Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Interview
Name: Clarence Elmo Wilson
Country of Birth: Trinidad
Age: 50
Gender: male
Marital Status: Married to Leslie Wilson
How old were you when you came to America? 20
How did you travel to the US? On a plane.
Who did you travel here with? My mother and brother Robert. (age 19)
What made you want to come here? I read books and learned about other places, I wanted a change of pace, wanted to see the world, get off the island. Also, to live near my mother.
Where was the first place you lived in America? Cleveland, Ohio
How old was your mother when she came? 34...she was there 10 years before my brother and I came, she flew down to Trinidad to get us.
What was life like in Trinidad? There was only 2 seasons; a rainy season and a dry season, I only wore shoes sometimes.
What did you do as a child? Made kites and flew kites, had kite wars in the sky. They were kites that you could move around by pulling on the strings.
Are there any traditions or customs specific to Trinidad that you have either abandoned or held on to since coming to America? Always held on to the music…I loved the music. Calypso and Soca. Love for the island. Fresh food…juice, fruits, vegetables, meat. Island cuisine.
How was life different once you got to America? The seasons, in Trinidad there are only 2 seasons, and America there are 4. When we got here it was cold. The way people interact with you is different, people in Trinidad are friendly. People say hi as they walk by. In America everyone minds their own business. You don’t see as many old people in America.
What activities did you do with your friends? In Trinidad we got together and played soccer, or rode bikes, went to the beach together. In America, kids hang out but they do some different activities like going to the mall. I always liked to paint and draw.
What was your first job? Welding when I was fifteen, and I worked for my dad who was a plumber, for five years. I finished school at age fourteen in Trinidad.
What made you want to join the Army? I needed something with a steady paycheck and my brother was already in the army and said it was ok so I decided to join.
How was your experience in the Army as an immigrant? People didn’t treat me much different because there were a lot of other people from different ethnic backgrounds and from Trinidad and other islands.
Did marrying an American help you assimilate? Yes, she helped me assimilate to American culture; she brought out the warmer more considerate side of American culture.
What was the hardest part about coming here? Adapting to the changes, everything in America requires you to go to school and become certified to do a certain job. Being black in America, without that piece of paper was difficult. In Trinidad it is predominantly black people and it is a melting pot, everyone gets along.
What did you do to assimilate yourself? Reading about American history and war history. To be in the army you had to know about different leaderships and to do that you had to read books. Also, interacting with American people everyday.
How have your experiences as an immigrant affected your life? It gave me a foundation, a belief system, a value system. I value family and education.
What are your plans for the future? Complete my certification for special-education. Get a master’s degree in psychology and my ultimate goal is to teach psychology at a college level.
Do you still have family in Trinidad? My brother, aunts, uncles and cousins, nieces and nephews.
Country of Birth: Trinidad
Age: 50
Gender: male
Marital Status: Married to Leslie Wilson
How old were you when you came to America? 20
How did you travel to the US? On a plane.
Who did you travel here with? My mother and brother Robert. (age 19)
What made you want to come here? I read books and learned about other places, I wanted a change of pace, wanted to see the world, get off the island. Also, to live near my mother.
Where was the first place you lived in America? Cleveland, Ohio
How old was your mother when she came? 34...she was there 10 years before my brother and I came, she flew down to Trinidad to get us.
What was life like in Trinidad? There was only 2 seasons; a rainy season and a dry season, I only wore shoes sometimes.
What did you do as a child? Made kites and flew kites, had kite wars in the sky. They were kites that you could move around by pulling on the strings.
Are there any traditions or customs specific to Trinidad that you have either abandoned or held on to since coming to America? Always held on to the music…I loved the music. Calypso and Soca. Love for the island. Fresh food…juice, fruits, vegetables, meat. Island cuisine.
How was life different once you got to America? The seasons, in Trinidad there are only 2 seasons, and America there are 4. When we got here it was cold. The way people interact with you is different, people in Trinidad are friendly. People say hi as they walk by. In America everyone minds their own business. You don’t see as many old people in America.
What activities did you do with your friends? In Trinidad we got together and played soccer, or rode bikes, went to the beach together. In America, kids hang out but they do some different activities like going to the mall. I always liked to paint and draw.
What was your first job? Welding when I was fifteen, and I worked for my dad who was a plumber, for five years. I finished school at age fourteen in Trinidad.
What made you want to join the Army? I needed something with a steady paycheck and my brother was already in the army and said it was ok so I decided to join.
How was your experience in the Army as an immigrant? People didn’t treat me much different because there were a lot of other people from different ethnic backgrounds and from Trinidad and other islands.
Did marrying an American help you assimilate? Yes, she helped me assimilate to American culture; she brought out the warmer more considerate side of American culture.
What was the hardest part about coming here? Adapting to the changes, everything in America requires you to go to school and become certified to do a certain job. Being black in America, without that piece of paper was difficult. In Trinidad it is predominantly black people and it is a melting pot, everyone gets along.
What did you do to assimilate yourself? Reading about American history and war history. To be in the army you had to know about different leaderships and to do that you had to read books. Also, interacting with American people everyday.
How have your experiences as an immigrant affected your life? It gave me a foundation, a belief system, a value system. I value family and education.
What are your plans for the future? Complete my certification for special-education. Get a master’s degree in psychology and my ultimate goal is to teach psychology at a college level.
