December 14, 2007
Abstract
Knowing the meaning of the metaphor and how metaphor used in the daily language as the background and fundamental before continuing in the next step of understanding, in using metaphor as the approaching in the design strategy. Relation the metaphor in design and also culture which is developed from the society will be giving the new perspective of the metaphor, in the other hand the semiotic process of differentiation is also same as helpful in conveying a design.
Keyword: metaphor-symbol-culture-purusha-prakriti
Metaphor and Symbol
Metaphor is already known as the rhetoric trope with common used in the language and poetry. It makes the language become beautiful and attractive, and also have a deep meaning inside the word which are not many people understand.
With a desire to know clearly what metaphor is and how it used in knowledge, it will be criticized the meaning of Metaphor.
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money). An object, activity, or idea treated as a metaphor.[1]
Metaphor is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. In the simplest case, this takes the form: “The [first subject] is a [second subject].” More generally, a metaphor is a rhetorical trope that describes a first subject as being or equal to a second subject in some way.[2]
We can see that metaphor is a statement based on some kind of trope where two things are compared to each other. Metaphor is a language device in delivering some implicit messages where explicit attributes from the second subject are used to enhance the description of the first. It gives opportunity for the researcher to open mind and eyes in seeing something from several perspectives. It has several stages to approach the real meaning, therefore it influences the viewer to produce different translation one and another, or in the other word the characteristic is subjective. Metaphor is very interesting kind of trope, at first metaphor is considered as a topic relegated with literature classes. Then nowadays, some rhetorician realize that metaphors pervade all forms of knowledge and operate in a larger context, like science, engineering, environment, and many more.
There is one statement that quoted which is still related with the metaphor is:
‘Modern western European ways of thinking are based on a print culture that tends to use verbal metaphors, and indigenous ways of thinking are based on oral culture that tends to use visual metaphors’ (Robert, 2000). [3]
It shows that there are two kinds of metaphor, which is verbal metaphor and oral metaphor. Verbal information is processed sequentially, relationally, logically, rationally, and not rely on emotions. There are some area of knowledge use it, such as natural sciences, mathematics, and other rationally oriented and logically activities. Oral metaphor is not analyzed sequentially as in verbal expression, but seen as simultaneous structure, as visual patterns. Visual metaphor is affective and emotive. Feelings are important and use emotions to understand others, like art, music, dance, and other form of artistic expression. With is significant about oral cultures is that they make common use of visual metaphors. It is their way of symbolizing their beliefs about the world. It is their way of organizing of rich visual imagery. It shows that some culture symbolizing through the visual imagery as the way to transfer and share knowledge and it has a deep meaning. This the point of the richness from visual metaphor, where this knowledge is commonly referred to as the way of the people, this is what anthropologist or common people attempt to know, understand, and describe when dealing with the oral cultures. Images and symbols have meaning and appear in different forms. They function as visual codes or emblems and evoke a sense of artistic and cultural value. Such visual metaphors require a cultural context for interpretation. It will be quite different when dealing with scientific discovery, the process will begin with a simple illustrative metaphor that provides a global perspective or point of view how a subject area is to be organized.
An example of an illustrative metaphor is ‘the atom is like a solar system’. It has a nucleus just as the sun is the solar system’s nucleus. It has a nucleus just as the sun is the solar system’s nucleus and what was once a simple plan for the structuring of knowledge soon emerges as an iconic metaphor, a description picturing events photographic detail. This iconic metaphor is like a symbol, but with restricted meaning because it produced from the explanation of word and knowledge which is verbal metaphor. It has a universal understanding and all people in the world will understand when see this iconic or symbol. Instead of this semiotic process of differentiation used in the verbal metaphor it also can be use in the visual metaphors.Visual metaphor is a term that designates how visual space is organized as a means of sharing cultural and social knowledge. Or metaphor can be used to understand cultural differences. Visual metaphors are just another way in which knowledge can be shared. In the heritage of the western world, this is done essentially by means of a print culture. Daily, we see advertisements on television and in magazines. Each is a visual metaphor. But, they are aimed at persuasion or iconic rather than at sharing relevant knowledge. When we turn to the use of these metaphors among indigenous groups, we find that visual metaphors are used seriously to share cultural knowledge.
