My artistic journey, how it all began

With the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQPC0DLzbss&t=1s

In this video I would like to share with how I started my artistic journey, and what led me to were I am today.

Do artists need validation?

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsvw4wy61NQ&t=2s

In this video I would like to share with you my thoughts on validation as an artist. I used to seek approval for my art from the external environment. Everything from competitions, exhibitions and social media. However I realise now that the most important thing is that I am happy with what I am producing. If I am not happy with it and only making it for approval then I guess what is the point of making art in the first place. Hopefully if I enjoy making the art and I feel strongly about it, I would like to think that value should transfer over to other people with similar interests.

Are Artists Crazy?

Are Artists Crazy? 

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y77Dnc-HTgw

Sometimes I think I am crazy to create my art. I like to create things to evoke new experiences and I enjoy creating my own reality. It has taken me on a journey of discovery and new possibilities. In this video I will share with you why I sometimes think I am crazy to do this.

Abstract Art - Why Create Art

Abstract Art – Why Create Art In this video I thought it would be interesting to talk about why I create art and what is the point of it. For me, I want to bring something new into the world and provide new experiences. The world can often seem driven on the status quo, what is normal and what is acceptable in which different things have its place or based upon popular culture. I would like to see a better world of new possibilities expressed by human potential. These are some of the reasons Why I Create Art.

6 Key Meanings of Abstract Art

In this video you will learn about 6 Key meanings about what is abstract art and how this relates to my own art. What is the definition of abstract art? I guess it can mean many different things for different people. I thought it would be interesting to look at information online so I looked at one definition from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstrac...) and one definition from the Tate.org (https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms...). From these definitions I pulled out clips of information to compare these statements.

How to Photograph Sculpture

In this video I am going to show you how to photograph sculpture. From experience I have realised how important it is to present sculpture, whether it’s through a website or social media platforms. I realised how useful this is to highlight the key features of the sculpture. Here are the five things you need to photograph your sculpture. 1. The sculpture 2. Space to photograph your work. I like to use a space that has natural lighting coming through a window.  

Gradient background photography paper is also helpful to photograph the sculpture on top of. 3. Lighting. Professional photography lighting. 4. Camera. Digital/Dslr 5. Computer to transfer images onto. This is useful to adjust the image to match the real thing. These are the 5 main things I use to photograph my sculpture. In this video I will show you how to use these 5 key points to photograph your sculpture. I hope this video will help you. If you would like to know were I purchased some of the equipment used in this video please see the links bellow. The photography paper (Varitone Medium Grey to White (1.1 x 1.6m) Vertical Format Vinyl Photography Background) was purchased from https://www.photography-backgrounds.c... (This link is not affiliated) DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. I only create links to products I truly enjoy using. This will help to support my channel and allow me to continue to make more videos like this. Thank you for your support! ESDDI 20"X28" Softbox Portable Photography Lighting Kit Photo Equipment Studio Light 20"X28" for Portrait Video and Advertising Shooting https://amzn.to/2UDVUAG (Affiliate) Phot-R 625W (125W) 220V 5500K E27 Socket CFL Spiral Continuous Daylight Balanced Fluorescent Energy Saving Light Bulbs for Professional Photography Photo Video Studio Lighting https://amzn.to/3e7cocc (Affiliate)

What is Abstract Art?

What is Abstract Art? What does it mean for you? In this video I attempt to answer that question from my own perspective to try and shed some light on the subject.  

Let’s start the video with a cup of coffee. I enjoy making a fresh cup of coffee in the morning and serving it in my Bubbleware handmade mug. For me there is no separation between art and life. They both inspire each other. What is abstract art? For me abstract art can cross over into different areas. It can provide new ways of seeing and experiencing. It provides me the freedom to explore and not limit myself. An example of a ceramic abstract artist who got me thinking about abstract art is Ron Nagel. He got me thinking diffidently about it. His ceramic sculptures seem to cross over between sculpture and painting. There is no recognizable image, his work is there for you to create your own imagination about what you are seeing. It makes me create my own interpretation and ways of seeing and experiencing his art. Abstract art for me is about leaving questions for the viewer, this is one of the main reasons why I create abstract art. I enjoy the possibilities of working with clay to make ceramic sculpture. My sculptures are made from shapes thrown on the potter’s wheel. They are cut up and joined together to create these open forms. I then use colour and paten to draw the eye to different parts of the form and break up the space. Glazed and unglazed surfaces are used to reflect and absorb light. Abstract art can remind me of things and experiences seen in the real world, it gets me thinking. I think abstract art is about provoking people’s imagination and providing new ways of seeing and experiencing. That’s why I like working with abstract art as its open for the viewer to make their own decisions, create their own meaning from it, that for me is the power of abstract art. What does abstract art mean for you? How does it make you feel? Are there any abstract artists you admire? It would be interesting to see people’s comments. Feel free to leave a comment bellow. I think it is good we all have our own interpretations. Thank you for watching! Find more information about Ron Nagle at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaNYmg9B6bw

