100701_Culture_Creator from Nathan Smith on Vimeo.
100701_Animation_Loft from Nathan Smith on Vimeo.
Not really sure if I have space just yet. Baking and working is the next step. Related Thoughts:
Culture vs. Trending
The search for the cool
Culture can be ascribed to similar attributes of a set of peoples in a particular area over a particular amount of time (Zeitgeist). Culture is what describes the essence of certain social groups and allows people with common interests to assimilate, even when their location or time has changed. Some think of culture as something rooted in a deep un-changing tradition, but in fact, culture changes steadily over time. Culture is an accepted set of practices (behavioral, ethical, and aesthetical) and is different than a set of shared genetic attributes (i.e.: black hair, light-fared skin, or robust noses have nothing to do with culture). It is often based on tradition, religion, and social structures that are deemed acceptable by a particular grouping of people. The living conditions, technology, economics, and social standards of a particular place are in a constant state of flux; culture then follows dynamically along with these elements.
Yet, if culture defines a particular place, then what specific culture defines the United States, being a conglomerate of multiple cultures (some from immigration, others from forced translation)? Is this country then a mix of all cultures? Most things described as purely “American,” have their roots in other cultural traditions, whether this object is food, an event, or a style. One might even say that the United States is devoid of pure culture. If the culture of such a country is so indescribable because of its variances, is culture then necessary? Does the absence of culture also mark the death of a particular society? Or, is the culture of the United States specifically in that moment of the assemblage of various cultures? If this is so, what types of spaces accommodate and become representations thereof, of such variances and constant unrest?
Spatial structures often try to capture the essence of a particular culture as a way to inject “life” into such constructs. Being that culture is a reflection of the local environment and the accepted attributes that make up a society, the spaces that house such moments should also be such a reflection. This roots a space.
For a particular attribute to be cultural, it must pass through a process that involves invention, acceptability (across social groups), translation, consistency, and the ability to withstand time (between generations). Without the full completion of this process, these characteristics die within relation to time. The provisional cultural attributes of a society often transfer into other fleeting moments, known as trends, before they can define themselves as such cultural attributes. Yet, trends also become markers of time, whether seen as artistic movements, intensely temporary fads, or sustained periods of innovation and often provide hints at cultural possibilities.
Trends are then influenced by and a product of the Zeitgeist. Not yet at the point of being a cultural attribute, trending resides within the beginning stages of becoming cultural as an invention, through its acceptability and translation. The ideology of the trend is often described as the counter-culture or is noticeable because of its shear difference from the norm. In the same respect, trends can also be seen as the epoch of cultural acceptability. In actuality, they walk a fine line between culturally acceptable ideals and those ideals which are classified as faux pas. A trend is an element that challenges culture yet, in the same respect, lives symbiotically with culture and socially acceptable standards (without a standard, there can be no deviation). When culture changes, so does the element of the trend, in an inverse relationship. Those who encapsulate such a trend share the social benefits of a particular culture and are displayed as aesthetic examples of perfection in a culture. Because of its relationship to culture, trending also differs from culture to culture.
Trending as a State of Being (Character Construct) [input]
Trending as a Behavioral Construct [action]
Trending as an Aesthetical Construct [output]
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