From the overall view, we can see that symbol and metaphor have a different in meaning. Where the visual metaphor is symbolizing as visual imagery with richness and deep in meaning, the aimed is for sharing knowledge, it is subjective, because to understand the knowledge, it referred to as the way of people. When the symbol produced from the verbal metaphor where it deals with the rationally oriented and logically activities, like mathematics for instance, it becomes objective where people will know directly the meaning beyond the symbol and it restricted in meaning.
Balinese Traditional Culture
After knowing the background or foundation of how is metaphor it will be continuing to the next step, on how in the culture understanding about this metaphor.Balinese culture rich in the culture, beyond this, their daily activity rich of procession of ritual and worship to the deity, ancestor, and the nature it self as human being living in. Everything that the inhabitants[4] have done is purposely to the harmonious of the nature and elements forming the universe. Metaphor beyond this is the pursuit of harmoniously including inside of the spirit of thankfulness and respectfulness. Ancient people share the knowledge through the visual metaphor in richness of imagery, they are very much respect the nature and feeling of thankful to the nature, sun puff and the direction of compass.
The visual metaphor to transfer the message is used broadly in the order of space in one compound of building. The development of this metaphor in some building nowadays in Bali we can see from some international architects who are deal with the resort building.
There are some international architects that are built some building in Bali, Kerry Hill and Peter Muller.
1. Peter Muller
Muller avoided subservience to overseas styles by allowing himself to be influenced by cultures in the main Asian - rather than by styles[5]. He identified with the spiritual principles within a culture and so attained a deeper understanding of the culture’s architecture.He interprets Balinese architecture through his design in plan, section and elevation, he used the axis and geometry term in his design. It can be shown in the model plan. For the materials, he used metaphor of the small is beautiful where something that not too much in appearance like stone he develop as wall and it become developed until now where there are many hotels in Bali threat the same way as he done.
Trying to understand and respect the way people respect the nature through the metaphysical realm and transform it into the exact realm, which mean that the collaborate from the metaphysical axis and the physical will bring the harmonious.
This is the way of Peter Muler in create the small is beautiful, where the material which not much people use, for him has their own characteristic and if it used properly will giving new experience and nice to see
2. Kerry Hill
Kerry Hill is an architect is known internationally in Asian resort architecture that is both climate and site-specific in the extraordinary exotic locations. Every area in asia has their own culture and traditional architecture.
How architecture is life, how life is architectur
Architecture as life, life as architecture[6]
Architecture and life become one unity when it works together, where life is full of activity that is needed shelter and place for facilitating the activity. The development of the shelter and space become architecture, so that behaviour and culture of the society in one place will be reflecting on their architecture, it means that architecture as the visual metaphor of life or society in one place.
a. Amanusa Hotel and resort
Based on his level of appreciation, his reading has centred on materiality, the intrinsic value of one material paying respect to another, and combined with a pervasive sense of spatial order.[7]
Amanusa is a powerful composition of massive walls and floating roofs. Thirty-five free standing villas sprawl out below and to either side of a giant stone podium above which hover the dominating alang-alang thatched roofs of the hotel’s reception, restaurant and bar. Low stone balustrades increase the overall sense of space and scale, and the lobby thus feels like a balcony overlooking Arcadia. This very formal courtyard space in planted with ink frangipani trees, and the stone colonnaded pergola that frames the distant view is covered wit orange bougainvillea. A stepped stage projecting into the swimming pool as a continuation of the pool steps becomes the location for the gamelan orchestra. At night, this entire court becomes one vast dining and performance space with the backdrop of the ocean and horizon beyond. [8]The gigantic shape is make some one who saw it feels like in a very high space and feel respect to the area like mountain. The building as appreciation of mountain or building which is looks high.Water is organized as swimming pool located in the slope and also as the main attractive feature in the middle area, in the morning until afternoon people use for swim, then in the night the area use as the reflection of performance near the pool, this is one of the transformation architecture as life and life as architecture, the area become alive in a hole day.
