Andreas Zittel & Train Dreams

Andrea Zittel & Focault

          In the sense that Andrea Zittel's work has its constraints, yet frees itself in the very same gesture, "A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform," Focault had mentioned in, "Docile Bodies," that to form a productive society, one has to conform to the society's constraints. This allows for the creation of masses. In such concoction, there is always one that breaks free of society's constraints and becomes the "outsider." In Zittel's creations, she distinctly clashes against the everyday norms of what the general society would expect. This is shown through"A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform," as well as her other works. There is a recurring theme in that each work takes the "what it seems" and turns it into something different, yet somewhat from the same origins. Another example of such work would be in, "A-Z Carpet Furniture: Cabin." In this "Cabin," Zittel uses the forms of furniture prints and places it on top of carpets. The different colors would represent a different object. Just as a normal house would have different objects like a couch, a bed, the dresser, a rug, etc. Zittel invents this method to represent objects even though they do not exist in that space. The creation of this piece further supports the  idea that of the individual created from the masses. Although objects in rooms are using dictated by the actual volume of space that they take up, ZIttel does not conform to this idea. Her process in this piece reminds one that not all that exist has to exist within the boundary of another. By creating forms that hint at the existence instead of actually depicting the existence, she shows us the potential space the objects would have taken up versus how free a space is with constraints, but without.

          Things like this draw the question in whether constraints are actually created from the mind. That society may not be the culprit to the actual creation of the masses, but the mind. We each follow the discourse of society because we are born into it. As we grow up, our actions are set "autonomous" and we automatically follow these rules. One space is navigated by the actual program because what is there is there. These rules are set and because space itself is not interchangeable, we do not have the ability to do otherwise. In Zittel's work we learn about this otherwise. That although space is set, one does not need to follow these constraints. We have the ability to navigate however we want. Drawing back to "A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform," Zittel uses this same concept to create a non conforming uniform. Creating her own set of rules, she became an individual. Although, we all follow certain constraints in society, we all have an ability to change certain things. I find Zittel interesting in that there is ironic humor in her work. Although each piece abides by societal rules, it also has its own rebellious nature. They conform in a non conforming way. Individuals are created from the mass and this is exemplified by Zittel as a person and through her work.

Train Dreams

Dennis Johnson's train dream has a relationship to space in that the character Robert has different experiences with each place he visits in the course of his journey. In which, some, have a dream like quality to it. The difference between spatial dreams and spatial reality. Overall the story deals with a lot of the reality living in the early 20th century. Even in the beginning of the novella where Granier is seen dangling a Chinese man off of a bridge, after his guilty conscience sets in, he begins to imagine this man everywhere. It sets the "feel" of the novella throughout the rest of the story. As we follow Granier's journey, we sit in his mind and see all that he sees. Even the dreams that he has of his wife and child. In these surreal dreams, there's an interesting dynamic in how space is explored. An example would be the dream in which his wife is padding into the depths of the water with a box of chocolate, a bible, and their child. She runs into the river as the fire devours their home. As she runs away from the fire, she ties the child to her hip and throws away the bible. Seemingly so, throwing away the bible resulted in her death as she fell into rocks, resulting in a broken back.  This surreal scene draws a distinction in between reality and dream in that it could have very well happened. As she died, Johnson describes how the house slowly burned starting from the magazine. As the fire became overwhelming the glass shattered. The consequences of the fire seem very real. The effect of this experience is overwhelming because it takes on such realistic characteristics, even though he was not there to see it. Yet compared to the China man that he swore, had put a curse on him, the reality of the situation borderlines fantastical when he swore he saw him in the distance when he was walking home.

Note:

               Interesting relationship between Train Dreams the title and literal train dreams. Dream dictionary says that dreams associated with trains usually relate to the feeling that someone else is controlling your life. This can be related to Robert's life in that he lives a full life, with each even taking him to another event.

