architecture, context, and fitting in

Earlier I documented some little dandies that I.M. Pei said in his movie that seemed particularly useful. One had to do with creating great art. And he said that the time and place must make sense. The artwork must fit in and capture the moment fundamentally. And in achieving that, the art will approach a certain essence and that's what gives it a quality of greatness.

So what does that mean for me when I'm just doodling on a legal pad? I think I need some context. I need to imagine a scene and then play it out. Is this doodle building going to sit on the edge of a cliff? Will it be hidden among aspens? By a creek or river? Will it be between two multistory apartments?

And that already suggests a reality or moment. Now the art can fit and capture the moment, it can express the essence of the location. It can attempt to enhance the area and then it can achieve some level of quality.

I am not positive that anyone reads this blog, but I'd really like anyone who does to find a picture and post it as a comment. I'll attempt to sketch and model some kind of house to sit in your picture and we'll see what happens.

For example, the Molokai sea cliffs pictured above could be a good exercise. They're the highest in the world!