b. Alila Manggis
To ensure the sea views for every room, the plan of the serai has been set at forty-five degrees to the beach. To reach the hotel rooms, one walks along a path at the rear and mid-level of the four two storey blocks. The pedestrian street thus becomes a unifying element. This building is not much using sense of scale and shape, because the area is in the lowland and near the beach.Skilful study of contemporary architecture of Donald Friend’s museum at Batu Jimbar, the bale agung (great hall/long house) at the nearby Bali Aga village of Tenganan, and the bale kambang (floating palace) in Klungkung. (axis), as the main challenge for architect to design a building through the meaning beyond of these previous and renown building in Bali A contemporary interpretation of traditional Balinese architecture is artfully combined with modern amenities to create a relaxed environment in harmony with its natural surroundings. Alila Manggis combines contemporary features with traditional Balinese design to form an exemplary symbiosis. This resort demonstrates creative function, elegant and pure well-being. c. Alila UbudIn this hotel, the plan is not again provide middle area as a gathering space. The pool is located in the hill, more in the quite place. Between each block, there is a view corridor to the valley below, and a series of steps connecting the upper and lower streets. In the dying light of the day, the hotel has a moody quality. It feels as if one might be in 1920s bali, in a jazz moderne hotel in the hills. In the poolside bar which sits beneath the terrace of the main restaurant, with its tapering tall columns of river pebbles, the scale of this space is monumental is repeated again similar with the amanusa hotel, because the location is the same in the hill. The world-renowned architectural firm Kerry Hill Architects makes use of traditional Balinese design, but it is transformed into modern geometry. Smooth plaster walls and concrete meet thatched roofs; terrazzo tiles meet gravel or crushed rock; wood meets glass.
Design Strategies
Application architecture traditional Bali nowadays are become much more developed rather than the former years, from the beginning of oral metaphor become until nowadays which is translated into many kind of design.Research topic is focusing in relation of Purusha and Prakriti as apart of the Hindu philosophy. Prakriti and Purusha are Anadi (beginningless) and Ananta (infinite). The Purusha is not the doer. The Purusha is like a crystal without any color. The Purusha is beyond Prakriti. Prakriti is non-sentient but active whereas Purusha is sentient but inactive substance. Purusha is consciousness, while Prakriti is non-consciousness. Purusha is inactive (Akarta), while Prakriti is active. Purusha is destitute of the Gunas, while Prakriti is characterized by the three Gunas.[9]
Both of them is complemented each other, for instance Purusha cannot act without the help of Prakriti. Prakriti is compared to a blind woman and Purusha to a lame man. When Purusha like a lame man sits on the shoulder of the Prakruti which is like a blind woman then both can function.But sometimes both are not complement each other, because one will be hard to reconcile inside. As we know that prakriti is consist of Gunas : sattva (intelligent and noetic activity), Rajas (passionate and compulsive activity), and Tamas (ignorant and impotent lethargy). These will affect the human being behaviour, and hard to controll.[10]Relevant metaphor with the research topic
1. Purusha is Prakriti,
Prakriti is Purusha
2. Allow the nature to reflect you
The area or site is located around the housing development board, where some people’s activity who is living here mostly are busy, working has been taking their time to relax and enjoying their life, no much time and also the pressure make them think short in how to reach much money and position. It influence the thinking not based on the heart. It will force someone and affect their psychology.
For example, if you are person who is full of fear inside, then this world will give you enough reason and opportunity for that fear to come out. It is a reflection in the sense that it brings out what you are. It verifies it: it justifies it. Than if you are a person full of love, then this world will give you enough opportunity for that love to come out and expressed. It all depends on who are you because the world by itself is very neutral.[11] We know that there is just one world in which we live and die. Yet this one world is different for each one of us because how we perceive it. Internally our pictures of the world are different even though externally it is just one world. If you change the way you look it, then the entire world, the entire creation, changes for you. The universe will reflect what you want to see. The reflection will be help someone in solving their problem by themselves, some activity that evoking the perception of reflection is like tai chi (perceive the nature movement), reading, meditate, and another activity of overwhelm. The existence of natural elements could support this activity where the natural elements as part of prakriti : water, air, fire, earth, space.
The strategies are:
1. Draw people attention
It needs to draw people attention from the public area to the more specific area. Public area where people always gathering. Based on the Balinese cultural where they divided the realm into three area public, semi public as in between area or preparation area, and private. Therefore from the public area such as multi purpose hall and playground, will be included the preparation area within not too large area and it consist of natural element water feature in attract people. Water as one of the natural element of prakriti will be collaborated with the other natural elements like metal, fire, and wood.
