projects
as much as i complain and remorse over unfinished projects, i thought i should take a moment to commemorate those which have actually seen competition. two occurred this weekend.
i tend to approach a problem with a final image in mind; everything in between will take care of itself, but rarely does it. i think that's the architect in me. i know what i want the end result to look like, but i don't always know how to make it happen. my father [the construction project manager], on the other hand, approaches things completely opposite. the end result, to him, is determined by what it takes to get there and it matters less what it looks like as long as it works. needless to say, working on projects together is interesting. always a lesson in communication.
when i first called him up from the junkyard having found my perfect piece of steel, he laughed, "we throw stuff away like that and here you are picking it out for the head of your bed." he didn't understand yet. i cringed as the man stepped across my naturally rusticated steel, leaving dirty boot marks on its surface. i would have further perpetuated my female stereotype by complaining in this "man's domain" so i just closed my mouth. for two months, the 80lb piece of metal sat in my garage waiting to be realized. my dad wanted to mount plywood at the bottom to reduce the flimsiness as well as rounding off the corners to prevent injuries. i had to explain how that would mess up the purity of the piece and that i would take my chances with the corners...another eye roll and smile. he loves his architect daughter. this plate of steel, probably intended to be rolled into a spanding i-beam, now watches me drift into dreams each night and will probably never be moved from my room.
project #2 was begun and finished in the same week. actually, thanks to computer glitches and my luck, it was begun and finished in 48 hours...complete with a once familiar all-nighter. my family friends who recently returned from india asked me to put together a video for their trip presentation on sunday. especially for occasions and purpose such as this, editing becomes a labor of love and completely fulfilling. one of the photographer’s who went took nearly a hundred pictures of just faces...if i didn't already want to go before, there is definitely no doubt in my mind now. catie even brought me back my first salwars and i have made its saris my new winter scarf.
i reduced the 1gig, 5.5 min presentation down to a small 16mb file, but it still might take a moment to download. be patient.
i hope you find it was worth the wait. [download here]
i tend to approach a problem with a final image in mind; everything in between will take care of itself, but rarely does it. i think that's the architect in me. i know what i want the end result to look like, but i don't always know how to make it happen. my father [the construction project manager], on the other hand, approaches things completely opposite. the end result, to him, is determined by what it takes to get there and it matters less what it looks like as long as it works. needless to say, working on projects together is interesting. always a lesson in communication.
when i first called him up from the junkyard having found my perfect piece of steel, he laughed, "we throw stuff away like that and here you are picking it out for the head of your bed." he didn't understand yet. i cringed as the man stepped across my naturally rusticated steel, leaving dirty boot marks on its surface. i would have further perpetuated my female stereotype by complaining in this "man's domain" so i just closed my mouth. for two months, the 80lb piece of metal sat in my garage waiting to be realized. my dad wanted to mount plywood at the bottom to reduce the flimsiness as well as rounding off the corners to prevent injuries. i had to explain how that would mess up the purity of the piece and that i would take my chances with the corners...another eye roll and smile. he loves his architect daughter. this plate of steel, probably intended to be rolled into a spanding i-beam, now watches me drift into dreams each night and will probably never be moved from my room.
project #2 was begun and finished in the same week. actually, thanks to computer glitches and my luck, it was begun and finished in 48 hours...complete with a once familiar all-nighter. my family friends who recently returned from india asked me to put together a video for their trip presentation on sunday. especially for occasions and purpose such as this, editing becomes a labor of love and completely fulfilling. one of the photographer’s who went took nearly a hundred pictures of just faces...if i didn't already want to go before, there is definitely no doubt in my mind now. catie even brought me back my first salwars and i have made its saris my new winter scarf.
i reduced the 1gig, 5.5 min presentation down to a small 16mb file, but it still might take a moment to download. be patient.
i hope you find it was worth the wait. [download here]
posted by jill m at 10:12 AM
3 Comments:
it was definitely worth the wait, nice job. and the headboard, that is just awesome. typical as well, being willing to risk bodily harm on the "sharp corners" to retain the integrity of the steel, the purity of the 'idea'. architects are very strange indeed.
"Every day is a day for secret work you can put your secret heart into and make something big and grand and noble. Or else something small and personal and dignified. Try this, the secret work we do outside the zoo. After hours, when the animals roam free, we owe no one the wages of our domesticity. Exit cage left, and you'll find entry into the world of secrets is nearly as low as the cost of your free time." David Barringer, Emigre #68
Nice video.
Wow. I sat in front of the computer and cried as I watched the video, amazing.
Love you,
Holly
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