ARTICULATINGSPACETheTranslationofModernArchitecturalSpaceintoFilmic

SpacethroughArtists’FilmandMovingImagePractice

EmilyRichardsonRoyalCollegeofArt

May2018

Athesissubmittedinpartialfulfilmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeof

DoctorofPhilosophy

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Author’sDeclarationDuringtheperiodofregisteredstudyinwhichthisthesiswaspreparedtheauthorhasnotbeenregisteredforanyotheracademicawardorqualification.Thematerialincludedinthethesishasnotbeensubmittedwhollyorinpartforanyacademicawardorqualificationotherthanthatforwhichitisnowsubmitted.Signed:Date:EmilyRichardson,May2018

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ArticulatingSpace:TheTranslationofModernArchitecturalSpaceintoFilmicSpacethroughArtists’FilmandMovingImagePractice

Howdospatial,sonicandtemporalstructuresoperateinarticulatingBritish

architects’1960sprototypehousesthroughartists’filmandmovingimagepractices

togobeyondfunctionaldescriptioninbothfilmandarchitecture?

Abstract

Usingapractice-basedmethod,theoutcomeofthisresearchisatrilogyoffilms

lookingatthreepost-warmodernprototypehousesbuiltbyBritisharchitects.The

exampleschosenare:H.T.‘Jim’andBettyCadbury-Brown’s3ChurchWalk;

Aldeburgh,Suffolk(1962);JohnPenn’sBeachHouse,ShingleStreet,Suffolk(1969)

andRichardandSuRogers’SpenderHouseandStudio,nearMaldon,Essex(1968).

Witheachofthefilmsahouseisreconstructedonfilm,reactivatingthearchitectural

spaceasfilmicspace.Thefilmsexploretheinteractionbetweenarchitecturalspace

anditsfilmictranslationusingartists’filmandmovingimagepracticeasamethodto

examinehowtherelationshipbetweenmovingimageandsoundcanactivate

architecturalspacetocreateasensoryexperienceonfilm,andtodeterminehowthe

physicaltracesremainingcontributetonewpossiblereadingsofthearchitectural

examplesconsidered.

Thecombinedresearchprojectandthefilmsexaminetwoarchitecturesthatare

inhabitedsimultaneously:physicalarchitecturalspaceandfilmicarchitecturalspace.

Techniquesandconventionsofbothdocumentaryandartists’filmandmoving

imagepracticessuchascriticalandreflexivefilmmaking,directobservation,archive

researchmaterials,soundcompositionfromlocationrecordingandarchivesound

areusedtoreworkspaceinfilmicterms.Takinganindividuallytailoredapproachto

eachofthesoundtracksofthefilmshighlightstheroleofsoundinactivating

architecturalspaceonfilm.

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FollowingthepremiseofthehouseasaphenomenologicalconceptsetoutbyGaston

BachelardandexaminingGiulianaBruno’snotionofthefilmviewerasvoyageuras

opposedtovoyeur,theshiftfromoptictohapticisexploredthroughmypracticeto

examinehowanarchitecturalspacecanbetranslatedtofilminawaythatgoes

beyondfunctionaldescriptionintotherealmofthepoetic,narrativeandtheevent.

Severalcasestudiesofartists’filmsbyHeinzEmigholz,ElizabethPrice,ManRayand

JohnSmiththattakethemodernhouseassubjectareanalysedtodemonstratea

rangeofapproachestoarticulatingspaceonfilm.Howeachoneallowsfora

particularreadingorunderstandingthatoperatesoutsideoftheofficialhistorical

narrativesofmodernarchitectureisdiscussed.

Inthecontextofwiderresearchintotheinterrelationshipsbetweenfilmand

architectureandtherolemovingimageandsoundplayininterpretationsof

architecturalspace,thisprojectshowshowthispractice-basedmethodarrivesata

contributiontoknowledgeoftheparticularbuildingschosen,andhowthismethod

contributestocurrentreadingsofthemodernhouseinfilm.Newknowledgeis

generatedoneachofthecasestudybuildingsasevidencedthroughthefilms,which

areanartisticresponsetoeachofthehousesandthroughthewriting,whichgivesa

historical,theoreticalandformalcontexttotheworksproduced.Incapturingthese

houseslosttoarchitecturalhistory,reactivatingthespacesthroughmovingimage

andsoundthefilms,bothindividuallyandasatrilogyareacontributionto

knowledge.Eachactsasarecordofasignificantexampleof1960sdesignata

momentinitshistory,addingtothearchiveofeachandprovidingmaterialfor

furtherresearchinthearea.

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Contents

ListofIllustrations p.5

Acknowledgements p.6

Glossary p.7

Introduction p.9

ChapterOne ArticulatingSpaceinArtists’FilmandMovingImage p.15

ChapterTwo OptictoHaptic,SighttoSite p.24

ChapterThree ArchitecturalSpace/FilmicSpace,FourCaseStudies p.42

ChapterFour TheModernHouseasRuin;TheCadbury-Browns’3 p.60ChurchWalk,Aldeburgh,Suffolk,1962

ChapterFive JohnPenn;RadicalClassicist,RuralModernist.Beach p.79 House,ShingleStreet,Suffolk,1969ChapterSix Hi-Tech/Lo-Tech,aHouseandStudioforHumphrey p.94 Spender,SpenderHouse,Ulting,Essex,Richardand

SuRogers(Team4),1968Conclusion p.113

Bibliography p.118

AudioSources p.124

Filmography p.125

IllustrationSources p.128

Films

3ChurchWalk(2014,HDVideo,Colour,Sound,23minutes)

BeachHouse(2015,HDVideo,Colour,Sound,17minutes)

SpenderHouse(2018,HDVideo,Colour,Sound,15minutes)

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ListofIllustrations

Fig.1Moholy-Nagy,László,LightPlay,Black,White,Grey,1930,filmstill p.27

Fig.2LucienHervé,HighCourtofJustice,Chandigarh,India,1955andEiffel p.28Tower,Paris,France,1945,photographs Fig.3EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014,videostill p.43

Fig.4PierreChareau,MaisondeVerre,1932,photograph p.45

Fig.5ManRay,VillaNoaillesinLesMystèresduChâteaudeDé,ManRay,1929,filmstill p.48Fig.6JohnSmith,HomeSuite,1993-94,filmstill p.51

Fig.7ElizabethPrice,TheHouseofMrX,2007,videostill p.53

Fig.8HeinzEmigholz,Schindler’sHouses,2007,filmstill p.55

Fig.9EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014a,videostill p.57

Fig.10EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014b,videostill p.60

Fig.11EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014c,videostill p.63

Fig.12EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014d,videostill p.69

Fig.13EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014e,videostill p.72

Fig.14EmilyRichardson,BeachHouse,2015a,videostill p.79

Fig.15ShingleStreetJohnPenn1971a,filmstill p.82

Fig.16ShingleStreetJohnPenn1971b,filmstillshowingplanBeachHouse p.89

Fig.17EmilyRichardson,BeachHouse,2015b,videostill p.90

Fig.18EmilyRichardson,BeachHouse,2015c,videostill p.92

Fig.19EmilyRichardson,SpenderHouseandStudio,2017a,photograph p.94

Fig.20EmilyRichardson,SpenderHouse,2017b,photograph p.95

Fig.21EmilyRichardson,HumphreySpender’sStudio,2017c,photograph p.98

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Acknowledgements

ThisresearchprojectbeganwithaconversationwiththelateA.L.ReesandIam

indebtedtohimforstartingmeonthisjourney.IamextremelygratefultotheArts

andHumanitiesResearchCouncilforfundingthisPhDandtomysupervisorsNicky

HamlynandJonWozencroftforalltheirsupport,attentiontodetail,insightful

feedbackandencouragingwords.

AhugethankstoJonathanP.WattsforintroducingmetotheCadbury-Brownhouse,

forhispartinthefilm3ChurchWalkandthepublicationIdeasofDisorder:3Church

WalkbyCadbury-Brown.ThanksalsotoSimonLimbrickforhissonicinterpretation

of3ChurchWalkandtoalltheownersofthehouseswrittenaboutandfilmedas

partoftheproject:RachelSpender,NatalieWheatley,HarrietKing,AnneandBruce

Page.

IamgratefultoAlanSwerdlowforhishelpincontactinglivingfriendsandrelatives

ofJohnPenn,toSaraDeBondtandAntonyHudekatOccasionalPapersforalltheir

workinbringingIdeasofDisorder:3ChurchWalktoprint,toLauraGannonformany

hoursofconversationsonfilm,artandarchitectureandtoCharlesHolland,andAb

RogersfortheirinputontheRogers’houses.

Iowemuchtomyfamily,SamuelAbelmanandourtwobeautifulchildren,Gusand

Merlewhosesenseoffunhaskeptmesaneduringthisprocess.Mymother

RosamondRichardsonhasbeenmyguidinglightthroughout.

AndfinallythankstoDr.MarshaBradfieldfortheproofreadingofthisthesis.

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Glossary

Artists’filmandmovingimage:acontemporarytermtoencompassallformatsof

artists’filmmakingpractice,whether16mm,Super8,videoordigital.Thistermhas

beenchosenoverartists’filmandvideoortermssuchasexperimentaloravant-

gardefilmastheyimplyparticularhistoricalperiods

Activate:theagencyofthecameraandsoundrecordingprocessestoinitiatethe

animationofanarchitecturalspace

Re-activate:thecombinationofmovingimageandsoundinthepost-production

processtoinitiatetheanimationofapreviouslylivedinenvironment,bringingback

feeling,atmosphere,movementandmeaningtoanemptyspace

Architectonicstructure:astructurerelatingtoarchitecture

Functionaldescription:representationofabuildingthatdescribesfunction

focusingprimarilyonaestheticandstyle,asopposedtoanarticulationofspacethat

encompassesareadingoflivedarchitecturalspace

Criticalfilmmaking:artists’filmandmovingimagepracticethatraisesquestions

throughthepositioningofthefilmmakerinrelationtotheimageorstructureofthe

film.Usinganapproachtofilmmakingthatquestionsnotonlywhatitislookingat,

butalsoitself,generatesworkthatbreakswithconventionandcreatesnewwaysof

seeing,whetherformally,conceptuallyorhistorically,hencecreatinganalternative

architectonicstructure.Thisdiffersfromcriticaltheoryoffilmandcriticalityinfilm

andhererefersspecificallytoamethodoffilmpractice

Reflexivefilmmaking:artists’filmandmovingimagepracticethatreferstoitself,

whetherinmaterialtermstofilmandthenatureoffilmmaking,theuseofthe

camera,soundoreditingtechniquesorinreferringbacktothesubjectbehindthe

camera.Thisisrelatedtocriticalfilmmakinginitsself-awarenessandinteraction

withcodesandconventionsoffilm

Hapticvisuality:aconceptdevelopedbyLauraU.Marksreferringtoembodied

spectatorshipandatactilerelationshiptothefilmimage

Hapticaudio-visuality:anextensionofLauraU.Marks’termhapticvisualityto

includethesonicinthisembodiedrelationshiptothefilmimage

Embodiedcamera:acamerapointofviewthatappearstobeconnectedtoa

physicalbodytoachieveahapticimage

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Narrative:theuseofartists’filmandmovingimagetoproduceanexperiencethat

unfoldsintimethatdiffersfromaconventionalplotdrivenstorybutthatcan

neverthelesscommunicateanarrativetobereadandconstructedbytheaudience

fromthefilm’sinternallogic

Perceptivemode:anactive,engagedwayofviewingafilmwheretheaudienceis

watchingandthinkingsimultaneously.Anabsenceofconventionaluseofnarration,

music,characterorstoryaltersconventionalnarrativeflow,disruptingexpectations

ofseamlesseditingandsoundinfilm,bringinganawarenessbacktomaterial

processesandstructuralandsonicelements

Receptivemode:amorepassivewayofwatchingafilmwheretheaudienceis

receivinginformationdeliveredinaconventionalmannerthroughtheuseof

narration,music,characterorstory

Poeticimage:imageasanexperientialentitycreatedtotriggertheimaginationor

toelicitanemotionalresponseintheviewer.Thepoeticimagedirectstheviewer’s

attention,alteringtheirperception,evokinganimaginativedimensionintheway

thatafilmpoemaimstodo.Thepoeticimagereferstoanimageorseriesofimages

(andsounds)asbeingreadorunderstoodnotasaliteralconstructionbutasone

thatisassociativeandexpressiveofthatwhichismorethanavisualrepresentation,

andthatsignalstowardsperceptionofunseenelementsthatcanneverthelessbe

readorunderstoodintheexperienceofviewingthefilm

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Introduction

InthisthesisIwillexaminehowarchitecturalspaceistranslatedintofilmicspace

throughmypracticeasafilmmakerinthreefilms;3ChurchWalk,(2014);Beach

House,(2015);andSpenderHouse,(2018).Iwilldemonstratehowsoundplaysan

importantroletogetherwithmovingimageinreactivatingthesespaces,whichin

turnalterstheperceptionofboththearchitecturalandfilmicspace,allowingfor

newreadingsofthehousestobeconsidered.Ihavechosenfourcomparativecase

studyfilmsforthisprojecttoillustratehowmyapproachandresultsdifferin

outcomefromotherfilmsthattakethemodernhouseassubject.Inthefilmsmy

intentionistotranslatethelivedexperienceofthehouses,tocaptureanatmosphere

oftheplaceandtocreatearecordofanencounterwitheachbuilding.

Therelationshipbetweenfilmandarchitectureisonethatisrarelyexaminedin

relationtoartists’filmandmovingimagepractices.Iwillexploretheroleof

architecturalphotographyindefiningtheperceptionofmodernarchitecture,and

howmorecontemporaryfilmicmodelsusingVirtualReality(VR)and3Dmodelling

technologiescangiveasimulatedrepresentationofarchitecturalspace,butdonot

necessarilyshiftperceptionfromafunctionaldescriptionofspacetowardsan

inhabitedone.Iwillestablishhowthepositioningofthecamera,theuseofframing

andeditingtechniquesandsound,whencombinedwithmovingimage,cangivean

alternativereadingofarchitecturalspace,onethatisclosertoanexperienceof

phenomenologicalspace.

AsafilmmakerIhavebeenworkingformanyyearswith16mmfilmandtime-lapse

techniquesandnowwithHDVideo,lookingprimarilyatourrelationshipto

landscape,architectureandenvironment.Ihavebuiltupamethodologyand

workingpracticesthatarefurtherdevelopedthroughthisproject.Theyhavebeen

examinedduringthisresearchperiodthroughtheprocessofmaking,writing,

reflectingandcriticallyevaluatingtheworkinawaythatthepracticeshavenotbeen

previously.Thereareclearlinksintheapproachandintentionsoftheearlier16mm

filmsthatareevidentintheworksmadehere.Theworkgeneratesthereflectionsin

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thewritingthroughassociationandaninter-playbetweenreading,research,making

andwriting.

IcametofilmthroughpaintingonmyundergraduateFineArtdegreeatMiddlesex

Universityintheearly1990swhereIbeganmakinginstallationsusingslide

projectorsandSuper8film.Iprocessedmyownblackandwhitephotographsand

thisledmetoworkingwithSuper8filmprocessing.ItwasatMiddlesexUniversity

thatIcameintocontactwithJudithGoddard,KateMaynellandPatrickKeiller.Iwas

introducedtowaysofworkingwithfilmandvideobythemandthenlaterbyTony

OurslerandRobertBreeronanexchangeprogramatCooperUnioninNewYork.

DuringaMasterscourseinFilmmakingatSanFranciscoArtInstituteIbegan

processingmyown16mmfilm,wastaughtbyErnieGehrandGuySherwinamong

othersandstartedmakingsinglescreen16mmfilmworks.Workingcollaboratively

withInger-LiseHansenonherfilmswasalsoakeypartofmydevelopmentasa

filmmaker.ThisbackgroundinthehistoryandpracticeofbothUKandUS

experimental,avant-gardeandartists’filmgavemethefoundationforthework

producedhere.Ihaveapproachedthisresearchasapractitioneranditisthrough

thepracticethattheknowledgehasbeengenerated.Thisthesiswillclarifymy

workingprocess,putthefilmsintocontextandexaminesomeofthekeyideasthat

relatetothenatureofspaceonfilm.

InChapterOneIsetoutmymethodologyandgiveanintroductiontomyworking

practicesforthefilmsproducedthattakethree1960sBritisharchitects’prototype

housesastheirsubject:3ChurchWalk,theSuffolkhouseofH.T.‘Jim’andBetty

Cadbury-Brown;JohnPenn’sBeachHouseatShingleStreetontheSuffolkcoastand

RichardandSuRogers’SpenderHouse,nearMaldoninEssex,commissionedby

HumphreySpender.IexplainthechoicesofthesearchitecturalexamplesandhowI

undertookeachfilmintermsofhistoricalresearch,interviewswithinhabitants,film

techniquesandsounddesign.Theuseoffourcomparativecasestudyfilmsis

introducedinthischapter.

InChapterTwoIsetoutthetheoreticalcontextoftheresearchprojectandgivea

historicalbackgroundfortheconnectionbetweenarchitectureandthe

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photographic,filmicandmovingimagetodemonstratehowtheydifferfromone

another.Ideasoflivedspaceandnarrativesofspacearediscussedinfilmicand

architecturaltermsandthereisanexaminationofthechoreographicrelationship

betweentheexperienceofspaceanditsfilmicarticulation.Theuseofthecameraby

earlyphotographerssuchasEadweardMuybridgeandEtienne-JulesMareyand

filmmakerssuchasLászló,Moholy-Nagy,theimportanceofSigfriedGiedion,

Moholy-NagyandWalterBenjamin’sideasaboutarchitectureanditsaffinitiestothe

cameraareshowntobekeyintheperceptionofmodernarchitecturalspace.

Moholy-Nagy’sNewVision(1932)wasinstrumentalindemonstratinghowthe

movingimagewasabletoproduceanewkindofspace,onandoffscreen.More

recentlyGiulianaBruno’sreplacementofthevoyeurwithvoyageurinAtlasof

Emotion,JourneysinArt,ArchitectureandFilm(2002)canbeseenasarevisionary

textonthewaysarchitectureisrepresentedonscreenandthearchitectureofthe

screenitself.

Spaceanditssensuousexperiencewaspartofthemodernnarrativeofarchitecture

witharchitectssuchasErnöGoldfinger,LeCorbusierandlaterBernardTschumi

writingaboutthebodyinarchitecturalspace,specificallythearchitectural

promenade.Thisphenomenologicalaspectofencounterswithinhabitedspaces

relatestobotharchitectureandfilmasdemonstratedbySergeiEisenstein’screation

ofamobilespectatorwalkingaroundtheAcropolistodescribethemontage

principleinfilminhisessay“MontageandArchitecture”.1Thisprovidesan

underpinningoftheideastackledinthefilmsIhavemade.Thechoiceofthree

particularhouses,domesticspacesratherthanpublicspacesorlargerarchitectural

examplesgivesthisprojectaparticularfocus.Thisallowsmetoanalysemore

intimatespacesthathavestrongcharacteristics,whichintermsoftheideaofthe

houseasahumanphenomenologicalconceptsetoutbyBachelardandthedefinition

ofthepoeticimagedescribedbyPallassmaaoperateeffectivelyintermsof

presentingthetranslationofarchitecturalspace

intofilmicspace,intermsofitsfunctionalityandofanarrativereading,apoetic

translation.

1“MontageandArchitecture”wastobeincludedinabookentitledMontage,writtenbetween1937and1940.

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ChapterThreediscussestheusesofnewmaterialsinmodernarchitecture,

particularlyglassandthedesiretouncover,makingbuildingstransparenttoa

greaterdegree,ononehandopeningupwithaviewtoamoreopensocietybutalso

layingpeopleopentosurveillance.AsBeatrizColominapointsoutinPrivacyand

Publicity(1994a),thehousebecomesacamera,thewindowservingnotonlyasa

viewtoseeoutbutlikewiseasawaytoseein.Thisutopian/dystopiansplitruns

throughideasaboutmodernarchitecture.

Thischaptertakesfourhistoricalexamplesoffilmsthatusethemodernhouseasa

subjectbyartistfilmmakerstoillustratehowdifferentapproachestothesubject

yieldsdifferingresults.ThesecomparativecasestudiesareManRay'sLesMystères

duChâteaudeDé(1929)setintheVillaNoaillesbuiltbyRobertMallet-Stevens;

ElizabethPrice’sTheHouseofMrX(2007)shotinStanleyPicker'sconserved1960s

housedesignedbyKennethWood;JohnSmith’sHomeSuite(1993-94)atour

throughtheartist'shouse(andinnermind)justbeforeitsdemolitionandHeinz

Emigholz’s,Schindler'sHouseseries(2006-07)thatusesasystemofformaldevices

todocumenttheworkoftheLosAngelesarchitectRudolphSchindler.Eachfilm

allowsforacomparisonbetweenlivedarchitecturalspaceandconstructedfilmic

space.

ChapterFourexploreshowtheseideashavefedintothemakingof3ChurchWalk

(2014),myfilmabouttheCadbury-Browns’house.Itgivessomehistorical

backgroundtothehouseitselfandtothewritingsofH.T.Cadbury-Brown.Inthis

chapterIintroduceandapplyLauraU.Marks’sterm‘hapticvisuality’inrelationto

theworkandexaminehowsoundplaysakeyroleinthishapticreadingofspaceon

film.Whilethesemi-abandonedconditionof3ChurchWalkgivesitthefeelingofa

modernruin,avoidinganostalgicvieworamuseumificationofthespacewas

importantinthemakingofthiswork.Thislinebetweenlivedspaceandthemuseum

isfurtherexploredthroughtheexampleofthearchitectPierreChareau’sMaisonde

VerreinParis,ahousethatlendsitselftoacolourfulcinematicchoreography,

althoughRobertVickery’sfilmMaisondeVerre(1970)wasshotinblackandwhite.

ThisanomalyisexaminedinthefollowingchapterinrelationtoJohnPenn’sfilm

ShingleStreetJohnPenn1971andhishouse,BeachHouse.

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ChapterFivefocusesonthearchitectJohnPenn,specificallyhisninehousesinEast

Suffolkandthemakingofmyfilmaboutoneparticularhouse,BeachHouseat

ShingleStreet,builtin1969.Penn’sCalifornianaesthetictransportedtotheSuffolk

coast,hisfilmShingleStreetJohnPenn1971(1971)andhisinvolvementwithan

experimentalmusicgroup,metaphonicsareelementsbroughttogetherinmyfilm

BeachHouse(2015).ThearticulationofspaceinPenn’sfilmiscomparedwiththatof

Vickery’sfilmMaisondeVerre(1970)todemonstratehowlivedaspectsofthe

architectureareexpressedoromitteddependingonchoicesmadebythefilmmakers

onformalaspectsoffilm-making.ThehistoricalbackgroundofPenn’sBeachHouse

andtheprocessofresearchandmakingthefilmarediscussedintermsofthe

relationshipbetweenthegrammaroffilmmakingandthegrammarofarchitectureto

identifyhowbothcancreateaphysicalexperienceofspace.

InChapterSixIdiscusstheSpenderHouse,ahouseandstudiodesignedbyRichard

andSuRogers(Team4)forartistandphotographerHumphreySpender.Thishouse,

likePenn’sBeachHouse,hasaCalifornianinfluenceandissetinanorchardinrural

Essex.Here,aswith3ChurchWalk,thereisastrongsenseofpresenceofan

inhabitantwhohaddiedsomeyearsbeforeand,aswithBeachHouse,thereare

manyartefactsthatremaininboththehouseandstudiothatallowforadetailedand

richreadingofthespace.Spender’shouseandstudioareawonderfulexampleof

architectureaslivedspaceandBachelard’snotionofreadingaroomisexploredin

thischapterandthroughmyfilmSpenderHouse(2018),alsodiscussedhere.The

relationshipbetweentheframeofthehouseandtheframeofthefilm,theframeasa

keyconceptindefiningtheimageofbothhouseandfilm,isusedasanapproachto

makingSpenderHouse.Parkside,thesisterhousetotheSpenderhouse,builtayear

after,istouchedoninthischapterasinitiallyitwasthethirdhousethatIhadchosen

fortheproject.Asitwasundergoingcompleterestorationduringtheperiodofmy

researchIchangedmyfocustowardstheSpenderHousewhichismorecompletely

intact,notonlyarchitecturallyspeakingbutalso,almostmoreimportantlytome,in

termsofhowitwaslivedin.Theemphasisofthefilmshiftedfromastatementabout

thearchitectureanditsinterior/exteriorrelationshipstoamoreintimatelookatthe

interiorspaceandhowitisinhabitedbytheartist.

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Thisresearchisconfinedtothreearchitecturalexamples.Iinitiatedtheresearch

withtheCadbury-Browns’house,3ChurchWalk,whichIstartedtoexplorebefore

decidingtoembarkonalargermoreextensivestudy.Itwasduringthisperiodthat

theprojectdevelopedtoincludeotherexamplesof1960sarchitectdesignedhouses.

Thelinksbetweenthisperiodofarchitectureandtheimportanceofitsphotographic

representationandthefilmicqualityofitsrectilineargeometrywereinitialstarting

pointsoftheresearch.Thesepointsofdeparturedevelopedalongsidehistorical

investigationintothehouseanditsarchitectstoproduceaparticularapproachto

making3ChurchWalk.ThisapproachevolvedfurtherintheexaminationofBeach

HouseandtheSpenderHouse.These1960shousesareallsmall,singlestorey

housesthatareseeminglysimpleinplananddesignbutveryrichvisuallyandin

termsofnarrative.Theopenplannatureofeachofthehousesallowsforviews

throughtheinteriortotheexteriorandforcompositionsofspacethatwouldnotbe

availableinahousewithdiscreetrooms.Thereisaflowthrougheachofthehouses

thatlendsitselftoafilmictranslationofthespace.

Thefinalchapterofthethesistiestogethertheideasandworksdiscussedtodraw

conclusionsonhowthesefilmsareabletogobeyondthefunctionaldescriptionof

architecturalspacesandcommunicateaspecificreadingofeachspacethroughthe

combinationofmovingimageandsound.Iconcludebyassertinghowthesefilms

allowtheparticularnarrativesofeachofthehousestoberead,andhowthepoetic

image(asopposedtothevirtualimageorarchitecturalphotograph)canopenup

newreadingsofarchitecturalspaces.Thewayinwhichthisgeneratesnew

knowledgeabouteachofthehousesthroughanartworkisanalysed.Thewayin

whichspatial,sonicandtemporalstructuresoperateinartists’film,asopposedto

conventionalnarrativefilmmakingtechniques,areprovedtobehighlyeffectivein

translatingtheatmosphereandlivedexperienceofaplace.

Individually,eachfilmcontributestothehistoryofthehouseitrepresentsinterms

ofprovidinganartisticresponsetothearchitecture,itsarchitect(s)andits

inhabitants(whetherpresentorabsent)thatraisesquestionsforfurtherresearch

andaddstothearchiveofeachthroughfilm,textandsound.

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AsatrilogythefilmsmakeacontributiontoknowledgeofBritisharchitects’

prototypehousesofthe1960s,drawingparallelsbetweenthethreeexamples

chosenandthewiderfieldintheUKandfurtherafield.Intermsofartists’filmand

movingimagethesefilmsaddtoabodyofworkthatexploresourrelationshiptoour

environmentthroughcameratechnologies,andalsocontributetotheoutputof

otherfilmmakersworkingwithideasaroundarchitecture,modernismand

inhabitation.

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ChapterOne

ArticulatingSpaceinArtists’FilmandMovingImage

InthischapterIoutlinemypractice-basedresearchmethodologyandsetouthowI

haveapproachedmakingthethreefilms,3ChurchWalk(2014),BeachHouse(2015)

andSpenderHouse(2018).Thefourcomparativecasestudyfilms,ManRay,Les

MystèresduChâteaudeDé(1929),ElizabethPrice,TheHouseofMrX(2007),John

Smith,HomeSuite(1993-94)andHeinzEmigholz,Schindler'sHouseseries(2006-

07)arealsointroduced.

ThequestionthatIamattemptingtoanswerthroughthethreefilmsinthisprojectis

howcertainBritisharchitects’prototypehousesofthe1960scanbeadequately

renderedintheformoffilm.Howdospatial,sonicandtemporalstructuresoperate

inarticulatingaspacethroughartists’filmandmovingimagepracticestogobeyond

functionaldescriptioninbothfilmandarchitecture?

Theoutcomeofthisresearchisatrilogyoffilmslookingatpost-warmodern

prototypehousesbuiltbyBritisharchitects.Witheachofthefilmsahouseis

reconstructedasafilm,reactivatingthearchitecturalspaceasfilmicspace.The

architecturalexampleschosenare:H.T.‘Jim’andBettyCadbury-Brown’s3Church

Walk,Aldeburgh,Suffolk(1962)JohnPenn’sBeachHouse,ShingleStreet,Suffolk

(1969)andRichardandSuRogers’SpenderHouseandStudio,nearMaldon,Essex

(1968).

Iamusingapractice-basedresearchmethodtogeneratewaysofanalysingthe

connectionsbetweenarchitecturalandfilmicspacethroughhistoricalresearch,the

useofthemovingimagecamera,soundrecording,editingandexhibitionofthe

abovefilms.

Themethodologyofthisprojectisgroundedintheprinciplesofartists’filmand

movingimage,wherethecamerahasagencyinthat,howitisusedandwhereitis

positionedcanproduce,notonlyparticularvisualeffects,butparticularreadingsof

animage.IhavechosenfourcasestudyexamplestodemonstratethisinChapter

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Three.Inartists’filmandmovingimageworks,thecameraisoftenoperatedbythe

filmmaker,whomayalsobeediting,producinganddirectingthefilm.Thissetsupa

directreflexiverelationshipbetweenthepersonbehindthecameraandtheimages

produced.Intentionisnottranslatedthroughinstructionfromadirector,

cinematographerorothersinvolvedintheproduction.Thereisanauthorshipthatis

particulartothefilmmakerinthismethodofreflexivefilmmaking.

Inasimilarway,placecanbeasubjectratherthansolelythesetorbackdropfor

actioninfilm.Inthiscasethehousebecomesaprotagonistandinleadingthefilmit

becomesasubject,therebydissolvingtheconventionaldistinctionbetween

backgroundandsubject(figureandground).Thecamera’sabilitytotransformspace

(andtime)andthecombinationofimageandsoundcreatemeaningandopenup

newreadingsofarchitecturalspaces.Iamexaminingthewayspatial,sonicand

temporalstructuresoperateinarticulatingaspaceonfilmtogobeyondfunctional

descriptionintotherealmofthepoetictoextendthepotentialofdocumentaryand

artists’filmandmovingimagepractices.HereIamusingtheterm‘poetic’todefine

animageorseriesofimages(andsounds)asbeingreadorunderstoodnotasa

literalconstruction,butasonethatisassociativeandexpressiveofthatwhichis

morethanavisualrepresentationandsignalstowardstheperceptionofunseen

elementsthatcanneverthelessbereadorunderstoodintheexperienceofviewing

thefilm.Theseunseenelementscouldbedescribedasanatmosphereorfeelingofa

place,nuancesthatareperceptibletotheviewer,containedwithintheimage-sound

relationship.

InmyresearchIidentifiedseveralexamplesof1960sprototype,architect-designed

housesandestablishedthehistoryofeachhouseandthearchitect(s)whodesigned

it.Iresearchedbiographicalandarchitecturaldetailsandtheirsignificancethrough

texts,archivalmaterials(fromeachoftheirestates/archives)andconducted

interviewswiththearchitectsorcolleaguesandtheirfriends,ifdeceased,andthe

currentinhabitantsofthehouses.

Sitevisitsweremadetoeachofthehousestocreateadigitalphotographicrecordof

theircurrentstateandcreateadocumentoftheplaceasfound.Thesephotographs

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playedaroleinplanninganapproachtoshootingandsoundrecordingforeachof

thefilms.Anapproachtofilmingeachhousewastakenonanindividualbasis,

respondingdirectlytothematerialfoundthroughthearchive,interviewsand

historicalresearch.

Inthecaseof3ChurchWalk,thedocuments,NotesonanOperaHouseforAldeburgh

andCadbury-Brown’sArchitecturalAssociationaddressof1959,IdeasofDisorder,

wereformative.Cadbury-Brown’sconceptionoftheexperienceofarchitectureasan

enforcedchoreographyandhisbeliefthatarchitectureisbetterdescribed,notas

frozenmusicbutastheframeworkforadance,informedtheapproachtothefilmas

theframeworkforadanceandachoreography.Thechoreographyofthefilmis

definedbymyrelationshiptotheimagecreatedthroughaparticularpatternof

movementwiththecamerainthespaceatthetimeoffilming.In3ChurchWalkthis

wasachievedusingahand-heldcameratocreateshotsthatmovethroughthespace

attheheightofmyeyeline,andtocreatewhatareessentiallystaticshotsthathave

slightmovementasnotripodhasbeenused.

