Episodic Interpretations of Architecture: Italy+ in 600+ Sketches

Solo Exhibition of travel sketches (Spring 2023) in the Cassias Gallery, Seaton Hall, Kansas State University

August 21 – September 28, 2023

An exhibition of around 630 sketches from my spring 2023 semester in Orvieto was mounted in the Cassias Gallery. “Episodic Interpretations of Architecture: Italy+ in 600+ Sketches” was accompanied by an essay written by the great New Haven artist and photographer Robert Gregson [see below], as well as my own general introductory statement.

Sketch examples from Turin, Florence, and Sintra (Portugal)

MICHAEL GROGAN: SKETCHING AND ENRICHING EXPERIENCE

by artist Robert Gregson (New Haven, June, 2023)

It all begins with a sketch. For an architect, drawing is a key function in conceptualizing a building or creating a record while traveling. Architects such as Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier employed sketching as a personal shorthand to visualize projects. Eero Saarinen drew on everyday yellow pads, boldly capturing the personality of the building taking shape in his mind. Drawing and sketching are critical to the creative process.

To develop the design of a building, several different types of drawings are used. For example to begin, a rough idea is developed –– sometimes referred to as the napkin sketch. The process continues with a well-drawn illustration of how the completed project might look. This is intended to communicate the design and hopefully get the clients approval. Finally detailed plans utilizing standard architectural language –– like a musical score ––are produced for the contractor to build.

Despite the advancements in CAD systems and even A.I., architects still jot down conceptual sketches on scraps of paper. These sketches do a lot more than you might expect. On the surface the sketches are to record an observation. Yet hidden within this unassuming sketch is an intimate understanding of the science as well as the art of architecture.

Looking at architecture while actively drawing, forces one to examine a building from all angles. During our tours to Brazil and Finland I witnessed Michael sketching. Since we were on a scheduled tour, he carefully selected his target deciding the best way to approach it and finally with a stroke of his pen the sketch appeared. Amazingly Michael honed right in and the sketch was done in a matter of minutes. Michael’s sketches are a diary of how he sees and thinks. His spontaneous style embellishes the sketches with his restless line that expands the subject into a deeper experience. These 630 drawings are evidence of the intensity of his passion for architecture. I know you’ll enjoy the trip.