Stone Circles England Inspired Sculptures

What I find fascinating about places like Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles are things like why they were built and how they were built. It is this ultimate mystery that sits in the landscape. When I go to these places I am reminded of the potential humans have. I am left to decide how I want to see and experience them. People are left to bring their own imagination to them. This is a big inspiration for my ceramic sculptures. I wanted to translate my own interpretation of stone circles to my artworks. I want to make artworks that invite curiosity and imagination and new ways of experiencing. These ceramic sculptures are made using simple shape like cones and cylinders that are thrown on the potter’s wheel. They are then cut up and joined together to create these open forms. I then apply colour by spraying it to the surface. I like to build up multiple layers and create line and pattern. The sculptures go through multiple firings then finally a clear glaze is applied. Why do people come to see Avebury Stone Circle? “Lots of history, Something magical about the place” “Everybody is very open here, lots of people from different parts of society” Thank you for watching and thank you for the insight from people who participated in the interviews. Listen to the full interviews at Martin Harman Art on Youtube

The National Museum of Cardiff UK. Exploring some of the ceramic collection.

What is inside the National Museum of Cardiff UK?

Recently I had the opportunity to visit this museum and check out some of the ceramic collection. Defiantly a must see if you are a fan of all things ceramics, from sculpture to functional tableware. I spent many days here when I was studying and it is still inspirational. Thank you to Wen-Hsi Harman for helping me to record this video. Hope you enjoy the video.

For further information about this museum please see: https://museum.wales/cardiff/

How to create an artist book?

How do you go about creating an artist book? Many questions and not many questions answered. It is my first time doing this and I have a lot to learn. Luckily there is the internet, Youtube and Podcasts and Dan Lok for self leaning. Hoping to get this dune ready for my solo exhibition Crossing Space at HOURS (1st 21st of November 2019) in Bristol, UK.

I am very grateful for Dan Lok's marketing advice. If you would like to know more about Dan Lok feel free to see his Youtube Chanel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_6DXZROU29pLvgQdCx4Ww

Mystery Shoe at Yehliu Geopark, Taiwan

Yehliu Geopark is a stretch of cost line located north east of Taipei Taiwan. From Taipei It is about 1 hour and 24 minutes away by direct buss and 1 hour 31 minutes away by direct train and by car it is 44 minutes. 

When I went there in 2017 I got the train from Taipei Main Station to Keelung City and changed to the buss from Keelung City to Yehliu Geopark. Feel free to have a look at this map in the link bellow to give you an idea of the location.

1.  Google Map

People enjoying the rock formations at Yehliu Geopark

There is deffiently a mystery surrounding Yehliu Geopark as there is something about the formation of the stones that really captured my imagination. A lot of these stones have been eroded over the years by the strong waves and the weather.

Some of these stones sit upright like honeycombs or like some kind of sculptures, their size is comparable to an average human hight if not bigger. 

A mysterious stone shaped like a shoe

If the standing stones are not strange enough then the stone shaped like a shoe tops the list. I have never seen anything like this before. I could not believe that this stone had been eroded and shaped by the natural elements to the point at which it appearance is like some kind of shoe. It looked very surreal and out of place in its environment. 

There is a Taiwanese legend that mentions that a fairy came to the earth to fight a turtle elf and then on her return back to were she came the fairy left her shoe. 

A short video of the mysterious stone shoe and the sounding area

A fossil found within Yehliu Geopark

At Yehliu Geopark there are also many fossils that have been exposed. I had never seen fossils in their natural environment before as I am used to seeing them in museums. 

An example of a standing stone

Some stones look like a head of a person, there is one famous standing stone at the site called the Queens Head.