Thechoreographyineachofthefilmsisdifferentdependingontheapproachtaken

towardsfilming.InBeachHouse(2015)aparticulartripodmovementisrepeatedto

giveascanningmovementacrossthespacethattalliedwiththesea’shorizonlining

upwiththestructureoftheCrittallwindows.2InSpenderHouse(2018)statictripod

shotsareusedandthechoreographyoccursintheplacingofoneshotnextto

anothertotranslateanexperienceofthespace.Thisisdiscussedfurtherineachof

thefilms’respectivechapters.

Themakingof3ChurchWalkledmetotheworkofJohnPenn,whosenineSuffolk

housesarenotfar,bothgeographicallyandconceptually,fromtheCadbury-Browns’

house.Thehistoricalandarchitecturallinksbetween3ChurchWalkandBeach

Housearenotable.ItwasapparentfromthesmallamountwrittenaboutJohnPenn

2 CrittallhavemanufacturedsteelwindowsinEssexsincetheearlytwentiethcentury.Thewindowsaresynonymouswithmodernistarchitecture,theirthinframesallowingformorelighttoenterthroughawindowintotheinterior.ThewindowsatBeachHouseweredividedinawaythatresembleda16:9frame,sethorizontallywithinthefloortoceilingverticalwindowframe.

20

thathisentirearchitecturaloutputtookplaceoveraten-yearperiodfrom1961–

1971andconsistedpredominantlyofninepavilion-typehouseswithsome

similaritiesto3ChurchWalk.Allweresinglestorey(withtwoexceptions:his

mother’shouseatBawdseyandtheWestletonhousewhereplanningforasecond

storeywasgrantedasanapplestore).Onfurtherinvestigation,Idiscoveredthathe

wasnotonlyanarchitectbutalsoafilmmakerandmusiciansodecidedtoresearch

PennandhisworkinmoredetailasIwantedtodeterminewhatrelationships

existedbetweenhisfilm/musicpracticeandhisarchitecture.

PennandCadbury-Brownbothhadastrongconnectiontomusic.Cadbury-Brown

wasperhapstheinfluencebehindBenjaminBritten’sexperimentswithbrutalism,

soundasfound,andPenn,whoalthoughanuntrainedmusician,hadformedan

experimentalmusicgroupwithfriendsandcolleagues.InthecaseofBeachHouseit

wasthisdiscoveryofPenn’smetaphonics3recordingsandafilmthathemadein

1971thatledtotheapproachtakenofcombiningarchivematerialswithnewlyshot

material,bringingelementsofpastandpresenttogetherandshowinghowthe

buildinghaschangedsincePenn’sfilmwasmade.

Thisdistinctionbetweenfreeimprovisedmusicandmeticulouslyplanned

architecturewasonethatparticularlyinterestedmeasitreflectedthewaythatI

approachmyfilmsinresponsetoasiteor,inthiscase,abuilding.Inarchitectural

practiceeverydetailmustbeconsideredandplannedbeforeexecution.This

contrastswithfreeimprovisedmusic,inthatamusicianmustbecompletely

spontaneousandrespondinthemomenttootherplayers.Filmmaking,like

architecture,canbeapproachedinawayinwhichthefinaloutcomeisthoroughly

plannedandexecuted,asisthecasewithmuchnarrativedrama.Orfilmcanbe

approachedinamoreopenwaywheretheoutcomeisdeterminedbytheprocess

itselfandinresponsetoasubject,whichisamethodusedinthedocumentaryform

andoftenfoundinartists’filmandmovingimageworks.Inthethreefilmsinthis

projectthereisbothanimprovisationalwayofworkinginresponsetoeachofthe

housesandamusicalconnectiontothearchitectswhodesignedthem;Cadbury-3Pennformedanimprovisedmusicgroupcalledmetaphonicswithcolleaguesandfriends,CedricGreen,RomyJacobandZinaTinabaum.AccordingtoCedricGreentheyrehearsedregularlyandmadeoccasionalrecordings.AllexceptTinabaumwereuntrainedmusicians.

21

Brown’sconnectiontoBrittenandfoundsound,Penn’sexperimentsinmetaphonics

andRogers’jazzinspiredarchitecturalrhythms.

TherearestronglinksbetweenPenn’shousesandtheSpenderHouseinthe

influenceofRichardNeutra(withwhomPennhadspentaneighteen-monthperiod

working,followinghisgraduationfromtheArchitecturalAssociation)andhisLos

AngelesCaseStudyHouses,4whichledmefromPenn’sBeachHousetoRichardand

SuRogers’ParksideandthentotheoverlookedSpenderHouse,justovertheSuffolk

borderinEssex.

WhilstlookingforathirdhousetocompletethetrilogyoffilmsIcameacrossan

article5aboutthedonationofRichardRogers’parents’house,Parkside,thathehad

designedwithTeam4in1969,toHarvardarchitectureschool.22Parksideiscited

asbeingtheprecursortothePompidouCentreinParisinitsinsideoutsidedesign

elementsandwasalsoinfluencedbyRogers’timespentinAmericalookingatthe

CaseStudyHouses.Thefactthatthehousewasemptyandundergoingatransition

throughrestorationinitiallycapturedmyinterestformakingafilmbutinthe

strippingoutofthehouseaspartoftheprocess,IfoundthematerialIneededto

accessthespiritoftheplacewasbeingerased.IwasawareofSpenderHouse,a

Team4housethatwasbuiltayearpriortoParkside,andonvisitingitandspeaking

toRachelSpenderIrealizedthiswasundoubtedlyamorerelevantsubjectforthe

thirdfilmduetothelayersoftimepresentinthearrangementofbelongingsinthe

houseandstudiothataffordeddetailedpotentialreadingsofthespace.Humphrey

Spendercommissionedthehouseandstudio,livingandworkingthereforforty

years.Sincehisdeathalmostnothinghaschangedthere.Thelinksbetweentheartist

andthespacewereclearlyvisibleinallthathasbeenleftbehind.Thehouse

containedalltheelementsthatIhadbeenworkingwithintheprevioustwofilms

andwasalsoparticularlyinterestinginthatithasbeenratherforgotteninits

significanceasaseminalpieceofhigh-techdomesticarchitectureintheUK.

4The Case Study Houses, sponsored by Arts and Architecture magazine from 1945 - 1966, were experiments in post-war American residential architecture by leading architects of the day, whose remit was to design a house that could be easily duplicated. 5 Dezeen, 2 April, 2015. https://www.dezeen.com/2015/04/02/richard-rogers-donates-wimbledon-house-parents-harvard-design-school/ [Accessed: 1 October 2018]

22

WiththeSpenderHouse,arelationshiptophotographyandphotographerinboth

thearchitectureandtheremainsofHumphreySpender’sstudiobecamekeyin

developinganapproachtothefilm.Thephotographicimagesavailableofthishouse

andstudioconstructaniconic,aspirationalviewofthemodernarchitect-designed

house,buttheplaceIencounteredwhenIfirstvisitedthehousein2016didnot

adheretothisviewofperfectlyorderedminimalliving.

Thisprocessofonehouseleadingtoanotherthroughresearchandmakingisan

importantaspectofhowIworkasafilmmaker.Thefilms’developmentisledbythe

material,notonlyintermsofchoosingasubjectbutalsothrougheachstageofthe

processofmaking.Thisallowsforthefilmtodevelopinawaythatisindirect

responsetothesiteandthebackgroundhistoricalresearch.Withoutaprescribed

goalthematerialgrowsfromaninteractionwiththespace.Initiallydecisionsare

madeintuitivelyinresponsetotheplaceandlaterinresponsetothematerial

gathered.Thisopen-endedwayofworkingproducesunexpectedresults.Itallows

foracontinualresponsetomaterialthroughouttheprocessofmaking.Structureis

notpredeterminedbutisshapedfromthematerial.Theconceptionoftheworkisin

theresponsetothesite,ledbyresearchandanencounterwiththeplaceitself.

Eachfilmisshotandapicture-cutmadebeforetheintroductionofsound.Ineach

case,theapproachtothesoundisledbytheinitialhistoricalresearch.In3Church

Walkthesoundiscomposedofrecordingsmadeusingtheobjects,surfacesand

materialsofthehousewithreferencetotheoriginalsitebeingonethatBenjamin

BrittenhadearmarkedfortheAldeburghFestival’sfirstoperahouse.Brittenand

Cadbury-Brownsharedaninterestinmaterials‘asfound’intheBrutalisttradition:

Brittenhadusedcarspringsandtea-cupsasinstrumentationinhiscompositions

suchasNoye’sFludde(1958).Thisapproachisreflectedinthesoundtrackfor3

ChurchWalk.

InBeachHousePenn’simprovisedmetaphonicsoundrecordingsmadewithCedric

Green,ZinaTinabaumandRomyJacobbroughtthepastintothepresentwhen

combinedwithhisarchivefilmfrom1971andthenewlyshotmaterialofthehouse.

23

InSpenderHouseacombinationoflocationrecordingandfragmentsofinterviews

withHumphreySpenderonphotography,painting,architectureandhisinvolvement

withMassObservationreactivatedthespaceandallowedforareadingofthearchive

thatthearchitecturecontained.

Initiallyduringtheeditingprocessforthesefilmsalong,roughpicturecutismade

byassemblingtheshotsinanorderthatarticulatestherelationshipsbetweenthe

interiorandexteriorspaces.Itrepresentsanencounterwiththespacefrommy

memoryoffilmingthere.Fromthispictureeditastructurefortheoverallfilmis

determinedandapaceisset.Shotsarethenmovedaroundortakenoutuntilthe

filmbeginstotakeashapethatreflectsthefeelingofbeinginthespace.Thisis

achievedwhenthetranslationofrealspaceintofilmicspacereflectsmymemoryof

theexperience.Ihaveastrongvisualandspatialmemoryandcanrecallintimate

detailsofaspacethatIhaveencounteredasavisualmap,whichiswhatIaimto

reconstructintheeditofthefilm.Thispicturecutisalwayssilenttoallowmeto

concentrateonthevisualrelationshipsbetweenshotsandtocreatearhythmtothe

picturewithoutsound.

Intuitionplaysapartinthefilmingprocesswhile,behindthecamera,Iamengaged

inaveryfocusedwayoflookingwithintheframe.Mypatternsofmovementthrough

thespacearerepresentedineachfilmandaredeterminedbythestructureofthe

houseitself.3ChurchWalkhasapassagewaytoaninteriorcourtyardthatleadsto

thefrontdoor,whichisrepresentedinthebeginningofthefilmasapassageleading

fromexteriortointerior.Likewise,thecircularmovementinthesunkenlivingroom

spacereflectstheenteringofthespaceandexperiencingits360-degreeopenness.

InBeachHousetheopenplanofthehouseleadsthroughthelivingspacearoundthe

servicecoreofthekitchenandoutontothebeach,andattheSpenderHousethereis

apulltowardsthestudiofromthehouseastheymirroroneanotherintheirposition

inthesetting.Thesehousesallhaveacircularflowandastronginterior-exterior

relationship,whichhasguidedthefilmingofeachspace.

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Withthecamera,Iamlookingtoconstructthespacethroughtheimageusing

framing,compositionandmovement,whethercameramovementormovement

withintheframe.Theeditedpicturecutrepresentsanencounterwiththespace,

whichisthenactivatedbythesound.

Myapproachtosoundcomesfrommybackgroundinworkingwithacombinationof

fieldandlocationrecordingandelectronicsoundscapesincollaborationwith

wildlifesoundrecordistandsoundartistChrisWatsonandelectroniccomposerand

artistBenedictDrew.WorkingwithsoundIamthinkingabouttheedgesof

audibility,soundelementsthatoccurintheenvironmentthatonceacclimatisedto

webarelynotice.Thesoundtracksformyfilmsamplifytheseelements,bringing

themtothefore.Asthecameralensisusedtoframeashotandbringparticular

elementsofanimageintofocus,sothemicrophoneisusedtocaptureparticular

aspectsofalocation.WhenworkingwithBenedictDrew,contactmicrophoneswere

usedtorecordveryclosesoundsofthefilmedenvironments,whichwhenlayered

andprocessedcreatedaheightenedtensioninthesound.WhenrecordingwithChris

Watson,hydrophonesandhighsensitivitymicrophoneswereusedtocapture

soundsthatwereinaudibletothehumanear,addinganotherdimensiontothe

landscapesrepresentedonfilm.Thisframingofsoundisequallyimportantasthe

framingoftheimageandlikethechoiceoflens,thechoiceandpositioningofthe

microphonecandistinctlyalterwhatisheard.Havinglearntthisworkingwith

WatsonandDrew,Ihavedevelopedlinksbetweenwhatisseenandwhatisheardin

myfilmstoaccentuatetheexperienceoftheplacesrecordedasoutlinedbelow.

Inthefilmsinthisresearchprojectthesoundhasdevelopedspecificallyinresponse

toeachofthehouses.Inallthreecasesthesoundusedcomesfromthelocation.In3

ChurchWalk,roomresonanceandthesoundsofmaterialsandobjectsare

forensicallyrecordedinthehouse,inBeachHouse,Penn’smusicalrecordings,

discoveredaspartoftheresearchprocess,arereworkedandinSpenderHousethe

voiceofHumphreySpenderfoundinthestudioarchive,togetherwithdiegetic

locationsoundrecordingcombinetoformthesoundtrack.

25

Thereisalinkbetweenlocationrecordingand‘foundsound’inthedirectconnection

betweenimageandsound.Itisaconnectionthatdiffersfromsynch-sound

recording,wheresoundsarecapturedsimultaneouslywiththeimage,inthatthe

soundrecordingprocessisadiscreetprocessoflisteningthattakesplaceseparately

tothefilming.ThisisamethodthatIhaveusedwithmanyfilmsandonethatis

importantinbringingequalattentiontothesoundandimagetrackresultingina

particularsound-imagerelationshipthatisasignatureofmywork.

Ineachcasethefilmsconstituteamodeofexperienceofthehousestheyrepresent.3

ChurchWalkattemptstocommunicatetheexperienceofdiscoveryofasignificant

semi-abandonedmodernruinandthesubsequentpiecingtogetherofafirst

impressionwithdetailedresearchintothebiographicalhistoryofthearchitectsand

theirideasmademanifestinthearchitecturetheydesignedandinhabiteduntiltheir

deaths.

BeachHousecreatesadifferentmodeofexperienceinthatitcombinesthe

architect’sownfilmofthehouseatthetimeofcompletion,whichisclearlydatedby

theyouthfullooksand1970sclothing,withcontemporaryfootagethatmarksthe

changefromanalmostmakeshiftfeeltoaconsidered,composedinteriorwithmid-

centuryfurnitureandownersofanoldergeneration.Penn’smetaphonicrecordings

threadpastandpresenttogether,givinganacuteawarenessoftime.

TheexperienceofSpenderHousemarksashifttowardsaninhabitedmodefroman

uninhabitedandpartiallyinhabitedmodeofthetwopreviousfilmsrespectively.The

houseisdeeplyinhabited,madeclearintheshotsoftheinteriorfullofbooks,

furnitureandbelongingsandinthetreatmentoftheartist’sstudioandSpender’s

outputasaphotographer,painterandtextiledesigner.Inthisfilm,alsopartlydueto

theuseofSpender’svoice,anexplicitconnectionismadebetweenplaceandperson,

betweenarchitectureandinhabitant.

ThesuccessofthesefilmshasbeenevaluatedusingartisticcriteriathatIhave

developedthroughmanyyearsofpractice.Criteriausedwerewhetherthefilm

capturestheessenceoftheplacerecorded,bothvisuallyandsonically,whetherthe

26

tensionbetweenstillandmovingimageiscreatedinawaythatengagesanaudience

andwhetheritcommunicatesmyintentions.

Myintentionwiththefilmswastocommunicateanexperienceofthediscoveryof

eachhouseandcondensethebiographicalresearchfindingsintoaformthatgave

enoughcluesthroughtext,imageandsoundtotheviewertogainameaningful

readingofeachplace.Ifeelthatthiswassuccessfullyachievedthroughthemethods

employedineachfilmascanbeseeninChaptersFour,FiveandSix,whereIdiscuss

theindividualapproachtakentoeachfilmandtheoutcomesofmymethodology.

InthisthesisIusecasestudiestocomparetheworkofotherfilmmakerswhohave

takenthehouse,particularlythemodernhouse,asasubjecttodemonstratethatthe

approachtomyresearchandtheoutcomesofitsmethodologycanallowfornew

readingsandunderstandingsthatoperateoutsideoftheofficialhistoricalnarrative

ofmodernarchitecture.Thisresearchexamineshowapastvisionofthefuturecan

bereadinacontemporarycontextandwhatnewunderstandingcanbegainedfrom

thisreading.

ThecasestudiesalsoillustratehowmyapproachandtheresultsIachievediffer

fromothersworkinginsimilarwayswithsimilarsubjects.HeinzEmigholzusesthe

staticshotandminimalsoundfromthelocationofSchindler’shousestobuildupa

pictureofanarchitect’sworkbutthereisnosenseofthehaptic.Itisaformal

exercise,whichthroughitsstructureandrepetitionapatternemerges.Elizabeth

PricefocusesontheluxuriantinteriorandobjectscontainedinStanleyPicker’s

housethathighlightthewealthandexclusivityofthehouseandtheartworkswithin

it.ManRaycreatesasurrealnarrativearoundtheChateauduDéandJohnSmith’s

tragi-comictoneinHomeSuiteshowsthehouseasasiteofemotionalattachmentsin

theeveryday.Allofthefilmschosentakethehouseassubject,asprotagonist,and

exploreinteriorspacesinwaysthatconnectwithBachelard’sideaofthehousethat

canbereadandinterpreted,asthefilmimagecanbereadtocreatenarrative,poetic

narrativesofarchitecturalspace.

27

InthefollowingchapterIsetoutthehistoricalandtheoreticalcontextforthese

ideasabouttherelationshipsbetweenarchitectureandthephotographicandfilmic

image.Throughoutmodernitythisdynamichasgreatlycontributedtothespreadof

ideasandtheinterpretationofmodernarchitecturalspace.Iwillexaminetheidea

thatalthougharchitecturalphotographyhasshiftedtowardsmovingimage

representationsandVRmodelling,thepotentialofartists’filmtocapturethe

atmosphereofaplaceandtheabilityofsoundtoactivatespaceonfilmisanarea

thatisoverlookedintheofficialnarrativesofbuildings.

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ChapterTwo

OptictoHaptic,SighttoSite

InthischapterIwilldiscussimageandsound;structureandmontage;movement

andtime;sensationandlivedexperienceandnarrativesofspaceinfilmicand

architecturalterms.Myaimhereistoexaminethechoreographicrelationship

betweentheexperienceofspaceanditsfilmicarticulation.Iwilloutlineashiftin

thinkingfromtheoptictothehapticthrougharchitecture’sconnectionto

photographyusingtheexamplesofLászlóMoholy-NagyandSiegfriedGiedion

towardsamorephenomenologicalpositiontakenupbyMauriceMerleau-Ponty,

GiulianaBruno,GastonBachelardandJuhaniPallasmaainordertoindicatehow

movingimageandsoundcanbetterarticulatealivedexperienceofspace.

‘Haptic’isatermthathasgainedcurrencyintheartssincethedevelopmentof

technologiesthatparadoxicallyremoveourtactileconnectionwiththematerialsof

anartwork,suchasphotography,film,videoandVirtualReality(VR).Haptic

technologiesarebeingdevelopedintandemwithVRheadsets,whichfavourthe

ocularperceptualexperienceofspacetoextendavirtualexperienceintotherealm

oftouch,touchingobjectsinvirtualspace.Hapticwasprimarilyusedasamedical

synonymfortactileduringthenineteenthcenturybutduringthelatetwentieth

centurytookonapsychologicaldimensionandnow,atthebeginningofthetwenty-

firstcentury,isalsolinkedtoVRandtouch-screentechnologies.HereIamusing

‘haptic’foritsabilityintermsofpsychologicalperceptiontoexpressideasabouta

tactilefeelingandtouchingfromadistancethatfilm(inthecombinationofsound

andmovingimage)hastheabilitytoconvey.Hapticishumanandplacerelated,

hencethefocusofthischapterontheshiftfromoptictohaptic,sighttosite.

Articulationhasasonicquality,meaningtoarticulateorspeakof,andinturnthis

articulationalsosuggestsmovement,whichhasaphysicalqualitythatspeaksof

constructionandjoinedelements,bothinfilmicandarchitecturalterms.A

choreographyiscreatedbythecameramovingthroughspace,attemptingto

articulateit.Butwhataspectsofthree-dimensionalspacecanbearticulatedinatwo-

dimensionalform?Thescreenonwhichthefilmisprojectedbecomesan

29

architectureitselfandactsasawindowallowingaviewintothespace,whichwhen

makingfilmsaboutarchitectureorbuildingsisdoublyevident.Cameratechniques

suchaspanningandhand-heldmovementsallowforparticularchoreographic

relationships.Repetitionofmovementandrepetitionofslightlydifferingviews

reconstructspaceinspecificways,whichIexaminethroughthefilmsmadeforthis

research,discussedinlaterchapters.Memorycomesintoplayasspaceisre-created

intheviewer’smindthroughtheeditedshotsasthefilmplaysoutintime.Inorder

towatchafilmandmakesenseofitfrombeginningtoend,memorymustbe

activatedtofollowitsmeaning.Inthefilmsinthisprojectthisuseofmemoryallows

theviewertomentallyconstructthethree-dimensionalspaceintwodimensionson

screen.

Thisprojectexaminestwoarchitecturesthatareinhabitedsimultaneously,physical

architecturalspaceandfilmicarchitecturalspace.Thereisatranspositionof

conceptsandtermsfromonedisciplinetoanother,fromarchitecturetofilmand

fromfilmtoarchitecture.Indescribinganexperienceofaspacethereisa

convergenceoffilmicandarchitecturallanguageintheoriesandphysical

constructionofspace.Perceptionofspaceisalteredthroughthelens,whichinturn

altersthewayweperceivethespacesweinhabit.

Thewayinwhicharchitecturalpracticesandfilmicpracticescontributetoeach

otherformspartoftheproject.Throughoutmodernityarchitecturalphotography

andthegraphicimagehavebeenkeytothedisseminationofanarchitect’swork.The

currentshifttowardmovingimage,VRimaging,fly-throughand3Dcomputer

modellingpotentiallychangesourrelationshiptospace,arguablymakingitmore

filmic.Themorespaceismediated,thegreaterthegapbetweenourexperienceand

theimage.Butfilmcanalsotranslatemanyaspectsofhumanexperienceof

architecturalspace–itsnarratives,itshistory,itsatmosphereanditssonic

properties–anditistheseelementsIamexploringthroughthehapticpotentialof

observationalartists’filmandmovingimagepracticesandcriticalreflexive

filmmaking.

30

Thereisamismatchthatisgeneratedbetweenrealspaceandfilmicspace,inthat

realspaceisalwaysthree-dimensional,filmicspacetwo-dimensional.Whatoccurs

in-betweentherealandthefilmicisofparticularinteresthere.InthefilmsIhave

madethereisanengagementwitheachofthespacesandanattempttoavoida

detachedviewpoint(onewherethecameraisremotefromthepersonoperatingit,

asinextremelowwideangleorhighangleshots).Severalcamerastrategiesare

employedtoachievethisengagement.Thevieweristransportedintothespace,

whetherthroughtheuseofthehand-heldcamerain3ChurchWalkorintheuseof

panningshotsinBeachHouse.Ahand-heldcameraalignstheviewerwiththecamera

itselfasin‘point-of-view’shots(POV),wheretheaudienceisgiventhesenseofa

naturalisticpointofviewofapersonbehindthecamera,seeingwhattheysee,

movingastheymove.Panningthecameradoesnotnecessarilyreadas‘engaged

experience’butanycameramovementissuggestiveofanaudience’sviewpoint,and

repeatingthepanningshotsacrossthesamespaceframedslightlydifferently(the

camerachoreography)makestheseparticularpanningshotsinstrumentalingiving

anengagedexperienceofthespace.InSpenderHousethecameraisstaticbuttheuse

ofthelockedoffshotallowstheviewertoprojectthemselvesintothespace.Theuse

ofSpender’svoicealsoconnectstheviewertotheimageinadirectway.Thescreen

itselfbecomesanarchitecture,awindoworframethroughwhichtheaudienceis

invitedtoenter.Thelockedoffshotiseffectiveinthesetermsduetoitsstillnessand

itsrelationtoclassicalperspective,whichcreatesdepthinaflatimage.Thecamera

panisclosertoadiorama,atravellingshotwherethingsmoveacrossthescreen,

engagingtheviewerinmovementfromastaticviewpoint,whetherfromthe

perspectiveofthecameraonatripodortheseatedviewerintheaudience.The

camerachoreographyineachcaseisinstrumentalingivinganengagedexperience

ofthespace.

Cadbury-Brownsawarchitectureasanenforcedchoreography,whichisalsoechoed

byarchitectBernardTschumi.InTschumionArchitecture:Conversationswith

EnriqueWalker,Tschumi(2006)talksaboutarchitecturebeginningwithmovement

andthenetworkofroutestakenthroughthebuildingthatactuallyconstitutes

architecture.Hepointsoutthatalthougharchitectureismadeupofstaticspaces,the

interactionbetweenthestaticandthedynamiciswhatreallyconstitutesit.This

31

interactioncanbeinvestigatedusingthecamerastrategiesemployedinthefilms

alongwitheditingtechniquesandtheadditionofsound(bothofwhicharediscussed

later)tocontributetothelivedexperienceofspacethatIintendtoconveyinthe

filmsinthisproject.

Fig.1Moholy-Nagy,László,LightPlay,Black,White,Grey,1930,filmstill

Thedynamicpossibilitiesaffordedbythecamerawereexploredbyearly

photographerssuchasEadweardMuybridgeandÉtienne-JulesMarey6torenderthe

invisiblevisibleandcreatesequencesthatresembledfilmstrips,showinganatomical

movementthroughseriesofphotographsorinMarey’scase,onasingleframe.

Moholy-Nagyalsosawthedynamicpossibilitiesofthecamera.InhisbookTheNew

Vision:FromMaterialtoArchitecture(1932),hesetsouthisideasonmodernartand

architectureandthemethodsoftheBauhaus,wheretheimportanceoflight,

movementandspacehaveadirectlinkwiththedescriptionofmodernarchitectural

spaceusingnewtechnologiesofphotographyandfilm.Moholy-Nagyseesthe

possibilitiesofusingmovinglightsourcestocreatespacewithlightandshadowon

stageandonfilm,whichcouldthenbeemployedinarchitecturetocreateanewkind

ofrelationshiptospace.ThekineticsculptureLightSpaceModulator(1930)thathe

createdforthefilmLightPlay,Black,White,Grey(1930)wasmadefrom

architecturalformsandmaterialssuchasglassandmetalwithperforationsand

6MuybridgeandMarey’searlyexperimentsinphotographywereprecursorstocinemaintheirabilitytocapturemovementthatwasinvisibletothenakedeyeandinstrumentalinthedevelopmentofthefilmcamera.

32

turningcomponents.Whenlightshinesthroughitacomplexshadowplayof

diagonalandverticalformsarecreated.Filmedinblackandwhiteusingtightly

framedcompositions,thesculpturegeneratesdynamicspatialrelationshipsthat

reflectchangesinconstruction,usingmaterialsofthenewmodernarchitecture,

suchasglassandsteel.Moholy-Nagywrites:

Openingsandboundaries,perforationsandmovingsurfaces,carrytheperipherytothecentre,andpushthecentreoutward.Aconstantfluctuation,sidewaysandupward,radiating,all-sided,announcesthatmanhastakenpossession,sofarashishumancapacitiesandconceptionsallow,ofimponderable,invisible,andyetomnipresentspace.(Moholy-Nagy,1932,p.64)

Moholy-Nagy,GiedionandWalterBenjaminallhadaparticularinterestin

architecture,itsrelationshiptothecameraandhowitaltersperceptionofspace.

Thenewverticalityofearlymodernarchitecturemeantitcouldbeseenfromthe

groundandfromtheair,allowingfornewperspectivesonthecityandthe

landscape.Thebuildingsbecameviewinginstrumentsthemselves.SigfriedGiedion’s

imagesoftheEiffelTowerweredescribedas‘dizzyinganddestabilizing’,suggesting

movementinrelationtothebodyinasimilarwaytoSergeiEisenstein’sdescription

ofwalkingaroundtheAcropolisasthefirstinstanceofmontage.Thissenseof

movementinarchitecturecomesfromtheviewsaffordedbythenewtechnologiesof

photographyandfilm.

Fig.2LucienHervé,HighCourtofJustice,Chandigarh,India,1955andEiffelTower,Paris,France,1945,photographLucienHervé’sthousandsofarchitecturalphotographsarereminiscentofMoholy-

Nagy’sexperimentswithlightandforminspacebutwhereMoholy-Nagywas

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constructingkineticsculpturesinthestudiotofilmandphotograph,Hervéwas

applyingtheseideasdirectlytothenewarchitectureofLeCorbusier.He

photographedLeCorbusier’sbuildingsfromeverypossibleangle,creatinga

cinematic-likemontageandimagesequencesthatgeneratenarrativesofthe

architecturetheyportraythatcanbeseeninhiscontactsheets.(Healso

photographedtheEiffelTowerextensively.)

AsAndrewHiggottpointsoutinhisintroductiontoCameraConstructs:

Onlysomeofthequalitiesofarchitecturecanbecommunicatedinthephotograph:thepropertiesofspace,materialityandthedaytodayinhabitationofbuildingsarenotoriouslydifficulttorepresentphotographically.Themediumfavoursandpromotesanabstractedvisionofarchitecturethatassumesfarmoresignificanceinthephotographicrepresentationthaninbuiltreality.(Higgott&Wray,2012,p.2)

Photographyhasthepotentialtotransformeventhemostmundanesightintoa

beautifulimage,andthisaestheticizingofarchitectureandlackofcriticalityof

photographywithinarchitecturaldiscoursehasoftenledtotheactualexperience

beingdisappointing.However,Higgottpointsoutthatphotography(andfilm)canbe

conceivedtohaveanarchitectonicstructureofitsown,adefinedarchitectural

structurethatcomesfromnotonlytheframingandcompositionofshotsbutfrom

howtheshotsareeditedtogetherandhowsoundisusedinconjunctionwiththis

editedmaterial.

InNewVisionMoholy-Nagyalsosetsoutideasabouthowthecameraandmoving

imageinparticularwasabletoproduceanewkindofspacethroughtheuseoflight

effectsonnewmaterials.ItisthisthatIaminterestedinexploringfurther,

particularlyinrelationtofilmmakingpracticesemployedbyartists,wherethe

relationshiptothespacesdescribedcomesfromareflexivecriticalposition.

Throughobservationwiththecamera,theassemblageofeditingandthereactivative

resonatingpropertiesofsound,filmhastheabilitytomaketheimage‘speak’.A

reflexive,criticalapproachtotheimageandtheprocessesoffilmmakingthatallow

forspaceandreflectionwithinafilmproduceanalternativearchitectonicstructure.

Reflexivefilmmakingreferstoitself,whetherinmaterialterms,tofilmandthe

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natureoffilmmaking,theuseofthecamera,soundandeditingtechniquesorin

referringbacktothesubjectbehindthecamera.Criticalfilmmakingcomesfroma

criticalposition,whetherpoliticalorcritical,intermsofquestioningthenatureof

filmitself.Usinganapproachtofilmmakingthatquestionsnotonlywhatitislooking

at,butalsoitself,generatesworkthatbreakswithconventionandcreatesnewways

ofseeing,whetherformally,conceptuallyorhistorically,henceanalternative

architectonicstructurecanbecreated.Byalteringconventionalnarrativeflow,

disruptingexpectationsofseamlesseditingandsoundinfilm,anawarenessis

broughtbacktomaterialprocessesandstructuralandsonicelements.

ThroughtheprocessofmakingfilmsinthiswayIamrevealingthespatial,sonicand

temporalstructuresthatoperateindescribingaspacethroughartists’filmand

movingimagepractices.Thesetwothemes,thearchitectureoffilmandarchitecture

onfilmareexpandedoninthefollowingparagraphs.

