Full Description
John Marx’s watercolours, first published in the Architectural Review, are a captivating example of an architect’s way of thinking. Subtle and quiet they are nonetheless compelling works in how they tackle a sense of place, of inhabiting space and time all the while resonating with the core of one’s inner being. There is an existential quality to these watercolours that is rare to be found in this medium. Something akin to the psychologically piercing observational quality of artists like De Chirico or Hopper.
As architects strive to communicate their ideas, it is interesting to explore the world of Marx’s watercolours as an example of a humane approach to conveying emotional meaning in relation to our environment. Marx’s subject matter read like”built landscape” heightening the role of the manmade yet wholly in balance with the natural world. This is a message and sentiment that is perhaps more important than ever to relay to audiences.
About the Author
John Marx, AIA, is the founding design principal of Form4 Architecture in San Francisco, CA. He advocates for the inclusion of Philosophy, Art, and Poetry in the thoughtful making of place. Keenly aware that architecture is a balancing act between self expression and collaboration, he uses the compelling power of form to create emotionally resonant architecture and urban spaces. John s design work, and writing has been published in over 100 national and international publications. He has widely lectured on the topics of Design, Placemaking, Emotional Meaning and Cultural Vibrancy in Silicon Valley and places as diverse as Korea, Italy, Austria, Australia, Canada and the Technion in Israel. John exhibited his work at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale and exhibited during 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale at GAFF. Born in Helsinki, Laura Iloniemi grew up in Finland, Switzerland and the United States. She studied History of Art at the University of Edinburgh and museology at the Ecole du Louvre in Paris followed by a post-graduate degree in the history and philosophy of architecture from the University of Cambridge. Owen Hopkins is Senior Curator at Sir John Soane's Museum where he leads the exhibitions and learning teams. Prior to that he was curator of the architecture program at the Royal Academy of Arts. His interests revolve around the interactions between architecture, politics, technology and society. He is curator of numerous exhibitions. Pierluigi Serraino ia a practicing architect, author and educator. His projects and writings have been published in journals such as Architectural Record, A+U (Japan), and The Architectural Review (UK). Among his books are Modernism Rediscovered (Taschen, 2000), The Creative Architect: Inside the Great Personality Study (Monacelli Press, 2016). Forthcoming is Ezra Stoller: A Photographic History of Modern American Architecture (Phaidon, 2019).