Some parts of the park look almost like a desert

Another unusual stone formation, it looks almost like some kind of shell

Small pools of water

An Island spotted from Yehliu Geopark, could be Kelung Island

For further information about Yehliu Geopark please see the links below:

1. http://www.ylgeopark.org.tw/ENG/info/YlIntroduction_en.aspx

2. http://www.ylgeopark.org.tw/ENG/landscape/Sight_en.aspx

Lost in Ningxia Night Market Taipei Taiwan

In the UK the night life is very different to the night life in Taipei in Taiwan. In the UK it is often common to go to the pub or a night club with your friends and this usually involves drinking alcohol. Obviously this all depends on how old you are, what your character is and if you are a big fan of drinking alcohol. 

I myself like to go to the pub ocasionly as I can usually buy food and have an alcoholic drink like Guinness which is one of my favourites but if I do go it is usually in the afternoon as evenings can get quite crazy. Drinking alcohol is not everything as people do also go to restaurants to eat food, go to the cinema and the gym or swimming.

Restaurants around Bristol Harbour, Za Za Bazaar is a popular one for families.

However I do think alcohol consumption in the UK is a big problem as it is quite common for people to get drunk for the sake of being drunk and this can lead to anti social behaviour problems within society. You can often see the side effects of this in towns and cities especially on a Saturday morning as I can often find smashed glass bottles on the floor, empty beer cans and it can even go us far as vandalism. Perhaps this is a result of there not being many social activities to do within the built environment of towns and city's. 

Empty alcohol bottles and cans left outside of the Arnolfini in Bristol

I do think over consumption of alcohol is a big problem in the UK because of the acociated problems mentioned previously. Ideally I would like to live in a society that is safe and harmonious. Often excessive drinking of alcohol can lead people to become violent and verbally abusive. Maybe now I am just more aware of the problems of drinking alcohol so I tend to only drink occasionly with food.   

Please see the link below for more information about the drinking culture in the UK:

1. bbc.com  

However after going to Taiwan I got a different perspective on night life as it is not like the night life back home in the UK.

If you like food then Taiwan is food heaven as you will never go hungry here even if you tried. When I fist went to Taipei I was amazed at how important food is to the people of Taiwan. On every street you will find a shop selling different types of food from noodles, pastries, cakes, sweets, dumplings, Taiwanese breakfast which is one of my favourites and the list goes on. A lot of these shops and restaurants are small family businesses and others are big companies.

 From 5pm this this road gets transformed into the Ningxia Night Market in Taipei

What is really special are the street food night markets that usually start from 5pm and finish at about 4am and the markets are all outside usually occupying a whole road. With so much food abundant around it seems people do not really care much for alcohol, although if people are seen drunk on the streets of Taiwan it is looked down upon by society so I guess this is another reason why drinking alcohol is not popular. The night markets are defiantly worth a visit as you can eat all sorts of things from fish, handmade sweets, cakes, noodles, steamed buns, stinky tofu and plenty more.

Ningxia Night Market Taipei Taiwan

Liu Yu Zi. Deep Fried Purple potato balls at Ningxia Night Market Taipei Taiwan. Very delicious, crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside.

I thought I would share a video of Ningxia Night Market in Taipei Taiwan. In this video I was interested in capturing the sounds from food being cooked to people talking and the bussy crowds of people in the space.

If you would like to know more about Ningxia Night Market Taipei Taiwan feel free to see the links below:

1. danielfooddiary.com

2. englishintaiwan.com

Cute and Fun in Taipei Taiwan

Since I was born in the UK I have become used to the built environment around me composing everything from architecture, to streets and signs, to advertising. There is so much information within the immediate environment that often I am not aware of it unless I really pay attention.Being lucky to go to other countries has given me an insight into a completely different culture and life style. This is especially true for Taiwan as so many things are very different like the food, architecture, advertising, language and behaviour within society.

Taiwan (please see map) is located east of China, originally called Formosa which meant beautiful island named by the Portuguese who gave the island this name during the Portuguese colonial age. The Taiwanese aborigines were living in Taiwan eight thousand years before the first arrival of the Han Chinese in the 17th century. During the colonial age Taiwan was occupied by the Portuguese in 1517, then the Dutch in 1624, the Spanish in 1626 and the Japanese in 1895. To this day the independence of Taiwan is disputed. You could say the situation is similar to that of Scotland and Ireland. However for this blog post I do not want to talk too much about the political side of things even though it is important in shaping society.

For this post I would like to talk about a kind of cute and fun atmosphere that hangs in the air of Taipei in Taiwan. This seems to be something that was all around me when I went to Taipei. I could see this style reflected in the adverting as lots of bright colours such as pinks, yellow's, blue's and green's are used. The advertising is often combined with child like imagery such as toy animals in an animated style.