Movementandthedynamicrelationshipbetweenfilmandviewerisevidentin

GuilianaBruno’sAtlasofEmotion:JourneysinArt,ArchitectureandFilm(2002,

pp.15-17)whereshepositstheideaofavoyageur,ratherthanavoyeur,suggesting

anactive,movingsubjectengagedinthefilmicspacethroughthearchitectureofthe

screen.However,itisnotonlythearchitectureon-screenandofthescreenthat

engagestheviewerinfilmbutalsothespatialpossibilitiesandtheemotivenatureof

sound.Nowthatthescreeniscarriedonourpersonthisideaofthevoyageuriseven

morerelevant.Wearethescreen.Ithasbecomeanextensionofthebodyinaway

thataltersbothourrelationshiptothemovingimageandpotentiallyalsothe

architectonicsoffilm.ThisisanareathatIdonothavetimetodiscussherebutone

thatIsetoutasaconsiderationforfurtherresearchintheconclusion.Ithasalso

beenakeythemeforJeanBaudrillardandPaulVirilio.Theelementsofthesonicand

thespatialthatmakeupthearchitectonicsoffilmwithintheparametersthatIhave

definedarediscussedbelow.

Thespatialandsonicrelationshipsbetweenarchitectureandmusicandbetween

architectureandsoundechothosebetweenarchitectureandfilminthelanguage

usedtodescribeanexperienceofthem.Translatingthespatialandsonicproperties

ofarchitecturalspacetofilmallowstheseconnectionstobeclearlymade,andthis

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convergenceinthelanguagesusedtodescribebotharchitectureandfilmand

architectureandsoundwillbeexpandeduponinlaterchapters.

Inthemid1960sscientistKonstatinRaudivebecameinterestedinvoicesthatcould

beheardinrecordingsofemptyspacesandmadetapesofelectronicvoice

phenomena(EVP)usingtaperecordersleftrunningorrecordingwhitenoisefrom

de-tunedradioswhich,whenplayedbackandamplifiedappearedtocontainghost

voices.Thisrelationshipofghostsoundspresentinunoccupiedroomstomemories

ofthepastandthespiritworldisonethathasitsfoundationinthephonograph,

wherethosewhosevoiceswererecordedwereimmortalised(orsoitwas

perceived),andinearlyphotographyandcinema,wherethecamerawasthoughtto

capturethespirit(andsometimestakethesoul)ofthesubject.

Thisideaofsoundasahaunting,aspectralpresenceistakenupbyDavidToopin

SinisterResonance:TheMediumshipoftheListener(2010)andbyMarkFisherin

GhostsOfMyLife:WritingsonDepression,HauntologyandLostFutures(2014).Toop

writesaboutspectraluncannysoundsandtheirrelationshiptomemoryandthe

spiritworld.Hauntology,7atermthatFisherpointsoutisJacquesDerrida’spunon

ontology,isusedinconnectionwithaveinofelectronicmusicandaparticular

culturalmomentatthebeginningofthetwenty-firstcenturytosymbolizelost

futuresbutcouldalsobeseenasanewnostalgia.Fisherclaims“everythingthat

existsispossibleonlyonthebasisofawholeseriesofabsencesthatprecedeand

surroundit”(Fisher,2014,p18).Thissenseoftheuncanny,itslinktomemoryandan

absentpresencearekeytounderstandinghowsoundinthisprojectisusedto

reactivateemptyspaces.

CallingonmemoryofplaceandtheuncannyBrianEno’salbumOnLand(1982)is

partiallyanevocationoftheEastAnglianlandscapewherehegrewup.Thealbum

recallsbothhisexperienceofthisplaceandthewealthofliterature8onthehaunting

ofthearea,translatedtoambientsound.Therealandimaginedspacesmergeto

formasoundscapeofSuffolk’sdarkwoodsandlonelytracksthatinlisteningconjure

7Hauntology,fromJacquesDerrida,SpectresofMarx:TheStateoftheDebt,theWorkofMourning,andtheNewInternational(1994,p.202).8WriterssuchasW.G.Sebald,RobertMacfarlane,RogerDeakinandRichardMaybeyhaveallwrittenontheirconnectionwiththedarkersideoftheevocativeEastAnglianlandscape

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upaspectralpresenceofthelandscape.Thesoundfloatsandthelisteneris

immersedinasonicexperienceofthelocationsEnodrawson,withoutbeingableto

identifyspecificallywheretheyoriginate.

Asound’slocationcannotbepinpointedbyalistenerinthesamewayasanimage

locationcanbeidentified.Imageiscontainedwithintheframeofthefilmorwithin

theconfinesofthescreenbutsoundcanexistallaroundus.Itismoreephemeral

and,aswithimagespassingthroughaprojectorontoascreen,itonlyexistsintime,

inthepresentandtheninmemory.Thewaysinwhichsoundplacestheaudiencein

thepresentofthehouseandactivatesthespacewillbediscussedfurtherinrelation

toeachofthefilmsintheirrespectivechapters.

Architecture,musicandfilmallrelyonformandstructure,elementsjoinedtogether,

constructedtoformawhole.InWindowShopping(1993),AnneFriedbergwrites

aboutWalterBenjamin’sArcadesprojectasanunfinishedfilm.InThePassagefrom

ArcadetoCinemashedescribestheunfinishedworkmadeupoffragmentsas

continuingthemontageprincipleoverintohistory.Shestates,“Benjamin’smethod

wasalmostcinematic,asifeachquotationwereashot,singleinmeaningandneutral

incontent,untilitwasplacedinjuxtaposition...”(Friedberg,1993,p.50).Once

placedinjuxtaposition,eachelementiscaughtintheflow.Webegintomoveintime,

eventsarecreatedandthechoreographybegins.Whetherabuilding,afilmora

pieceofmusic,sensationsareexperiencedinthephysicalbodyandthroughthis,

narrativeisformed.BythisImeannarrativeinthesenseofanexperienceunfolding

intime.

Withintheconventionsofnarrativedramathereisaclosedsystemthatissetupto

formalogicalspatio-narrative,aspatialunitythroughtheconstructionofshotsto

allowthestorytoflow;however,inartists’filmandmovingimagepracticesthere

arevaryingdegreesofspatialunityandcontinuitythatcanbeusedtofragmentor

alterthespatio-temporalflowofthefilmanddisruptthenarrative.Byalteringthe

flowtheviewerbecomesmorereflexiveandengaged,whichmakestheaudience

moreawareoftheirownsensationswhenwatchingafilmandsetsupaninternal

dialoguebetweenthefilmandtheviewer,whichbecomespartofthechoreography.

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Ratherthanbeingcarriedbystoryormusic,theaudienceisaskedtoparticipate

intellectuallyinthefilmtheyarewatchingthroughaprocessofquestioningor

engagementinaperceptiveviewingmodethatisspecifictosomeartists’filmand

movingimageworkandordinarilynotfoundinmainstreamfilmandtelevision,

whetherfictionordocumentary.

Inhisarticle,“TheSensationofSpace”inArchitecturalReview(November1941)

ErnöGoldfingeremphasizedtheimportanceofaphysicalresponsetospacerather

thanitsaestheticproperties.Thisrelationshipofthebodytoarchitecturalspaceis

alsoakeyconcernofboththeCadbury-BrownsandJohnPenninthetwohouses,3

ChurchWalkandBeachHouse.Itisanaspectinthedesignofmodernarchitecture

thathasbeenovershadowedbyconcernsofform,styleandmaterialsthatdominate

thediscussioninarchitecturaljournals.

Goldfingerwrites:

Thespatialorderisbuiltupbyanamalgamationofamultitudeofphenomena,theperceptionofwhich,subconsciouslyintegrated,helpsinbuildingupthesensationofspace.Memoriesandexperience,notonlyofvisualsensationbutalsoofsound,touchandsmellenterintoit.Thesoundandvibrationinahall,thephysicaltouchofthewallsofanarrowpassage;theatmosphereandtemperatureofastuffyroom...allarecomponentsofspatialsensation.Everyelement,plasticorpictorialarepartofit.(Goldfinger,1941,pp.129-31)

Inboththearchitect’svisionandinthefilmsaboutthehousesthereisa

phenomenologicalapproachtothehousethattakestheideaofthebody-subjectas

inseparablefromtheperceivingsubject,aconceptsetoutbyMerleau-PontyinThe

PhenomenologyofPerception(2013)andinterpretedbyLanger(1989).This

experienceisadynamiconethatissubjectiveandparticipatory.Existingasabodyin

space,perceptionisinherentlyspatial,notinthesenseofanobjectivelocationbuta

spatialsituationthatweoccupyandformpartof.Inthebodythereisalwaysthe

potentialformovementandthe“perceptualfieldisaninvitationtoaction”(Langer,

1989,p.83)whichgivesrisetomotionormovement.Itisthedynamicrelationship

withourenvironmentthatbringsaboutaction,motion,movementinspaceanditis

inthisperceptualfieldofpresencethattimeisexperienced,notasatimelineof

eventsbutasa“networkofoverlappingintentionalitieswhosecentreisnoneother

thanthebody-subjectitself”(Merleau-Ponty,citedinLanger,1989,p.127).

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Merleau-Ponty’sviewofperceptionisthatofabody-subjectengagedwiththeworld

inanoverlappingtemporalandspatialinter-subjectiveexchange.Perceptionis

constructedinadynamicinterchangebetweenthesubjectandthespaceitoccupies.

ThisoverlappingoftimeanddynamicrelationshiptospaceisimpliedinthefilmsI

havemadeforthisresearchproject.Thisoverlapispresentintherepetitionof

slightlydifferingshotsofthesamearchitecturalspaceandinthereconstructionof

eachspacethrougheditingtheseshotstogether.Inthinkingofthehouseasafound

objectorarchive(orfragmentfromanarchive)tobeconstructedthroughfilmthere

isalsoanoverlappingofpastandpresent.

IntheNewVisionMoholy-Nagywrites:“spaceisarealityofsensoryexperience.Itis

ahumanexperiencelikeothers;itisameansofexpressionlikeothers.Other

realities,othermaterials”(Moholy-Nagy,1947).Hedescribeshowspaceisfirst

perceivedvisuallyandthenbymovement,changingpositioninspaceandthenby

touch.Healsomentionshearing,balanceandeventelepathyaspossiblyplayinga

roleinspatialexperience.EchoingJimCadbury-Brown’srelationshipofdanceto

architecturehegoesontospeculatethat,“Fromthepointofviewofthesubject,

spacecanbeexperiencedmostdirectlybymovement,onahigherlevel,inthedance.

Thedanceisanelementalmeansforrealizationofspace-creativeimpulses.Itcan

articulatespace,orderit”(Moholy-Nagy,1947p.57).

Theideaofasensorycinemaorsensoryarchitecturecanbetracedbackthroughthe

examplescited.InAtlasofEmotion(2002)GiulianaBrunomakesacaseforthe

hapticinarchitectureandfilmandmapsoutahistoryofcinemathattakesinto

accountthisideaof‘comingintocontactwith’,whichrelatestoMerleau-Ponty’s

body-subjectinthatthebody,comesintocontactwiththeenvironmentwhetherin

architectureorintermsofthespatialartssuchascinema.(Bruno,2002)Inthisshift

Brunomovesfromastaticgazetoamovingsubject,fromvoyeurtovoyageurandit

isinthiswaythatIhaveapproachedmyfilmsforthisresearch.

Thismovement,thisvoyage,canbetakeninaliteralsenseofthemovingcamera,the

panningshotorinthepsycho-geographicsenseofajourney,ahistory.Brunoargues

thatmotionproducesemotionandthatemotioncontainsamovement,emotion

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havingitsLatinrootsina‘moving’forceandcinemaalsostemmingfromtheGreek

kinemameaning‘movement’.

Eisenstein’sessay,MontageandArchitecture(1929),setsoutaclearanddefinitelink

betweenfilmandarchitectureandcreatesamobilespectatorbyusingawalk

aroundtheAcropolistodescribethemontageprinciple(Eisenstein,BoisandGlenny,

1989,p.110).Thismovementofthebodyinspacedescribeshowwhenshotsareput

togethertheycreatemovementinspace,walkingtoconstructmeaning.Thisisan

embodiedspectator,notadetachedgazeandasBrunopointsout,inthisview“film

isarchitecturalandarchitectureisfilmic”(Bruno,2002,p.56).Thisinterchangeof

terminologyandideasagainspeaksofthisconvergenceoflanguagetodescribeboth

filmandarchitecture.Whathappenswhentheyaretestedoutagainsteachother’s

codesandconventions?

ArchitectssuchasLeCorbusierandBernardTschumidrewonEisenstein’stheories

offilmwhenthinkingabouttheirbuildingsandarchitecturalplans,bothusingthe

promenadeasawayofarticulatingtheformsandfunctionsofthespacesthey

designed.LeCorbusiertalkedofthearchitecturalpromenadeandTschumithe

cinematicpromenade(whichhasitsrootsinBenjamin’sArcadesProjectandtheidea

oftheflâneur),9bringingadirectreferencetofilminhisworkandthusavoidingthe

viewofarchitectureasastaticstructure,encouragingtheideaofmovementandthe

eventaskeyelementsinhowarchitectureshouldbeviewed(Tschumi,2006,p.27).

Theexperientialnatureofbotharchitectureandfilmisimportanttobotharchitects

andfilmmakersinthatarchitectsareconcernedwithhowaspacecanbelivedin,

howitfeels,howlightplaysinaspace,andfilmmakersarelikewiseconcernedwith

howtheviewerwillexperiencethefilm,howitwillaffectthememotionallyand

intellectually.Despitethis,architecturestillstruggleswithitsstaticnatureasfilm

struggleswithitstwo-dimensionality.Film,takenliterally,isaprojectedsurface,

lackingindepthandform,whilearchitectureissolidandunabletomove,butin

theseaspectsfilmisabletoprovidearchitecturewithsomethingthatitlacksand

9IntheunfinishedArcadesProject(1927-1940),WalterBenjamin,drawingonthepoetryofBaudelaire,cementedtheideaoftheflâneurasaninterpreterofthemoderncity,walkingthestreetsinanarchitecturalorcinematicpromenade.

40

viceversa.Theycomplementeachotherinthatfilmcanactivatespacethrough

movementandarchitecturecanprovidefilmwithspatialdepth.

Theactivationofbotharchitectureandfilmrequiresasubject,aperson,abody

engagingwithitandwherethisoccursiswherethefilmsinthisprojectarefocused,

notbyputtingpeopleinthefilmorpopulatingthearchitecturalimagewith‘users’,

butbynavigatingthroughthearchitecturalandfilmicspaceswiththecamerato

createnarrative.BynarrativeIdonotmeanfictionalnarrativebutanarrativeofthe

everydaythatmightbeseeninChantalAkerman’sfilmswhere,“wetravelthrough

anarchitectureofsymmetricalcompositions,aformallyrigorousaestheticoffrontal

longtakeswithstationaryandmovingcamera.Itisinthisway–withframesfixedas

iftoseizemotion–thatAkermanconstructsageometryofpassage“(Bruno,2002,

p.101).Thisgeometryofpassage,amovementthrougharchitecturalspaceintimeis

anarrativeinthesenseofapersonaljourney,anarrativeoftheeveryday.

ThehouseandarchitectureplayasignificantroleinAkerman’swork,particularly

transitionalsitesandin-betweenplaces,bothofwhichhavebeenimportantinmy

ownworkandinthisresearchproject.Theinterior,thehouse,becomesnotastatic

architecturalformbutasiteofnarrative,historyandmeaning.InAkerman’searly

filmsfromthe1970s(HotelMonterey,NewsfromHome,LaChambre)sheisoften

lookingout(throughthewindow)toapartialviewoftheworldoutsidebuther

focusislookinginward.Theyarereflectiveinnature,personalfilmsaboutdomestic

architecturalspaceanditsconstructionoftheeveryday.

Ahouseisthekeytothewayarchitectsthinkaboutarchitecture.Thehouse

becomes,asBrunoputsit,“thehingethatopensthedoorbetweenarchitectureand

cinema”(Bruno,2002,p.104).Thenarrativeofthehouseisafilmicnarrative,the

houseisacollectionofobjects,memories,images,anarchiveandinsomecasesa

privatemuseum.ItisthesenarrativesthatcanbeseeninthefilmsIhavemadeand

inthefilmsofthecasestudiesofthecomingchapter.Thestoriesofeachhouseare

embeddedinthesurfaces,objectsandmaterialsfoundwithinandthefilmsattempt

toreactivatethesespacestoreleaseaspectsofthepotentialstoriesheldthere.

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Thisisevidentin3ChurchWalkasthehouseisseeninitssemi-abandonedstate

withmanytracesoftheliveslivedwithinit.Whathasbeenleftbehindinthehouse

issignificantinthatCadbury-Brownspecifiedinhiswill(andthefamilyhaveused

smallgreenstickerstoindicatetheseobjects)thatcertainpiecesoffurnitureand

objectsshouldbeleftwiththehouseforitsnewoccupantsonhisdeath.This

includestheAnglepoiselamps,theBreuerstylechairaswellasallhisrecords,a

recordplayerandotherpersonallysignificantitemswithlittlemonetarybutmuch

personalvalueattached.Thehouseisdeeplyrichinnarrativeasitwasdesignedby

JimandBettyCadbury-Brownandlivedinuntiltheirdeaths.Everyaspectofthe

space,lightplayintherooms,tileschosenforthefloorandthedesignandlayoutof

thespacereflecttheiridealsandwayoflife,someofwhicharecommunicated

throughthefilmandfurtherinterpretedinthebookImadewithJonathanP.Watts

andOccasionalPapers,IdeasofDisorder:3ChurchWalkbyCadbury-Brown(2017).

InBeachHousethehouseisseenthroughthelensofthearchivalmaterial,the

architect’sfootage,ShingleSt1971shotsoonafteritscompletion,andinthefree

improvisedmetaphonicsrecordingsmadebyPennandhismusicianfriends.These

elementscombinedwithmyownfootage,shotin2015,givingaglimpseofits

present-dayinhabitants,createaviewofthehousethatsitsbetweenmuseumand

livedspace,pastandpresent.

InSpenderHousethehouseandstudioarepresentedasalivingarchive.Inthe

thirteenyearssinceSpender’sdeathlittlehaschangedandthepastremainsvisible,

tangibleinalltheobjects,books,artworksandpersonaleffectsthatareleftbehind.

Thisnarrativeisonethatcanbeseeninthefilm,andthewayinwhichthe

architectureactsasaframeforthiscreativelifeisdiscussedinmoredetailin

ChapterSix.

InThePoeticsofSpaceGastonBachelardexaminesthehouseasahuman

phenomenologicalconceptindicatinghowasimplegeometricformcan

accommodatehumancomplexity.“Ahousethathasbeenexperiencedisnotaninert

box.Inhabitedspacetranscendsgeometricspace”,hewrites(Bachelard,1994,p.vii).

Throughpoetryandliteratureheidentifiesimagesthatreflecttheprimalconnection

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tohouseswehavelivedin,confirmingthatmemoriesheldarenotonlymemoriesof

spacesbutrefugesforimagination.Thesememoriessitsomewherebetweenthe

museumandlivedspaceinthattheyareconnectedtoparticularmomentsintime

andhaveahistoricalreference,butarealsohapticmemoriesinthattheyareimages

fromthebody’sperspectiveinaspace,notonlylookingatitbutfeelingit.For

Bachelardspaceispoetry,aroomistobereadandimaginationcanconjureup

incrediblyrichspacesthatwecaninhabit.Aroomfromthepastcanberecalledin

theimaginationwithsuchdetailthatwecanprojectourselvesbackintothatspace

andimaginehowiffeels,smellsandsounds.Hetakesaphenomenologicalapproach

touniversalizethesespacesandgettotheessenceoftheirmeaning,thenotionof

home,shelteranddwellingthataresoimportanttothehumanbeingasaplaceto

thinkandtodream,protectedfromtheoutsideworld(Bachelard,1994,pp.14-17).

Theimportanceoftheoriesofperceptionandtherelationshipbetweenthereadable,

theabilitytoconceptuallylinkwhatweseeorexperiencewithwhatweknowand

theexperiential,thewaywefeel,remember,inhabitormovethroughaspacethat

constitutesthehaptic,isexploredthroughoutthisproject.

Aroombeingreadableislinkedtoanintellectualactivityofimagination,in

decipheringmeaninginelementsthatmakeupaspace,butconjuringanexperience

ofspaceismorecloselylinkedwithanemotionalconnectionandfeelingthatcanbe

imaginedinamorefilmicwaywithimagesandsound,smellandtouch.Whena

spaceisentered,whetherphysicallyorthroughanexperienceofspaceonfilm,the

readable,theexperientialandthehapticcomeintoplayandweareabletoproject

ourselvesintotheimage.

Itisthisabilitytoprojectourselvesintoaspace,whetherrealorimaginarythat

interestsme.Bachelard’sideasechoBruno’sinthatweareabletotransport

ourselvesintoanimage,whethermentalorfilmic,andoccupythatspace

momentarily.Inthisway,thespacesofthehousesthatIdescribethroughthefilms

canbecomespacesthatthevieweroccupiesmomentarily.Theaudiencecan

interpretthehousethroughthefilm.Thisisparticularlytruewhentheimageis

emptyofotherpeople.Inimaginingspaceswehaveinhabited,weoftenimagine

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themempty.Whenemptyofpeoplebutstillpopulatedwithobjectsorfurniture,the

spacehasthegreatestreadability.Thereisaconnectionmadewith‘remains’,

howeverslightandtheimaginationisstimulatedinapoeticwaytoattempttopiece

togetheranarrativefromthefragments.Thisabsentpresenceisverystronginthe

threefilmsIhavemadeforthisresearchandthoseusedascasestudiesfor

comparison.Theobjectsleftbehindtaketheplaceofabsentinhabitantsinawaythat

wouldnotbepossibleiftheimagewerepopulated.

JuhaniPallassmaa,inTheEmbodiedImage(2012),describesthepoeticimageas

follows:

Theword‘image’usuallyreferstopurelyperceptualorvisualphenomena.However,theimageistheexperientialentity,thesyntheticperceptual,cognitiveandemotionalsingularityoftheartisticworkthatisperceived,embodiedandremembered.Itis,atthesametime,theidentityofthework,theverycoreofitsimpactanditsemotionalandexistentialmeaning.Thepoeticimageisadistinctimaginaryexperientialentitywithitscohesiveidentity,anatomyandessence.Thepoeticimageredirectsandfocusestheviewer/listener/reader/occupant’sattentionandgivesrisetoanalteredstateofconsciousness,whichevokesanimaginarydimension,animaginativeworld.(Pallassmaa,2012,p.93)

Thetransformationofarchitecturalspaceintofilmicspace,fromthreedimensionsto

two,ispotentiallywherethispoeticimageiscreatedandwiththeadditionofsound,

pairedwithmovingimageandimaginativespace,anencounterandasensory

experienceispossible.Soundhasaparticularlyimportantroletoplayincoaxingthe

viewerintotheimaginativespaceoftheprojectedimage.

Bachelarddescribestheoldhouseas‘asortofgeometryofechoes’(Bachelard,1994,

p.60),andtheimportanceofsoundinmemoriesofahouseisanadditionallayerthat

canberecalledalongsidetheimages,whethervoicesfromthepastortheresonance

ofaparticularroom.Theobjectsandsurfacesofaspacecanbecalledup,oftenin

connectionwithhabitsandrepetitivebehavioursandtogethertheseconstitutea

spacethatreflectsapsychicstate.Thinkingaboutthisintermsofthesoundofthe

filmsintheprojectIaskedthequestion–whatisasonicmemoryofaspaceandhow

canthatberecalledorimagined?

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BachelardquotesHenriBosco’sMalicroix:

Thereisnothinglikesilencetosuggestasenseofunlimitedspace.Soundslendcolourtospace,andconferasortofsoundbodyuponit.Butabsenceofsoundleavesitquitepureand,inthesilence,weareseizedwiththesensationofsomethingvastanddeepandboundless.(Bachelard,1994,p.43)

AndhequotesRainerMariaRilke:

Ineversawthisstrangedwellingagain.Indeed,asIseeitnow,thewayitappearedtomychild’seye,itisnotabuilding,butisquitedissolvedanddistributedinsideme:hereoneroom,thereanother,andhereabitofcorridorwhich,however,doesnotconnectthetworooms,butisconservedinmeinfragmentaryform.(Bachelard,1994,p.57)

Thesepassagesillustratehowspacesofthepastcanbeconstructedinthemindand

howtheycanbereadascontainingnarrative.Byreconstructingthespacesofthe

housesonfilmIamattemptingtorecreatethatfeelingofaninhabitedspacethatwe

canprojectourselvesintoandconnectwithaswemightdoiftheywerespacesof

ourimagining.InmyfilmsIcomposeshotsthatcreatethegeometryofechoesthat

Bachelarddescribesthroughvariousmeans,whetherusingthehand-heldcameraas

anembodiedpositionin3ChurchWalk,therepetitionofpanningshotstoplacethe

viewerinthespaceinBeachHouse,orthestaticlocked-offshottoinvitetheviewer

toenterthespaceinSpenderHouse.Eachcamerastrategyproducesaslightly

differenteffect.In3ChurchWalktheviewerfeelsasiftheyaremovingwiththe

hand-heldcameraasittravelsthroughthespaceandinBeachHousethecamerais

detachedbutmovingonatripodsotheviewerfollowsthemovementofthecamera.

InSpenderHousethecameraisstaticandinvisible,inthesensethatitdoesnot

move,soitfeelsasifitdoesnotexistinthesamewayasithasintheothertwofilms.

Thebooks,picturesandobjectsintheframecreatespaceswithinspacesthatdraw

theviewerinthroughtheuseofthestaticcamera.Thiscreatesthemostseamless

connectionbetweenviewerandimageintermsoftheprojectionoftheselfintothe

image.

Tosomeextent3ChurchWalkoperatesasaruin,inthesensethatpastandpresent

existsimultaneously.InBeachHousethearchivalfootagecontainedwithinthefilm

operatesinasimilarwayandthepastisclearlyvisible.IntheSpenderhouseand

studioalltheartworks,booksandobjectshavebeenleftastheywereatSpender’s

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deaththirteenyearspreviously,givingastrongsenseofapastlife.Theseechoesof

thepastaredistinctlypresentandcreatecomplexityinaseeminglysimpleimage.By

exposingthehousesonfilmtheviewerisinvitedin,overthethresholdtoexperience

themastheirown.

Ihavedescribedtheshiftfromoptictohaptic,sighttositeasatrajectorythrough

theworkofMoholy-Nagy,Giedion,andBenjamintoMerleau-Ponty,Bruno,

BachelardandPallasmaaandappliedittomyownfilmmakingpractice.IndoingsoI

haveconfirmedthatthespatial,sonicandtemporalstructuresthatoperateinartists’

filmandmovingimagepracticecanbeeffectiveintranslatingalivedexperienceof

architecturalspaceintofilm.InthenextchapterItakefourcasestudiesofartists’

filmthattakethehouseasasubject,toillustratehowtheseideasmanifest

themselveswithinthefilmsthemselvesandhowvaryingapproachesgenerate

differingresults.

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ChapterThree

ArchitecturalSpace/FilmicSpace,FourCaseStudies

InthischapterIgivesomehistoricalcontexttotheimportanceoftimeinrelationto

modernarchitectureassetoutbySigfriedGiedeoninSpaceTimeandArchitecture

(1941).Modernarchitecturewastobelight,open,flexibleandrespondtothehuman

bodysousednewmaterialsforbuildingopenplan,airy,lightfilledspaces.Takingan

archaeologicalapproachtounderstandingthisperiodofmodernarchitectureinthe

uncoveringofmaterialsIfocushereparticularlyontheuseofglasstoexaminethis

shiftinperceptionofarchitecturalspace,drawingontheexamplesofSergei

Eisenstein’sglasshouseproject,BrunoTaut’sglasspavilion,PierreChareau’sMaison

deVerre,MiesVanderRohe’sFarnsworthhouseandthecityofglassinYevgeny

Zamayatin’sdystopiannovelWe.Thisisthenexpandedonthroughdiscussionof

fourcomparativecasestudiesofartists’movingimageworksandmyownfilmsto

examinehowabsentpresence,hapticvisualityandsound-imagerelationshipsare

usedinartists’filmandmovingimageworkstocreateanexperienceofspace.

ThreekeytermsofModernismareform,spaceandtime,allofwhichareconnected

tofilmandtheprocessoffilmmakingandgiveaframeworkwithinwhichtopose

questionsabouttheinterrelationbetweenartists’filmandmovingimagepractices

andarchitecturalspace.Formaldevicesareusedtoconstructfilm.Theframingof

shots,theplacingofoneshotnexttoanother,varyinglengthsofshotsandthe

additionofsoundortextalongsidetheimagemakeupthevisualandaural

architectureofthescreen.Thisarrangementofelementsiscomparabletothe

architect’sworkindesigningaspaceinwhichtolive,workingfromaninitialidea

throughaprocessofdrawingthroughtoconstruction.Iamfascinatedby

architectureandfilmascommunication,asconstruction,asforminspaceandtime.

InhisseminalworkSpaceTimeandArchitecture(1941)SigfriedGiediontalksabout

modernismasa‘newtradition’inarchitecturethatengendersafeelingofmovement

andanunfamiliarspatialexperiencethatcomespartlyfromtheuseofnewmaterials

andtechnologies(Giedion,1959,p.xxvii).Inhisviewthehouseshouldbeopenand

transitoryandhaveavalueofuseattachedtoitratherthananeternalvaluethatwas

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previouslyascribedtomonumentalformsofarchitecture.Thehouseshouldnotbea

fortressbutallowforlife,haveplentyoflight,bespaciousandflexible,aspacethat

trulyrespondstothebody.Therewasasenseofliberationinthisnewlightness,

flexibilityandopenness.Thisethosispresentinthehousesfilmedforthisproject.

Fig.3EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014,videostill

InthefourfilmsbyManRay,HeinzEmigholz,JohnSmithandElizabethPricetobe

discussedherearepredominatelydepopulated.Tracesofthebody,suggestionsof

humanpresencebutabsenceofthefigure(ascharacter)areaspectsoffilm’s

relationshiptolivedarchitecturalspacethatarekeyindefiningthenatureofspace

intheseartists'filmworks.

Whenpeopleareleftoutoftheframe,theviewerisabletoprojectthemselvesinto

theimageandthisopensupthefilmicspace,placebecomesastateofmindora

reflectionofstateofmind.Theartistfilmmakerinterpretsthefragments,cluesand

tracesleftbehindfortheviewertoreadinthefilmandmakeconnectionsthat

informthelongviewofanencounterwithplace.Thehouseisaplaceweinhabit,in-

habit,creatingroutines,andstructuresthatconnecttogethertoformtheplacein

whichwedwell.InConsumingPlacesJohnUrrypointsoutthat,“thehouseplaysa

significantroleintheformingofmemory.Housesarelivedthroughone’sbodyand

itsmemories”(Urry,1995,p.24).

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IntheArcadesProjectWalterBenjamintakestheParisianarcadeasanallegoryof

modernlifeandinanalysingitsstructureandsurfaceattemptstounderstandthe

moderncondition(Benjamin,1927-1940).Asanarchaeologistdigs,excavatesand

uncoverstofindakeytothepastsoBenjaminhopestofindanswerstowhatitisto

bemodern.

Inarchaeology,thecoveredorthehiddenisimplicitintheprocessofuncovering,of

makingvisibleandinterpretingevidence.Piecingtogetherfragmentsorcluesbuilds

upapictureofaplace.Inresearchingafilmandinfilmmakingitselfthereisa

processofcovering,re-coveringanduncoveringthattakesplacethroughthechoices

madeintheselectionofshots,framingandeditingaswellasintheuseofsoundto

createanexperienceofarchitecturalspaceonfilm.Linksaremadebetweenpast,

presentandfutureinthiscoveringanduncovering.

Coveringinarchitecturespeaksofmaterials,whethercoveringthestructure,the

externalsurfaceorthecoveringofinternalsurfaceswithsoftfurnishings:carpets,

floorcoverings,curtainsandwallpaper.Brutalism’sethosofusingmaterials'as

found'isanuncovering,revealingofmaterials,servicesandstructureofthebuilding

thatgoestowardsatransparencythatisfoundinmodernandcontemporaryglass

andsteelarchitecture.Modernismusedglasstogivetransparencytoarchitectural

spaceasopposedtotheVictorianhousemadeofbrickorstone,withitsdraped,

cluttered,enclosedinteriors.Thistiedinwithideasaboutmoreopenand

transparentrelationshipsbetweenpeopleandmovementtowardsamoreopen

modernsocietythatwasespousedbyarchitectsofthetime.Butalongsidethis

utopianvisioninherentintheideasofthearchitectsofthesemodern,glass

buildings,isitsdystopiancounterpartinfilmandliterature,whichIwilltouchon

below.

Benjamin,whowasduetodeliverhislectureonTheAuthorasProduceratPierre

Chareau’sMaisondeVerre(HouseofGlass)inParis,saidofglassandglass

architecture,“ithasnoaura.Glassistheenemyofsecretsandalsotheenemyof

property....itwouldberevolutionarytoliveinsuchspace”(Benjamin,2005,

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p.734).Glassasamaterialwasfascinatingtoarchitects,writersandfilmmakersalike

foritstransparentquality,bothliterallyandmetaphorically.

