Journal: Cultural Design
I have always been intrigued by cultural design.
Through storytelling, I had imagined the spacial qualities of the domestic and the sacred Japanese buildings. The way these places are arranged for mundane daily events and meaningful ritual, they are the stage for a theatre of life.
Moving through a vast landscape is remembered in the civilised gardens and courtyards of an historic Japanese design, it’s gates and pathways are arranged for a unique sequence of arrival theatrics that mirrors the journey and homecoming made by adventurous travellers. Entering the inner sanctum is the total homecoming.
In my experience the values held of a place are mirrored in the local designs and they become ignited in the people. Travel through mostly coastal regions within Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Indonesia and Namibia reinforces this fascination with lifestyle identity…
We travel and feel the essence of a place:
Australia ~ the beach
New Zealand ~ wilderness
Brazil ~ vibrant colours
Portugal ~ seafood and wine
Spain ~ artisans and makers
Indonesia ~ spice, villages
Namibia ~ desert, gemstones
We experience these icons of place in the local lifestyle, from the micro to the macro. A universally common event is flavoured in it’s local cultural essence; the daily food that is prepared and the daily rituals used to consume it… the orientation of the house to the landscape and the tending to it’s landscape… It contributes to the sense of meaning we gather within the place. It’s merits add meaning we can later attribute to life and our story in it.
DEC 22, 2020