This kind of aesthetic style does not stop there as in the public metro station instrumental music such as piano and ambient is played when a train approaches which can be cheerful and relaxing.

Music is often played across most Taipei Metro Stations

 If you would like to find out more information about why music is used at the stations you can see theses links Taipei Times and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Various Advertising in Taipei, Taiwan 

A bear sitting on top of a boat in Dadaocheng District in Taipei. I think this bear symbolises the Taiwanese indigenous bear. 

I think these are just a couple of examples but this kind of say style in some way seems to be adopted by the people of Taiwan as people are always very friendly and sweet as one way to put it. Perhaps it is a kind of youthful and joyful social behaviour that not only is apart of people's behaviour but also integrated into the environment. This seems to all come together to help shape the Taiwanese culture. Either way it is difficult to not associate some aspects of social life and culture to the word "Cute".
I found a couple of articles describing Cuteness in Asia and they were all interesting to read as it gave me more of an insight into the culture of Taiwan and Asia.
Please see the links listed bellow:

1. "The new science of cute" The Guardian UK
2. "‘Pretty, Innocent Asian Girls’: The Cult of Cuteness in East Asian Societies" by Aris     Teon: The Greater China Journa
3. "What is the reason behind the cuteness culture in Asia" by Tarina Tang. quora.com

After reading through these articles I can understand a little bit more on why this style is widely used in Asia and Taiwan. Introducing cute and fun aesthetics into society could I suppose induce more happiness and well-being amongst people in society. 

Our current day lifestyle is often fast paced, busy and at times stressful. Would it not be useful to introduce more aesthetics into society to evoke among people happiness, well-being and harmony. Coming from the UK I can sometimes feel myself as being detached from the built environment as some environments can appear machine like and dull. 

Although there is an apparent cute culture in Taiwan this does not necessary mean its people are soft. As my wife is Taiwanese she notices that Taiwanese people tend to be soft on the outside and hard on the inside. Were as in the UK it appears that our social conditions are based on confidence and showing this on the outside while on the inside we can be soft. Perhaps it is also these social behavioural conditions that also manifests itself into the built environment around us.

Interviewing people at the Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire, England, 18th of May 2018

Why was Avebury Stone Circle built? How was it built? Its purpose largely remains unknown. To this day people still come to this place to contemplate on its meaning, its history and its ability to relate to us on a personal level.

On Friday the 18th of May 2018 myself and my wife Wen-Hsi Harman made a trip to the Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire, England. Our mission was to interview people at the site as we were interested finding out why people come to experience this monument. We are very thankfull to have had the opportunity to interview a variety of different people. I would like to share this infomation so that anyone interested can access these different perspectives.

An introduction to the Avebury Stone Circle, 18th of May 2018

First Interview at Avebury Stone Circle, 18th of May 2018

Second Interview at Avebury Stone Circle, 18th of May 2018

Third Interview at Avebury Stone Circle, 18th of May 2018

Fourth Interview at Avebury Stone Circle, 18th of May 2018

Fifth Interview at Avebury Stone Circle, 18th of May 2018

We enjoyed our time at this monument as we learnt a lot from talking to people. It was a different experience to the last time we came to this place. The last time we visited this stone circle we just absorbed the visual aspects of the stones, the atmosphere and the landscape. However this time we were just busy interviewing people and so we did not have a lot of time to immerse our selves at this site. I think the biggest impact I got from this visit was just coming back home and replaying these interviews as the stories are very insightful.

People travel from many different places to see this monument. We spoke to people from Australia, America and from the UK. In some way it is almost like a pilgramicdge. 

Thank you to all the people who gave there time and experience to be interviewed and Wen-Hsi Harman for helping me document this journey and The National Trust for maintaining this site.

If anyone who is seeing this has some information they would like to share about a visit or experience they had at Avebury Stone Circle I would be very interested to know your story.   

An example of public art in the Metro in Taipei, Taiwan

Image taken from Daqiaotou Station

Daydream by Joyce Ho/Craig Quintero, Taipei Main Station.

Description of the sculpture in the picture above

A video I took to try and record the music that gets plaid when the train approaches the metro station, music like this is played at most metro stations in Taiwan.

Last year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Taipei in Taiwan before heading off to Australia to do my artist Residency.

