Conversations with Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam
The following was extracted from a series of interactions that took place between Mack Scogin, Merrill Elam, and the students and faculty of the Knowlton School of Architecture during the 2003–2004 academic year.
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The following was extracted from a series of interactions
invention and some level of unknowing. When
that took place between Mack Scogin, Merrill Elam, and
Mack takes a thing and turns it over, literally or
the students and faculty of the Knowlton School of
conceptually, the unexpected happens. This is a
Architecture during the 2003–2004 academic year.
regular occurrence, so I am surprised and delighted fairly often.
ON SEEING MS: We rarely talk about this collection of images. MACK SCOGIN: Rather than begin with a chrono-
They certainly inform the work, but we have never
logical background, we have chosen instead to talk
stopped to formally analyze that relationship.
with you first about the way we look at the world,
Having said that, I believe that we concern our-
the way we see. There is a distinction—how we see
selves with observation and seeing because it forms
as opposed to what we see. I believe that how we
a continually growing resource catalog of visual
see has everything to do with our architecture. I am
materials and references. The catalog forms the
constantly fascinated by how Merrill sees. The dif-
basis of a working conversation in which the rest-
ference between our eyes keeps us energized and
less use of analogy is productive. “It is like” is a
optimistic about the work.
start. “It is the same but different” is better. When the “different” transforms into its own proposition
MERRILL ELAM: What Mack makes after he sees
then some newness may emerge. The analogy with-
amazes me. It is important to sustain the unexpect-
out the transformation only tells you what is or is
ed and the discovered with whomever you are
not; the transformation leads to what might be. The
working because design is about exploration and
physical outcome forms itself before it is named. CONVERSATIONS
11
The naming allows the conversation to begin again.
the compositions within the frame. Arranging the
Visual memory, as with conceptual or theoretical
images, making juxtapositions, provocative compar-
strategies brought to architecture, operates as an
isons, and narrative continuities are generally
analogous game of superimposition and succeeds
Mack’s work. We discovered in the publication
or fails to the degree to which it is finessed or
9H—On Continuity, in an article by Luis Moreno
employed.
Mansilla, that Sigurd Lewerentz had used the camera in a similar manner, or at least to record in
ME: Aside from how we see, there is diversity in
sketchbook fashion, images or things of interest to
what we have seen and recorded. Thousands of
him. We felt a certain sense of relief or encourage-
slides in black notebooks, plastic bags, and little
ment that “snapshot sketching” was a legitimate
white boxes attest to persistent effort or habit.
way of working.
We use 35mm slide film in small Olympus
We are gradually shifting to digital cameras,
cameras. These cameras, although technologically
but there is an enormous sense of loss around the
ancient, have exceptionally wide lenses
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