Do you still have family in Trinidad? My brother, aunts, uncles and cousins, nieces and nephews.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Program for My Sister's House: The Suites
Communal Areas:
Kitchen
-sink
-counterspace
-dishwasher
-refridgerator
Dining
-table
-chairs
-high chairs
Living
-couches
-side tables
-coffee tables
-entertainment center
-TV
Suites
Bedrooms
-Bed
-desk
-wardrobe
-crib
-shelving unit
Bathrooms
-tub/shower
-sink
-mirror/medicine cabinet
-toilet
-storage
Kitchen
-sink
-counterspace
-dishwasher
-refridgerator
Dining
-table
-chairs
-high chairs
Living
-couches
-side tables
-coffee tables
-entertainment center
-TV
Suites
Bedrooms
-Bed
-desk
-wardrobe
-crib
-shelving unit
Bathrooms
-tub/shower
-sink
-mirror/medicine cabinet
-toilet
-storage
Intent Narrative for Phase 3 of My Sister's House
My inspiration for this phase of our project comes from an effort in Helsinki to beautify construction area around the city. Through the use of applied texture as well as the juxtaposition of color, I will execute the creation of an atmosphere that will help to facilitate the transition from child to adult.
Close to Home
Upon entering the gallery the enter the Lowenstein exhibit, one must marvel at the view through the glass of the Maud Gatewood Gallery of the freestanding structures inside that form the exhibit. The impression the work presents to its visitor is one that suggests the great care taken to ensure the inclusion of all aspects of Edward Lowenstein’s work and to make sure there is a complete story that is told through the use of the images, text, graphics, and the structure of the installation itself. “Collaborative Modernism” is the term I would use to describe a space that has taken the work of a local architect and used such a body of information to describe Modernism as it affects Greensboro. By the pairing of materials, the design of the structure, and the information presented, the students who executed this project banned together to create a space that is indicative of a blend of design ideals.
The most prominent feature of the exhibit happens to be the shape of the main vessels of information. These wood and metal erections are an interpretation of the shapes found often in Lowenstein’s residential homes. The colors, especially, are representative of the woods used in the Spangler residence. Angled, overhead wooden planes are utilized to mark certain pathways and the metal bands that are eye level to the viewer are mounted throughout the space between wooden posts. The juxtaposition of materials, wood and metal, create a great visual effect because they work together in supporting the information presented on the metal as well as in the overall shape itself. Mounted on each section of the metal bands is information that is presented in a variety of different mediums. The text printed helps to support the visual information and vice versa. The method of integration the exhibit uses to display text and images, help the visitor to cross reference information. The text offers a thorough exploration of some specific works of Lowenstein’s career. After reading and viewing panels of information, then the visitor can then move forward and have a better experience of the space itself through the work of the students of the art department. The panoramic views created of the interior of the Lowenstein houses provide a greater understanding of the space, as it would be if one were actually in it. The dual presentation of Lowenstein’s work affords the visitor a chance to learn and experience through two points of views.
The collaborative efforts to bring the project to fruition are evident in the work on display. The images from the art department help to support the analyses the interior architecture students provided. The structure on which the information is presented helps to bring home the work of Lowenstein in its very form. The shapes in Lowenstein’s work in the Spangler house and his own residence are emulated in the form of those freestanding structures. The exhibit itself informed me of Modernism’s role in Greensboro, the fact of which I was not remotely aware. This exhibit helped to defined Modernism as it pertains to me. The flexibility of Modernism is what allowed Lowenstein to apply its principles to the Greensboro environment, which leads me to believe that Modernism can fit in anywhere as long as it works with the existing environment in a way that enhances its natural aesthetic.
The most prominent feature of the exhibit happens to be the shape of the main vessels of information. These wood and metal erections are an interpretation of the shapes found often in Lowenstein’s residential homes. The colors, especially, are representative of the woods used in the Spangler residence. Angled, overhead wooden planes are utilized to mark certain pathways and the metal bands that are eye level to the viewer are mounted throughout the space between wooden posts. The juxtaposition of materials, wood and metal, create a great visual effect because they work together in supporting the information presented on the metal as well as in the overall shape itself. Mounted on each section of the metal bands is information that is presented in a variety of different mediums. The text printed helps to support the visual information and vice versa. The method of integration the exhibit uses to display text and images, help the visitor to cross reference information. The text offers a thorough exploration of some specific works of Lowenstein’s career. After reading and viewing panels of information, then the visitor can then move forward and have a better experience of the space itself through the work of the students of the art department. The panoramic views created of the interior of the Lowenstein houses provide a greater understanding of the space, as it would be if one were actually in it. The dual presentation of Lowenstein’s work affords the visitor a chance to learn and experience through two points of views.
The collaborative efforts to bring the project to fruition are evident in the work on display. The images from the art department help to support the analyses the interior architecture students provided. The structure on which the information is presented helps to bring home the work of Lowenstein in its very form. The shapes in Lowenstein’s work in the Spangler house and his own residence are emulated in the form of those freestanding structures. The exhibit itself informed me of Modernism’s role in Greensboro, the fact of which I was not remotely aware. This exhibit helped to defined Modernism as it pertains to me. The flexibility of Modernism is what allowed Lowenstein to apply its principles to the Greensboro environment, which leads me to believe that Modernism can fit in anywhere as long as it works with the existing environment in a way that enhances its natural aesthetic.
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