nokami

Descension Project

De’scen’sion
n. 1. The act of going downward; descent; falling or sinking; declension; degradation.

The project:

City landscape interactive video

Architects of buildings can “invent” almost any forms they want, but landscape architects must start with an existing landscape, however much they may alter it thereafter. In the Descension Project, I used the characteristics of the found landscape to establish the scope and scale of the man-made transformations. This required a detailed scientific assessment of the basic land forms and climatic conditions.

Our givens were the generally sky tower, subway, industrial space, sidewalks, and urban architecture. Only with a thorough understanding of the City could a sustainable landscape program be crafted.

An abstract artwork of city landscape both impressionist and contemplative. Descension does not have a real beginning, middle or either an end. It’s up to each individual to imagine the video as he pleases and to re arrange any scenes in a desired sequence to achieve its best visual structure.

Meditation about human relationships and individual identity.

The video tends to prove that human relationships are build over the perception of others, opposed to the perception of our distinct identity.

Video footage from Toronto.

Music Collaboration

Andrew Duke
direwires (Adam Young)
WithAllDueRespect
Dry Heeves
Dafydd Hughes
Michael Trommer
11t1
Naw

Episode 1
Inspiration
(video screen shoot)

Color (toronto public transport)

Typography (toronto public transport)

All signs will use standardized typography, namely the Gill Sans font in uppercase for station names and EXIT signs and upper- and lowercase elsewhere. Arthur chose Gill Sans to match the fonts cut into the subway walls, but at least three discernible fonts are actually used for that function - Univers (e.g., at Union), Helvetica (at North York Centre), and a font similar to Bernhard Gothic most everywhere else. But even if it doesn’t ‘match’ per se, Gill Sans is classy and readable and is respected by discerning graphic designers.

Ref.:
Toronto subway station tiles
History of Typography - Toronto Subway
Toronto Transit Commission History
Directional signs

Video

Video footage from Toronto (screen shot).
Toronto Airport.

Satellite.1.

Satellite.2.

Subway.1.

Subway.2.

BCE Place.

Downtown.1.

Train.1.

Street Car

Skate

Spadina Street

Kensington Market

eaton Center.1.

Chinatown

Eaton center.2.

Video (Images processing)

Episode 1a
music: sans soleil

Episode 1b
music: 11t1

Episode 1c
music: direwires

Episode 1d
music: akumu

Episode 1e
music: Andrew_Duke

Episode 1f
music: dafydd hughes

Episode 1g
music: The Dry Heeves

Episode 1h
music: naw

DVD (2006)

Part 1. Black and white episodes
(21 June 2006)

Michael Trommer
Tundra - 5:47
11t1
DoblerEffect - 3:06
Direwires (Adam Young)
And Dries Up All The Rain - 4:34
Akumu
Alarma - 5:20
Andrew Duke
Translucent In The Translucent In The Stars For Jhonn Balance Geff Rushton - 3:10
Dafydd Hughes
Tranzac-1 - 11:07
Dry Heeves
Agent_Purple - 2:43
Naw
Glass bell bottom pipeline - 5:20