Sketching of the Past, Present & Future
Last week, a group of ARCers soaked in the lovely afternoon weather together while participating in a drawing exercise to observe and reflect on the Back Bay environment.
Spring in New England is so tenuous, just getting out of the office for half an hour on a sunny day is a treat. But getting to spend it among friends, sketching and capturing the architecture of Back Bay clears the head and refocuses your energy for the rest of the day.
Jan Taylor
The Exercise
Boston is an ever-changing, ever-evolving city full of historic significance – an ideal place to reflect on the past and envision the future while experiencing the present moment.
ARCers were asked to draw the past, present or future of the space we are in, while keeping in mind:
- Where were we?
- Where are we now?
- Where are we headed?
Each ARCer brought their own perspectives to the exercise – some focused on critical issues like climate change and historic preservation, while others keying in on details like shifts in natural features or landscape design.
I took a moment to pause and appreciated learning more about the memorials in our city and one of the memorials that stood out in particular was the Vendome Hotel Fire Memorial. I developed a deeper appreciation of remembrance in time and space.
Ellie W.
We each spent 30 minutes sketching, finding spaces from the Comm. Ave Mall to the Charles River Esplanade, and taking time to immerse ourselves in our surroundings to capture elements of the past, present or future of the space.
We came back together to share stories of our experiences. We absorbed the different sculptures, monuments, and memorials dotted throughout the city and displaying its rich history; we witnessed the present-day building designs with art deco spaces and vintage renowned 19th century brownstones emerging side-by-side; and we observed the abundance of scaffolding supporting high rise renovations and construction – evidence of the everchanging Boston skyline.
This exercise generated a lot of great discussions shared amongst ARCers and an overwhelming appreciation for the past, present, and future designs of our city.