Fig.4PierreChareau,MaisondeVerre,Paris,1932

InAlfredHitchcock’sTheLodger(1926)theprotagonistisfilmedfrombelow

throughaglassceilinggivingadistortedperspectiveofthebodytoaccentuatethe

character’stroubledstateofmind.Thisglassceilingisincongruouswiththe

Victorianinterioroftherestofthehouseinthefilmandperhapssignalsthedangers

oflivinginatransparentworld.InTheWrongHouse:TheArchitectureofAlfred

Hitchcock,StevenJacobswrites:

PopularcultureoftenassociatedtheideaofthehousewithVictorianinteriorswhereasarchitecturalmodernism,withitscelebrationoftransparencyandbarewhitewalls,geometricalsimplicityandtheopenspacesoftheplanlibre,cametobeseenasantagonisticvis-à-visdomesticityassuch.(Jacobs,2007,p.34)

InthesameyearasTheLodgerwasreleasedEisensteinconceivedhisGlassHouse

project,afilmontheconditionsoflivingintransparencythatwasneverrealised.

TheGlassHousewastobesetinaglasstowerwhereamobilecamerafloated

throughthetransparentspaces,penetratingthroughwalls,floorsandceilingsasan

all-seeingeye,inawaythathasbeenbroughttobearbythenetworksofCCTV

camerasinthecityorBigBrotherstylerealitytelevisionformats.FritzLang’s

Metropolis,afuturistvisionofthecityintheyear2000,wasreleasedin1927;and

YevgenyZamyatin’santi-utopiannovel,We,setinaglasscityofthefuturewhere

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peoplearelivingunderaconstantstateofsurveillance,writtenin1921,wasalso

publishedaroundthistime.

ArchitectssuchasBrunoTaut(GlassPavilion,1914)andPierreChareau(Maisonde

Verre1928-32)producedglassbuildingsduringthisperiodandlaterMiesvander

Rohedesignedhisinfamousglasshouse(Farnsworth,1945-51).Thebirthof

modernismandthesecurrentthemesinliterature,architectureandfilmwereas

LefebvredescribesinTheProductionofSpace,akintoashatteringofspace

(Lefebvre,1991,p.25).Ablurringbetweeninsideandoutside,privateandpublic

takesplaceinthisglassarchitecture.LeCorbusier'sideaofthehouseas'amachine

forliving'adoptedHenryFord'stimeandmotionstudiesmadeinfactories.When

appliedtodomesticlivingspacesthismechanicalapproachtoeverydaylifealtered

society’srelationshiptoarchitecture.Thebeliefthatarchitecturecoulddefinehow

peoplebehavedwasbrilliantlysatirizedbyCharlieChaplininModernTimes(1936).

Thisdissolvingoftheprivateandpublicspheresandthisnewsocialtransparency

wastackledinHitchcock’sRearWindow(1954)whereScotty,aninjured

photojournalist,confinedtohiswheelchair,observestheeverydaylivesofthe

inhabitantsoftheflatsacrossthecourtyardfromhiswindow.Heisabletoseeinto

theneighbouringflatswithbinocularsandapowerfulzoomlensandwitnessesa

murder,whichhethentriestosolve.Inthiscasewhatisparticularlyinterestingis

Hitchcock’suseofdiegeticsound.Scottyisablenotonlytoseebuthearwhatis

unfoldingbeforehiminanaturalisticway.Soundsandvoicesfromtheflatscanbe

madeoutbutnotcompletelyclearly.AsonicspaceisconstructedfromScotty’s

isolatedandfixedpositionwherethesoundsemanatingfromhisimmediate

neighboursarelouderthanthoseacrossthecourtyardandoutinthestreetbeyond.

Theframingofbothpictureandsoundinthisfilmisdirectlylinkedtothe

architecturalspaceandtheprotagonists(andthereforeviewer’s)positioninit.

OksanaBulgakowawritesinEisenstein,theGlassHouseandtheSphericalBook:From

theComedyoftheEyetoaDramaofEnlightenment:

Thesymbolicvocabularyoftransparencywasdevelopedintheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturiesandcorrelatedwithlight,glass,crystal,waterand

51

nakednessincontrasttostone,veilinganddeception.Thetransparencyofnaturewasseenincontrasttotheopacityofthesocialworld;butitwasunclearwheretoplaceahumanbeing.Modernitywasfascinatedwiththeideaoftransparency.(Oksana,2005)

Inthiscontextoftransparency,coveringanduncoveringforminspaceandtimeand

theproblemofwheretoplacethehumanbeing,Iwilldiscussfourfilmsmadeby

artiststhattakethehouseassubjecttoexplorehowlivedspaceisarticulatedbythe

camera.Comparinglivedarchitecturalspace,constructedfilmicspaceandtheways

inwhichthecameracreatesasenseofplacewillbeexaminedwithreferencetoMan

Ray'sLesMystèresduChâteaudeDé(1929),setintheVillaNoailles,builtbyRobert

Mallet-Stevens;ElizabethPrice’s,TheHouseofMrX(2007),filmedinStanleyPicker's

conserved1960shousedesignedbyKennethWood;JohnSmith’s,HomeSuite(1993-

94),atourthroughtheartist'shouseandinnermind,justbeforetheformer’s

demolition;andHeinzEmigholz’s,Schindler'sHousesseries(2006-07)thatusesa

systemofformaldevicestodocumenttheworkoftheLosAngelesarchitectRudolph

Schindler(housesbuilt1922-52).

Transparencyasaconceptisdemonstratedhereinvaryingrespects,fromthe

archaeological,wherelayersarerevealedinHomeSuitetoitsoppositeinTheHouse

ofMrXwheretheglassandshinyreflectivesurfacesbecomeopaque.

IntheopeningsceneofManRay'sLesMystèresduChâteaudeDé,acoupletravelby

cartotheVillaNoailles,anearlymodernisthousebuiltbyRobertMallet-Stevensin

1927inHyères,SouthEastFrenchRiviera.Intheopeninginter-titleManRaysets

thescenedescribingthetwotravellers(voyageurs)findingtheruinsofanoldcastle,

belowwhichsits'acastleforourtimes',theVillaNoailles.

Thetitlereads,UnCoupdeDésJamaisN'AboliraLeHasard(AThrowoftheDicewill

NeverAbolishChance),alsothetitleofMallarmé’spoem,whichistakenbyManRay

asthethemeforhisfilm.Twomaskedmenrolltwodiceinabar.Togo,ornottogo?

Theygo,inacar,atspeed,acrossFrance,passingtrains,pylons,factories,symbolsof

themodernage.Theycrossabridge.Thepoint-of-viewshotfromthecar,an

embodiedcamera,isfastandbumpy,disorientating.Thespeedofthemodern

machineageistakingussomewhere,butwhere?Onarrivalatourdestination,the

screenisfilledwithfragmentsofasculpturebyPabloPicasso.Unabletoperceivethe

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whole,adisjointedimpressionofthiscubistsculptureisseenbeforethecamera,still

moving,pansacrosstotheVillaNoaillesgivingafirstglimpseofthismoderncastle.

Fig.5ManRay,VillaNoaillesinLesMystèresduChâteaudeDé,ManRay,1929,filmstill

Giedion,inSpaceTimeArchitecturefirstpublishedin1941,linkstheartisticavant-

gardeofCubismandFuturismtomodernarchitectureintermsofanewperception

oftimeandspace,whichisevidentinManRay’schoicesofcameramovementsand

editingtechniques.Astheviewerisunabletoseethewholeofthecubistsculpture,it

isrepresentedinafragmentedsimultaneityofshots,makingitdynamic,inmotion.

Timebecomesthefourthdimensioninarchitecture,whichsignalsacrucial

relationshipwithfilm.

Ina180-degreepanfromtheVilla,thecameraswingsroundtotheterracewhere

theviewofthelandscapeisframedbyrectangularcutoutsfromthegardenwall.In

heressay“FromMallarmétoMallet-Stevens:ReadingArchitecturalSpaceinMan

Ray'sLesMystèresduChâteaudeDé”,KimKnowlesproposesformalandstructural

connectionswithMallarme’spoem(Knowles,2011).Knowlesarguestheseopenings

intheexteriorwallwiththeir4:3aspectratiolookingthroughatthelandscapeare

suggestiveofafilmstripunwindingintime,movementbeingthekeyinpointing

towardsthecinematicnatureofthearchitecture.Thecameraentersthevillaat

groundlevel,movingalongthefloor,alwaysinmotion,anditpansupandaroundto

revealglimpsesoftheinteriorspaces.Thevillaisempty.Objects,artworksand

53

bookscanbeseen,apaintingstore,thebacksofthepaintingsandtheslidingstore,

butnopeople.Aslaterinthefilmonlymaskedfiguresareseeninthehouse,the

imagesofthepaintingsheldinthestorealsohavetheirbackstotheaudience.To

emphasizethefilm’ssubjectasthehouse,peopleandfigurativeelementshavebeen

concealedorcoveredfromview.Thepeoplepresentinthefilmaretreatedformally,

maskedanddressedincostume,reducedtosymbolicsculpturalforms.Theyare

placedonlytoactasmovingformsinspaceandthespaceitselfbecomesthefilm’s

subject.

Wherearewe?Thecameramovesalongatfloorleveloutside.Itisnight.Inthe

morning‘inaforgottencorner’fourmaskedfiguresrolltwogiantdice.Aninter-title

reads“Existe-t-ildesfantômesd’action?...desfantômesdenosactionspassées?Les

minutesvécuesnelaissent-ellespasdestracesconcrètesdansl’airetsurlaterre?”10

Arethesemaskedfiguresshadowsofthemodern?Aretheytracesofhuman

presenceinaction,intime?Intheswimmingpoolandgymtheydiveintothewater

andcanbeseenpracticinggymnasticsthroughamirroronthebackwallreflecting

theaction.TheframingofshotsisreminiscentofAlexanderRodchenko’soblique-

angledcompositionsinhisphotographsofsportsmenandwomen.Thevitalityofthe

bodyissetagainsttherectilinearformsofthearchitecturalspace.Thesearepeople

havingfun,notworking.Jugglinginthepool.Theabsurdisrepresentedhere;a

womanbrushesherhairunderwater.

Theinter-titlereads'Piscinema',translated,swim/cin/ema.Thefilmruns

backwardsadiverbreaksthroughthesurface,thereflectionofwaterandlighton

thethewallsbouncearoundthespace.Theseabstractimagesofshadowsaresimilar

toManRay’sphotograms.Forminspaceandtimesuggestedbytheseshadows

caughtbythecamera.ManRaywasinfatuatedwithlight,interiorspaceand

projectedlightontoformasevidencedinhisphotogramsandhisportraitsofLee

Miller,whereheuseslighttoilluminatesculpturalform.Knowlesgoesontolink

lightandshadow,presenceandabsenceinboththefilmandthepoem.Knowles

writes:

10Doshadowsofactionexist?...shadowsofourpastactions?Dothelivedminutesnotleaveconcretetracesintheairandontheground?

54

TheemphasisgiventotheshadowinManRay’sœuvrecanthusbeconsideredinrelationtoMallarmé’sinstructionsforthespaceofUncoupdedéstobereadinthesamewayasthewordsthemselves.Thetensionbetweenpresenceandabsenceisalsoattheheartofcinema’sillusionistproductionofcontinuousspace,wherethespacewithintheframealternateswiththespacebetweentheframes.ThisintermittencecanthereforebeunderstoodmoregenerallyasthecinematiccounterparttoMallarmé’sdirectionstowardssimultaneousreadingoftextandspace.(Knowles,2011,p.465)

ThefilmisacontinuousmovementasisMallarmé'spoem.Theembodiedcamerais

traversing,passingthroughthespaceoftheVillacontinuouslyinthisfilm.Ballsroll,

seeminglyoftheirownaccord,thespinningofweightsandamaninawheelturning

inacircularmovementalsosuggestthefilmunravellingintimethroughthe

projector.Attheendofthefilmthetwovoyageursareseenarriving,walkingup

throughtheterracesshotatgroundlevel.Whataretheysearchingfor?Theyfindthe

diceandroll.Tostayornottostay?Theystay.Ontheroof,theydanceandfreezeina

sculpturalform.Thefilmimageswitchesfrompositivetonegativeasiftopreserve

thetraceoftheiractioninsolidform,freezingitintimephotographically.

Thefilm,touseLauraU.Marks’term,hasahapticvisualityinthatitenliststhe

sensesandfurnishesanexperienceofthespacethatrecallsthemovementofthe

bodythroughthespace.Thecameraneverrests;itneverallowstheviewertograsp

thewholespace.Itmovesacrosssurfacesandthroughspaces.Thefigureswiththeir

stockingedheadsarereducedtoformandtexture,thereonlytoarticulatethe

architecturalspace.Thecamera’sconstantmovement,especiallyalongthefloor,and

theswirlingdisorientating,panningmovementsdescribefragmentedviewsofthe

architectureanditsrelationshiptothelandscape.TheVillaisacastle,afortressset

onthetopofahilloverlookingthetown,theseaandtheIlesd’Hyères,isolatedfrom

theworld,perhapsafuturistic(ormodern)worldwheremaskedfiguresarerolling

thediceandactingonchance.KnowlesdescribesLesMystèresduChâteaudeDéas“a

cinematicjourneythroughthepoetryofarchitectureandthearchitectureofpoetry”

(Knowles,2011,p.470).ThecinematicnatureofthemodernarchitectureinLes

MystèresduChâteaudeDéwithitscleanlinesandrectilinearformsmirroringthe

filmframeandthearchitectureofthescreenhasbeenimportantinmyownwork,

whichisdiscussedinlaterchapters.Theuseoftheembodiedcamera,theframeasa

55

filmicandarchitecturaldeviceandaconnectiontothepoeticarepresentbothinthe

filmsdiscussedhereandinmyownwork.

AdifferentkindofpoetryispresentinJohnSmith'sHomeSuite(1993-94).Inthis

filmthereisanotherdistinctrelationshipbetweenlivedarchitecturalspaceand

constructedfilmicspace.Thetwoareverycloselytiedbythefilmmaker’svoice,

sharinghismemoriesandthoughtsaboutspecificdetailsoftheinteriorofhissoon-

to-be-demolishedhouseinEastLondon.Thehouseisnotarchitect-builtbuta

genericVictorianterrace.Thetoneispersonal,placeasastateofmind,arepository

ofmemory.

Fig.6JohnSmith,HomeSuite,1993-94,Filmstill

Withthecamera,againembodied,mountedonhisshoulder,Smithguidesuswithhis

eye-voice,focusingonoften-ignoredarchitecturaldetailsframedincloseup,suchas

thewornstaircarpet.Thefilmiscarriedbythevoice,conversationalandhumorous,

recountingmemoriesofpasteventsspecifictotheimagesonscreen.Thehumorous

descriptionofwhythestaircarpetissowornandhowmanytimesithasbeen

replacedswitchestoaveryemotionalmomentwhenthefilmmakerremembers

whenhisgirlfriendisleavingandheisbegginghernottogo.Itisanintimate

momentexposedoncameraandhisvulnerabilityand'pathetic'gestureofkneeling

onthecarpetisequatedwiththeholesinthecarpetitself.Thefilmmovesupthe

stairstowardsthebathroomandaplugforthetelephonefillstheframeasSmith

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describeshowhehadphoneplugsineveryroomandcouldnotplugthemallinat

oncebutwouldusethisparticularonetospeaktopeoplewhenhewasinthebath.

Hereminiscesaboutthestateofthebinwhenhemovedin,howitwassurrounded

bymousetrapsandthewallswerecoveredingreasesoheArtexedoverit,not

becausehelikedArtexbutbecausethatseemedliketheonlythingtodo.He

describesitstexturesandexperimentingwithdifferenttechniquestoachieve

differentpatterns.

Thisuseofthevoicetoactivatetheseeverydayobjects,surfacesandtexturesofthe

domesticinterior,togivethemanarrativethattheviewercanconnectwith

personally,isatechniquethatwasofinteresttomeinmakingthefilmsinthis

projectwherethesignificanceofdetailsintheinteriorandhowadomesticspacecan

bereadwascrucialincommunicatingaspectsoflivedspace.

HomeSuiteisaclose-upjourneythroughthedomesticlandscape,aninterior

landscapeinallsensesoftheword,thefilmmaker’sinnerself,histhoughtsand

memoriesarealllaidbareor,attimesperhaps,constructedfortheaudience’s

pleasure.Materials,surfaces,detailsofthearchitecturalspaceallholdinglayersof

memoryaremadetransparentbythepeelingawayoflayersoftheinterior.

Presentingthehomeasdeeplylivedin,focusingonthetinydetails,thewaytheyare

describedandassociatedwithmemory-triggers,isfarremovedfromthewaythat

ElizabethPriceconstructsaglossy,impenetrablespaceinTheHouseofMrX(2007).

Inthisfilmthereisafetishisationoftheobject:theinterior,therichlycoloured,

lusciouscarpets,curtainsandclassicmodernfurniturepiecesareallreminiscentof

objectsinglossymagazines.Theaspirationaltoneisheightenedbyavoicechanting

‘Hahahahahaha’,avoicethatsoundslikeachoirexaltingthevirtuesofexpensive

taste.Textappearsonscreeninstructingtheviewertositatthemarble-toppedtable

byEttoreSottsass.Thisisthelanguageofadvertising,usingsoftwarereadywipes

andfadestoblack.Thisworkposesquestionsabouttheaudience’srelationshipto

advertising,theartmarket,richcollectorsandhigh-endluxuryshopping,butitis

ambiguouswherethefilmmakerpositionsherselfinrelationtothis.Attheendthe

narrationsuggeststhattheaudienceaddtheirownbodilymaterialstothesurfaceof

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thehouse,whichPriceproposesisaninvitationtourinateordefecateonthese

beautifullyshinysurfaces.However,itremainsambiguouswhetherthereisa

transgressionofthehouseasadomesticidealorwhetherthisisitsperfect

fulfilment.

Fig.7ElizabethPrice,TheHouseofMrX,2007,videostill

InalectureattheRoyalCollegeofArt,Pricetalkedabouthermakingprocessasan

archaeology.Withoutastoryboardorplanshecomposesherfilmsfromanassembly

ofarchivematerialsinherharddriveandthespacesproposedarea

corollaryofthespaceofthisdigitalharddrive.(Price,2014).Thereisasiftingof

materialthattakesplaceintheeditwherelayersarebuiltuponthetimelineand

imagesbecomecoveredanduncoveredthroughthecompositionoftheedit,the

soundbuildingupaslayersareadded.Thismaterialismanipulated‘live’inthe

softwarewitheffects,filtersandtextadded,Pricesays,“toconstructthefilmsas

establishingaplace,aplaceinwhichthingscanbeconsidered,a‘here’,orthe

propositionofa‘here’”(Price,2014).

Thisprocessofrespondingtomaterial,shapingitwithoutapredeterminedoutcome,

isonethatIhaveusedinthefilmsinthisprojectasdiscussedinChapterOnewhereI

outlinemymethodology.The‘here’thatisconstantlyreiteratedinPrice’swork,the

senseofthingsand‘elementsofthedancethatarenotvisible’arealsopresentinthe

relationshipbetweenimage,soundandtextinmyownfilms.

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SpeakingaboutTheHouseofMrX,Pricedescribedthepreparationsformakingthe

work.Shegatheredtogetherarchivalmaterialsfromthehouse:cataloguesofobjects,

architecturaldrawings,businessinterests,curatorialinventoriesamongotherthings

whichwerethenusedforthenarrationandtextelementsofthefilm.StanleyPicker,

whocommissionedarchitectKennethWoodtodesignthehousein1968,wasinthe

cosmeticsbusiness,involvedinwritingpointofsalespecificationsforpackagingof

beautyproducts.Thislanguageisevidentinthenarrationofthefilm.Asthe

audienceistakenonajourneythroughthehouseare-inscriptionofthearchival

materialtakesplace.Thetextiscombinedwiththeimage,focusingonthesurface

detailsoftheobjects,furnitureandmaterials;thesensualtactileandcolourful

surfaces.

GildaWilliamsinheressay,“NewArtistFocus:GildaWilliamsonElizabethPrice”,

writtenforLuxonline(2010),notes:

MrXwasanavidcollectorofmodernity;Price’soverlaidtextrelishesinhigh-culturalname-dropping,formingalistdrippingwithBauhaus-inspiredfetishisation(theMarcelBreueroccasionaltable;theAchilleCastiglionetablelamp)recognizableasbothtour-guidebrochureandluxurybrandshoppinglist.(William,2010)

AsinWorldofInteriorsmagazinetherearenopeopleintheinteriorofthehouseof

MrX.Thespacesareemptysotheviewercanprojectthemselvesintothis

aspirationalluxury.Thisdepopulationoftheimageisaneffectivewaytotransport

theviewerintothespace,andonethatIhaveusedinmyfilmsforpreciselythat

effect.

InHeinzEmigholz'sSchindler’sHouses(2007),thereisalsothesensethattheviewer

canprojectthemselvesintothearchitecturalspacesofRudolphSchindler'sLos

Angeleshouses,butthesensibilityisadifferentone.Aformalsystemoftilted

camera-angledstaticshots,equalinlength,presentvariousaspectsoftheexterior

movingtowardstheinteriorofeachoftheemptyhouses.Anaturalisticsoundtrack

isheard.Overtimetheviewercanbuildapictureoftheworkofthearchitectfrom

thesefragmentsanddetails.Eachhouseistreatedinaformalwaythatissimilarand

adherestoastructuralsystem.Theslightlyofflevelcameradestabilizesthe

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rectilinearnatureofthemodernistdesign.Ineachcasethehouseisemptyandthe

tracesoftheinhabitants’livesareminimal;thesoundoftraffic,birds,adog,windin

thetreesgivetheviewerfewcluestofollow.

Fig.8HeinzEmigholz.Schindler’sHouses,2007,filmstill

ThespacesinSchindler'sHousesareimpenetrableinadifferentwaytoPrice’sfilmin

thattheviewerisnotgivenlongtolook.Thecameraallowsonlyglimpsesofthe

formoftheexteriorandfewcompositionsoftheinteriorofeachhouse,which

neutralisesthemaslivedspaces.UnlikeJohnSmith'sHomeSuitethere'snothingto

graspholdofintheimageorintheconstructionofthefilmitself.Moreiscovered

thanuncovereddespitetheopennatureofthespaces,butwhereasinHomeSuitethe

audienceispresentedwithavisceralexperienceofthespace,inSchindler’sHousesa

slowerbuildingupoflayersservestocompletethepicture.Thesefilmsactas

portraitsofthehousesandwhenseenasaseriesdevelopintoacatalogueofthe

architect'swork.Acrossthefilms,connectionsaremadebetweentheinteriors,

formsandspacesofeachhouse.Apicturebeginstoberevealedthroughrepetitionin

time.Apositioningofthehouseswithinthelandscapebecomesapparentthrough

viewingthemasaseries,forty,inthiscase,oftheonehundredandfiftyhousesbuilt

bySchindler.Inrelationtotraditionalformsofarchitecturaldocumentary,

Schindler'sHousesremainopenfortheviewertoconstructapictureofthearchitect’s

workoveraperiodoftimeinaparticulargeographiclocation.Theabsenceof

narrationandmusicandthetiltedcameraanglesallarticulatethearchitectural

spaceinawaythatrequirestheviewertotakeanactiveroleindecipheringthe

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image.(Thisisunlikeamainstreamdocumentarywhere,byandlarge,thestory

progressionisgiveninalinearform,typicallywithaguidingnarration.)Thisisalso

trueofmyfilmsinthisproject,whereeachisaportraitofahousebuiltupovertime

thatcanbedecipheredbyanactiveviewerwillingtopiecetogetherthecluesinthe

imageandsound.Thisactiveviewingexperience,perceptiveviewingmodeor

attentiverecognitionisdiscussedfurtherinChapterFour.

InEmigholz’sfilms,formandspaceintime,repeatedlikeamantra,leadseventually

toenlightenment.Eachfilmusesparticularcamera,soundandeditingstrategies

which,whenrepeated,givetheviewerastructuretocreateaversionofthehouses

intheirmind.ThetiltedcameraangleinSchindler'sHousesdisembodiesthespace

andalthoughEmigholzhasusedastaticshotsimilartotheoneusedinSpender

Housetheeffectisverydifferent.Thetiltedangledoesnotallowtheviewerto

projectthemselvesintothespaceinthesamewayasanaturallyorientatedlocked

offshotand,therefore,thespacebecomesmoredifficulttoread.Aslightadjustment

isconstantlybeingmadetoorientateoneselftotheimage.Thefactthattheshotsare

shortaddstothissenseofdisorientation,asthereisnotenoughtimetobecome

comfortablewiththeimagebeforeitchangesandtheprocessbeginsagain.The

imagealsodominatesthenaturalisticexteriorsound,ensuringtheviewer’s

engagementwiththisactiveprocessofperception.

Thesefourfilmshavebeeninstrumentalinthedevelopmentofmypracticethrough

thisresearch,eachcontainingelementsthatservetoclarifyhowalivedexperience

ofarchitecturalspacecanberenderedonfilm.Theuseofembodiedcamera,the

particularityofthestaticshot,thereadabilityofobjects,surfacesandtexturesina

domesticinterioranddepopulationoftheimagehaveprovedtobeeffective

methodsusedbyartistfilmmakersinthearticulationofspace.Inthefollowing

paragraphsIwillintroducethefirstofthefilmsImadeforthisprojectandbeginto

exploretheothervitalingredientinthisrenderingoflivedspaceonfilm:sound.

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3ChurchWalk(2014)

Inthefirstofmyfilmsinthisproject,madeatthesemi-abandoned1960shouseof

H.T.‘Jim’andBettyCadbury-Brown,3ChurchWalk,thevieweristakenonajourney

throughaseriesofrooms.Thehouseisuninhabitedbutbecomeslikeabodyitself.

Throughtheuseofimageandsound,ahapticrelationshipisdevelopedasthehand-

heldcameramovesthroughthespace.Asthefilmprogressesitbecomesclearthat

thesoundemanatesfromthesurfacesofthehouseitself.Ina360-degreepanning

shotofthemainroom,thespeedofrotationisunevenandthesoundofscrapingthe

tilesaroundtheedgeoftheroomcanbeheard.Itwasdescribedonfirstviewingby

JonathanP.Wattsasfollows:

Itisasifthecamera-eyeisbeingscrapedaroundthebuilding’sinterior,somehowunitingtheeyewithtouchandmateriality.Thesoundingoftheobjectsholds(andreveals)thememoryofallofthemillionsofunnoticed,everydaysoundeventsthathaveoccurredwithinthathouseduringitslifetimebyitsinhabitants.Itmademethinkaboutthepassagebetweenthesesoundsofobjectsineverydayuse,andtheirpassageintomusicality.(Watts,2014)

Fig.9EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014,videostill

H.T.Cadbury-Brown,inhisPresidentialaddresstotheArchitecturalAssociationin

1959,entitledIdeasofDisordersays,“Architecturewouldbebetterdescribedasthe

frameworkforadanceratherthanasfrozenmusic”(Cadbury-Brown,1959,p.82-

88).In3ChurchWalkeverythingisinmotion.Thehand-heldcameraandthetime-

basednatureofthemediumcreatesthefeelingofthehousebeingalive,although

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deserted.Inthissenseitcouldbeseenastheframeworkforadance,aspacefor

actiontotakeplaceorhavingtakenplace.Theuseofthehand-heldcamerais

performative,betweenthemovementandstillingofthebodynecessarytocapture

theimages,someofwhicharelongstaticshots.Infilmingtheselongerstaticshots

mybodyissuspended,pausedinordertomaketheshot.Thisbecomespartofthe

choreographyofthefilm,astrangedancearoundthebuilding.

AsinManRay’sLesMystèresduChâteaudeDéthereisashiftfromsighttositedness

thatisevidentin3ChurchWalk;ashiftfromanopticalviewoffilm'srelationshipto

architecturetooneofthebody'srelationshiptofilmicspace.Ratherthanthefixed

viewpointoftheeye,thereisashifttowardsthecameraasamovingbodythat

GiulianaBrunoputsforwardinAtlasofEmotion;JourneysinArtArchitectureand

Film.Shedescribesthefilmspectatornotasavoyeurbutasavoyageur,through

spaceandtimewherethebody'srelationshiptoarchitecturalandfilmicspaceisthat

ofmovement(Bruno,2007,p16).Editingbecomesliketravelling:wemovearound

filmicspaceinthewaywemovearoundarchitecture,thehouseorthecity.Moving

aroundthesespacesgeneratesnarrative.Weinhabitthem.Thetracesweleave

behind,psycho-geographersorarchaeologistswouldargue,canbereador

reactivatedthroughlooking,writing,filmmaking.

InTheEyesoftheSkin,ArchitectureandtheSenses,JuhaniPallasmaawritesabout

peripheralvisionandtheimportanceofaphysical(haptic)encounterwithspace,the

atmosphereoressenceofaplace(Pallasmaa,2012,p.14).Thisistrueofeachofthe

fourcasestudyfilmsdiscussedaboveandmyintentiontoconveythefeelingofthe

place,alivedexperienceratherthananiconicrepresentationofarchitecturalspace,

modernorotherwisein3ChurchWalk.

Thesoundcompositionaccentuatesthisaseachsoundelementhasbeenrecorded

fromthetouchingofsurfaces,objectsandmaterialsofthehouse.Whetherapieceof

cardboardscrapedacrosstiles,adampwoodenchopstickonglassorafinger

tappinganAnglepoiselamp,eachsoundhasaphysicalconnectionwiththeimage.

ThehousewasplayedasaninstrumentbycomposerSimonLimbrick.Combined

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withthehumanmovement(dance)evidentinthecameraworkthereisasubtle

sensualembodimentoftheviewerastheyprojectthemselvesintothefilmicspace.

Thishapticexperienceofspaceispresentineachofthefilmsdiscussedhere,

markedintheirabsenceofthehumanpresenceonscreen(saveManRay,asIhave

mentioned).Yetallareanarticulationofspacethatspeakofaphysicalencounter

withtheplacesdescribed:JohnSmith’sHomeSuiteinhisuseofthevoicetoconnect

theaudiencewiththewornstaircarpet;ManRay’suseofthemovingcamerainLes

MystèresduChâteaudeDétogiveasenseofpassagethroughaspace;Elizabeth

Price’scoldhardsurfacesoftheHouseofMrX;HeinzEmigholz’stiltedcameraangle

inSchindler’sHouses;and,finally,myuseofthesound-imagerelationshipin3Church

Walk.Allplacetheviewerfirmlywithintheplacestheydescribe.Thiscreatesan

experienceofarchitecturalspaceonfilmthatuncoversadeeperconnectiontothe

placesweinhabitthanismadevisiblethroughtraditionalformsofarchitectural

photographyordocumentarypractices:anarticulationratherthanarepresentation

ofspace.

InthefollowingchapterIdiscuss3ChurchWalkinmoredetailandgivesome

historicalcontextofthehouseanditsarchitects.Marks’ideaofhapticvisualityis

extendedtoahapticaudio-visuality,givingequalweighttothesoundinthisfilm.

Theforensicapproachtocreatingthesoundforthefilmfromthematerials,objects

andsurfacesofthehouseitselfisshowntoplayakeypartinanaudience’s

experienceofthespaceonfilm.This,tiedwiththeperformativeuseofthehand-held

camerasetoutabove,createsasensoryexperienceofthespace.Cadbury-Brown’s

statementthatwhenweenterabuildingweareembarkingonanenforced

choreography,andhisideathatarchitectureistheframeforadance,isexploredin

relationtothefilmandacomparativecasestudy,MaisondeVerreinParis,isusedto

furtherillustratetheseideas.

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ChapterFour

TheModernHouseasRuin;Cadbury-Browns’3ChurchWalk,Aldeburgh,Suffolk,1962

Fig.10EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014a,videostill

3ChurchWalk;FrameworkforaFilm

InthischapterIdiscusshowthearchaeologicalapproachthatIdescribedpreviously

inChapterThreeandtheenforcedchoreographythatH.T.Cadbury-Brownposits

combinedwithLauraU.Marks’ideasabouthapticcinema,connectinthefirstfilmof

theproject,3ChurchWalktocreateasensoryexperienceofthehouseonfilmata

particularmomentinitshistory.Inwhatfollows,Icontinuetoexamineanactive

viewingexperienceinrelationtoartists’filmandmovingimagetodemonstratehow

HenriBergson’sterminMatterandMemory‘attentiverecognition’(1911,p.118),

appliestothefilmsinthisproject.Movingbeyondanopticalengagementtowardsa

philosophyofimagesinfilm,itcouldbesaidthatbotharchitectureandfilmarea

wayofthinkingbasedonavisualandauraltaxonomy.Thisisextendedtodiscussion

ofPierreChareau’sMaisondeVerre(1929).