Andrea Zittel's "A-Z Six Month Personal" in Comparison to Focault's Docile Bodies

Andrea Zittel’s A-Z Six-Month Personal Uniform is a conceptual gimmick that challenges society’s expectation. While working in the Pat Hearn Gallery, she was faced with the constant expectation of having to dress chic and fashionable. Although the expectations were high, her salary was not as high. She began to knit her own uniforms to wear to work. This became known as the A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform. The styles were mostly practical and accommodated the cold and the warmer weathers. Eventually she began to step out of her comfort zone and began to design clothes with certain ideas in mind. Her phase with wearing rectangular clothing formed the next project “A-Z Rough Uniforms.”

 

“Sometimes if you can’t change the situation, you just have to change the way you think about the solution.”

Her project, “A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform” fits perfectly under the definition of this aphorism. When one cannot change his situation, he can, instead, think positively about the solution and the situation itself will also change, too. In A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform, Andrea Zittel changed her solution, which placed the entire situation in a brighter light. Instead of doing what most people would have done, which is to shop for nice clothing, Zittel designed her own attire. This solution in fact made the entire situation whimsical. Zittel created her own uniforms, which allowed her to save money on her part, as well as design whatever she wanted. I believe in the very moment she decided to rebel against society, she in a sense, won the rights to this aphorism

 

I feel as if there is a direct proportional correlation between Andrea Zittel’s action in creating the uniforms and Docile Bodies. In the sense that Zittel is the prime example of an individual. She created her own designs for clothing because she did not want to spend money on new clothing all the time to look chic and fashionable just like all the other Gallery employees. Instead of fixing the situation at hand with the ideal solution, Zittel decides to make her own clothing. Focault speaks about how the mass creates individuals in Docile Bodies, Zittel becomes this example through her work. She breaks out of society’s norms and creates a gimmick that makes her an individual, thus proving Focault that the only individuals are created from the masses. Society has existed beforehand and have set the standards, but to be an individual, one must break this set of discourse. Zittel breaks the discourse by thinking differently. Instead of an ideal solution, she chooses her own solution. Her solution sheds light on her individualism, which challenges society and the fashion industries.  

Exploring "Docile Bodies"

               Focault's arguement in Docile Bodies refer to the basic control of society. In order to maintain control over the larger population. Thus creating a society that is efficient and proficient. This can be done by the Focault's formula for "Docile Bodies," which include The Art of Distribution, Control of Activity, Organization of Genesis, and Composition of Forces. Such formula composes the discourse in which we live in now. Focault's definition of discourse is something similar to the codes that shapes the characters in our society. Such that the general public exists in the discourse of the "Docile Bodies."

               Under the Art of Distribution, individuals are enclosed and or partitioned away from others. Through the act of enclosure and partitioning, it "diffuses the circulation," which in turn, prevents individuals from joining together in mass groups. This form of discipline requires the use of architecture. In that the design of one space will proportionately affect the discourse of bodies because enclosures and partitions are created by walls, furniture, etc. Through management of design, individuals can be easily separated as architecture dictates where one belongs.

               In the passage pertaining to the Control of Activity, Focualt mentions that by following a regimented schedule, individuals fall in place. They become automatic machines that follow one "temporal elaboration" of the act. In doing so, they must also follow the same gesture to achieve this form of discipline. Similar to the military troops and their strict training schedules, students also have a set regimented day, in which they all say their prayers. Another form of activity would be the actual tempo of each gesture. Such that all troops will march with their right foot forward in a single pace that mirrors one another and all students will pick up their pencil with their right hands. Using regimented forms of exercise provides another form of control.

               Through the Organization of Genesis, the general public will all fall into one form of control. Because of great attention to little detail and thorough organization, control over the masses can quickly be accomplished in the sense that there is no room for imperfections. This can be proved by the strict schedules and strict routines the troops must follow. Strict schedules set become the discipline. Soldiers act accordingly because such an establishment is known for it.

