The changing symbology of the ordinary. An American visual approach
The concept of “the ordinary” has become an ever more usual reference in the analysis of certain architectonic and territorial situations; but also social ones, which seem to escape any order set by planning. Nonetheless, the word still carries a rather ambiguous meaning, because not only the term i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad Politécnica de Valencia
2017-04-01
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| Series: | VLC Arquitectura |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/VLC/article/view/6954 |
| _version_ | 1818349747244630016 |
|---|---|
| author | Carlos Santamarina-Macho |
| author_facet | Carlos Santamarina-Macho |
| author_sort | Carlos Santamarina-Macho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The concept of “the ordinary” has become an ever more usual reference in the analysis of certain architectonic and territorial situations; but also social ones, which seem to escape any order set by planning. Nonetheless, the word still carries a rather ambiguous meaning, because not only the term is in itself polysemic, but also because it can have several interpretations, sometimes in a contradictory way, depending on the area of study, the time or the place in which it is used. This text addresses some of these apparent contradictions through a selection of visual expressions that emerge from the reassessment of “the ordinary” within a particular context: America in the seventies. To illustrate our views, we will use the work of two renowned photographers: David Plowden and Stephen Shore. Architecture was the centre focus of their images, which are part of the broad tradition of depicting American everyday life. We will analyse and compare them with the purpose of identifying their frictions and, more importantly, the values that transformed each of them from the ordinary into a perfect tool to deal with the strange and unstable material situation lived in post-war America. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:10:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bd95d9cddff2490f8c01245918d45623 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2341-3050 2341-2747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:10:52Z |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | Universidad Politécnica de Valencia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | VLC Arquitectura |
| spelling | doaj.art-bd95d9cddff2490f8c01245918d456232022-12-21T23:35:58ZengUniversidad Politécnica de ValenciaVLC Arquitectura2341-30502341-27472017-04-01419712410.4995/vlc.2017.69545159The changing symbology of the ordinary. An American visual approachCarlos Santamarina-Macho0Universidad de ValladolidThe concept of “the ordinary” has become an ever more usual reference in the analysis of certain architectonic and territorial situations; but also social ones, which seem to escape any order set by planning. Nonetheless, the word still carries a rather ambiguous meaning, because not only the term is in itself polysemic, but also because it can have several interpretations, sometimes in a contradictory way, depending on the area of study, the time or the place in which it is used. This text addresses some of these apparent contradictions through a selection of visual expressions that emerge from the reassessment of “the ordinary” within a particular context: America in the seventies. To illustrate our views, we will use the work of two renowned photographers: David Plowden and Stephen Shore. Architecture was the centre focus of their images, which are part of the broad tradition of depicting American everyday life. We will analyse and compare them with the purpose of identifying their frictions and, more importantly, the values that transformed each of them from the ordinary into a perfect tool to deal with the strange and unstable material situation lived in post-war America.http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/VLC/article/view/6954CotidianoPaisaje construidoArquitectura popularFotografíaEstados Unidos |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Santamarina-Macho The changing symbology of the ordinary. An American visual approach VLC Arquitectura Cotidiano Paisaje construido Arquitectura popular Fotografía Estados Unidos |
| title | The changing symbology of the ordinary. An American visual approach |
| title_full | The changing symbology of the ordinary. An American visual approach |
| title_fullStr | The changing symbology of the ordinary. An American visual approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | The changing symbology of the ordinary. An American visual approach |
| title_short | The changing symbology of the ordinary. An American visual approach |
| title_sort | changing symbology of the ordinary an american visual approach |
| topic | Cotidiano Paisaje construido Arquitectura popular Fotografía Estados Unidos |
| url | http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/VLC/article/view/6954 |
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