Iwasintroducedto3ChurchWalk,thehouseofmodernistarchitectH.T.‘Jim’and

BettyCadbury-Brownin2012byawriterfriend,JonathanP.Watts.Cadbury-Brown

haddiedthreeyearspreviouslyandthehouseappearedabandoned,thegarden

overgrown.Peeringthroughthewindowswecouldseefurniturestillinplace,wood

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bythefire,recordsstackedupandpicturesonthewalls,asifhehadonlyrecently

departed.Thereweremanyquestionstobeansweredandmakingafilmaboutthe

housewas,forme,awayofattemptingtoraiseandanswersomeofthese.11

Comingacrossitinthisway,thegardenhavingalmostsubsumedthehouse,its

rectilinearformandcleanmodernlineshiddenfromview;theonlycluestoits

inhabitantsinthefewpossessionsremaining,waslikefindingamodernruin.

Cadbury-BrownwasaBritisharchitectbestknownforhiscontributiontotheiconic

BrutalistdevelopmentoftheRoyalCollegeofArt,andearlierworkonpavilionsfor

theFestivalofBritaininthesummerof1951.Itsoonbecameclear,throughour

research,thatJimCadbury-Brownandhiswife,BettyDale,whohadmetwhilst

workinginErnöGoldfinger’soffice,designedandbuiltthehousein1962onasite

originallyearmarkedbythecomposerBenjaminBrittenfortheAldeburghFestival

ofMusicandtheArts’firstoperastage.

3ChurchWalkhadbeenGradeIIlistedin2000,sowasclearlyregardedasbeingof

significance.However,whenthearchitectdiedtherewerelegalissueswithhis

estate,whichledtothehousebeingleftemptyforoverthreeyears.Acopyofaself-

publishedbookinthelocallibrary,Cadbury-Brown:TheFamilyBehindtheModernist

Architect(Wheatley,2011),ledustoitsauthor,hisniece-in-law,NatalieWheatley.

Delightedatourinterestinthehouse,shegaveuspermissionandsotheprocessof

makingthefilmbegan.

Aspreviouslystated,Cadbury-Brownthoughtwhenyouenterabuildingyouare

startingonanenforcedchoreography.Hepreferredtothinkofarchitectureasthe

frameworkforadanceratherthanfrozenmusic,asitissooftenreferredto.12So,the

housebecametheframeworkforafilm,thechoreographedcameramovingthrough

theinteriordescribingtheexperienceofthelivedspace,theobjects,furnitureand

11Duringthemakingofthefilm,WattsandIwroteablog(http://3churchwalk.blogspot.co.uk/)andascriptforthefilm.ThescriptbecameabookIdeasofDisorder:3ChurchWalkbyCadbury-Brown(2017)publishedbyOccasionalPapers.AninterviewonthefilmandbookappearedinDandelion(2015). 12JohannWolfgangvonGoetheinconversationwithFriedrichWilhelmJosephSchelling.ConversationswithGoetheintheLastYearsofHisLife,1839

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artworksleftbehind.Thespaceitselfandthepositionandarrangementsofthese

objectsandfurniturereflecteditsformerinhabitants,whohadnotonlylivedinthe

houseuntiltheirdeathsbuthaddesignedeverylastdetail.Ifahousecanbeseenasa

reflectionofaninteriormentalspace,thisuniquemomentcaughtintimewasan

opportunitytoexplorethethoughtsandideasofCadbury-Brownmademanifestin

thisapparentlyabandonedhouseheleftbehind.If,asKenWorpolenoteswritingin

hisbook,TheNewEnglishLandscape,ruinsare“areagentofmemory,their

incomplete,fracturedelementsdemandingtobevisualizedorimaginedwholeagain.

Ruinsevokeempathy,andthefreeplayofhistoricalquery....”(Worpole,2013,

p.73),then3ChurchWalkwasinvitingthisvisualization,thisquestioning,this

reactivating.ThisvisualizationrequireswhatBergsontermedinMatterandMemory

(1911,p.118),‘attentiverecognition’wheretheviewermovesbetweenseeingan

object,recallingitasamemoryimageandcomingbacktotheobject,perceivingit

anewincontextofthememoryimageitisnowboundupwith.Thisisanengaged

viewingexperience,whichwaskeytoreactivatingthespaceof3ChurchWalk.

Markspointsout(2000,p.48)thatattentiverecognitionisaparticipatorynotionof

spectatorship,whosepoliticalpotentialshouldnotbeignored.

Totakeanexamplein3ChurchWalk,thelampsarrangedinthemainspaceare

objectsthatarenotperceivedsimplyasobjectsbutasstand-insforhumanpresence.

ImagesandexperiencesoftheAnglepoiselamp,aclassicwithparticularsocio-

historicalsignificance,maybeconjuredfrommemory.13Asanobject,ittakesthe

viewerintotherealmofmemoryandexperienceandoffersaconnectionthatevokes

contemplationandattentiverecognitioninthewaythatBergsondescribes.Itcould

alsobeseenasafetishobjectorfossil,anhistoricalartefactwhichinvokea

descriptionofcinemaasarchaeology,whichisalsolinkedtothisreactivatingofthe

pastthroughfilm,andrelevantto3ChurchWalk.

InTheSkinoftheFilm(2000),Marksintroducestheideaofhapticvisualityinfilm,

whichclosesthedistancebetweentheopticalandtheimageallowingforaclose

13 TheAnglepoiselampdesignedin1932byGeorgeCarwadineisadesignclassicthatisstillinuse.Thejointsandspringsallowthelamptomoveandstayinanypositiongivingitmultipledomesticandindustrialuses.Itsshapeandmovementsarelikethatofthehumanbody.

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lookingthatismoreakintotouch.MuchlikeBruno’s(2002)voyeurbecoming

voyageurdiscussedearlierinChapterTwo,Marks’viewerisintouchwiththefilm,

engagingwithitphysicallyaswellasintellectually.

Fig.11EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014b,videostill

‘Haptic’,havingenteredtheEnglishlanguageinthelatenineteenthcenturywasused

asamedicalsynonymfortactileanddevelopedapsychologicalsensetodescribe

blindindividualswhoseperceptiondependedprimarilyontouch,hencetheterm

havingabroaderpsychologicalmeaningthan‘tactile’.Hapticcanmeantograspor

perceiveaswellastotouchrelatingtooursenseofproprioception,anawarenessof

thepositionandmovementofthebodyinspace,whichencompassesbothMarks’

andGiulianaBruno’sideasaboutfilmthatarekeytothisproject.Thesenseoftouch

isbeingappropriatedintodigitalmediaviahaptictechnologiesinnumerousways

thatcouldseeusinteractingwithremotevirtualobjects,whichwillagainalterour

relationshiptofilmandthemovingimage.

Markstalksaboutakindoffilmmakingthatisopentomomentsofthinness,

suspensionandwaitingthatallowsforafullemptiness,aqualityofstillnessthat

occursinthereimaginingofthepastorthereactivatingofmemoryspacesinfilm

andthisrequiresattentiverecognitiontoimaginethesefragmentswhole.Soundcan

playanimportantpartinthis,asIwilldiscusslater.Theviewercompletes,or

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partiallycompletesthepictureintheirmind.Soundhasamajorroletoplayinthis

activation.

Filmhastheabilitytoarticulatespacethroughedited,framedshotsanditspairing

withsoundcancreateMarks’notionofhapticcinema.Thisembodimentandcallto

thesensesallowsforspatialexperiencetobemirroredorcreatedinawaythatgoes

beyondtheopticalorpurelyaestheticdescriptionofspacetowardsafuller,richer

experience,apsychologyorphilosophyofimagesinfilm.Abuildingisawayof

thinking,filmisawayofthinkingandwherethesetwomeetiswherethefilm3

ChurchWalkisfocused.

Thearticulationofspacebythecameraiscomplementedbythesonicinterpretation

ofthehouse.Thecallingupofsoundsdormantinthefabricofthehouseactivates

thespaceandbringstheviewerintothepresent.Thereisaplaybetweenpastand

presentthatrecallsideasofhaunting,wherethatwhichcannotbeseenis

neverthelesspresent,inthiscasethroughsound.

PlayingthehouseasifitwereaninstrumentlinksnotonlytoBritten’suseof

materials‘asfound’forhiscompositionsbutalsotoCadbury-Brown’swritings,Ideas

ofDisorderandNotesonanOperaHouseforAldeburgh,14whichcontainedhis

thoughtsonthesocial-historicaldynamicsofsound,performance,audienceand

space.InIdeasofDisorderCadbury-Brownwriteshisschemeforanarchitectural

vocabulary:

1. Anawarenessofdepthandtime,continuitywiththepastandevenperhaps

allusiontoit

2. Tomakethebestuseofphysicalcontactbetweenmen15andbuildings

3. Totakeadvantageoftherebirthofmaterialsandthusofbuildings

4. Toprovideabackgroundboldenoughtotakestrongvariation(whichseems

toimplyasculpturalapproach)

14Cadbury-BrownwritesaboutthedesignoftwoOperahouses,MilanandBayreuth,toexplorehowtheydifferintheaudience’srelationshiptotheperformersandtheorchestraandhowAldeburghshouldclosethegapbetweenaudienceandperformerinfluencedbyKabuki/Noh/Japanesetheatre15 If written now this would include women and more likely read ‘between people and buildings’.

69

5. Anawarenessofrhythmandmovementwhetheritbeofpeoplerunning

downanescalatororopeningadoororprocessingaconvocation

Architecturewouldbebetterdescribedastheframeworkofadancerather

thanasfrozenmusic.AndIaddtothis(CB)thestudyofqualityinallits

aspects,forexamplethequalityoflightasitspillsaroundtheendofawallor

ontoaceiling,thequalityofsoundwithinbuildings,andIdonotmean

acoustics,thestudyofsyntheticmaterialsmostresponsivetothetouch,an

awarenessofsilhouetteisespeciallyimportantinEngland(Cadbury-Brown,

1959,p.82-88)

Perceptionandthesensesworktogetherinorderfortheviewertobecomeawareof

space,lightandsoundinanaudio-visualexperienceofmovingimagework.The

audio-visualexperiencecallsonthissensoryknowledgeandMarksdiscussesthe

hapticimageandhapticvisuality,forexampleseeingacloseupofhaironscreen

callsupthesenseoftouch(Marks,2000,p.162).However,Iwouldalsoarguethat

thelightplayinspacecoupledwiththesoundofthematerials,objectsandsurfaces

in3ChurchWalkisabletocalluparichsensoryexperienceofbeinginthatspace,

andthefactthatthespaceisemptyallowsittobereactivatedthroughthe

experienceofwatchingthefilm.Thequestionis:whatisreactivated?Therecently

vacatedspacesuggestsanabsentpresence,whichactivatesthesensesandmemory

thatisinscribedinthespaceitself.Togetherwiththesoundthiscreatesahaptic

audio-visuality,thesensesoftouch,hearingandsightarebroughttogethertocreate

asensorycinematicexperiencein3ChurchWalk.

Hapticvisualityandembodiedspectatorshiphavealineageinfeministcriticismand

phenomenology.Marks’hapticcinemaandMerleau-Ponty’sphenomenologygoa

longwaytotheorizingwhatisoccurringbuttwoaspectsoffilmandtheaudio-visual

experiencethatareunder-representedinthesetextsaretimeandsound,whichI

willdiscussfurther.Iwillconsidersoundnotasaseparatesubjectbutdevelopa

theoreticalbasisthatworkswithallthesenses,givingsoundandimageequal

weight.Whenwritingaboutthesensesintermsoffilmtheaudioandthevisualwill

betakentogether,astheyareinexperiencingafilm.

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Thedominanceoftheimageinscreen-basedculture,theeasy-to-readimage,the

excessofimage,allpointattheneedtoreclaimaphysicalrelationshiptotheworld.

Theoriesofembodimentandthehapticattempttoreinstateasensoryexperience,

buthowfarcantheygoandhowcanfilmsbemadethatredressthebalanceofour

ocular-centrism?Howdoesspatialexperiencereflectaninteriormentalmapand

whatcontributioncansoundmakeintermsofahapticormultisensoryexperience

ofspace?

InProspectsforaCriticalRegionalism(1983)KennethFramptonsituatesthebody

andtouchatthecentreofarchitecturalexperience:

Thetactileresilienceoftheplace-formandthecapacityofthebodytoreadtheenvironmentintermsotherthanthoseofsightalonesuggestapotentialstrategyforresistingthedominationofuniversaltechnology.Itissymptomaticoftheprioritygiventosightthatitisnecessarytoremindourselvesthatthetactileisanimportantdimensionofbuiltform.Onehasinmindawholerangeofcomplementarysensoryperceptionswhichareregisteredbythelabilebody:theintensityoflight,darkness,heatandcold;thefeelingofhumidity;thearomaofmaterial;thealmostpalpablepresenceofmasonryasthebodysensesitsownconfinement;themomentumofaninducedgaitandtherelativeinertiaofthebodyasittraversesthefloor;theechoingresonanceofourownfootfall.(Frampton,1983,p.28)

ThiscapacityofthebodytoreadtheenvironmenttiesinwithbothBergson’s

attentiverecognitionandMauriceMerleau-Ponty’sbodysubject.Awholerangeof

sensoryperceptionscanbecalledoninfilmandin3ChurchWalk;Iwasparticularly

focusedontheroleofsoundinthis.WithsoundcomposerSimonLimbrick,Ihave

createdasonicarticulation,asonificationofthehousethatisthesoundtrackforthe

film.Soundandspace,soundandobjects,soundandsurfacesarealltiedtogetherto

createasensoryexperienceofthehouseasthechoreographedcameramoves

throughitfromroomtoroom.

InSoundscape:OurSonicEnvironmentandtheTuningoftheWorld,R.MurraySchafer

makesacorrelationbetweensoundandthehaptic,pointingoutthattouchisthe

mostpersonalofthesenses.Heobserves:

Hearingandtouchmeetwherethelowerfrequenciesofaudiblesoundpassoverintotactilevibrations(atabout20hertz).Hearingisawayoftouchingat

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adistanceandtheintimacyofthefirstsenseisfusedwithsociabilitywheneverpeoplegathertogethertohearsomething.(Schafer,1994,p.11)

In3ChurchWalkthisiswhereMarks’hapticvisualitycombineswithsoundto

becomehapticaudio-visuality.Schafergoesontousethevisualanalogyoffigureand

groundtoexpandonhisideasaboutauralperception.Inhisformulationfigureisthe

focusofinterest,groundisthecontextandfieldiswheretheobservationoccurs.He

goesontonotethatitwasthephenomenologicalpsychologistswhopointedoutthat

whatisperceivedasfigureorgroundismostlydeterminedbythesubject’s

relationshiptothefield(1994,p.152).Hencewhatisnowreferredtoas‘field

recording’createsmeaningfromtheobservationalrecordingsofaparticularplace,

locationbecomesnarrative.Ifthehouseisthefield,thentheintroductionofhaptic

audio-visualitycomplicatesthefiguregroundinterrelationship.Thisisimportantin

understandingtherelationshipbetweenimageandsoundinallthefilmsinthis

project,particularly3ChurchWalk(2014)andSpenderHouse(2018),whichis

discussedlaterinChapterSix.

LawrenceEnglishwritesinhispaperRelationalListening:ThePoliticsofPerception,

deliveredatOCR’sSoundArtCuratingConferenceatGoldsmithsUniversity,onthe

processoflistening:

Thisparticipationandactivityofthelistenerformsplaceandtherefore,forlisteningtobepossibleandforplacetobecome,wemustbepositionedasparticipantorperhapsmoreaccuratelyperformer.Thelistenerbecomesaperformerinplace,amplifyingandrefocusingtemporalandspatialphenomenanotmerelythroughphysiologicalmeans,butalsoviaactivetheoreticalandmethodologicalframeworks. (English,2014)

Ifthelistenerrecordsthesound,inthiscasetobeheardaspartofthefilm

soundtrack,theaudienceisable,withtheuseoftechnology,tolistentothelisteners

listening.Thereisacomparisonbetweenwhattheearshearandwhatthe

microphonehears,whichEnglishterms‘relationallistening’:

Itisrelationallisteningthatseekstotetherthesetwolistenings,theinternalpsychologicalandtheexternaltechnological.Relationallisteningprovidesasystemicframeworkthroughwhichartistsandotherconcernedpractitionerscanexploretheconditionsoftheirlistening,specificallyinthecontextofthedesiretotransmitthoselistenings.Relationallisteningconsidersnotjusttheimplicationsofspatiality,dynamics,andtemporality,butmoreoverthe

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political,aesthetic,dramaturgical,andothercreativeforcesthatbeardownonalistener’slistening.(English,2014)

Theconnectionbetweenrecording,subjectandfieldwaspushedtoextremesby

AlvinLucierinhissoundworkIAmSittinginaRoom(1969).Hereherecords,re-

recordsandplaysbackhisvoicereadingatextthatdescribestheprocessandresults

ofthepiecethelistenerishearinguntilonlytheresonantfrequenciesoftheroomin

whichitisrecordedandplayedbackareaudible.Roomresonanceplaysakeypartin

thesoundtrackfor3ChurchWalk.Theideathataspacehasitsownparticularsound

qualityandacousticisonethathasbeeninfluentialbothintherealmofperformance

andsoundart,butalsopreviouslyintherealmofarchitectureandearlyfilmas

chartedinTheSoundscapeofModernity:ArchitecturalAcousticsandtheCultureof

ListeninginAmerica,1900-1933,ahistoryoftheauralcultureofearlytwentieth

centuryAmericabyEmilyThompson(2004).

Thompsonwritesaboutthechangeinaudienceexpectationsofsoundasrecorded

soundbeginstobeexperiencedinmusichalls,theatresandcinemasdesignedto

minimisereverberation.Shewrites“themotionpictureindustryplayedacrucial

roleindefininganddisseminatingthenewsound,andtheevolutionofacoustical

technologiesintheatresandstudiosdemonstrateshowarchitecturalacousticsand

electroacousticsgraduallymerged”(2004,p.234).Shegoesontopointoutthat

soundengineerslearnedhowtocreateartificiallythesoundofthespaceinhabited

bythecharactersbeingfilmedandindoingsothesoundtrackbecame“anewsitein

whichthesoundofspacecouldbeconstructedandmanipulatedtoadegreenotfully

attainableinthearchitecturalworld”(2004,p.234).Thisconstructionand

manipulationofsoundtocreatea‘newsite’isevidentin3ChurchWalk.

Cadbury-Brownthoughtthatthebuildingwasinstrumentalinourexperienceof

movingthroughandaroundaspaceandthatthebodyisdirectedbythearchitecture

itself.Adoorwayorcorridorcandeterminehowoneenters,movesthroughand

exitsabuilding.Thisflowthroughabuildingwasanimportantaspectofmodern

designand3ChurchWalkisagoodexampleofhowwearedirectedthroughaspace

followingapatterndesignedbythearchitect.Theenforcedchoreographyofthe

visitortothebuildingismirroredinthefilmbythecamerachoreographyasthe

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houseisapproached.Thehand-heldpointofviewofthecamerareflectstheenforced

choreographyofthespaceastheviewthroughthewindowisseenandthehouseis

entered.Aphysicalrelationshiptothespace,thehereandnowofspatialexperience,

iscommunicatedthroughtheuseofthishand-heldcameraasweenter.Theopening

shotsoftheexterior,whereglimpsesofthehousecanbeseenthroughtheover-

growngarden,areinterspersedwithinter-titlesgivingacontextandlocationakinto

traditionalformsofdocumentaryfilmmaking.Yetasthecameraclosesinonthe

house,andviewsoftheinteriorcanbeseenthroughthewindows,coupledwiththe

reflectionsofthegarden,thereisashifttowardsanembodiedcamera,which,asit

entersthehouse,beginstomoveawayfromanobjectivepointofviewtoamore

subjectiveone.Thisisachievedthroughthechangefromstatictripodshotsofthe

exteriortothemorefluidhand-heldcameraworkthroughthewindowsandinthe

interior.Thereisalsoashiftfromthenaturalisticsoundsoftheenvironmenttothe

descriptionofadifferentexperienceofthespacethroughtherecordingsoftheglass.

Awaveringnotecreatedbyrubbingtheglassrupturesthepurelyobjective

viewpoint,bringingtheviewerintothepresentandthusbeginstheenforced

choreography.

Fig.12EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014c,videostill

Activatingthespacesonicallyandusingmaterialsandobjectsinthehouseto

transformthemintoinstrumentscameaboutthroughdiscussionwithJonathanP.

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WattsandSimonLimbrick.Whenthepicturewasshotandedited,initiallytheidea

wastocreatealivescoreforthefilmusingthesoundsofthehouseitself,toplaythe

houseliterallyasaninstrumentusingthesurfacesandobjectscorrespondingtothe

image.Forpracticalpurposesthisideawasthenadaptedtoforensicallyrecording

thesurfacesandobjectsandcomposingasoundtrackthatmirroredtheimageinthe

sensethatthesoundisemanatingfromthematerialsandobjectswithinthat

particularimage.Initiallytherewasathoughttoincludesoundsofhumanpresence

withinthehouse,soundsofdailylife.Asthespacewasnowunpopulatedthe

questionwashowtoactivatethespacesonically.Usingsoundsofthepast,i.e.the

peoplewhooncelivedthere,wouldhaveperhapsonlyallowedforanarrowreading

ofthefilm.Alongwithavoice-overthesesoundsweretakenout.Eventuallyonlythe

soundsrecordedinthehouseinitspresentstatewereusedforthefinalsoundtrack.

ThisquestionofhowsoundcanreactivatearchitecturalspaceisonethatIhave

examinedusingthepremisethatbylistening,givingone’sfullattentiontosoundas

anactiveprocess,itispossibletotuneintoanenvironmentorlocationandstartto

heartheplaceintermsofspatialrelationships.PaulineOliverostermedthis‘deep

listening’todifferentiatebetweentheinvoluntarynatureofhearingandthe

selectivenatureoflisteningresultinginaheightenedawarenessofthesonic

environment.Ihaveattemptedtohighlightthisinthesoundtrackof3ChurchWalk

inthewaythattwodistinctivetypesofsoundarepresentinthefilm,an

observationalexteriorrecordingofwhattheviewerwouldexpecttohearalongside

theimageandamorecomposedelement,layeredfromverycloserecordingsofthe

interior,whichchangestheviewer’srelationshiptowhattheyarehearingand

seeingbybringinganawarenesstothesonicnatureofthespaceanditscontents.

Thenaturalenvironmentalsoundfromtheexteriorandthetextatthebeginningof3

ChurchWalkuseconventionaldocumentarypracticestosetthecontextforwhatis

abouttobeseen,butthewaythesoundthenchangesasthefilmenterstheinterior

shiftsfromareceptivemodetoaperceptivemodeofviewing.Thespaceisactivated

sonically,thecameraishand-held,humanpresenceisfeltbythecamera,thewalking

alongthecorridor,soundsofthecorktilesunderfootandthebreathasthecamera

movesthroughthespace.Thisreactivatesthespacebothvisuallyandsonically.

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Thereisanembodimentinthesound,whichwhenputtogetherwiththeabsencein

theimagecreatesanexperienceofthespacethatbringsanawarenessofthemineral

lifeofthehouse,itsmaterialityanditsdecomposition.Itisthisbringingtheimage

backthroughthesoundtoitselfthatallowsforsuchanengagedexperienceofthe

space.Theactivationofasensoryexperiencethroughsoundanditsroleinthe

creationofamemoryimagesimultaneouslyleadstotheviewerprojecting

themselvesintotheimageinsuchawaythatgivesaparticularexperienceofthe

livedspace,onethatfeelsveryalive.Thematerialityofthespaceiskeenlyfelt.Inits

hauntedemptinessitbecomestheframeworkforthefilm,aspaceforactiontotake

placeorhavingtakenplace.

Talkingabouthishouseat3ChurchWalkCadbury-Brownsaid:

Theresultisfarfrombeingthesterilekindoftextbookormuseumrepresentationofamodernhouse,whereeverythingis‘designed’andofthesameperiod.Theeffectcomesfromtheaccumulationofobjectsinspaceandlight,continuallychangingandhardtocaptureinphotographs.(Cadbury-Brown,1959,pp.82-88)

HereandinhisArchitecturalAssociationpresidentialaddressintroducingMiesVan

derRohe,16Cadbury-Brownexpressesfrustrationwiththepurelyopticalnatureof

thestillphotograph,fixedintime.Iwonderwhetherhewouldfindtheaudio-visual

experienceofanartists’filmmorefittingtodescribenotonlythespacehedesigned

butitsembeddednarratives?Iproposethatmyapproachenablesaspectsofthe

architecturetobeexpressedthroughfilmthatcannotbeadequatelycapturedina

photograph,aspectsthatgobeyondtheconfinesoftheopticaltoahapticaudio-

visualitycapableofarticulatingspacemorefully.

Thetemporalexperienceofthefilmemphasizestheideaofsuspendedtimethatis

presentinthehouseinitssemi-abandonedstate.Thisreflexiverelationshipismade

evidentthroughthemethodsemployedin3ChurchWalkandallowsfor

contemplationwithintheviewingexperienceofthefilm.Thisexperienceof

suspendednarrativetimeisdifferenttothatofthe‘storyfilm’orconventional

16Cadbury-BrownintroducedMiesVanderRoheinhispresidentialaddresstotheArchitecturalAssociationin1959.

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narrative.Theemphasisontheslowingorsuspensionoftimecreatesanexperience

ofnarrativethatcomesfromtheimageandsounditself,andthehouseitselfrather

thanatraditionallyconstructedstorynarrative.

Fig.13EmilyRichardson,3ChurchWalk,2014d,videostill

Filmicspaceisalwaysframed,composed,editedandconstructed.Intheserespects

therearesimilaritiestoarchitecturalspace,butthelatterisrealandexistsinthereal

world;itrequireshumanpresenceinadifferentwaytoactivateit.Wehavetobe

presentwithourbody,whichisnottrueoffilminthesameway.Filmrequiresa

differentkindofpresence,onethatcanbemorephysicallypassivebutmentally

active.

Writingonmimesis,Markssuggeststhatidentificationwithoursurroundingscan

becomeacreativeact,notjustimitatingbuttransforming.ThisisakintoBruno’s

filmvoyageurandthesensethatwecantransportourselvesintoamovingimage,we

canidentifywithnotonlyasubjectbutalsoanobject.

Mimesisshiftsthehierarchicalrelationshipbetweensubjectandobject,indeeddissolvesthedichotomybetweenthetwo,suchthaterstwhilesubjectstakeonthephysical,materialqualitiesofobjects,whileobjectstakeontheperceptiveandknowledgeablequalitieswherebythesubjectcomesintobeingnotthroughabstractionfromtheworldbutcompassionateinvolvementinit.(Marks,2000,p.141)

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In3ChurchWalkasIfoundit,therewerekeypiecesoffurniture,artworks,and

objectsthathadbeenleftbehind.Thefactthattheirpositionhadnotbeenchanged,

althoughthehousehadbeenemptyfornearlythreeyearsatthatpoint,waskeyto

understandingtheembeddednarrativesoftheplace.TheBreuer-stylechairthat

featuredinEamonnMaCabe’sGuardianobituaryphotographofCadbury-Brownof

2009wasstillinitsplacebythewindow,thenowdeadAfricanhempplantinits

samepositiononthewindowsillbehindit.Picturehooksonthewallandslight

stainingofthepaintworkwheretheframesoncesatsuggestedmissingartworks

thatoccupiedthehouseinhislifetime.TheAnglepoiselampsthatstoodaroundthe

mainroomappearedlikepeoplestandingaroundataparty,therecordsstackedup

bytherecordplayerreadyandwaitingtobringtheplacealive.Thelightand

shadow-playfromthelightscoopsintheceilingandsunfilteringthroughthemilky

windowsgavetheonlysenseofmovementinthisspaceotherwisecaughtintime;a

filmsetwaitingtobereactivated.

Thismodernruincouldconjurefeelingsofnostalgiabutitsportrayalinthisstate

withoutresorttosentimentalityperhapsinsteadasksthequestionofhownostalgia

andthemuseumificationofthepastarelinkedtothecurrentviewofModernism?At

thetimeoffilming,3ChurchWalkstoodsemi-abandonedinastateoftransitionand,

unlikecounterpartssuchasErnöGoldfinger’s2WillowRoad,ithadnotbeen

conservedormadeintoamuseum.Itwasstillanactive,livedspacealthough

temporarilyabandonedandequallyimportantintermsofthewayitshistorycan

informthefuture.

Afewminutesinto3ChurchWalkaruptureoccursatthepointwherethesound

takesoverfromthetext.Itisthisuseofsoundthatbringsthefilmintothepresent,

avoidingnostalgiaandmuseumification,takingitawayfrombeingatraditional

documentaryfilmoressayfilmtowardsamultisensoryexperienceofalivedspace.

Museumificationornostalgia,notonlyfortimepastandthingspastbutalsoforthe

waythingsweredone,isavoidedherebyaconsciousdecisionnottousetechniques

andtechnologiesofthepast.Myintentionistocreateavisceralexperienceofa

spaceasopposedtoahistoricalinterpretation.UsingtheimmediacyofHD

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technologyIhaveusedcamera,soundandeditingtechniquesthatavoidfetishization

ofparticulararchitecturalfeaturesorsentimentalityaboutthisperiodof

architecture,focusingonthelivedexperienceratherthantheiconicimage.This

emphasisesthepresenttenseoftheexperienceinboththemakingandreceptionof

thework.

Myapproach,whichhasusedsomeaspectsofconventionaldocumentary

filmmakingsuchasobservationalcameratechniquestogetherwithmore

unconventionalapproachestoeditingandsound,transformstheworkandits

reading,andencouragestheaudiencetoparticipateinanactiveviewingexperience

thatresultsinanexperientialunderstandingofthehouseataspecificpointintime.

Thesoundputstheviewerinthepresentexperienceofthehousebyusingthe

strategiesdiscussedaboveasopposedtothewayavoice-overorexplanationofthe

imageisordinarilyusedinthehistoricaldocumentary,suchasinRobertVickery’s

filmMaisondeVerre,whichisdiscussedinrelationtomyfilmBeachHousein

ChapterFive.

LaMaisondeVerre;aCinematographicalHouse

AhousethatsitsbetweenlivedspaceandmuseumistheMaisondeVerre(Houseof

Glass)inParis.BuiltforMmeandDr.Dalsacein1932byfurnituredesignerPierre

Chareau,itstransparency,translucencyandopenplanspacesblurtheboundaries

betweeninteriorandexterior,privateandpublic,asdosomanymodernhousesthat

followed.MaisondeVerrecouldbeseenasaprecursortoLeCorbusier’s‘machine

forliving’.However,onvisitingthehouseitfeltmorelikeasetonwhichtheactions

ofitsinhabitantsareplayedoutinatheatricalorfilmicspace,ratherthananeutral

backdroporpurelyfunctionalspacethatamachineforlivingmightsuggest.

LeCorbusier’s‘machineforliving’wasaconceptthatwasfamiliaramongarchitects

anddesignersaroundthetimethatChareauwasdesigningMaisondeVerre,butthis

houseistheantithesisofastandardized,functional,neutralspaceorbackdrop.Itis

highlybespokeinitsdesign.Ithaselementsofthepromenade,whichgiveitthe

senseofacinematographicalhouse,asitwasdescribedwhenfirstreviewedin1932.

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InthisrespectitchimeswithLeCorbusier’sandothers’thinkingabout

architecture’shumanscaleandthemovementofthebodyinspace.This,inturn,

speaksofthefilmicortheatricalnatureofspaceandthewaysinwhichwe,as

embodiedspectatorsperceiveandinteractinit.

FromtheoutsidetheMaisondeVerredoesnotresembleahouse.Onenteringinto

thecourtyardfromRueSaint-Guillaume,lookingupatthethree-storeyglassbrick

façadeismorelikeexperiencingthereversesideofahugescreenthanthefront

elevationofahouse.Lightsonasteelframeworkthatsitinfrontofitarepositioned,

astheywouldbeonatheatricallightingrig.MaisondeVerreissqueezedin-between

andbelowotherresidencesinthisdenselypopulatedcentralParislocation,sothe

lightsnotonlyallowlightintothebuildingatnightandlightupthefaçade,inavery

dramaticway,butalsogivealevelofprivacytothefamilylivinginsidebycancelling

outthesilhouettescreatedbytheinteriorlighting.Theinteriordramaisconcealed

fromview.Thefrontofthebuildingallowsforcompleteprivacyandactsasa

barrier,screeningthemfromtheoutsideworld,eventhoughmadeofglass.Inthat

senseitisunliketheMiesvanderRoheorPhillipJohnsonglasshouses,whose

inhabitantssufferfromthefishbowleffectoflivingincompletetransparency.

