{"id":22313,"date":"2020-04-30T22:03:08","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T02:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fbdm-mcaf.ca\/?page_id=22313"},"modified":"2020-05-04T11:32:14","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T15:32:14","slug":"architecture","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.fbdm-mcaf.ca\/en\/comic-arts-festival\/past-editions\/the-festival\/exhibitions\/comics-and-arts-exhibition\/architecture\/","title":{"rendered":"Architecture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Comics & Architecture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Architecture<\/strong>, traditionally considered the first of all the arts, can be defined as the conception of buildings and spaces in a manner that respects both the practical requirements of construction and the more lofty codes of aesthetics. These considerations obviously change depending on the function of the final building (religious, institutional, defensive, etc).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Urbanism is an important theme in comic books, which have so often become a sort of laboratory for imagining the \u201cCity of Tomorrow.\u201d  These futuristic urban utopias, seen most frequently in the pages of science fiction stories, inspired architects, whose creations in turn provided fodder for  more comic books stories. One of the most telling examples can be found in the magazine Archigram<\/em>, a 1960s avant-garde architecture revue which was inspired by futurist culture and served as a platform for its further development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both the architect and the cartoonist have long used similar tools, from the traditional drafting pens and straight edges to today\u2019s state-of-the-art digital drawing software.  Both seek to \u201cinsert life into the heart of a living space,\u201d and to have their creations reflect society. Despite the obvious differences in scale, this complementary approach allows the two arts to respond and influence each other in surprising ways. There is a reciprocal impregnation of the universes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City as a Protagonist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The city can often seem like a character in and of itself, and in certain comic books the unique urban setting, be it fictional or real, can even take on a central role in the narrative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Famed real-world locations like New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo are all seemingly-inexhaustible sources of inspiration that have left their distinctive mark on the landscape of comic books. Perhaps just as well-known are imaginary places such as Gotham City, whose dark shadows shelter the superhero Batman. Superman\u2019s fictional home takes its name from the film <\/strong>Metropolis <\/em>by Fritz Lang (1927), showcasing the fluid influences between comic books and cinema and architecture: The futuristic cityscapes of Metropolis <\/em>strongly influenced later representations of the city in comic books, and Fritz Lang was himself inspired by the work of Antonio Sant\u2019Elia, an Italian architect and member of the Futurist movement. It all comes full circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n