WAKIL_RIGEL_222_EX1.1A

From Object to Field:

A field is made up of the sum of its parts. Allen writes, the “overall shape and extent are highly fluid and less important than the internal relationships of parts, which determine the behavior of the field” (92). Each internal component and the relationships amongst those components are critical to the outcome and characteristics of a field.

Geometric vs. Algebraic Combination:

Alberti’s axiom “beauty is the consonance of the parts such that nothing can be added or taken away” emphasizes the need for balance. When the combination of algebraic and geometric traits are meticulously calculated, this creates a harmonious and appealing experience. 

Walking out of Cubism:

As minimalism emerged in the sixties, Allen wrote that “the construction of meaning was displaced from the object itself to the spatial field between the viewer and the object: a fluid zone of perpetual interference, populated by moving bodies” (95). This shift of intensifying the space creates an increased opportunity for a variety of interaction amongst people, but also between people and the emphasized object. 

Thick 2D: Moires, mats:

The moire effect in a horizontal plane, particularly in a city, creates a “thickening and intensification of experience at specified moments within the extended field of the city” (98). The combination of fields establishes a contrast between different fields, creating a hierarchy that deprioritizes the single layers while emphasizing the overlapping fields. 

Flocks, Schools, Swarms, Crowds:

The flocking behavior exhibited by groups of animals all follow similar rules that are broad enough to avoid obstacles. Allen writes, “because rules are defined locally, obstructions are not catastrophic to the whole. Variations and obstacles in the environment are accommodated by fluid adjustment” (99). The broad, not specific, guidelines each individual follows allows for flexibility to occur within the entire system, yet preserves the unity of the flock.