2. Change the function of amphitheatre
The amphitheatre is an oval shape with tiers of seats around a central open area and similar place for public contest, games, performances, exhibitions, and so on. And the area located surrounded by rising ground. This area not so much used by the people, and for performance, games, and activity they usually used the multi purpose hall. After people attract to go in this place, the place will be more attractive within the before place, and give different of experience, and the purpose of reflection. This area should be also become meaningful place. The place is in the slope and how to make use the superiority of this place to create the design, is one of the approaching. This area will be organized with the activity that needed nuances of calmness and freshness, therefore nature is very close, bring down the essence of nature and feeling different like out from HDB will be giving more experiences. Like using some enclosure of plants to enclose the space, so that the human eye will not seeing hdb block for a while.
Conclusion
Metaphor has a very range of meaning, and has the visual message in transfer knowledge. Although some people will hard to understand of visual metaphor, but the way of metaphor transform and use the implicit meaning become the curiosity from the visitor. Symbol as iconic metaphor has a restricted meaning because the aimed is not sharing the knowledge. Balinese architecture which is already known, began from the visual understanding and then interpretation to the form as architecture. Some of the architecture form become set pattern of Balinese architecture and naturally become bali style, but the spirit inside the space is still as showing until now. All of the knowledge from studying about the metaphor will be applying to the design strategy which is trying to reconcile the site specific and the design aimed.
[1] Website http://m-w.com/dictionary/metaphor[2] Website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor [3]Robert Clair(2000) Learn in Beauty: Indigenous Education for a New Century, Northern Arizona University.[4] Turnbull, William (2004) The place of the past: The poetic of Gardens. London,England: MIT Press.[5] Website: http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/pnmuller/frontpage.html[6] Website: http://www.architectureaustralia.com/aa/aaissue.php?article=12&issueid=200603&typeon=2[7] Goad,Philip (2000) Architecture Bali: Birth of Tropical Boutique resort, Sydney-Australia.Periplus
[8] Goad,Philip (2000) Architecture Bali: Birth of Tropical Boutique resort, Sydney-Australia.Periplus
[9] Website http://www.sanatandharma.org/page3.html
[10] Website http://www.swamij.com/prakriti-purusha-sankhya.htm
[11] Malkani, Viskas (2007). The Little Manual of Enlightment, Singapore: Soulwords
March 4, 2008 at 9:34 am
Kent’s comments:
1. Spelling errors, do not quote from Wikipidia, not official source for referencing in formal writing.
2. Good distinction between visual and verbal metaphor.
3. Atomic structure ‘like’ solar system – simile - not metaphor.
4. Do not confuse symbolism with metaphor. Examples cited in Balinese traditional symbolisms are symbols, not metaphors.
5. Metaphors not evident in Kerry Hill’s layout, should illustrate with photographs.
6. Need to identify metaphorically how Purusha & Prakriti manifest themselves in both old and new Balinese spaces. Understanding of Balinese spaces now is superficial and descriptive.
7. Identify the problems / issues of the site first before implementing design solutions and selection of suitable metaphor. At the moment, issues and understanding of metaphors are equally unclear.
Ash’s comments:
The progression of examples of metaphors, from literary to 2-D to 3-D and architecture, was rather fluent and eloquent, though some given examples were incompletely explored to elicit her better understanding of metaphorical applications.
The key body of Ira’s presentation, regarding the poetics of light, was thinly dealt with just one or two metaphorical examples, More, and salient types of examples are expected to have been researched, showing understanding, before any believable and creative works can be surmounted.
The strategic approaches in application for her competition had been hastily assembled, with simply a generic wish to apply lighting design in metaphorical terms. There has to be developed an innate understanding and a particular angle secured, before any fruitful and interesting experiments can even be created.
A narrative structure of a light show may be difficult to pull off delicately, as narrative structures tend to be illustrative in results. It is suggested that to succeed as a phenomenological staging, Ira may try various indirect approaches in manifesting a time-imagery and sequence based phenomenological experience that appropriates the popular memory of viewers.