Then, Now, When
Then, Now, When
By Julia Casol
These drawings are based on my life and interests in modern architecture, urban landscapes, grids, and the density of cities. While based on real cities, my drawings are slightly surreal because I am struck by the wild surreal-like forms of modern architecture and I wanted to exaggerate parts of the cities that I think of or remember with fondness.
The first triptych, “Then,” represents a past trip to Athens, Greece. Depicted is a seemingly never-ending sea of buildings, a network or grid that is formed by the rows and columns of buildings, only interrupted by one hill, the Acropolis. The hill is real, but exaggerated in size, with modern buildings and looping networks of roadways.
The second triptych, “Now,” represents my present life in Vancouver. Cities are unique worlds of their own within larger urban areas. They are thriving, dense centers, and everyone and everything is connected into one giant network. Resembling the organic form of a neuron, I emphasize the network and density present in the city of Vancouver with the urban nucleus and the nexus of roadways, cables, and electrical wires.
The third triptych represents my future: my dream to go to London, England, to witness the historical and modern architecture the city has to offer. The London road map including the Thames River and Hyde Park acts as a more literal representation of the city’s network. Where they are approximately located on the map, I drew famous architectural landmarks that are wonders in the architecture world but are also very inspiring to me as a hopeful future architect.
