Abstract:
Le Corbusier's proclamation in 1923 that "a house is a machine for living in" offers a valuable metaphor for discussing architecture as both mass-produced utilitarian object and potent psychological entity. To look upon architecture as a functional object one can examine its place within the mechanisation of society and how ideas of speed and efficiency have found their way into modern urbanisation. Further to this notion of 'architecture-as-machine' is the psychological dissonance of buildings and their influence upon the human condition: the home as machine suggests the occupant has become a cog in an uncanny device. Six Obstructions is an exhibition of models and paintings that examine the intersection of the body with machines, architecture and the environment. Dating from Le Corbusier's statement, and evolving since World War Two, there has been an ongoing interest in architectural paradigms relating to the body. In recent times the advent of nanotechnology has opened the discussion further, heralding a new age of construction. Through an exploration of art historical references and architectural practices, Six Obstructions (Cutting; The Body; Pouring; The Wall; Abstraction and Negation) seeks to address the point at which evolution and entropy take effect. This work has been generously supported by Creative New Zealand.