Whilst I was there I could not help to notice the public art in some of the Metro stations. This ranged from stand-alone sculpture to wall sculpture. Not only that but when a train approaches a station music is usually played to warn people that the train is coming. It is a nice feature as it seemed to make me feel quite relaxed which is quite nice considering that Metro or Tube stations back at home in the UK are very busy environments which can evoke a stressful experience. Although I did speak to some Taiwanese people and they felt the music can be enoying as mostly the same music is played all the time.

It was also interesting to see the ceramic sculpture placed inside a glass wall at Daqiaotou Station. These objects were very curious, some of them looked as though they could have some kind of function and they were similar to some kind of household object. The choice of colour for these objects allowed me to just focus on the purity of object. Sorry but unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the artist name and description of the artwork, but if anyone knows feel free to let me know.

The half human half bird like figure at Taipei Main Station created by Ho/Craig Quintero gave me quite a big surprise. This very surreal like figure just stands alone almost like it is watching over people. It seems out of place, almost cartoonish and playful. I liked the description as the artist seems to want to offer people a brake from the monotony of everyday life and I kind of understand that as it douse create an unusual presence.

Overall what I learnt from this experience was the potential art has in creating or contributing towards people's well being within a built environment. Coming from my own experience I think the quality of life in present day society can be a stressful experience. Everything is fast paced, some public places becomes immensely crowded, people have stressful jobs, just like in the description of the human-bird like sculpture life can be monotonous, society can make one feel isolated and like a cog in the machine. I think art can provide a platform to interact with people in a public space, to be apart of our everyday life, perhaps to add curiosity and meaning to our lives, to evoke conversation and to entice us to lean.

The Best That Money Cant't Buy Beyond Politics, Poverty, & War. Jacque Fresco

The Best That Money Cant't Buy Beyond Politics, Poverty, & War. Jacque Fresco. Published by Global Cyber-Visions The Venus Project  

Jacque Fresco based in Amereica is a futurist, inventer and he is interested in human behaviour and how society functions. One of his key concerns is his belief that humans are shaped by their environments.

He is interested in creating a new society free from money were everyone is entitled to the basic necessities of life such as food, water and healthcare. Technology will be at the forefront as it will dramatically reduce human labour therefore allowing humans to focus their attention to more important aspects of life. To briefly summarise this new social and economic system would operate from a Resource Based Economy. Therefore he believes current and emerging technologies related to automation, energy, transport, archetectual design, agriculture and advances in health can be harnessed to create a better world that serves the well-being of each individual and the sustainability of the earth by taking into account resources available.

Quotes of interest taken from the book.

P32: Throughout history we have lived through ages characterised by wasted lives, in which the abilities of a great many have not been fully realised or utilised. Time, effort and minds are wasted on the pursuit of money in occupations that contribute nothing to the human intellect or condition.

P42: Throughout history, many innovators, artists and inventors have been ruthlessly exploited, ridiculed and abused, while receiving very little financial incentive. Yet they endured such hardship, because they were motivated to learn and discover new ways of doing things.

P81: You cannot identify the factors responsible for human behaviour through the study of individuals alone, but rather through a study of the cultures in which individuals are nurtured.

If you would like to discover more information about his research feel free to see the link listed below as there is a lot more detail involved in which I have not included in this post.

Links
https://www.thevenusproject.com

My Own Thoughts 

This book was a real eye-opener, the ideas presented may seem at first un-realistic or pure fantasy but knowing that he has dedicated most of his life to researching as well as testing these ideas is one reason to take notice and think about it.

I think personally living and operating in the present society is the norm just like drinking water, I was born into into and taught how to negotiate through it. It interesting to realise that an alternate social and economic system can potentially become a reality. It makes me realise the power of ideas and potential humans have and it re-aferms my own point of view that the constructed environment and the system it operates in is only as real as the idea, it is not solid and can be changed.

I think one main point of concern I have with the ideas presented is the heavy reliance on technology that could potentially make for example human produced art obserlete as machines would be able to do this instead of humans. I wonder how or if the Arts would operate or contribute in this vision of society.

On the other hand this book made me think about the potential art could offer in terms of producing well-being and learning within the built environment.

Thinking about Socialism and Capitalism

Today whilst working on some new sculpture I had the opportunity to listen to a video on Youtube called "Marxism 101: How Capitalism is Killing Itself with Dr. Richard Wolff". 

I got to say this really touched home on some of my own experiences, I think more than anything it just re-afirmed on some of the things I already new.

This video made me think about aspects surrounding Socialism and Capitalism.

Socialism stands for equality of standard of living, health and wealth.

Capitalism tends to exploit workers for profit.

