(inzending ARCHIPRIX 1995)
Tom Frantzen
Marc Maurer
EINDHOVEN BUILDS CHARACTER
long sleeve T-shirt:
Tom Frantzen © 1995
de volgende editie van 10 stuks wordt uitgebracht in ROOD met WITTE opdruk !
The project's title has a double meaning, referring not only to hiphop culture but also to the fact that this particular 'ism' is contingent upon collaborative effort, a marriage of convenience if you like with no roots other than the feeling the two designers share of being 'MCs'. In Tom Frantzen's work the use of 'sampling' is indicative of the general attitude among hiphoppers. His designs derive most of their strength from taking current briefs extremely literally, which is a way of derailing them. He remixed his idols, the Dadaist and Merz-builder Kurt Schwitters, 'L.' Lissitsky and the world-famous architect Rem Koolhaas in order to emulate if not surpass them. Marc Maurer's work focuses more on developing a hiphop-based architecture along theoretical and ultra-scientific lines. Having exhaustively analysed rap monologues, skateboard techniques and graffiti gibberish he applied his findings to various self-generating design models. The seemingly illogical architectural statements proceeding from these proved when consistently developed (particularly in the detail design period) to stand up in practice.
For this Archiprix the designers took the work produced at the graduation stage - theoretical essays, prototypes, sculptures, graphics, VRs, installations and extracurricular commissions - and made a selection of essential 'hits'.
* MC-i.s.m.
a tendency in the arts, particularly architecture, in which the artist/ architect uses quotes (read samples) to transform his vision into a new personal composition. The abbreviation MC was discovered when Maurer (with an M for Michigan on his cap) and Frantzen (a C for Chicago on his) sat together on a stair while taking part in a film about rap and architecture. MC stands for Master Copy (i.e. the original) and in rap for Master of Ceremonies.