Dear Steve Garner,
Thank you for your mail, it is not slow as myself I also can look at the
mail at the University, as I do not have it at home.
I visited your page and is very interesting, some of the books where
familiar, others where not and I'm sure to find I'll use them soon.
About your questions I wrote this that maybe is a bit too long and as it
became a letter about so many topics on drawing I thought that it could be
interesting for the list, as I explain some of what I do.
About my lines of inquiry, I may tell you that most of it relates to
drawing as a thinking process, especially in architecture.
My approach takes its cue both from a phenomenological understanding and
from the cognitive investigations in this area.
It is important to clarify that my first formation is as an artist, and it
is with this in mind that I begin. A kind of knowledge from within.
The observation of the work of my students and my own experience put me in
this path.
I always try not to mystify, but I also do not forget that intelligence is
only possible inside affection.
In the case of architecture the relation with drawing is very interesting,
on one side and looking backwards, it was drawing that created the concept
of architecture as we understand it in western culture.
It was in the development of this flirt between the two activities that
the idea of architecture grew.
The architect acquired his (wish I could also say hers, but backwards it
would be silly) recognition and independence from ars minors, after he
began to create in paper, and even today the architect that projects and
the one that is on field supervising have slightly different status; it is
specially interesting the period between the end of Meddle Age until the
beginning of seventeen century, where this inter relation grew and where
the codes for representing the project stabilized.
Architecture was directly influenced by the possibility of drawing it and
planning it in paper, not only could the architect have an idea of the
whole, an almost god like vision (thinking there was no real aerial view),
and that enabled all this symbolic constructions of the end of seventeen
and eighteen centuries, but also the graphic character of drawing
influenced different styles.
Drawing acquired, in the meantime a character of statement, as in the case
of architects who almost did not construct, but where strong influences to
their successors, Piranesi is just the most obvious one.
The drawing treaties are also very interesting as they begin by writing
about the architecture subject and slowly (in time) there is a graphic
discourse that takes places, and often takes the place of the
logic-deductive process of written language.
Also, and here is where recent cognitive investigation and the discoveries
of how the brain works are interesting, not only we have very distinct
types of intelligence, but we are not only logical beings, sensibility and
affectivity are essential to our own intelligence. We cannot think outside
feelings, and here we approach the artistic, but also direct aspect of
drawing.
Drawing is this unique place where one can be absolutely intelligent and
sensitive. Where one can "think" with feelings, (and I do not go further
then Pirannesi, again) or feel intelligently. This is not a play with
words this is something observable, and this is mainly what I do in my
book.
Drawing as a thinking process, is present in anyone who draws, but is very
clear to identify in the creative process of architects.
It is around these topics that I've been working.
Drawing being a place, in the physical and in the conceptual way, for
sensibility and intelligence.
To myself it is very obvious and clear that this thinking with images,
shapes, lines, illusions of volume or depth, or space is Thinking.
This freedom of thinking, outside words, which is evident to anyone who
draws.
As an artist I could try to explain my work but it would probably be very
plane.
I may say that I abuse of the freedom aspect of doing, and drawing for me
is possible to do with a pencil or with any kind of "instrument", video,
computer etc..
In a very duchampian way a drawing is what I decide to present as a
drawing.
About the Big Draw project, yes I would like to participate, but do not
know how, I'll wait for "instructions".
Yours
Ana Leonor
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