I have been experiencing this more and more when working for other people in the past. I sometimes get the feeling of being exploited and overused, not paid fairly for the skills I have and the work that I produce. This situation also makes me feel trapped in a system/prison. 

I want to feel like I have freedom and I think this is why I create art. It is a way to escape the system and sometimes to comment on it. For me making art is about freedom, ideas, possibility, potential and to reveal another way of looking at the world.

Perhaps then art can be useful for a potential new society/system if we see the end of Capitalism.

While I am not in favour of 100% supporting either Capitalism or Socialism I do think it is interesting to hear a perspective on the current system we are living in. It gets me thinking of the world I am living in and it intensifies the reason why it is I make art as I believe in a better world. 

Lost Words. 6/8/16, L12cm W12cm H18cm, stoneware, hand built, slips, glaze fired to 1230c.

I thought I would throw in this image of a sculpture I created this year as I think it has some relevance to this. I made this to respond to my experience in life so far. The inspiration for the form comes from ancient clay tablets used to record writing. Sometimes I feel like I am a tool in the machine, an object to be used to serve the economy and sometimes this makes me question my own humanity and value in society. 

If anyone would like to watch the video feel free to see the link below.

Marxism 101: How Capitalism is Killing Itself with Dr. Richard Wolff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P97r9Ci5Kg

Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire, England

On the 6th of May 2016 myself and my wife went to visit the Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire, England. It is considered to be the largest Stone Circle in Europe perhaps constructed over several hundred years in the 3rd millennium BC.

This is my second visit now to this ancient site and it is really difficult to find words to describe its presence. Just like my encounter with Stonehenge in Salisbury, England I not only experienced the place by seeing it but also by feeling/sensing.

Unlike Stonehenge people are not allowed to walk into the stone enclosure or touch the stones but at the Avebury Stone Circle people are allowed to walk into the space and touch the stones and this adds a whole new experience of interaction.

I don't know what the purpose behind the Avebury Stone Circle is but what I do know is that when I was there I could feel something. The feeling I felt was like a tingling sensation on the back of my legs and back. This feeling would come and go depending on were I stood within the circle, sometimes it was near the stones and sometimes it was in a clear space and I have had this feeling before at Stonehenge.

What I do realize about these place such as the Avebury Stone Circle and Stonehenge is the that they don't tell me how to think and what to do, its like it is up to me to experience and decode it for my self. I realize how important this is as this idea shifts its self into the sculpture I create and that is why I took these sculptures with me to place at the Avebury Stone Circle to re-establish that connection. Also by placing them outside they almost become more real in a sense as they we not in the context of the gallery setting.

I think we live in a world were we are constantly fed information which can influence the way we think and therefore I find it liberating that a place such as Avebury Stone Circle and Stonehenge can really free the mind to new thoughts and new experiences. In today's world everything seems to be materialistic and economy driven to consume. I wounder how different the world must have looked back then when these moments were in use and the ideas and ways of living for the people who used them. How different was their lifestyles to the ones we experience now?

I don't think the people who built places like these were primitive people, I think we just like to use that term to define that stage or evolution in human history. For me personally I think to able to construct a monument like that there needs to be some serious planing, organization and skill involved.

Thank you National Trust for allowing people to experience the stones in a personal way.

Decoration/Symbolic Meaning within the Built Envionment (Taiwan Feb-March 2016)

(Japanese House built in the time of occupation) It has a distinct use of decoration that is Weston in appearance.

How Do You Define The Built Environment?

• Geometric Forms
• Imagery
• Function
• Writing
• Symbols/Meanings
• Purpose
• Space 
• Types of architectural styles
• Decorative
• Modern/Minimalist 

I have also realized that different styles of architecture can also embody political meanings that my not be recognized if you do not posses the knowledge to decode it. 

Imaginary/ Symbols within the Built Environment (Taiwan, Feb to March 2016)

Research= Two Part Combination (what does it do?)

1) Stonehenge= Imaginary, freedom of the mind, inspiration to see the world around me differently
2) Built Environment= Structure, control, materiality, consumerism, culture, economic, political

Constructed environments/ Reality.

How we interact or how it influences of effects our behavior through ways of conditioning or shaping the individual from the outside.

By changing the built environment can this then re-shape people's life styles, understanding, knowledge or behavior.

Book: Ways of Seeing by John Berger

For example in Taiwan imagery such as cartoons, children's toys or sound is used within the built environment. This can conjure relaxed and playful situations and this seems to be taken seriously to effect people's life styles.