Explanations of the key words

Bohemianism:
The term bohemian, of French origin, was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities. Bohemians were associated with unorthodox or antiestablishment political or social viewpoints, which were often expressed through non-marital sexual relations, frugality, and/or "voluntary poverty".

The term emerged in France in the 1800s when artists and creators began to concentrate in the lower-rent, lower class gypsy neighborhoods. The term "Bohemian" reflects a belief, widely held in France at the time, that the Gypsies had come from Bohemia. (Definition)

"The term 'Bohemian' has come to be very commonly accepted in our day as the description of a certain kind of literary gypsy, no matter in what language he speaks, or what city he inhabits .... A Bohemian is simply an artist or litterateur (intellectual) who, consciously or unconsciously, secedes from conventionality in life and in art."

English writer Virginia Nicholson’s work systematically analyzed the Bohemian lifestyle led by a broad and diverse wave of artists, writers and musicians over the early- to mid-twentieth century, showing that they were indeed unified via a set of commonly-held attitudes towards money, sex and relationships, child-rearing, beauty, clothing and personal presentation, cuisine, personal cleanliness, travel, and social mores. (Influences of Bohemianism)

The term has become associated with various artistic or academic communities and is used as a generalized adjective describing such people, environs, or situations: bohemian (boho—informal) is defined in The American College Dictionary as "a person with artistic or intellectual tendencies, who lives and acts with no regard for conventional rules of behavior."

Laren Stover breaks down the Bohemian into five distinct mind-sets/styles in Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge. The five types are: Nouveau, Gypsy, Beat, Zen and Dandy. (Classification of Bohemianism)

Bohemian:
a person, as an artist or writer, who lives acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices, or pertaining to or characteristic of the unconventional life of a bohemian, or living a wandering or vagabond life, as a Gypsy.

Contemporary art:
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced since World War II.

Narritive and Key words

Narritive: A container for a young bohemian, with artistic talent living, working and studying to and throughout his/her adulthood.

Key Words: transformation, transition, bohemian.

Inspiration from the chosen artists

Both of my chosen artists are focusing on the transition from a teenage to an adult. It seems that both of them were experiencing the bohemian culture influences. It is important to emphasise the notion of bohemian culture in to my design programme. It is not only because of the chosen site was fulfilled with bohemian atmosphere, but also because bohemian is something different from the rest of the world. It is a culture which lives and acts with no regard for conventional rules of behaviour. It is similar to these teenage who are insouciant. Then they feel the change from teen into an adult when they get older. Like what Ryan McGinley he is already 30 years old. But he feels that he is still on that stage. ‘When you’re 18, everything’s great,’ he says, ‘but as you gets older. Things become harder. You have to pay bills, take care of things. You realise you’re an adult.’ An adult, that is, who is just getting started. The underground will be set into dark to emphasis these young bohemians lifestyle. The wall at one end of the space will be curved; it lets the natural light gets into the space gradually. It reinforces the idea of the transition. At the ground level, the part which has the street view will be designed as selling space. The rest will be separated into two. One is for a small gallery to exhibit these most popular arts work during one period. The other will be set as courtyard for exhibiting sculptures and outdoor parties. One third of the yard will be covered by the building above. The main circulation of the building will be made into two parts. Both of them have a common starting point, where the beginning of the small gallery near the back yard is. This system will be consisted by a centre stair case and long ramp stairs at the side. It references to Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye. Also they provide different experience of the building. Also it separates the visitors into two different journeys. The upper spaces will be designed like these silk strips interacted with each other in order to achieve these lifestyles which are set with no regard for conventional rules of behaviour. But on the other hand, it follows the linear plan of the whole area.

Ryan McGinley

Ryan McGinley (born 1977) is an artist photographer from New York City whose works are somewhat similar to certain confessional photographers like Nan Goldin, Larry Clark, and Wolfgang Tillmans.

His subjects include mostly color images of friends and lovers, as well as youth more so on the 'fringes' of society (e.g., Skateboarders, graffiti writers, etc.)