               The Composition of Forces talks about the composition of groups. Such that each group is categorized for maximum efficiency. This would mean each group is chosen for the abilities that they can contribute to society, yet this categorization will also affect their state of mind, which will promote an efficient mind and body. In the period of Industrialization, most work forces were composed of older citizens and young children. This was because both did not cost a lot to hire because they were unskilled. Since the simple tasks in the factories did not require a skilled worker, an unskilled worker would do just fine. In this composition of forces, the discourse was formed by the necessity for  efficiency and for maximum profit. Discipline forms control over individuals.  

               With this said, there is a direct correlation between architecture and the discipline of space. In which, the design of one place can have  significant impact in the placement of bodies in space. Through the act of design, one can grant access by creating circulation or discipline through acts of enclosure. There is no rule in how architecture can redesign a space and create new discipline, but it is definite in that through details, one can create a new space that manipulates and controls the bodies of others. 

Focault's Docile Bodies and Architectural Related Studies at Pratt

The space I chose is one of the freshmen dormitories on Pratt’s Campus. The Cannoneer court is designed in the most efficient way possible. In that there are two sides to the dorm, one mainly for the girl population and the other for the male. Both sides have access to the other side through the main lounge, workroom, and the lobby. Upon entering the Cann (as we call it) one will turn left, turn right, or walk up the stairs to the next level. In this journal entry, we will be focusing on the second floor of the Cann, particularly the girl’s side of the hall and the spaces that intersect the hall. With 22 rooms down one hall, there are approximately 44 girls living on one side of the second floor. These girls all share one bathroom at the end of the hall and a workroom along with a main lounge with the whole building.

Through the spatial organization, one can infer that there are only two directions to go to. One is to the communal restroom and the workroom, while the other is to the lounge and exit. Through this organization, there is no other space for the residents to wander off too. The narrow path down the hall suggests that it is not a place for communication. The horizontal pathway only allows two directional movements. If one must communicate in a comfortable manner, it can be done through the workroom or the lounge, which are on either ends of the hall. In this hall, there are many rooms. Each room is spaced approximately five to ten feet away from each other and is accessible only through the doors in the hallway. The placement of each door not only allows for each person to have equal amounts of space within the vicinity of the room, but it also exacts control over the residence. This idea is similar to Focault’s theory on how repetition and partitioning will break down collective dispositions and create useful space, as well as create equal standing among all. No one person has power over another. The shared lounge space and workspace are to encourage communication between those that live in the same building. Although communal restrooms are an inconvenience, it promotes communication because of the forced interaction with your neighbors. This enables freshmen students to create strong bonds with those who live in the same floor. With so many students living in the same hall, security is definitely a concern. Each door is equipped with its own lock system. Similar to Focault’s discussion about Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon, the lock system, even if it is not actually in use, act as a barrier between the shared space and personal space. It provides legible boundaries, in the sense that not one person will enter another’s room, even if they know that no one is occupying the room at the moment.  There is a blind trust between those who live in the same place and share the same space. Residential advisors live on either end of the halls. This employs the idea of ranks to keep the population in control when needed.

Docile Bodies - In Relation to “Spatial Stories”

Questions:

Through the reinvention of one space, there is a distinct social dynamic that it recreates, in the sense that each “place” now manipulates the “space.” If such dynamics can be recreated numerous of times in different institutions (in the military, in school, etc.) how can this be manipulated in relation to different environments? (Especially in an environment where distinct rules have been previously set.)

In the process of the manipulation of society, how is order defined? In the way that society has social levels, what makes one person greater than the other and how does his status guarantee his ability to change the order of “space” to a more definitive “place"?

Source: Fancy Restaurant, Casual Starbucks, Obedient Class, Crazy Classroom, Casual Cary Grant, Cary Grant in Suit

"Spatial Stories" and "Tintern Abbey"

Human interactions, within certain realms, are the architects of place. Proven by Michel De Certeau’s “Spatial Stories,” human interactions with their surroundings have a direct proportionality to the actions associated to one place. Such that the stories inspired are the determinants of the activities in a space. “Tintern Abbey” becomes William Wordsworth’s vessel in the exploration of the two spaces that exists within one place, which proves that the only true boundary in one place, is the boundary of time.

In Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey,” the existence of time is essential as it is the boundary that allows for the existence of two separate spatial stories in the exact same location. Through De Certeau’s text and Wordsworth’s poem, one can decipher how the boundary of time came to its existence. De Certeau stresses the difference between space and place. In which, space is defined by the “vectors of directions, velocities, and time variables,” as opposed to place which is defined by the “elements” that create it and transforms it into something with distinct qualities that make it “proper” or stationary. Through De Certeau’s definition, “Tintern Abbey” would comprise of two different stories of unique spatial experiences that act in two separate time periods, yet occupy the same location. These stories juxtapose against one another. Wordsworth begins with, “FIVE years have past; five summers, with the length/Of five long winters!” which indicates that he has just recently revisited Tintern Abbey. Although he has returned to the same location, it is obvious that this experience did not parallel with his past visit to Tintern Abbey as a child. In which, he states, “For I have learned/To look on nature, not as in the hour/Of thoughtless youth.” Indicating that he has in fact evolved with time and that he has since then learned, “Of elevated thoughts; a sense of sublime/Of something far more deeply interfused.” Within these stanzas, it is obvious that Wordsworth has achieved the form of existence through De Certeau’s definition of “space.” He exists in these two different spatial stories as a different individual in the same place, twice. In this story he is weathered by his experiences in the cities and towns, which in turn transformed him into a different person with newfound appreciation for Tintern Abbey, as opposed to the younger him, who was naïve and only saw the beauty of Tintern Abbey on a surface level. Time creates two legible boundaries, in the sense that one space is occupied by the younger naïve Wordsworth and the other is taken by the older sophisticated Wordsworth.

De Certeau’s “Spatial Stories” on short narratives, further proves that Wordsworth exists in two spaces, yet in the same place due to the boundary of time. Although boundaries usually apply some form of segregation, De Certeau’s “logic of ambiguity,” allows for the “bridging” between the gaps of two distinctive spaces. De Certeau uses a short narrative to point out the fact that, although boundaries are created, it does not necessarily mean that the place itself is divided. In the narrative about the architect who filled in the spaces in a fence to separate space, De Certeau reveals that even through boundaries, therein exists a path. Through this “logic of ambiguity” one can infer that, even though Wordsworth’s adult-self and child-self exist in different dimensions, there is a bridging that occurs in the boundaries of time. Similar to, “The door that closes is precisely what may be opened; the river is what makes passage possible… the picket fence is an ensemble of interstices through which one’s glances pass,” De Certeau outlines the fact that these boundaries form actual pathways. In these indefinite zones, there is ironically a definite form of transition from his childhood-self to his adult-self. In the boundary of time, there exists of the time period, in which Wordsworth was forced to interact with the outside “towns and cities.” As stated, they have only successfully given him “hours of weariness.” Through these experiences in the real world, he has gained knowledge to successful appreciate Tintern Abbey on a different magnitude. On another note, the short narrative on the architect further proves that the difference between two distinct spaces will each be treated differently in the sense that a new space created receives a new set of rules because of its “theater of actions.”  Similarly so, a new space created will form different interactions, which is proven in Tintern Abbey through the division of time in spatial terms. Therefore through De Certeau’s “Spatial Stories,” one can infer that the boundary of time is the boundary that is created in Wordworth’s “Tintern Abbey.”

Through De Certeau’s “Spatial Stories,” one can conclude that the boundary of time created in “Tintern Abbey” is the result of it creating two spaces in one place. This boundary that exists within one place, also abides De Certeau’s “logic of ambiguity.” Through these definitions, the boundary of time is strengthened, which clearly supports the existence of Wordsworth in the two spatial realms with the contrast between the “now” and “then,” as well as a transition from childhood to adulthood.