Duringhistimeworkingasanapprenticeforthefurnituremakers,Waringand

Gillow,ChareauwasinvolvedinrestorationprojectsofseveralParistheatresand

this,coupledwithhisloveofthetheatre,appearstohavegreatlyinfluencedhis

designofthehouse.Theinteriorcontainsmanysetchanges,slidingwallsandsemi-

transparentdividesthatallowspacestoopenandclose.Walkingaroundthehouse

inasmallgroup,asIdid,feltlikebeinginapromenadeperformancewherewe,the

audience,followedourguide,theprincipalactor,fromscenetoscene,fromroomto

roomthroughtheapparentlyinhabitedhouse.ThefactthatMaisondeVerreisstill

livedinratherthanbeingapreserved,museumifiedspace,suchasGoldfinger’s

WillowRd,givesitastrongsenseofdrama.Thefamilyisoutbutthehouseisclearly

livedin–itisatheatricalsetonwhichtheirlivesareplayedoutoncewehaveleft.In

2014Iwasinvitedtotakeatourofthehouse.Theinteriorislabyrinthine;on

enteringwewereshepherdedtotheleftintoavestibulereminiscentofaglass

decompressionchamberandthroughanoversizedfullheightdoorintoaspace

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underthemainstaircase.Itwaslikeenteringthebowelsofaship,themonumental

suspendedstaircasesweepingupoverourheadssuggestiveofaship’sgangway.

Fromheretherewereseveraldifferentdirectionsavailabledependingonyour

purpose.ApatientofDr.Dalsacewouldbedirectedintothewaitingroomordoctor’s

reception.Thewholegroundfloorofthehousewasdevotedtohiswork,also

containingthedoctor’sofficeandanexaminationroom/operatingtheatre.Theflow

ofthepatient,andoursontheguidedtourwasacircularonethroughthewaiting

room,alongthecorridor,intothedoctor’sofficeandbackoutthroughthereception

whereafollowingappointmentwouldbemade.Thedesignishighlyperformative–

weareguidedthroughthespacebythearchitecture,eachelementandspace

performingaparticularfunction,butfarfromrationalfunctionalismthishouseis

playful,richinmetaphorandsymbolism.Architectureastheframeworkfora

dance17asCadbury-Browndescribedit,iscertainlyinevidencehere.Thebody’s

relationshiptospace,thebody’smovementthroughspace,hasbeencarefully

consideredeveninthetiniestdetails,suchasasmallmirrorattachedtothesteel

girderinthedoctor’swaitingroomwhichslidesupanddownsopatientscould

checktheirmakeuporhairbeforegoingintothedoctor’soffice.Dr.Dalsacewasa

gynaecologistsohispatientswereallwomenandmuchthoughtwasgiventotheir

comfort,toputthematease.Oncethepatienthadseenthedoctortheywouldexit

intothereceptiontobooktheirnextappointmentthroughafullheight,pivoting

door,whichhadacurvednotchcutoutofitallowingthedoctortobowasa

gentlemanlycourtesyasheopenedit.InPierreChareau:DesignerandArchitect.

BraceTaylorwrites“Chareauanalysedtheimplicationsofeachhumangesture,not

simplyintermsofitspurposeandtheeffortitrequiredtoaccomplishamovement,

butalsoforitsgraceandbeauty”(BraceTaylor,1994,p.21).

Thesemoving,pivotingslidingandmechanicalopeningsandclosingsaretobefound

throughoutthehouse.Oneofthemostsignificantoftheseisthesemi-transparent

17 InhisaddresstotheArchitecturalAssociationin1959,titled‘OrderandDisorder’,H.T.JimCadbury-Brownsaidhefeltthatarchitecturewouldbebetterdescribedastheframeworkforadance,ratherthanthemuch-usedphrase,‘frozenmusic’.

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pivotingscreenthatconcealsorrevealsthemainstaircaseuptothelivingquarters.

Ascendingthisgrandsuspendedstaircasetowardsthelightoftheluminousglass

brickwallweembarkedonadifferentnarrative,enteringintothemost

photographedareaofthehouse,thedouble-heightlargesalon.ItisherethatIhad

thestrongestsenseofthecinematographicalhouse.Itfeltlikecomingontoastage,

unabletoseetheaudiencebeingdazzledbythebrightlights.Thespaceisdizzyingly

verticalandonlyasweturnedatthetopofthestairsintothelargesalondidthe

otherspacesflowingawayfromthismainspacestarttobeseenthroughopeningsat

thebackandtothesideoftheroom.Thereisnooutlookinthismainspaceexcepta

viewthroughanotherroomtowindowsatthebackofthehousewherethereisa

glimpseofthegardenbeyond.Instead,thereareonlooks,anawarenessofthemany

placesonecanbeseenfromthegallerymezzanineabove,whichmusthavehad

manypracticaladvantagesforthefamily’sservantsofthedaybutalsolendsitselfto

afeelingofaperformativespace.Therearemanycameraanglesandpossible

perspectivesinthisverticalspace.Thediffuselightfromtheglassbrickislikethat

onafilmset.Suddenlyweareprotagonistsorperformersinafilmwithaninvisible

audience,concealedfromviewbythetranslucentglassbricks.

Thebackofthehousehasthecharacterofaship’scabinorrailwaycarriagewith

windowsframingviewsoutontothegarden.InMmeDalsace’sboudoiraretractable

staircase,aswouldbefoundinaship’scabin,leadsuptothemasterbedroom.The

bedroomsandtopfloorofthehousewereinaccessiblebutfromRobertVickery’s

1970/97filmoftheMaisondeVerre18itappearsthatthebedroomscontinuethis

senseoftheship’scabinthatbeginstobecomeapparentintheboudoir.Thesliding

windows,doorsandpivotingcupboardsofthebathroomswouldallfunction

perfectlyonanoceanlinerinroughseas,keepingeverythinginitsplace.

Eachbedroomhasitsownbathroomingeniouslydesignedtobeconcealedand

revealedbypivotingmetalscreensthatgivetheutmostlevelsofprivacy.These

bedrooms,dressingroomsandbackstageareasofthehouseareconnectedbya

corridoroffullheightcupboardsthatopenonbothsidesallowingthe

18ThereisalsoacolourdocumentaryontheMaisondeVerrebyRichardCopansandStanNeumannproducedbythePompidouCentrein2004

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servants/maidstoputawaylaundrywithoutenteringintothebedrooms.These

privatespaces,thekitchenandserviceareasarehiddenfromview,heighteningthe

senseoftheperformativeinthepublicareasofthehouse.

Thishouseisanarchitecturalpromenade,madeformovement,humanmovement,

toflowthroughitsspaces.Thedevelopmentofmovingimagetechnologiesatthe

turnofthecenturyalongwiththebeginningsoftheglobalmovementofships,ocean

linersandtrainsistiedinwithmobilityinmoderndesignandarchitecture.Maison

deVerreisabeautifulexampleofthiswithitscompartmentalizedspaces,itssliding

screensopeningandclosing,itsverticalinteriorvistasandhorizontalribbon

windows.Walkingthroughthishousethefilmicspaceisapparentinitsinterior

verticality,itsnumerouspossiblesetchangesanditscentralfeatureoftheglass

brickfacade,reminiscentofanilluminatedcinemascreen.

ThecurvatureofthewallsinMaisondeVerreandtheserpentinemovementof

peopleinthespaceisevokesthesetsofexpressionistcinema,withopportunitiesfor

dramaticlightplay,strongshadowsandhiddenlayersrevealedthroughpivoting

screens.Thereisacircularflowlikethatfoundinthetheatre.Thewaythepatientis

directedthroughthespacedownstairsfromthereceptiontowaitingroomto

doctor’ssurgerycorrespondstohighlycontrolledscenes,separateandframedby

thearchitecture.ThemiseensceneisprovidedbyChareau’simpeccablydesigned

environment,includingmanypiecesofhisfurniture.Thisinterrelationshipbetween

filmandarchitectureisevidentinthedesignofMaisondeVerre,withitscarefully

framedviews.Anunwrittenscriptdirectsthemovementofthebodythroughthe

spacesofthehouse;orchestrationofthebodythrougharchitecturalchoreography.

IfCadbury-Brown’shouse,3ChurchWalkislongandlowlikeanoceangoing

bunker,19MaisondeVerreismoreakintoaluxuryliner.Itsuggestsgrand

narrativeswhere3ChurchWalkisperhapsmorehumbleandmodestinthestoryit

hastotell,asisJohnPenn’shousethatsitsontheSuffolkcoastlikearaftonthe

beach.

19 ThiswashowJonathanP.Wattsdescribed3ChurchWalkinascriptwrittenforthefilmthatfeaturedinIdeasofDisorder:3ChurchWalkbyCadbury-Brown(2017).

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ChapterFive

JohnPenn;RadicalClassicist:RuralModernistBeachHouse,ShingleStreet,Suffolk,1969

JohnPennwasanarchitect,painter,musicianandpoetwhoseninehousesin

EastSuffolkdesignedbetween1962and1969areuniqueexamplesofrural

Modernism.Builtwithuncompromisingsymmetry,adheringtothepointsofthe

compassintheirpositioninginthelandscape,theyusealimitedlanguageof

materialsandformthatwereinfluencedbyhistimespentworkinginCalifornia

withRichardNeutrafollowinghisgraduationfromtheArchitecturalAssociation

intheearly1950s.Penn’shousesareCalifornianmodernistpavilionsinthe

Suffolklandscape.

Fig.14EmilyRichardson,BeachHouse,2015a,videostill

BeachHouseatShingleStreetinSuffolk(1969)isasimplerectilinearstructure

madefrombricksthatmirrorthepalecolourandpittedtextureoftheshingle

beach.Itsformsitsinthelandscapeunobtrusivelywithglassexpansesfrontand

backthatgiveviewsthroughthebuildingtothesaltmarshesbehind,perhapsa

perfectarchitecturalsolutiontolivinginthisremotewindsweptlocationatthe

edgeofthesea,aflatroofreflectingtheflatopenhorizontallandscapeinwhichit

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sitssolightly.AtthetimeIcameacrossBeachHouseIwasmakingthefilm,3

ChurchWalkabouttheCadbury-Browns’houseinnearbyAldeburghandthis

househadmanysimilaritieswiththeoneIwasresearching.Icontinuedwalking

ontheshingletomeetwiththemusician,ThomasDolby,athishomeafew

hundredmetersfurtheralongthebeach,onlytodiscoverthathealsolivedina

housepartiallydesignedbyPenn.Dolby’swasanoldcoastguard’shousethat

hadbeenadaptedbyPenntopersonallyliveinandborethetrademarkcedar

woodceilingsandopenstructurethatIhadseenasIpeeredthroughthe

windowsofBeachHouse.Dolbyshowedmeaholecutinthewallofhisoffice

thatPennusedasaprojectionboothtoprojectfilmsontothelivingroomwall.It

wasthenthatanothersetofquestions,thistimeaboutPennandhisworkarose

thatIfeltcouldperhapsbeansweredthroughmakingafilmabouthowthis

landscapethathepaintedsofrequentlyinformedthewayinwhichheexpressed

hisspatialunderstandingofarchitecture.Thefactthatheclearlyhadaninterest

infilmandmadefilmshimselfpiquedmyowninterest.

BeachHouseisPenn’smostuncompromisingdesignintermsofideaasform.It

hasbeenadaptedovertheyearsbyitsownersformodernlivingbutinessenceis

classicallyPalladianinitsextremesymmetry,andradicallymoderninitsuseof

materialsandopendesign.Therearesightlinesthroughthehouse,whichsitson

aneast-westaxis.Throughopeningsandoutlooksthesuncanbeseenrisingover

theseaatthefrontofthehouseandsettingoverthemarshesattheback.Its

currentownersdescribeitashaving“TurneroutthefrontandConstableoutthe

back”(Page,2014).Thissituatednessinthelandscape,apainterlyframingof

lightandcolour,ispresentinallofPenn’shouses,eachofwhichhaveparticular

outlooksovertheflat,open,horizontal,landscapeofeastSuffolk.Thisis

accentuatedbytheremotelocationsofmanyofthehouseswherethelandscape

itselfhasbeendescribedasmodernist,20withitslong,lowhorizons,muted

coloursandemptyvistas.Despitetherigoroussymmetryanduncompromising

20CedricGreenmadethiscomparisoninhispieceofwritingforthenotesonanexhibitionofPenn’sarchitecturecuratedbydesignerMargaretHowellinhershoponBondSt.in2007.Penndiedshortlybeforetheexhibitionopened.Howellrestageditin2017atBeachHouseforanOpenHouseweekendwhereshewasinconversationwithWallpapereditorTonyChambersdiscussingheradmirationofPenn’sworkanditsinfluenceonherdesignprocess.MyfilmBeachHousewasalsoscreenedaspartoftheevent.

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formalisminPenn’sarchitecture,hishousesareromantic–thereisanidealism

intheirsimpletemplelikedesignthatisnotwhollypracticalbutcaptivatingin

theirempathywiththeirsurroundings.Pennwasapainterandmusicianaswell

asanarchitectandthesequalitiesareevidentinthebuildingshedesigned.

PennwasinfluencedbytheCaseStudyHousesdesignedbetween1945and1966

inLosAngelesandhistimespentinCaliforniaworkingwithRichardNeutra.

NeutrahadstudiedunderFrankLloydWrightandtookfromhimtheimportance

oftheinterior/exteriorrelationshipinthemodernhouse.Neutra’sdesignswere,

likePenn’s,moreMiesianthanWright-inspired,howeverthesituatednessinthe

landscapecouldbeseentohavemoreaffinitywithWright.

PennreturnedfromCaliforniaandusedhisextensivefamilyconnectionstofind

wealthyclientstobuildhousesforinSuffolk.Architectsatthetimewerelooking

toItalyandclassicismindesignfortheplansfortheirhousesandPennwasno

exception.HeembracedtherigoroussymmetryofPalladioandcreated

variationsonatheme,eachhousehavingacentralcorecontainingtheservices,

(kitchenandbathroom),withliving/sleepingspacesoneithersidethatwere

identicalinsize.Thesleepingsidewasdividedbyfoldingscreensandinsome

casesmoresubstantialpartitionwallsastheclients’needsweretocomeinto

play.AnotherPalladianfeatureofthehousesweretheraisedplinthsthatthey

wereconstructedon,whichintheEnglishclimateinlowlyingcoastalareasalso

servedtokeepthemabovethefloodlevel.

ThefactthattheseCalifornianpavilionswereconstructedintheSuffolkcoastal

region,wherethesimpleoutdoorlifeandairyopenspacesfunctionwellinthe

summerbutlesssointhewinter,haspresentedtheirownerswithsome

hardshipsbutwherethehouseshavebeenwelllookedafterandbroughtupto

currentstandardsofinsulationtheyfunctionwell.Theyarebeautifullycrafted

objects,whichexplorethepossibilitiesofthenew,experimentwithmaterials,

form,space,time,light,mobility,flowandarerichinnarrative.

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Narrativeinarchitectureimpliesmorethanformfollowingfunction.Space

havinganarrativeorpotentialnarrativerelatestonotonlyhowthespacemight

beusedbutalsomightbemis-used21creatingunpredictablenarratives.Thereis

adeeplyhumanaspecttoPenn’sdesignsdespitetheirstrictformalism.

AccordingtoEricaCummings(2015),aclosefriendofPenn’s,hewasalways

lookingforanidealsitetobuildhis‘temple’.BeachHousewasasmalltemple

insidealargertemple.Theopennessofitsdesignanditsexposedpositiononthe

beachgiveitlightnessandfragilitybutalsoasenseoffreedomandadventure.

InapieceoffilmmadebyPennhimselftitledShingleStreetJohnPenn1971

peoplecanbeseenenjoyingthebeach,throwingstonesintothesea,others

walkingonthebeach,aboyclimbingtothetopofashingledune.Apanningshot

revealsnothingbutthesea,skyandshinglewithafewcoastguardcottageson

theedgeofthebeach.ThissetsthesceneofShingleStreet,Suffolk,aremote

pieceofEastAnglianshorelinewherePennbuiltBeachHouse.Ahand-written

titlecardisseenwithdancingshadowscreatedbythesunlightfallingthrough

leaves.Thisisfollowedbyacloseupshotofamansittingatatablewritingwith

apencilonapadofpaper.Onalargerpieceofpapertapedtoapalebrickwall,a

symmetricaldrawingoftheplanofahousecomesintoview,whichistobe

Penn’sBeachHouse.Theplandrawingresemblesafilmframewiththecentral

coreofthehousebeinglikecrosshairsandtheexternalwallslikethetitleand

picturesafeareasinacameraviewfinder.

Fig.15ShingleStreetJohnPenn1971a,filmstill

21BernardTschumiexploredthisideawithhisManhattanTranscriptsinTschumionArchitecture:ConversationswithEnriqueWalker(2006).

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Thetransitionfromatwo-dimensionalplantoathree-dimensionalmodelcomes

asashotofawoodenmodelofthehouseturningthrough180degreesisseen

beforethefilmcutstoalowshotofthehouseitselfseenthroughthebeach

grasses.Thesedifferentformsbegintodescribethespaceandthehouse,the

planillustratingthelayoutoftheinterior,themodelpresentingthehouseinthe

roundandintheopeningshotofthehouseitselfitbecomesapparenthowitsits

inthelandscape.

Allexteriorshotsarecolourandinteriorshotsblackandwhite16mmfilm.Itis

clearthisfilmhasbeenwrittenandtheshotshavebeenplannedonpaperina

similarwaytotheplandrawingofthehouse.Theeditingispreciseandithas

variedrhythmandpace.Thefilmportraysadayinthelifeofthehouse,

beginningwithitsconceptiononpaper,throughmodelstagetocompleted,

inhabitedbuilding.

Thecamerazoomsintothehouseandthelandscapeisreflectedinthepaneofa

largeplateglasswindow,takingtheaudienceinside(switchingtoblackand

white)whereatallmanisstanding.Thelightiscominginfromthewindow

behindhim,histallfiguresilhouettedinthesparselyfurnishedroom.Fromhis

silhouettethisappearstobethearchitecthimself.Throughthewindowbehind

himthebeachcanjustbeseen.Hewalksaroundtheroomcontemplatingthe

space.Thenthemodelisseenagain,theroofappearsontopandthecamera

zoomsintothefront.Cellophanehasbeenwrappedaroundthebaseofthemodel

toresemblewater.Theseabecomespartofthepicture,suggestingitslocation.

Asthecamerapullsawaytheseaitselfappearsinthebackgroundoftheshot.

Fromthisscalemodelrepresentationofthehousetothereality,thecleanlines

ofthepalebrickrectangularstructurewithitslargewindowareseenagain,this

timeinwideanglefromalowpointinthebeachgrasses.Theskyisblue,the

soldier-courseofblue/purplebrickstopandbottomofthehousesuggestsea

andsky,palebrickreflectingthecolouroftheshingleitisbuilton.Itisaperfect

reflectionofthelandscapeitsitsin.Thewindowsareopenandthecurtainsare

blowinggentlyinthebreeze.Viewsthroughthehousecanjustaboutbe

recognised.

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Thecameramovesinsidethehouse.Thefilmswitchesbacktoblackandwhiteto

revealtheopeninterior,movingpasttheinternalservicecoreareaofthehouse

fromthelivingareatothesleepingarea.Thehouseisanopencirclewiththe

servicecoreatitscentre.Slidingscreensarepulledbacktoallowviewsthrough

thehouse–theywouldbeusedtotemporarilydividethespacesforprivacyat

night.Thewhitetiledfloor,cedarwoodceilingandpalebrickaddtothelightand

airyfeelingoftheopenplanspace.

Threepeoplearriveatthehouseandawomanisseenatthewindowholding

backthecurtain.Thepeopleenter.Inside,awomansitsatthetable,aman

standsbehindher.Thisimageisreminiscentofthe(verybourgeoisbohemian)

DavidHockneypaintingMrandMrsClarkandPercyfromthesameyear,1971.

ThewomaninPenn’sfilmtipsherchairbackasthemancomesroundtoher

side,lightpouringinthroughthewindowscreatingdramaticshadowsontothe

tiledfloor.Vistasthroughthehouseoneithersideareseenbeforethecamera

comesroundtothetableattheothersideofthehouse.Thetableanditsposition

bythewindowsymmetricallyreflectthetableseenmomentsearlier.Thefirst

womanisseenpouringdrinksfromajugintoglassesonthetableandsmilesas

thecamerazoomsintoacloseupofherfaceasshelooksoutofthewindow.She

comesoutofthehouseandwalksaroundtheconcretepatio.Thefilmcutstoa

brightorangesunintheskyandamanrunsandjumpsintothesea.

Thehouseatnight.Interior,blackandwhite.Acouplesitonthesofaandone

womanpassesacigarettetotheother.Asnightapproachesthemanembraces

oneofthewomen,kissinghergoodnightbeforehedrawstheslidingscreenback

togivethebedroomprivacy.Thefilmendsashedrawstheotherscreenbackin

frontofthecameratoblack.Thisissuggestiveoftwocoupleshavingarelaxing

weekendtogetherandthehouseisseeninuseatthesametimeasillustrating

thearchitecturewithcarefullycomposedshots,highlightingitsinteriorand

exteriorspaces.Thefilmpresentsthehousewithinthelandscapeofthebeach

andindicatesitsabilitytotransformfromdaytonight,fromanopenspaceto

relaxtoaclosedspaceforsleepasdarknessfalls.

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TherearecomparisonstobemadebetweenPenn’sfilm,3ChurchWalkand

RobertVickery’sfilmaboutMaisondeVerreinthespacesthesefilmsdescribe

andhoweachistreateddifferentlytoalternativeends.Penn’sfilm,ShingleSt

JohnPenn1971isaportraitofhishousethatshowsitsconceptionfrompaperto

screenandadayinthelifeofthehousehedesigned.Itisquitesimpleandcrude

althoughIwillargueisanotablepieceoffilm,interestinginitsmixtureofblack

andwhiteandcolouranddespitebeingsilenttellsastoryofthehouse

effectively.

RobertVickery’sfilm,MaisondeVerre,Iwillargue,onlyservestoshowa

functionaldescriptionofthehouse.Itisshotsolelyinblackandwhiteand

althoughthefilmdemonstratestheslidingwallsandopeningandclosing

elementsofthehouse,itisverylimitedinitsabilitytorevealmanyofitsmore

subtleaspects.Avoice-overisinstrumentalintellingtheviewerwhattheyare

lookingatbutoftenitcannotbeclearlyunderstoodasthecolourandtextureof

thematerialsandsurfacesofthehousecanbedescribedinblackandwhitebut

notseen.22AccesstoMaisondeVerreisbyspecialrequestandnophotographyis

allowedsotoportraythesespacesinblackandwhitedeprivestheviewerofa

largeportionoftheexperienceofthehouse.Thefilmmixesarchivalphotographs

withtheportrayalofamaninthehouseopeningandclosingtheslidingscreens,

wallsandcompartments,butthisishisonlyfunctionandunlikethepeoplein

Penn’sfilmthereisnosensethatheis‘living’inthespace,onlydescribing

architecturaldetailsforthecamera.Thevoice-overprovideshistoricalcontext

buttheimageislackingandfunctionsonlytoshowandtell,givingalimitedview

ofthehouseandonethatexpoundsaparticularperspective.Beforevisitingthe

house,onviewingthefilmitseemedtoserveitspurposewellindescribingthis

masterpieceofdesign.ButhavingvisitedMaisondeVerreIcannowseehowfar

shortthefilmfallsindescribingthelightplayinthehouse,theviewsthroughto

thelushgardenbehind,thegreentingethatiscreatedbythelightcoming

throughtheoriginalglassbricksandhowthatdiffersfromthecoolerblue/white

lightcomingthroughthereplacementglassbricksonthefaçade.22RobertVickeryworkedalongsideKennethFramptontosurveythehousebutphotographeditonlyinblackandwhite.Itisunclearwhetherthiswasanaestheticchoiceoronegovernedbyrestraintsoncolourfilmstocksinlownaturallightconditions.

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Thecameraisfixedonatripod,itpansacrossandmovesupanddownbutatno

pointisitfreedfromit,givingthefilmafixedquality.Inthishousetheflowof

movementthroughtheopeningandclosingspacesisnotcapturedbythisrigid

camera,thelightandcolourismissingandthetexturesandsurfacesofthemany

materialsusedinitsconstructionarereducedtoblackandwhiteforms.The

perforatedsteel,theindustrialredsteelgirderuprightsthatformtheinternal

structureofthehouse,thedisintegratingoff-whiterubberflooring,thewarm

woodtonesareallmissingfromthisdescriptionoftheMaisondeVerre.These

elementshavebeenwelldocumentedinBraceTaylor’sbook(1998)onChareau

usingstillphotographs,whichgiveaverydifferentimpressionofthehousesoit

wasacuriousdecisiontomakethisfilminblackandwhite.MaisondeVerreis

describedinthevoice-overasahouseoftransformationsbutthisisonly

apparentintermsofaliteralopeningandclosingofdoorsandscreens.Asafilm

itisunsuccessfulinportrayingthehouseinallitsaspects.Thedifference

betweenphotographyandmovingimageinrepresentingthree-dimensional

spaceisthatphotographyflattenswhilefilmhasthepotentialtoreactivate

throughmovementandsoundbuthere,thespaceisonlypartiallyactivateddue

tothiscrucialmissingelement:colour.

Penn’sfilmattemptstoillustratepictoriallyadayinthelifeofBeachHouse,

showingpeopleonthebeachandrelaxingatthehousethatgiveitaromance

thatismissingfromVickery’sfilmofMaisondeVerre.Yetthiswasaplacethat

artists,writersandmusiciansofthetimewouldgatherforsoiréesandthehouse

sawthedoctor’spatientscomingandgoingbyday,thedomesticroutinesofa

familyandtheirvariedeveningactivities.Thislivedaspectismissingcompletely

fromthefilm.PennalsochosetodepicttheinteriorofBeachHouseinblackand

white.Hisfilmwasmadein1971andVickery’sin1970(althoughre-editedin

1997).Wasthisdecisiontofilminblackandwhitetiedinwithideasaboutthe

representationofmodernarchitecturalspaceatthattime?Inblackandwhite

architecturalformisemphasizedovercolour,textureanddetail.Architectural

photographyoftheperiodusedblackandwhitetogiveabetterrepresentation

ofthestructureofthree-dimensionalspacebyeditingoutthesurfacedetailsof

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colourandtexture;however,thisleadstoadetachmentbetweenimageand

viewerfavouringaestheticsofformoverlivedexperienceofspace.

Inmyfilm,BeachHouse,IhaveincorporatedPenn’sfilm,ShingleStreetJohnPenn

1971,almostinitsentiretytoretainhiscompositionofshotsandediting

decisionsthatillustratehisideasaboutthetranspositionofthehousefrom

papertoscreen.Onpaper,itisapparentthatthehouseisatempleorpavilionin

itssimplesymmetricalplan.Inhisfilmthisdevelopstopresentthethree-

dimensionalmodel,whichbeginstogiveformtotheideaandthen,intheshots

ofthepopulatedhouse,itshumanscalebecomesapparent.Throughtheediting

ofhisfilmthehouseasmanifesto,itsfunctionalityandspiritcometogether,the

ideaisrealisedformally.

CedricGreen,anarchitectandformercolleague,whoworkedforPennassenior

assistantarchitectfrom1963-65formedagroupwithhim,whichtheycalled

metaphonicsplayingimprovisedavant-gardemusic.Theymeteverycoupleof

weekstoplayandrecordwithtwoothermusicians,RomyJacob(sitar)andZina

Tibanum(harpsichord).CedricGreensentmesomeoftheirrecordings,which

haveformedthebasisforthesoundtrackofBeachHouse.Takingthreeofthese

andlayeringthemtogether,Icreatedacompositionforthefilmsoundtrack.The

recordingsareclearlyfromthesametimeperiodasthehouseandbyplacing

themtogetherwithPenn’sfootageaswellasmyownthesoundactsasathread

thatrunsfrompasttopresent,fromthematerialshotin1971tothenewly

filmedmaterial.Themusic’srelationshiptothearchitectureinthiscaseisclearly

linkedbythearchitecthimself.ThesoundrecordingsPennandtheother

membersofthemetaphonicsgroupmadewereimprovisedbuthaveadistinct

connectiontothelandscapeinwhichthehousesits.AswithPenn’spainting,his

musicalcompositionsreflecttheopennessoftheseaandthewindsweptcoastal

landscape.Combiningtheseelementsintoanewformgivessomefreshinsight

intothearchitectandhiswork.OneofthefewarticlesrelatingtoPennandhis

workwrittenbyRichardGrayfortheTwentiethCenturySocietypublication,

Post-WarHouses(2000)givesadescriptionofeachofPenn’snineSuffolkhouses

andanoutlineofhisbiographicaldetails.Butratherthanmakingafilmthat

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replicatesthestoryalreadytoldaboutPennIwantedthearchivefilm,sound

recordingsandthehousetospeakforthemselves.

TheresearchforBeachHousebeganwithsitevisitstoeachofthehouses,

recordinginterviewswithfriendsandcolleaguesofPenn’sandgathering

archivalmaterials.Themetaphonicsrecordingsandfilm,ShingleStreetJohn

Penn1971,werethemostsignificantfindsduringthisperiodofresearch.The

filmandthemusicbothcreatedbyPennhimselfsignpostedthewayformeto

proceed.Initiallylookingatthearchivalfilmtherewasaquestionwhetherto

repeatsomeofPenn’sshotsandtechniquesinmyownfilm,toreplicatethe

framingandcameramovementortousetheblackandwhite/colourdevicethat

heusedbetweentheinteriorandexteriorshots.Imadeexperimentsmovingthe

camerathroughthespaceandreplicatinghiszoommovementsbutsoonrealised

thatmyapproachandintentiondifferedfromPenn’s.Iwantedtoexaminehow

lightworkedinthespaceandhowitcouldbetranslatedonscreenintermsof

thelivedspaceasitisnow,ratherthananidealizedarchitecturalpromiseor

illustrationoffunction.ThefilmIwasmakingdescribedthespacetoexpose

forminfilmandinarchitecture,usingtherepetitionofviewsframedslightly

differently,callingontheviewer’smemorytopiecetogetherthehouseinitspast

andpresentforms.Thereisareflectionandmirroringofthearchivefilminmy

ownfilm;viewsoftheexteriorfromthebeachandsightlinesalongtheaxisofthe

interiorofthehouseareinboththearchivematerialandmyown,buteach

speakofadifferenttime.

ThetitlesofmyfilmBeachHousearesymmetricalasisthehouseitself(inits

originalplan).Bygivingonlythearchitect’sname,dateofbirthanddeath,the

nameofthehouse,thedateofitsconstruction,theoriginofthearchivefilmand

soundrecordingsandmirroringtheseatthefrontandendofthefilm,the

intentionwasfortheaudiencetomaketheconnectionbetweenthehouse,

architectandarchivalmaterialsbothbeforeandafterwatchingthefilm.

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Fig.16ShingleStreetJohnPenn1971b,filmstillshowingplanofBeachHouse

WhenshootingthefilmIbeganinsidelookingoutandthenmovedoutsidethe

houselookingin,startingnotasanobserverfromtheoutsidebutfromthe

positionofaninhabitant,fromtheinside.Thisapproachwasdifferenttotheone

takenat3ChurchWalkwhereIfeltitwasimportanttoreplicatethesenseof

discoveryofthemodernruin.WithBeachHouseIwasinvitedinandcameto

filmingthroughthearchivalmaterialdiscovered,particularlythedrawnplan

above.

Theshotswereframedandpositionedtoaffordviewsthroughthehouseand

editedtogetherinawaysothattheviewercanreconstructthespaceandmake

theconnectionsbetweenitspresentandoriginalstates.Theuseofatripodto

createrepeatedpanningshotsreplicatesanopeningandclosingmovement.

Originallythehousehadfoldingpartitionsthatcouldopenandclose-offpartsof

thespaceaccordingtoneedandwhenopenthehousehadacircularflow.The

panningshotsacrossandaroundthespacemirrorthismovement.Onviewing

thefilmIwasalsomadeawareoftheexactframingofthesea’shorizonwithin

theframeoftheCritallwindows.Movingacrossthehorizon,thepanningshots

containframeswithinframesasthewindowsaredividedwithacentralsection

thatisveryclosetothe16:9aspectratioofthefilmframe.

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Asalreadynoted,Penn’sdrawingofthefloorplanofBeachHouseisreminiscent

ofthecrosshairsandthetitleand‘picturesafe’areasonacameraviewfinder.

Theprecisecameraworkandframingmirroredthisview-findingdrawingand

thehorizontalrectangularframeswithinframesofthewindows.Symmetryand

repetitionwerethentakenasthemesintheeditingprocessandinthe

compositionofthesoundtrack.Inboththefilmandthehouse,thereisminimal

artifice,thereisastrippingawaytoabarelyconstructedfilmandabarely

constructedhousebutthissimplicitygeneratescomplexityinbothcases.

