growing up in Germany following the devastation of World War 2. In his latter works, Kiefer seems engrossed by this idea of the unknown void, the reality of a lack of knowledge and understanding to what may lay beyond the meaning of all things. The artistic approach used resembles that of the very building blocks and structure of the infinite microcosm, describing the effect of time and use of layering until everything then gets destroyed and torn right back to the beginning. This way of working enables his body and his mind to act as though a being; part of this process, building and then destroying in order to find the beauty in something which was never foreseen to be created. Kiefer frequently compares his process to creating different states and structures of the cosmos and the idea of the human condition for total knowledge.
 The Orders of the Night, 1996.Photograph courtesy of Seattle Art Museum. |  Winter Landscape, 1970.Photograph courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Florence. |  Ways of Worldly Wisdom, 1980....the Battle of Hermann. Photograph by John Stoel/Anselm Kiefer. |
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 Osiris and Isis, 1985-87.Photograph courtesy of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. |  Interior, 1981.Photograph Courtesy of Collection Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. |  Ages of the World, 2014.Photograph Howard Sooley/Royal Academy of Arts. |