Art historians of the 20th century created narratives in which artists influenced other artists (Michelangelo/ Borromini, Twombly/ Basquiat) by implying that it was somehow a transaction from copied to copier when it could only ever be the other way around. Artists influence other artists if artists are willing in some way to look at other artists’ art and copy what they see.
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Pencil and Paper: What We Do /
We as architects in the 21st century embrace ever accelerating changes in computing, materials and construction technology. We work within hundreds if not thousands of institutional and governmental rules, guidelines, regulations, codes and laws. We deal with insurance companies and lawyers. We collaborate with engineers and technical consultants—sometimes as many as twenty on a single job. We work with builders, building trades, manufacturers and materials suppliers. We facilitate dialogues and decisions within complex hierarchies of elected officials, administrators and communities. We manage workshops, make presentations, write books and articles, participate in conferences, win awards and sit on juries.
There is a lot to know, a lot to do, and it all adds up to a whole lot of work that could easily be mistaken for what it means to be an architect. And yet none of it alone or in summation is what makes anyone an architect. What does? What do we do?
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