Thefilmismadeupofthreesections;thearchivalfilm,thehouseasitisnowin

itsarchitecturaldetail,space,layoutandthehouseasitisnowaspopulated,

inhabitedspace.Thewaythefilmbecomespopulatedissubtleanddiffersfrom

Penn’sfilmwheretheactionisclearlystaged.Detailsarerevealedquietlysuch

asthenewspaperleftopenonthetable,thecurrentowners,BrucePage,sitting

athisdeskandAnnePage,wipingdownthekitchensurface,makingcoffeeand

observingpassers-bywalkingalongthebeach.

Fig.17EmilyRichardson,BeachHouse,2015b,videostill

Thesoundisalsoanimportantelementinpopulatingthefilm.Aconversation

betweenplaceandpersonthatisarticulatedthroughsoundisevidentinBeach

Houseinthesymmetryandmirroringofinsideandoutsidespacesandinthe

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repetitionofmusicalphrases.Penn’smusicworkswiththeimageineachofthe

threesectionsofthefilminvariousways.Thelengthofnotesandthepaceofthe

musicareinstepwiththepanningshotsacrosstheinteriorandwiththepaceof

theediting.Thepianoconnectswiththechair,itsheavynotesliketheweightof

someonesitting.Theclarinetsignalsthewindinthetreeoutside.Hearingthe

clarinetagaintowardstheendofthefilmthereisanawarenessthatithasbeen

heardearlierwithPenn’soriginalfootage.Thesoundisclearlyfromthesame

periodashisfilmsoithasaghostlyquality–Penn’spresenceisfeltandthe

soundactivatesthespacethroughthispresence.

Converselythepeopleinthefilmactasmodelsorciphers,theirpresencegiving

onlyasenseofscaleandfunction.Theyareinstrumentalonlyindescribingthe

spaceofthehouseasdirectedbythearchitect/filmmaker.Again,asin3Church

Walk,thesoundsuggestspresence.ThedifferenceinsoundbetweenBeach

Houseand3ChurchWalkisthedifferencebetweentheuseofdiegeticandnon-

diegeticsound.Thesoundsourcesin3ChurchWalkareembeddedinthespace

itselfandcomefromthesurfaces,objectsandmaterialsonscreenwhereasin

BeachHousethesoundhasbeenrecordedasmusicandrearrangedtoforma

compositionthatbecomesthesoundtrack.Butinbothcasesthesoundsignifies

presence.

Therearemanyrelationshipsbetweenthegrammaroffilmmakingandthe

grammarofarchitectureinBeachHouse.AsinChristopherAlexander’sAPattern

Language(1977),wheretheelementsofarchitecturearebrokendownintothe

plan,model,form,materials,window,door;filmmakingcanalsobetakenasthe

combinationofelementssuchasthescript,shot,edit,sound,etc.Theseelements

arethencombinedtoproduceaphysicalobjectandasensationforthebody,

whetherahouseorafilm.Thereisaconvergenceoffilmicandarchitectural

languageindescribingmodernarchitecturalspacethroughthelanguageoffilm.

StartingwithasimplefloorplandrawingasPenndoesinthearchivalfilmand

seeingthatincontrasttothecomplexityoftheactualexperienceofbeinginthe

space,thewayasimplestructuregeneratesacomplexexperience,bothinterms

ofthearchitectureandthefilm,becomesapparent.Thereareframeswithin

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framesandafilmwithinafilm.Neartheendofthefilmthereisacuttoashot

almostthesameasthepreviousframebutslightlywider,a‘punch-out’that

completelytransformstheview.Itislikeapuncture,atransformation.

Throughoutthefilmthespaceisconstructedandreconstructedthroughthese

differingframes.

Fig.18EmilyRichardson,BeachHouse,2015c,videostill

ThereisalinkbetweenPenn’sprocessofhanddrawingandmakingathree-

dimensionalmodelofthehouseandtheapproachIhavetakeninmakingmy

film.Howdoesitdifferfromanarchitect’sandfilmmaker’stoolsnow,with

digitalrenderingofbuildings,parametricalgorithmic-basedmodelsin

architectureandthecompositedimageryfoundinbothfilmandarchitecture?

Thereisaparticularwayofconstructingspacethatcomesfromapre-digital

periodofarchitectureandfilmmakingthatIaminterestedinexploringto

determinehowspaceisarticulatedthroughthesefilmmakingpracticesandwhat

resultsfromtheinteractionbetweenarchitecturalspaceanditsfilmic

translation.

InthefollowingchapterIdiscussthisinteractionthroughthefinalfilminthe

trilogy,madeattheSpenderHouseandstudioinEssex,designedbyRichardand

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SuRogers(Team4).ThishousehassimilaritiestoBeachHouseinitssimpleplan

andeastwestglazedaxis,buttheformerisuniqueinthatthehouseandstudio

aresocompletelyintactandremainalmostexactlyastheywerewhenbuiltfor

theartistandphotographerHumphreySpenderin1968.Itisperhapsthemost

simpleofthethreeintermsofplanandtheleastlikeahouse,moreaframefor

lifeasRogersdescribedit,whichmakesitanidealsubjectforthelastfilminthe

series.

98

ChapterSix

Hi-Tech/Lo-Tech,aHouseandStudioforHumphreySpenderSpenderHouse,Ulting,Essex,RichardandSuRogers(Team4),1968

“Ahouseisnotamachinetolivein,”statedEileenGray,inbolddefianceofLe

Corbusier’sfamousdeclaration,“Itistheshellofaman,hisextension,his

release,hisspiritualemanation”(Constant,2007,p.117).

Fig.19EmilyRichardson,SpenderHouseandStudio,2017a,photograph

ArtistandphotographerHumphreySpender(1910–2005)commissioned

RichardandSuRogerstodesignahouseandstudioforhimandhissecondwife,

PaulineSpender,whichwascompletedin1968.Rogers,arecentlygraduated

architect,wasrecommendedtoSpenderwhilstthelatterwasteachingtextilesat

theRoyalCollegeofArtinthe1960s.Thehouse,knownastheSpenderHouse,

builtonaplotoflandthatformedpartofthegardenoftheOldVicarageinUlting,

EssexthatwasSpender’sfamilyhome,wasaprecursortoahousethatRogers

designedthefollowingyearforhisparentsin22Parkside,Wimbledon,which

hasrecentlybeenrestored.23

23 IfirstvisitedParksidein2015whenitwasyettoberestored.Rogers’sonAbRogersandhisfamilyhadlivedthereformanyyears;butthehouse,havingnotsoldontheopenmarket,was

99

Thehouseisasteelframeconstructiononarectangularplan,similarinlayout

andsizetotheJohnPennhouseatShingleStreet.SpenderHouseisglazedfront

andback,setinanorchardwiththestudiobuildingmirroringthehouseacrossa

courtyardgarden.Thestudiohasnowindowsbutalargetriangularglazed

skylightthatallowsbothnorthernandsouthernlighttoenterthebuilding.As

withJohnPenn’sBeachHousetheCalifornianaestheticandinfluenceisclearly

presentinthisbuilding,bothintheplanofthehouseanditsporousnesstothe

gardenandoutdoorlife.Theindustrialyellowsteelbeamsandwhiteplastic-

coatedcorrugatedmetalarereminiscentofashippingcontainerorindustrial

shed,buttheysitcomfortablyinthegreenoftheorchard.Thisislightweight

playfularchitecture,morepopthanaustereminimalism,whichreflectsits

owner,hisaestheticvaluesandcolourfullife.Theuseofcolourinthehouse

emphasizesitspainterlyqualities,particularlywhenlitatcertaintimesofday.

Theorangecurtains,yellowblinds,purpleslidingwallsareallsetagainstthe

greensofthegarden.

Fig.20EmilyRichardson,SpenderHouse,2017b,photograph

handedovertoHarvardincharitabletrusttorestoreforarchitecturestudentstouseasaresearchbaseforaperiodofstudyinLondon.

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SpenderworkedasaMassObservationphotographerinthemid1930s,

photographingworkingpeople’severydaylivesinBolton,creatingmanyimages

thatarenowwellknownexamplesofthedocumentaryrealismthatis

synonymouswiththeMassObservationmovement.MassObservationwas

foundedbyanthropologist,TomHarrisson,whoseaimwastoconduct‘an

anthropologicalsurveyofourselves’tocreateanaccountoftheeverydaylivesof

ordinarypeople(Harrison,citedStanley,n.d.).Thiswasseenas‘thevoiceofthe

people’andalthoughnowitsmethodsofdatacollectionarecriticisedforbeing

unscientificandheavilybiasedandareusedpredominantlyformarketresearch,

atthetimeitgavevoicetopreviouslyunrepresentedsectorsofsocietyand

prefiguredpost-warsocialismandthefoundingoftheNHS.Spenderalso

photographedtheJarrowhungermarchersandworkingclasslifeinEast

London,particularlyinStepneyandWhitechapelinthe1930s.Hewentonto

becomeaphotojournalistforPicturePostandthenchangeddirectioninthe

1950stobecomeatextiledesignerandpainter,teachingTextilesattheRoyal

CollegeofArtfrom1953to1975(sowouldhavebeenteachingthereatthesame

timeasH.T.Cadbury-Brown).

RachelSpender,HumphreySpender’swidow,stilllivesinthehouseandworks

inthestudio,printingphotographsinthedarkroom.Spenderdiedin2005but

hisspiritisstillverypresent.RachelSpenderhasdonemuchtoorganizehis

archive;manyofhisphotographs,artworksandbooksareinsitu.Thehousetoo

ischangedverylittlesinceitwasbuiltandisintactinalmosteverydetailofthe

architect’sdesignandtheinhabitants’lives.Itisauniquecollectionandarchive

kepttogetherinitsoriginallocationbutalsoalivingworkingspace.

InTheArtist’sHouse,FromWorkplacetoArtwork,KirstyBellquestionswhether

thehousecanachievethestatusofanindependentartworkandclaimsofGabriel

Orozco’shouse:24

24Orozco’shousesitsonacliffoverlookingMexico’sPacificOceanandisascalereplicaofoneofthestructuresthatformstheJantarMantarastronomicalobservatorybuiltinDelhiin1724.Thehollowedouthemispherethatwasusedtodeterminethepositionofthesunandstarsbecomesarooftoppoolwiththelivingspacesunderneathit.

101

Throughitsorientationtotheoutsideworldanditsarticulationofphysicalspace,theself-designedbuildingapproachestheconditionofsculpture,invitingthequestionwhetherornotahouseinwhichtolivecanachievethestatusofanindependentworkofart.Inthehouse-as-sculpture,everydayneedsrecedeandthephenomenologicaltakestheirplace.Itisabouttheexperienceofspace,ofinteriorityandexteriorityasconceptstobefeltorseenbyabodymovingbetweenthetwo.Inthissense,itisnotsomuchaplaceasapieceofwork.(Bell,2013,p.203)

Thepastremainspresenthere.Thereisthesenseofabsence,ofaperson

departed,presentthroughtheobjects,booksandtoolsinthestudio,the

darkroomandeveninthefurnishingssuchasthecurtains,whichSpender

installedtotryandkeepsomeoftheheatfromtheoil-burningstovefrom

escapingfromthebuilding.Thenatureoftheplaceistouchedonlybytime,the

gardenissemi-wild.Thehouseretainsalmostallofitsoriginal1960sfeatures

andwhenIvisitedin2016,thestudioarrangementwasmuchthesameasin

picturesIhadseenofitphotographedseveraldecadesearlier.Thepasthasbeen

allowedtoremainvisibleandtheslightlyunkemptnatureofthehouseand

studioisattractive,beguilingandmysterious.Therelationshipoftheartisttohis

homeandstudioisapparentandiskeytounderstandingtheplaceandits

inhabitants.Spender’sphotographsandbooks,thelifethattheysharedisstillin

place.Thereisafeelingofmelancholyandlosspresent,butalossthatis

treasuredratherthangonecompletely.Thisdiffersfromthesenseofmelancholy

presentin3ChurchWalkwhichisnolongerlived-inorcaredforinitssemi-

abandonedstate.Beingabletoseeallthelayersoftimepresentinthe

arrangementofobjectsandfurnitureandintheplantingofthegardenin

SpenderHouse,allowsforareading,inthesensethatGastonBachelard(1994)

talksaboutinThePoeticsofSpace.SpenderHousebecomesanobjectcontaining

narrativeinthesculpturalsense,andperhapsapieceofworkasBell(2013)

describesinthatthenarrativeoftheplaceiscontinuous.

Intermsoforchestrationofdomesticspaceandanalternativeviewofmodern

architecturetheSpenderHouseandstudioismoreconnectedwithhumanist

qualitiesthanaminimalaestheticthatmightbeassociatedwithRogers.This

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reflectsbothSpender’sapproachtophotography(andlife)andcurrenttheories

ofembodiedexperienceofspace.

Fig.21EmilyRichardson,HumphreySpender’sStudio,2017c,photograph

TheSpenderHousecontradictsmanypreconceptionsaboutthemodernist

architectdesignedhouse.Althoughthearchitectureitselfhasthecleanlinesand

minimalistaestheticthatwasofitstime,itisfarfromMiesVanderRohe’sglass

house,Farnsworth.25Thearchitecturehasbecomesodeeplyinhabitedthatitis

nolongerashowroomofmodernideals,moreanexampleofhowthis

architecturesuitsacreativeworkingandlivingspace.Thishousedefiesorder

andneutralityinitsriotofcolour.Thehouse,studioandgardenareastatement

oflifeanditsjoys,ratherthanacleancoldperfectionthatisoftenassociated

withthisperiodofarchitecture.Thisreflectsanaspectofmodernismthatwas

aboutexperimentationandpleasureinmaterials.Ifthekeytomodernist

buildingsliesinspatialrelationships,light,vistasandaconnectionwiththe

exterior,thishouseworksverywell.Thecircularflowissimilartothatofboth3

ChurchWalkandBeachHouse,asistheuseoffloortoceilingwindowsandlong

expansesofglazingthatbringtheexteriorintothebuilding,whichtogetherwith

25 Dr.EdithFarnsworthcommissionedMiesvanderRohetodesignaruralretreatforherin1945.Itwascompletedin1951andalthoughisperhapsthemosticonicofthemodernarchitects’houses,itwasbesetwithproblemsandtheclientfoundittobeun-liveable.

103

aneastwestorientationthisfloodstheinteriorwithlightthroughtheday.Allof

thesefactorscontributetoanatmospherethatiscapturedinmyfilmsandis

instrumentalinthewaythesespacesareinhabited.Thepositioningofseatsin

bothhouseandgardenhighlighttheinterior/exteriorrelationship.AssoonasI

satdownIunderstoodwhyachairorbenchorhammockhadbeenplacedina

particularspot.Itisnottocreateanimageofthefurniture’spositioningwithin

thespacebutrathertocreateanimagefromthepointofviewofthechair.

Strippedbacktothearchitecture,itis,asRachelSpenderdescribesit,simplya

shedoratent.RogershasdescribedParksideandthishouseasnomorethana

frameforlifeandhewasright–itisthelifecontainedwithinitthatexpresses

thephilosophyoflife,notthearchitecture.Itislivingarchitectureasopposedto

iconicarchitecture,philosophyoveraesthetics.Theaestheticiconismere

propaganda.

AtthepointatwhichtheSpenderHouseandParksidewerebuilttherehadbeen

alonghistoryofmodernismthatwaspredominatelyfocusedontheimagethe

buildingprojectedratherthantheexperienceofthebuildingbyitsinhabitants.

Wecanthink,forexample,oftheglasshousesofMiesVanderRohe(1951)and

PhilipJohnson(1949),whichweredesignedtothepointthattheywerealmost

uninhabitable.AsdiscussedinChapterTwo,theinfluenceandimportanceof

architecturalphotographyindisseminatingtheseideasofearlymodernismwas

particularlystronganditisonlyinlatermodernismthatthereisperhapsashift

towardstheexperienceofspaceasopposedtoitsimage,theshiftfromopticto

haptic.

ThinkingaboutRogers’ideaofaframeforlifeandtheaestheticiconledmeto

thinkingabouttheregistrationofanimage,theframe,andhowtherectilinear

formsofthearchitectureIamdescribingareakintothearchitectonicsofthefilm

frame.

Inmodernistarchitectureproportioniscreatedfromrectanglesthatmakeup

spacesandformsand,aswithacameraframinganimagethroughthe

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viewfinder,thegoldenratioisusedtoestablishproportion,depthandharmony.

Inrelationtothefilmordigitalvideoframe(4:3,16:9)thereisanunderlying

geometryinthecompositionthatisrelativetotheproportionsofthe

architecturalspace,notjustinthesensethatthehouseitselfresemblesthe16:9

frameinitselongatedrectilinearformbutalsointhewaythatthearchitectural

spaceisdividedintothirds.Smallstudyspacesorguestbedroomsmakeupone

third,theliving,kitchenandbathroomanotherandthebedroomstheremaining

third.Thewayinwhichthisisalsoreflectedinthefilmwherethecompositionof

imagesisoftenbrokendownintorectilinearareascorrespondingto

architecturaldetails,suchaswindowframesoropenings,affirmstheideaofthe

architectonicfilmframeassetoutabove.

In100IdeasthatChangedArchitecture,RichardWestonremindsusthat

proportionhasbeenakeyideainarchitecturefromthesymmetryofPalladioto

Modernism’suseofFordistmotionstudiestocontemporaryParametric

architecture’suseofbiologicalsystemsandnaturalforms(Weston,2011).The

body,infact,informsallspacesthatwecreate,whetherarchitecturalorfilmic.

Thearticulationofspaceinarchitectureisdependentonthewalltoencloseit

butthedevelopmentofthestructuralframefreedthewallfromitsload-bearing

functionandintroducednewexpressivepossibilities(Weston,2001,p.13).The

frameoftheSpenderHousesupportsglassfrontandbackratherthanhaving

traditionalsolidwalls.Thewallsbecomefree-standingplanesthatdefinebutno

longerfullyenclosethespaceandassuchwerecrucialtoModernism’s

redefinitionofarchitecturalspaceasfluidcontinuum(Weston,2001,p.13).The

continuousfluiditybetweeninteriorandexteriorcanbeexpressedwiththe

glazedstructuralframe.

Infilmtheframeisakeyconceptindefiningtheimage,containingit,inasimilar

waytothestructuralframeofthehouse.Theframeallowsforcompositionof

viewsinbothfilmandarchitecture.Withintheframetherecanbeharmony,

compositionallyorspatially.

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Allthreehouses(SpenderHouse,BeachHouseand3ChurchWalk)areframes

forliving,forviewing,forinhabitation,fortheconstructionofimages.

Perhapsitistheexposureoftheframesofeachofthesehousesthatlend

themselvestoarticulationwiththecamerainthisway.IfIweretomakeafilm

abouta350-year-oldcottageoranothertypeofbuildingsuchasacivicbuilding

wheretheframeisconcealed,windowopeningsarelesssignificantandinterior

flowisthroughcorridorsthetreatmentandapproachwouldbedifferentto

reflectthearchitectureitselfandmyresponsetoit.

Theimagesthatweconstructinaspaceinwhichwelivereflecttime.Awayof

seeingisestablishedthroughawayofdoing,aviewisconstructedthrough

architectureandhabitualroutinesgiveaparticularexperienceorperspectiveon

aspacetocreateparticularviews.Thesecanbedeterminedbythedesignofthe

buildingtoadegree;thewayaspaceissetout,howlightfalls,howtheacoustics

alongwithotherdesignfactorsaretakenintoaccountbythearchitect.Framing

andcompositionofshotsshowperspectivesofthehouse,itsinteriorandsetting,

highlightingobjects,books,furniturearrangements,andcolourandlight,

producingapoeticimageofhowahousecontainsalifelived.

Tracesofalifearepresentineachshotandwhenputtogetherinafilm,makeup

apictureofboththeplaceandthepersonwholivedinit,hencetheideaofa

portraitofaplacethatbecomessignificant.Thatthefilmisdurationalandisnot

asequenceofphotographicmomentsexposesittotemporalunfolding.If3

ChurchWalkisaspatialexplorationthenSpenderHouseisatemporalone,an

explodedportrait,areactivationwherepastandpresentcoexist.

IneachcasethehousesIhavechosenhavebeenlivedinbyanarchitect/artist.

Cadbury-BrownwasanarchitectwhoalsotaughtsculptureattheRoyalCollege

ofArt;Pennwasanarchitect,painter,poetandfilmmakerandSpendertrained

asanarchitectbutworkedasaphotographer,painter,textiledesignerand

teacheroftextiles,alsoattheRoyalCollegeofArt.Eachhousewasbuiltinthe

1960sinarurallocation,whichbringstoattentionideasaboutmodernlifeinthe

60sandhowtolive.Thereisaphilosophytothesehouses,onethatisforward

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looking,innovative,inventiveusingnewmaterialsandtechniquesreflecting

ideasadoptedinarchitecturethroughthepost-warmodernperiod.(Whythis

hasnotbeenadoptedmorewidelyinrurallocationsisanotherquestion,andone

Iwillnothavetimetogointo.)

Thesehousesworkinaruralsettingwiththeuseoffloortoceilingwindowsand

openplansightlines.Interiorandexteriorcombinetogiveafeelingofwarmth

andshelterwhentheweatherclosesin,andafeelingofthegardenbecoming

anotherroom,anextensionofthehouseinwarmerweather.Naturebecomes

partofthearchitecture.

MyfirstthoughtsaboutmakingafilmattheSpenderHouseweretobuildupa

portraitoftheplacethroughatechniqueofvisualcataloguingwiththecamera

thatallowsforconnectionstobemadebetweentheplace,thepersonandthe

archive,whichcanbeexploredthroughanartist’sfilmthatavoidsthetropesofa

bio-picortraditionaldocumentary.Therearemanyrichnarrativesthat

surroundthisplaceandeachobject,bookandimagecontainedwithinthefour

wallsofthehouseandstudiohassignificance,notonlytoHumphreySpender’s

life,butalsoofthoseclosetohim.Torepresentthearchitecture,itsinterior,the

studioanditscontents,itspositioninthelandscapeanditsinhabitants

demonstratesthesignificanceoftheplace.

Colourisanimportantelementinthisfilm,fromthewideroverviewtothe

tighterabstractedframesthatcanbefoundineverycornerandoneverysurface

ofthehouseandstudio.Thismakesitverydifferentto3ChurchWalk,andthe

PennhousewithitsneutraltonessetinapalelandscapeagainsttheNorthSea

andthelowgreyskies.TheSpenderHouselendsitselftobeingmoreplayful,

celebratoryandinsomewaysmuchricheraestheticallyandconceptuallyasso

muchisvisibleonthesurface.ThecamerachoreographyofSpenderHouseisin

theframingofshotsrevealingparticularviews,aspects,colourrelationships,

architecturaldetailsandcompositionsandintherepresentationoftheworking

studio,thearchiveandtheartefact.

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Whatinterestsmeaboutthehouseandstudioistheremainsofapastlife,an

artisticwayoflife,thatwasconnectedtophotography,documentary(inthe

sensethatMassObservationweredocumentinglivesofpeopleandplaces),

paintinganddesign,whethertextiles,collageorthemakingofobjects.Itis

thirteenyearssinceSpender’sdeathandthestudioandhouseremainaliving

archive.

Therelationshipbetweenthearchitectureasastructureorformandthe

inhabitantsofthespacecreateathirdthing,anenvironment,alivedspace,away

oflifeanditisherethatthefilmemerges.AsBell(2013)askswhetherthehouse

canreachthestatusofartwork,inthiscaseperhapsthehouseandstudiocanbe

seenasaninstallationratherthansculpture,anenvironmentthatifitweretobe

dismantledwouldsignaltheendofalifelived.Theinteriorspaceandallit

containsintermsofexperience,therichnessoffamilialrelationships,the

patternsoftheeveryday,thetracesofchanginglivesbecomes,asBachelardsaid,

‘readable’(1994,p.14).Thesetranscendformalspatialdescriptionstobecome

phenomenologicallyactive.Myfilmisawayoftransformingthehousetoan

artwork,framingitassuch.Throughthisprocessthearchitectureactsasaframe

forthelifeitcontains.Movingfromtheexteriortotheinteriorreflectsthisas

onceinsidethesignificanceofobjects,thearchive,thecollectionandthe

arrangementofapersonalspaceasareflectionofalifecomestothefore.

InshootingthefilmIconsideredtheideaofanexplodedview,composinga

varietyofwide,mediumandcloseupshotsofparticularanglesorcompositions

withtheintentionofcuttingthemtogethertogiveasenseofacollaged

perspectiveandasenseofmovementaroundandthroughthespace.This

techniqueissimilartoanimatingaspaceandisacontinuationfromawayof

workingwith16mmsingleframeandtimelapsetechniquesthatIhaveusedin

thepast(Aspect,2004;Block,2005).Theintentionwasthentocuttheexploded

viewschronologicallykeepingeachshotshortinlengthcreatingarhythmtothe

movementinandaroundthespaceandgivingamusicalqualitytotheedited

material,switchingbetweenformats(16mm,HDVideo)addingtothisrhythm.I

thoughttheuseofthesetechniquescouldtranslateanexperienceofmovement

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throughspaceandobservationofspacetofilmbutinfactitdidnot.Itserved

onlyasarepetitionofvisualinformationthatbecameunnecessaryinreadingthe

space.

TheseexplodedviewsrelateddirectlytoSpender’sworkingprocessasanartist

anddesignerinhiscombiningofphotographic,sculpturalandpainterly

approacheswhenmakingwork.Myintentionhadbeentocreateadirectlink

betweenthecollagedmedia,theconstructionofthespaceandthestructureof

thefilm.TestingtheideaofanexplodedviewIworkedwithsmallchanges

betweenshotswherethemainpointoffocusremainedapproximatelyatthe

sameplaceintheframe.Imadepansandzoomswhereshortshotsweretakenat

intervals,surveyingthespace.Myintentionwasthatthiswouldcreatethe

rhythmandpaceofthefilm,butinfactitdistractedfromthereadingofthespace

asinhabitedspaceandbecamenomorethanaformalgimmick.Using

axonometricdrawingtechniquesoriginallyborrowedfromscientificdiagrams

usedinanatomy,wherelayersofthebodyarerevealed,explodedviewsof

architecturecanbedrawnup.Itookthisideaoftheexplodedviewand

experimentedwithitasanapproachtothefilmthatwaslaterabandoned.The

approachItookisdiscussedinmoredetailbelow,afterthebroaderdiscussionin

thefollowingparagraphs.

Inarchitectureorthographicprojectionisusedtorepresentathree-dimensional

buildingintwodimensions,usingplans,sectionsandelevationsaswaysof

describingthree-dimensionalspace.Thisplanarity,thegrammarofrepresenting

athree-dimensionalspaceintwodimensionsissomethingthatfilmdoesvery

effectively.Thinkingaboutthetranslationofthreedimensionstotwo,Irealised

thatthescreenisaplaneinthesamewayastheglazedwallisaplaneandbeing

transparent,allowstheviewertobetransportedthroughit.Alayeringofplanes

cancreatespatialdepth,whetherinarchitecturalorfilmicspace.The

developmentoftheseideasaboutspaceinthepictureplanehadaninfluenceon

thewayarchitectsthoughtaboutdesigningspace.Morerecentlywiththeuseof

computeraideddesignsoftware(CAD)buildingsareseen(andcreatedor

generated)aslayeredcompositionsofdata.Thisallowsfornewarchitectural

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formsandnewdigitalimagestobecreated.Thesoftwaregivesarchitectsthe

abilitytovirtuallyimmerseandtesttheoutcomespriortoandduringthe

processofmaking/building.Parametricarchitectureraisesthequestionhow

muchisstyleembeddedinthesoftware,digitalcodeandgraphicalinterface?

Workingparametrically,doprogrammingdecisionsbecomedesigndecisions?

WithCADandVRmodellingthereisashiftfromthevisualtotheexperientialin

representationsofarchitectureandarchitecturalspace.“Designingforthe

senses–emphasizingtheplayofshadowandlight,pursuingthetactileuseof

materials,andseeinganalmosttheatricalchoreographyofatmosphere”

(Weston,2001,p.180).

Theexperienceofspaceandatmosphereofplace,geniusloci,wasexploredby

thearchaeologistT.C.Lethbridgeinhisunorthodoxscientificwayusing

pendulumdowsingtoshowthewayinwhichinvisibleforcescouldbemade

manifest.Hebelievedenergyrayswereemittedfromobjectsandcouldbe

detectedusingpendulumdowsing.Geniuslocihasbeenakeyconceptinmanyof

myfilmsanditisthisfeelingofaplaceanditslinkstophenomenologythat

formsthebasisforthisresearch.Itisthethreadthatrunsfrompasttopresent.

Now,morethanever,weareabletoexploreourexperienceofspaceandare

lookingforthereassuranceofphysicalmaterialpresenceinanincreasingly

virtualworld.Thisresponsetoenvironmentorcontextisimportantincreatinga

positionforourselvesthatispartofawholeintegratedsystem.Withouttime

andplacewecannotlocateourselves.

Architectureisclearlynotjustanassemblyofelementsofconstruction,asfilmis

notjustanassemblyofshots–asarchitecturecreatesspatialcontinuitysofilm

createstemporalcontinuity.Thesespatialandtemporalcontinuitiescantake

manydifferentformsbutbothareexperiencedintime,whetherwalkingthrough

aspaceorwatchingafilmunfoldonscreen.

Thisprocessandwayofworkinghasdevelopedthroughthetwopreviousfilms

(3ChurchWalk,2014andBeachHouse,2015)beginningwithaperiodof

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researchintoeachhousethatincludedphotographingthearchitectureandits

settingtoestablishpossibleviewpointsthatlaterbecameshotsforthefilm.

SpeakingwithRachelSpenderonmyvisitstotheSpenderHouseoveraperiodof

monthshasbeeninformativeaboutmanyaspectsofthehouse,itsconception,

faultsinitsdesign,HumphreySpender’sdialoguewiththearchitectsandalso

abouthislifeandwork,fortyyearsofwhichtookplacethere.

TheSpenderHouseandstudiowasaprototype,anexperimentinmaterialsand

thereweremanyproblemsindesigningandbuildingahousethathadonly

existedasanidea.Team4haddesignedtheZip-UpHouse(1967-1969,never

built)andtheRelianceControlsfactory(1967),bothofwhichusedsomeofthe

ideasandmaterialsemployedintheSpenderHouseandthenlater,22Parkside,

thehousedesignedforRogers’parents.

ParksideisalmostidenticalinplantotheSpenderHousewithtworectangular

buildingsfacingeachotheracrossacourtyardgarden,althoughParksideis

considerablylargerinscale(257m²).AtParksidethestudiobuildingwas

designedforRichardRogers’motherDadaRogers’potterystudioandshe

workedthereformanyyearsuntilAbRogersconverteditintoanofficeforhis

architecturepractice.Thehousehasthesameyellowsteelframeandisglazed

frontandbackwiththeservicecoreinthecentrebut,ratherthantheplastic

coatedsteel,thewallseithersidewereputtogetherfrominsulatedpanels

similartorefrigeratedlorrypanelsusedatthetime.

TheSpenderHouseandParksidecanbeconsideredintermsofpracticeas

research,testingoutideas,usingmaterialsthathadnotbeenusedinhouse

buildingbefore,pre-emptingthemovefromwettradestodrybuildingusing

prefabricatedpanels,steelandglassasitwascheaperandtooklesstimeto

build.Theyweretrulyexperimentalprototypes.Thenatureoftheexperimentis

thatbothsuccessesandfailuresarelearntfromandprocessesdevelop.Thiscan

beclearlyseeninthesetwohouses.

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RichardRogersusescolourtobreakdownimagesinarchitecturetomakeit

morefun,understandableandmorepopularbutheisalsousingcolourto

underlinerhythminconstruction,withinthewaybuildingsareseen.Rogerswas

notreliantonanimage,ahousedidnothavetolooklikeahouse,itcouldbe

purelyaframework.(Thishaschangedagainrecentlyandnowthereisanover-

relianceontheimageofabuildingwithiconicarchitecture,whichisusedasa

globalstamporbranding.)Rogerswaslookingforarhythmbutnotafixedone,

keepinghisbuildingsadaptablewithflexiblespacesandcomparingthemtofree

jazz.BoththeSpenderHouseandParksidearerhythmicinthewaytheyarelaid

out,parallelandclosetoeachotherliketwonotessoundingoffoneanother.Itis

possibletolookthroughthehousetothestudio.Theyarecloselyconnectedand

thereisacontinuityofdesigninthewaythestructuresmirroreachother,the

studioisbuiltfromthesamematerialsandtakesthesameformandsizeasthe

house.Allthreeofthesearchitects,Cadbury-Brown,PennandRogersthought

abouttheirhousesintermsofmusic,Cadbury-BrowninrelationtoBrittenand

thedance,PenninrelationtoimprovisedmusicandRogersinrelationtothe

musicofJohnColtraneandOrnetteColman.