As of 2006, his works have been seen in many galleries and museums. At 24 he was the youngest artist to have a solo show in New York's Whitney Museum of American Art. He has also had solo shows at New York's PS1 and in Spain at the MUSAC in Leon. He is represented by Team Gallery in New York.

His apartment, at one point, had its walls covered with Polaroid pictures of everyone who had ever visited him.

In 2007 he was awarded the Young Photographer Infinity award by the International Center for Photography.

In 2008 Icelandic rock group Sigur Ros decided to use one of Ryan's images for their album "með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust"
‘When you’re 18, everything’s great,’ he says, ‘but as you gets older. Things become harder. You have to pay bills, take care of things. You realise you’re an adult.’ An adult, that is, who is just getting started.

– Wallpaper issued April 2008, p171-174.

Bill Henson

Bill Henson:
"Henson's elegant formal photographs - of battered landscapes and fragile, wispy youths - resemble nothing so much as Flemish still-life; rarely has colour photography captured so profoundly the furry texture of night time." - THE NEW YOKER, 2004

Henson's artworks reflect his interest in the interval of teenagers and adults. The use of chiaroscuro is common throughout his works. His photos are highly painterly and are often presented in the style of diptychs, triptychs and other specific groupings.

Henson's works often meditate on the categories and relationships of male and female; youth and adulthood; day and night; light and dark; nature and civilization. His photographs are often flattened and abstracted. The faces of the subjects are often blurred or partly shadowed and positioned not directly towards the audience.

Henson presents “adolescents in their states of despair, intoxication and immature ribaldry”. He has said that these “moments of transition and metamorphoses are important in everyone’s lives”

Henson's intention is to use photography for creative expression. He states that he is not interested in a political or sociological agenda, although the viewer cannot help but relate his works to their own stance on these issues. Henson, however, is not intending his photographs to be authoritative evidence but rather to suggest endless possibilities and cause people to wonder.

Panorama

1. Viewing the chosen site.

2. Viewing King St in front the chosen site.

3. Viewing back street.

Site Analysis

Suburb Analysis:
Newtown is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Newtown is located approximately 4 kilometers south-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and Marrickville Council.

Since the 1840s, when the Newtown area began to change from a rural to a commercial and residential landscape, it has been home to a very diverse community, which is evidenced by the styles of domestic architecture. The few remaining houses of the 1830s and 1940s range from "Golden Grove" on Forbes Street to tiny and austere "working-men's" cottages in Hordern Street. This trend of class diversity was to continue and expanded into cultural diversity in the mid 20th century with post-war migration bringing hundreds of European migrants to the area.

King Street is the main street of Newtown and centre of commercial and entertainment activity. It is the main shopping strip of Newtown; also it is the longest and most complete commercial precinct of the late Victorian and Federation period in Australia. King Street is often referred to as "Eat Street" in the media due to the large number of cafés, pubs and restaurants.

Key words: Cultural Diversity.

Facade Analysis: The facade of this block (Starts from Brown St to Whateley St) has an arts deco manner, that is, flat surfaces with rich classical ornaments. It mainly consists of three storey heritage buildings and a few two storey buildings, interweaving with one another, with a constant change in height. Even the overhangs reflect this change. It is lower at the Brown St end, then become higher in the middle, and then lowers at Whateley St End. Also in the middle part of this facade, it is noticeable that there are two relatively low buildings surround by a few high buildings. Even the vivid colours of each building let them to be distinguishing between each other, also preserve a bohemian ambience.

Address: No. 214 – 216, King St, Newtown, 2042, NSW.

Nearest Parking Place: On Church St, behind Westpac Bank.

Nearest Bus Stop: 10m

Nearest park: Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.

Orientation Analysis: My site is on the east side of King St, generally facing north, approximately 45 degree northwest. The front façade will get natural lighting from approximately 10am-11am in the morning till 5pm-6pm in the afternoon.

Surrounding buildings: At the corner where Brown St intercepts with King St, there is a takeaway restaurant and a Vodafone retailer. On the other side, there is a Watershed shop and a restaurant named Twelve.

Model Details

2D Documentation

Progress