InitiallyIwasinterestedinParksideasasubjectforafilmasitwasbeing

restoredtoitsoriginallayout.Therewasasensethattheclockwouldbeturned

backandthehousewouldbereturnedtohowithadbeenwhenitwasfirstbuilt.

Butitbecameclearthatbyremovingtheinhabitantsandstrippingawaylayers

ofhistory,Parksidewaschangedfrombeingahousetobeingabuilding.The

tracesthatIneedtoworkwithinafilm,thetracesofalife,inhabitationand

historywereerased.Initsrestorationtheglasswasboardedupsodenyingthe

mostimportantaspectsofthespaceandinthatenclosureitbecameaboxready

forretro-museification.ItwasthenIturnedmyattentiontotheSpenderHouse.

IneditingSpenderHouseIbegantothinkaboutobservation,theeverydayand

howfaritispossibletocreateanon-mediatedimage,usingobservationasa

methodtopresentthingsintime.Observationwiththecameraofsomethingthat

existsinthepresentfollowedbyeditingandanalysisoftheobservedimage

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allowsforareflectionoftimepastandaspeculationonhowthismightaffectthe

future.

OnceIhadabandonedtheideaoftheexplodedview,Icreatedapapereditfrom

thumbnailsofeachindividualcompositiontofindavisualrhythmtotheorderof

shots.IndoingthisIstrippedbacktheedittosimilarlengthstaticcameraangles

tocreateaformalvisualstructuretoworkfrom.Iremovedanyrepetitionand

producedaunifiedstrategyfromwhichtoassembletheedit,whichincluded

workingwithaconsistentdirectionofmovementfromwidetoclose-upand

limitingeachshottoalengthofeightseconds.Thisestablishedthedynamic

betweenthehouseandgardenandbetweentheartwork,coloursandtextures

foundthere.

Thisconsistencyinlengthofshotbutdifferenceinreadingisapparentinthe

contrastbetweenthematerialshotinthehouseandstudio.Parallelsaredrawn

betweenphotography,thephotographerandthearchitecturethroughtheuseof

colour,compositionandreflection.Thefilmisalmostsplitinhalfbetweenthe

houseandstudio.Thefirsthalfofthefilmestablishesthearchitecture,theplace

andasenseofinhabitation.Thesoundisnaturalistic,theemphasisonformal

continuitieswithintheimageandthearchitectureuntilSpender’svoiceis

introduced.Hisvoiceconjuresadistinctpresence.Thedescriptionofhis

experienceoflivinginthehousethathasbeenpresentedwithoutinterruption

fortheprevioussixminutesconnectstheplacewithitsformerinhabitant.This

connectionisreinforcedandbroughttotheforeinthefollowingsectionofthe

filmshotinthestudio.Theshotsarethesame,lockedoffandfairlyequalin

length.Howeverthetoneischangedbytheuseofsound,primarilythecontinued

useofarchiverecordingsofSpender’svoiceusedtodrawattentiontoelements

ofhisworkasaphotographerandartist.Thefilmconcludeswithashortsection

bringingthefocusbacktothearchitectureofthestudioandhouse.Ashotofan

emptychairagainsttheexteriorwallofthestudioisseenhighlightingtheabsent

presenceoftheartistandshotsofthehousefromoutsideseeingintothelit,

inhabitedinteriorgivethishouseitswarmthandshowitsstrengthasa

containerforlife,visuallyandmetaphorically.

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Thesoundtrackbegantoformwithrecordingsofthegarden,houseandstudio

madealongsidelisteningtothearchivalaudiorecordingsofinterviewsmade

withSpenderatthehouse.26ThereweremanytapesofSpendertalkingatlength

onhislife,workandonthebuildingofthehouseandstudio.Listeningtohis

descriptionofworkingwithMassObservationandhisreflectionsonhisown

workandlifehelpedmetorealisethatitwasimportanttoincludehisvoicein

thefilm.AsIhavedemonstratedinthetwopreviousfilms,soundcanemphasise

theabsenceofanactivityorofaperson.Usingthevoiceandsoundscollectedon

locationisawaytoreactivatetheinhabitedspace,particularlywhentheimageis

unpopulatedasitisinthisfilm.

TheSpenderaudiotapesweretwentyyearsoldandvariedwidelyinqualityas

theyhadbeenrecordedforanoralhistoryproject,ratherthanacleanbroadcast

recording.Soundsofthehouse,studioandgardenwerepartiallyaudibleonthe

tapesandIexperimentedwithplayingthembackinthelivingspaceandre-

recordingthem.ThishadtheeffectofbringingSpender’spresencebackintothe

houseinadirectwaybutmeantthattherecordingswerenotalwaysclearly

audible,soIspenttimewithasoundengineertoworkonthevoicetokeepthe

qualityofthearchivalsoundbutmakeitclearlydiscernable.InTheGrainofthe

Voice(1981),RolandBartheswritesaboutthevoiceasgivingpresence,as

performance,whichcanbesomuchmoreemotivethantext,thanwritten

language.ThecadenceofthevoiceismusicalandinSpenderHousecontributes

tothereactivationofthespacethroughanintimateconnectionwiththeperson

wholivedthere.

Asthefilmmovesfromtheexteriorofthehousetotheinteriorthereisashift

fromtheboldstatementofthearchitectureitselftoamoreintimatelookatthe

interiorspaceandhowitisinhabited.Thehouserecedesasthecreative

activitiesthathavetakenplacethere,particularlyinthestudio,cometothefore.

Initiallythearchitecture,theglass,reflections,lightandcolourarticulatean

interior/exteriorrelationship.Butoncethefilmmovesintothestudiowhere

26 TheserecordingswereinterviewsmadefortheBritishLibraryarchivewithGraceRobertsonin1992andconversationsrecordedwithVicGrayin1997/99.

114

therearenowindows,exceptfortheskylightabove,thefocusbecomestheinner

lifeoftheartistandhisstudio.

Thesoundtrackemphasisesthespatialrelationshipsbetweentheshotsandthe

viewer’spositioninrelationtothespace.Thenaturalisticsoundinthefirsthalf

ofthefilmgivesasenseofbeingaloneinthespace,listeningtothesoundsofthe

garden,distanttraffic,thewindinthetrees.Asthefilmmovesfromtheexterior

totheinterior,thesesoundsaremuffledandmoreenclosedaswouldbe

expectedonenteringabuilding.Thissubtlenaturalisticsoundallowstheviewer

toacclimatisetotheplace,tosettleintotheimage.Whenthevoiceisintroduced

itfeelsconversationalanddirectedtowardtheaudience,establishingan

intimacy.

Synchsound,locationrecordingandarchivalinterviewrecordingsdefineeach

sectionofthefilm.Inthedarkroomsequenceatthebeginning,theclose-miked

synchsoundplacestheviewerfirmlyinthespaceofthedarkroom,hearingthe

soundoftheenlarger,timerandsloshingofthechemicalsinthetraysasan

imageofSpenderinhisstudiodevelops.

Theexteriorshotsofthehouseandgardenaremarkedbythesoundofthebirds,

windinthetreesanddistanttrafficfromthenearbyroad.Onenteringthehouse,

thereisanaudioshifttoaquietnessthatgivesasenseofbeingaloneinthespace

untilthissilenceisbrokenbyHumphreySpender’svoice.Hespeaksaboutwhy

helovesthehouseanddescribessomeofthedetailsthattheviewerhasjust

experienced.

AsthecameraentersthestudiothereisashiftinsoundtowardsSpender’s

accountofworkingwithMassObservationandhisownfeelingsabout

photographyandpaintingcontextualisingtheimagesofthedarkroom,studio,

hisnegativerolls,printsandcamera.Theconversationaltonecontinuesashis

photographicprintsfromBolton,theJarrowHungerMarches,theEastEndof

Londonandportraitsofhisbrother,StephenSpender,andfriend,Christopher

Isherwood,amongothersareframedforthecamera.InsightsintoSpender’s

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workingprocessesandtherelationshipbetweenhisshort-sightednessand

paintingareheardalongsideimagesofracksofpaintings,boxesofphotographs,

booksonshelves,toolshangingonthewallanddetailsofartwork.Heremore

texturedsoundsofactivitycanalsobeheardemphasisingtheabsentpresenceof

theartistinhisstudio.Thehumoftheheater,acamerawindandclick,the

arrangementofsteelrules,theshuffleofpapersbeingorganisedgivecontrast

betweentheclosesoundsoftheinteriorwiththemoredistantonesheardinthe

exteriorshots.Theseclosesoundsthattendtogoun-noticedconnectwiththe

body,withactions,thetouchofpaperoranobject.Spendersaysofhisshort-

sightednessanditseffectonhispaintingthatthereisatensionbetweenthe

closelookandthedistantview.Thisisreflectedinthecontrastingperspectives

betweentheclose-mikedinteriorandmoreexpansiveexterior.

Intheeditingprocessthefootagewassplitintodefinedsections:Exteriorhouse,

day;Interiorhouse,day;Exteriorhouse,night;Interiorhouse,night;Exterior

studio;Interiorstudio;Photographs;Flatartwork;Objects;Books.Thesewere

initiallycuttogethertoformalongassembleeditofthirty-sevenminutes.I

workedchronologicallythroughthefootage,usingthesequentiallyshotmaterial

toreflectthewayIhadmovedaroundthespace,focusingonparticulardetailsor

views.Inthiseditavarietyofcuttingtechniqueswereusedrangingfromlocked

offstaticcamerashotslastingbetweenfiveandtensecondstofastcutsequences

whereimageswereputtogetherofafewframeseachcreatinganimatedclips.I

hadaninitialideatocreateexplodedviewsusingsimilarlyframedshotscut

fairlyquicklytogethertomoveinandoutofthespace,buthavingputtheshots

togetherinthiswayIfeltthatitwasanunnecessarydevice.Therepetitionof

slightlydifferingviewsdidnotworkinthesamewayasithadinBeachHouse

whereitbecameawayofarticulatingthespace.SpenderHouserequireda

differentmethodandbysubsequentlyre-editingthefootageandkeepingeach

shotthesamelength(eightseconds)Icreatedarhythmandstructure.Thisgave

thefilmasimplicityandtempothatconnectedwiththeideasaboutobservation

thatSpenderandothershadusedintheMassObservationproject.Oras

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ChristopherIsherwoodfamouslywrote,“Iamacamerawithitsshutteropen,

quitepassive,recording,notthinking”27(Isherwood,1989,p.13).

Whathappenswhenthecameraisgivenagencyinthisway?Thepointofview

becomesthepointofviewofthespaceitself,ratherthanthatofapersoninthe

space,unlikein3ChurchWalkwherethereisclearlysomeonebehindthe

cameraandthefilmisconnectingwiththebody’sencounterwiththespace.In

thisfilmthecameraisstaticand,unlikeBeachHousewherethespaceis

reconstructedthroughthearchivalfootageandtherepetitionofslightlydiffering

frames,isofferingapassiverecordingofthehouseandstudioatdifferenttimes

ofdayandnight.InthiswaytheimagecanbereadinthewayBachelard

describesinThePoeticsofSpace(1994).Thereistimetoabsorbeachimage,to

lookatdetail,colour,objects,architecture,books,photographsandartwork

presentedonscreenandconstructanarrativefromthisreadingaboutthehouse,

itsinhabitantsandtheirlives.

Thisbringsmebacktothequoteatthebeginningofthischapterthatisalsoat

thebeginningofthefilm,“Ahouseisnotamachinetolivein,”statedEileenGray,

inbolddefianceofLeCorbusier’sfamousdeclaration,“Itistheshellofaman,his

extension,hisrelease,hisspiritualemanation.”AndasRogersdescribedthe

houseasaframeforlife,sothestructuringdeviceofthefilmisaframeonwhich

tohangthenarrativeoranencounterwiththespace.

27FromGoodbyetoBerlin,ChristopherIsherwood’saccountofinterwar1930sBerlin.

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ConclusionTheconclusionofthisthesistiestogetherworksandideasdiscussedtoreflecton

howthesefilmsareabletogobeyondafunctionaldescriptionofarchitectureto

communicateaspecificreadingofspacethroughthecombinationofmoving

imageandsound.Ihavedrawnconclusionsonhowthesefilmsarticulatethe

particularnarrativesofeachofthehousesandhowthepoeticimage(asopposed

tothevirtualimageorarchitecturalphotograph)canopenupnewreadingsof

architecturalspaces.Thewaysinwhichthisgeneratesnewknowledgeabout

eachofthehousesthroughanartworkiselaborated.Spatial,sonicandtemporal

structuresoperatingwithinartists’film,asopposedtoconventionalnarrative

filmmaking,areproventobehighlyeffectiveintranslatingtheatmosphereand

livedexperienceofplace.

Throughmypracticeandthethreefilmsmade,Ihaveexaminedhowthecamera

andsoundactivateandreactivatespace.Togethersoundandimagehavethe

abilitytodefineplaceandthehumanqualitiesofarchitecturalspaceby

translatingandenablingembodiedqualitiesofexperiencetofilm.Ratherthan

simplycreatinganinstrumentalarchitecturalsimulation,thesefilmsexpanda

representationofamomentintimeofeachofthehousestheydepict.

Observationoftheeverydaycanbeusedtoshowthingsintimethroughthe

mediumoffilm.Amethodofobservationwiththecamerathatexistsinthe

presentisthenfollowedbyanalysisoftheobservation.Lookingattimepast,this

analysisconcludeswithaspeculationonhowtheseobservationscancontribute

toanewinterpretationofthespaceobserved.

Bysupplementingcameraobservationsofparticularspaceswithsoundandtext,

Ihavedevelopedwaystocreatefilmsthatexistasanencounterwitheachofthe

houses.ThroughthedetailedportraitsthatIhaveproduced,andtheanalysisof

thewritingsofGastonBachelard,GiulianaBruno,JuhaniPallassmaaandLauraU.

Marks,withthecasestudiesofworksbyElizabethPrice,JohnSmith,ManRay

andHeinzEmigholz,Ihavefocusedonthelivedexperienceofarchitecture,

ratherthananaestheticappreciationorfunctionaldescription.Eachofthe

118

housesIhaveexaminedcontainshiddennarrativesbeliedbytheirsimple

structures.Eachfilmtellsastoryofculturallyconnected,unconventionallives

lived.Eachstructurecouldbecomparedtoanartworkmadetohouseartistic

lives.Whileeachissignificantforitsarchitecturalhistory,equallysignificantare

thebiographiesoftheirarchitects/owners.

StartingwithH.T.Cadbury-Brown’s3ChurchWalk,Ibegantoexplorethe

possibilitiesoftranslatinganexperienceofanarchitecturalspacetofilm.

Workingwithahand-heldembodiedcameraandsoundgeneratedbyobjects,

surfacesandmaterialsofthehouse,Icreatedapieceofworkthatwasadirect

responsetohistoricalresearch,aphysicalencounterwiththespaceandasonic

explorationofitsinteriorfeatures.ThroughmakingthisfilmIbecameinterested

inhowmyresponsetoaparticularplacewasinstrumentalintheoutcome,and

howthisparticularperiodofarchitecture,thelatemodernhouseofthe1960s,

couldbearticulatedthroughfilmmakingpractices.MyworkdevelopedinBeach

Housetoincludeamoreexplicithistoricalreferenceintheuseoffootageand

soundgeneratedbythearchitecthimself.Moresothan3ChurchWalk,formal

aspectsoffilmmakingcombinedwiththisarchivalmaterialactivatedadialogue

betweenpastandpresent.Throughouttheprojectmypracticehasledthe

developmentofthewriting,whichisfedbythehistoricalandtheoretical

research.Inthemakingofthethirdandfinalfilmoftheseries,thehistorical,

formalandtheoreticalaspectssynthesisedanexperienceoftheplacethat

capturestherelationshipsbetweenfilmicandarchitecturalspaceandthelayers

ofhistorypresentinboththearchitectureandthelivedexperienceofHumphrey

andRachelSpender’shouseandstudio.

Defininghowtheintentionofthefilmmaker,whethermyselforthoseofthecase

studyfilmsdiscussed,isinstrumentalinarticulatingarchitecturalspaceshas

beenkeytounderstandinghowalivedexperienceofspacecanbecreated

throughimageandsound.Thechoiceofarchitects’prototypehousesofthe

1960s,innovativeintheirdesignanduseofmaterials,allwithsimpleplan,

circularflowandastrongrelationshiptotheirenvironment,gavemethe

119

opportunitytoexploretheirhistoricalandculturalresonanceinawaythathas

allowedfornewreadingsoftheseparticularbuildingstobegenerated.

3ChurchWalkwascapturedatamomentinitshistorythathasnowpassedas

thehousehasbeenfullyrestoredandisinhabitedagain.BeachHousebroughtto

lighttheworkofalittle-knownarchitectandcombinedelementsofhispractice

thathadnotbeenseentogetherbefore.SpenderHousehasbeenoverlookedand

neglectedinthehistoryofhigh-techarchitectureashighlightedbyitsomission

fromanexhibition,Superstructures:TheNewArchitecture1960-1990thatwas

reassessinghigh-techattheSainsburyCentreforVisualArtsinNorwichin2018,

andfromRogersStirkHarbourandPartnerslistofprojectsontheirwebsite.

ThroughmyresearchIfoundthisomissionrepeatedlywithParksidebeingcited

asauniquecontributiontohigh-techdomesticarchitectureintheUKandlittle

mentionofthestrikinglysimilarandearlierhousebuiltforSpender.Spender

Houseprovidesarecordofthissignificantplaceandwillbeshowninrelevant

exhibitionsandscreenings,addingtoitshistoryandpotentialfuture

reassessment.SpenderHousecouldhavelong-termeffectsinbringingSpender’s

archivetoattention.TheTateareinterestedinacquiringhisvintage

photographicprintsfromthe1930s.Bringinganewawarenessofthehouseand

studiocouldleadtoareappraisalofitssignificanceinthisperiodofarchitectural

history.

Thisresearchisrelevanttocurrentpracticesinfilmmakingasideascirculating

aroundarchitecture,spaceandplaceareonesthatcontinuetobeexploredby

filmmakersandartists.Thesubjectofhome,housing,whereandhowtoliveare

onesthatwillcontinuetoberelevant.Homeisalivedarchitecturalspacebut

clearlyisalsosomuchmore.Creatingfilmedartefactsofthesespacescanserve

ashistoricaldocumentsbuttheirartisticinterpretationremindsusofthe

importanceofcreativespacesandarchitecturalexperimentation.Thestructures

themselvesrepresentanintenseperiodofexperimentationwiththeveryideaof

whatitistobeahouseandrepresentautopianvisionoftheartist’sretreat.Each

houseisaremote,privatezoneofcreativity,self-containedandconnectedtothe

rurallandscaperatherthanmetropolitanlife.Theycouldbeseenasvirtual

120

environmentsintheirmodelledromanticlocationsfortheartist’slife.Thefilms

havereactivatedtheseplacesthatarelosttoarchitecturalhistory.

Thisthesishasshownabalanceinapproachbetweenthehistorical,theoretical

andformalaspectsoffilmmaking.Byfocusingonthreehousesbuiltinasmall

geographicalareawithinaparticularhistoricalperiod,examiningthemthrough

themediumoffilmandmakingcomparativecasestudiesofotherartists’films,I

havedemonstratedhowthisapproachhasgeneratedtheworksproduced.Each

ofthehouseschosenhasbeentreatedinawaythatisuniquetomyexperience

ofthatparticularplace,itshistory,itsspace,itssound,itsatmosphere,the

biographiesofitsinhabitantsandthearchitectsthatbuiltit.Asartworksthat

haveemergedfrommyencounterwiththesespacesataparticularmomentin

time,Ihavegeneratednewknowledgebeyondtheexistingarchitectural

narratives.

Thisthesisexpandsoneachofthefilmsmadeandhasbeenusedtoelaborate

howanintuitivewayofworkinghasdevelopedthroughaknowledgeofthe

historical,theoreticalandformalaspectsoffilmmaking.Theinterplayofthese

elementsledmetoanarticulationofspaceonfilmthatis,inthewaythat

Pallassmaadescribes,apoeticimage.Thispoeticimagecanaddtothe

knowledgeabouteachindividualhouse,whichinturnthickensthehistoryof

eachofthebuildings.Film’sabilitytocommunicatealivedexperienceofspace

foranaudiencehasbeenusedheretolookattheintersectionbetweenartists’

film,architectureandart.

Thismethodologycouldbeappliednotonlynarrowlytothisparticularperiodof

modernarchitecturebutmorewidelytounderstandlivedspacesofallkinds.By

revealinghowourphysicalenvironmentshapesthewaywelive,itmighthelp

furtherunderstandingoftheimportanceofthehouse,notonlyasan

architecturalspacebutashome,asanextensionofourselvesthatlocatesusin

time.

121

Shouldthisresearchbeextendedfurtherimportantworkcouldbeachievedby

exploitingthesoftwarepackagesusedtocreatearchitecturalimageryand

modelstoexplorehowembodiedexperienceofspacecouldberepresented.This,

inturn,couldbeusedtoalterthedesignofthesespacesandfeedbacktothe

softwaretoexploreothermodesofinteractioninthefilmicandarchitectural

worlds.CurrentdevelopmentsinVirtualReality(VR)andArtificialIntelligence

(AI)suggestanalmostwholesaleepistemologicalshiftintherelationship

betweenhumansandtheirphysicalenvironmentandmatterwithwideranging

andfarreachingimplications.

Thisresearchalsoraisesaquestionabouthow,nowthatwecarrythecamera,

thesoundrecordingdeviceandthescreenwithuspermanently,Bruno’sideaof

thevoyageurtakesonnewmeaningandbecomesevenmorerelevant.Theway

ourrelationshiptothemovingimageischangingthroughrapidadvancesin

technologycouldbeexploredtoseehowthisporous,genuinelyembodied

image/soundconnectionisabletocommunicateourexperienceoflivedspace.

Fiftyyearson,thethreehousesexaminedhererepresentgenerationalshifts

towardsideasaboutarchitecturalspace,fromH.T.Cadbury-Brown’sFestivalof

BritaineraofpicturesquemodernismtoJohnPenn’sunlikelymarriageof

CalifornianidealswiththeSuffolklandscapetoRichardandSuRogers’younger

generationalviewtoafutureofhi-techbuilding.

Newreadingsofeachofthesehouseshavebeencreatedthroughthefilmsmade,

andwhichareexaminedfurtherinthisthesis.WithSpenderHouseIhave

broughttoattentionakeypieceofthestoryofmodernarchitecturethathas

beenoverlookedandneglectedintheofficialarchitecturalnarrative.Humphrey

Spender’sarchive,whichisasyetun-documented,hasalsobeenpartially

examinedinthefilm.Allthreehouseswerepreviouslyundocumentedonfilmso

Ihavecontributeduniquerecordsofeachoneatparticularmomentsintime,

addingtothenarrativeoftheirhistories.

122

Mymethodhasbeenshowntobeeffectiveintranslatinganexperienceofspace

tofilm.MyresultsarespecifictothesemethodsandIhavecontributedthree

filmstothecanonofartists’filmandmovingimageworksonthesubject.

Themovingimagecamera,asawitnessandarchitectoftheimageofmodernity,

isuniquelyplacedtorenderthesedivergentmomentsofBritishmodernismat

thecuspofapluralisticglobalisedworld.ThemovetowardsVRandAI

technologiesandthesubsequentshiftsinarchitecturaltechnologiesmeanthat

perhapstheseimagingtechnologiesarebestusedtorenderthenew

architecturalpossibilitiesemerginginthetwentyfirstcentury.Thearticulation

ofourencounterwiththingsintheworldiscontinuallyexpressedthrougha

poeticartisticresponsethroughthetechnologiesofourtime.Thehaptic

technologiesthatarecurrentlybeingdevelopedwillundoubtedlybecome

availableastoolsforartisticexpression.Butultimatelyitiswe,inourphysical

bodies,whoholdthekeytoourexperienceofthespacesweinhabit.Whilefilm

cannotreplicatebodilyexperience,itcancreatesomethingthataddstoour

experienceofspaceandgoessomewaytobridgingthegapbetweenabodily

experienceofspaceanditsfilmicrendering.

123

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Filmography

HotelMonterey,1972.[film]DirectedbyChantalAkerman.USA:Chant.LaChambre,1972.[film]DirectedbyChantalAkerman.USA:ParadiseFilms.NewsFromHome,1977.DirectedbyChantalAkerman.USA:ParadiseFilms.LosAngelesPlaysItself,2003.[film]DirectedbyThomAnderson.USA:ThomAndersonProductions.ZabriskiePoint,1970.[film]DirectedbyMichelangeloAntonioni.USA/Italy:MGM.CaliforniaTrilogy,2002.[film]DirectedbyJamesBenning.USA:JamesBenning.IntheEyeoftheBeholderc.1973.[film]DirectedbyJohnChittock.UK:BisonFilmUnit[online]Availableat:<http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/218476>[Accessed17October2013].ModernTimes,1936.[film]DirectedbyCharlieChaplin.USA:CharlesChaplinProductions.Eames:TheArchitect&ThePainter,2011.[film]DirectedbyJasonandJerseyCohn.USA:QuestProductions.MaisondeVerre,2004.[film]DirectedbyRichardCopanandStanNeumann.France[online]Availableat:<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjfJrJ43Ng4>[Accessed3May2014].Façade,2009.DirectedbyPhilCoy.UK:FilmLondon/theArtist.AllWatchedOverbyMachinesofLovingGrace,2011.[TVProgramme]BBC2,2011.Boots,2004.[film]DirectedbyTacitaDean.UK:MadebytheArtist.BubbleHouse,1999.[film]DirectedbyTacitaDean.UK:MadebytheArtist.MichaelHamburger,2007.[film]DirectedbyTacitaDean.UK:MadebytheArtist.NeueMuseum,2011.[film]DirectedbyEllardandJohnstone.UK:MadebytheArtists.ThingsToCome,2011.[film]DirectedbyEllardandJohnstone.UK:MadebytheArtists.

131

Schindler’sHouses,2006-07.[film]DirectedbyHeinzEmigholz.Germany/Austria:MadebytheArtist.AHouseinCapMartin,2007.[film]DirectedbyLauraGannon.UK:MadebytheArtist.SilverHouse,2015.[film]DirectedbyLauraGannon.UK:MadebytheArtist.SereneVelocity,1970.[film]DirectedbyErnieGehr.USA:MadebytheArtist.SideWalkShuttle,1991.[film]DirectedbyErnieGehr.USA:MadebytheArtist.Tiger’sMind,2012.[film]DirectedbyBeatriceGibson.UK:TheShowroom/CAC.LeMepris,1963.[film]DirectedbyJean-LucGoddard.France:RomeParisFilms.AViewofBishopsfield,Harlow,Essex.1969.[film]DirectedbyHarlowCineClubUK[online]Availableat:<http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/253>[Accessed8April2014].TheLodger,1927.[film]DirectedbyAlfredHitchcock.UK:GainsboroughPictures.RearWindow,1954.[film]DirectedbyAlfredHitchcock.USA:AlfredJ.HitchcockProductions.Exhibition,2013.[film]DirectedbyJohannaHogg.UK:BFI/BBCFilms.ShockoftheNew,1980.[TVprogramme]BBC,24October1982.FamilyPortrait(forTheFestivalBritain),1950.[film]DirectedbyHumphreyJennings.UK:WessexFilmProductions.DilapidatedDwelling,2000.[film]DirectedbyPatrickKeiller.UK:IlluminationsFilms.Robinsontrilogy,1990–2012.[film]DirectedbyPatrickKeiller.UK:BFIProductions.Metropolis,1927.[film]DirectedbyFritzLang.USA:UFA.LaJetée,1962.[film]DirectedbyChrisMarker.France:ArgosFilms/RTF.SansSoleil,1983.[film]DirectedbyChrisMarker.France:ArgosFilms.CubaSi!1961.[film]DirectedbyChrisMarker.France:PierreBraunberger/FilmsdelaPleiade.

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Interiors,2006.[film]DirectedbyUrsulaMayer.UK:MadebytheArtist.Bunkers,BrutalismandBloodymindedness:ConcretePoetry.[TVprogramme]BBC4,2014LightPlay,Black,White,Grey,1930.[film]DirectedbyLászlóMoholy-Nagy.Germany:MadebytheArtist.PointsonaLine,2010.[film]DirectedbySarahMorris.USA:MadebytheArtist.ShingleStreetJohnPenn1971.1971.DirectedbyJohnPenn.UK:MadebytheArtist.TheHouseofMrX,2007.[film]DirectedbyElizabethPrice.UK:MadebytheArtist.AboutNowMMX,2010.[film]DirectedbyWilliamRaban.UK:BowVisions.LesMysteresduChateaudeDe,1929.[film]DirectedbyManRay.France:MadebytheArtist.Aspect,2004.[film]DirectedbyEmilyRichardson.UK:MadebytheArtist.Block,2005.[film]DirectedbyEmilyRichardson.UK:MadebytheArtist.Blight,1996.[film]DirectedbyJohnSmith.UK:AirtightFilms/BBC/ArtsCouncil.HomeSuite1993-94.[film]DirectedbyJohnSmith.UK:MadebytheArtist.UneVilleaChandigarh,1995.[film]DirectedbylainTannerandJohnBerger.Switzerland:SwissFilms.TheModernBabylon,2012.[film]DirectedbyJulienTemple.UK:BFI/BBCFilms.LaMaisondeVerre,1970.[film]DirectedbyRobertVickery.UK:MadebytheArtist.StasiCity,1997.[film]DirectedbyJaneandLouiseWilson.UK:MadebytheArtists.

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IllustrationSources

Fig.1 Moholy-Nagy,L.,1930.LightPlay:Black,White,Grey.[film]Availableat:<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0x730uP2yI>[AssessedNovember7,2017].

Fig.2 Hervé,L.,1955.HighCourtofJustice,Chandigarh,India.

[photograph]Availableat:<https://theredlist.com/media/ database/photography/history/architecture-materials/lucien-herve/008_lucien-herve_theredlist.jpg>[AccessedNovember7,2017].

Hervé,L.,1945.EiffelTower,Paris,France.[photograph]Available

at:<https://theredlist.com/media/database/photography/history/architecture-materials/lucien-herve/008_lucien-herve_theredlist.jpg>[AccessedNovember7,2017].

Fig.3 Richardson,E.,2104.3ChurchWalk.[film](Artist’sown

collection).Fig.4 Chareau,P.,1932.MaisondeVerre.[Photograph]Availableat:

http://www.catview.com.br/2013/03/31/maison-de-verre-pierre-chareau1932/[AccessedNovember7,2017].

Fig.5 Ray,M.,1929.VillaNoaillesinLesMystèresduChâteaudeDé,Man

Ray.[film]Availableat:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6bSygUuU9o[AccessedNovember7,2017].

Fig.6 Smith,J.HomeSuite,1993-94,[film]Availableat:

<https://vimeo.com/74522426>[AccessedNovember7,2017].

Fig.7 Price,E.,2007.TheHouseofMrX[film]Availableat:

<http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/artists-film-intenational-elizabeth-price/>[AccessedNovember7,2017].

Fig.8 Emigholz,H.,2007.Schindler’sHouses.[film]Availableat:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGdvqjVdgQ>[AccessedNovember7,2017].

Fig.9 Richardson,E.,2014a.3ChurchWalk.[film](Artist’sown

collection). Fig.10 Richardson,E.,2014b.3ChurchWalk.[film](Artist’sown

collection).

134

Fig.11 Richardson,E.,2014c.3ChurchWalk.[film](Artist’sowncollection).

Fig.12 Richardson,E.,2014d.3ChurchWalk.[film](Artist’sown

collection). Fig.13 Richardson,E.,2014e.3ChurchWalk.[film](Artist’sown

collection). Fig.14 Richardson,E.,2015a.BeachHouse.[film](Artist’sowncollection). Fig.15 Penn,J.,1971a.ShingleStreetJohnPenn1971.[film].(Framegrab,

Artist’sowncollection). Fig.16 Penn,J.,1971b.ShingleStreetJohnPenn1971stillshowingplanof

BeachHouse[film](Framegrab,Artist’sowncollection).Fig.17 Richardson,E.,2015b.BeachHouse.[film](Artistsowncollection). Fig.18 Richardson,E.,2015c.BeachHouse.[film](Artistsowncollection). Fig.19 Richardson,E.,2017a.SpenderHouseandStudio,[photograph]

(Artistsowncollection).Fig.20 Richardson,E.,2017b.SpenderHouse.[photograph](Artistsown

collection). Fig.21 Richardson,E.,2017c.HumphreySpender’sStudio.[photograph]

(Artistsowncollection)

135

136