My Summer Lair Chapter #42: If You Could Build Your Own House What Kind Of House Would You Build?
At Hot Docs one of the consistent and noteworthy questions is why you? Why are you qualified to tell this story?
In Joseph Clement’s case he lives and creates at the intersection of landscape and film. His work ranges from the physical like gardens and landscape architecture to the…metaphysical such as films. And it’s that background and that experience that makes him qualified to document Toronto’s Integral House.
When you picture a house chances are you’re seeing a standard house…the triangle rooftop, living room, dining room, a handful of bedrooms etc.
Integral House defied these conventions; indeed on the third level is a large performance space able to accommodate 200 people. Clearly a byproduct of vision. And this vision…the journey from idea to reality is documented in Joseph Clement’s Integral Man documentary (now screening at Hot Docs).
Because we live in such a conservative (almost mundane) world when individuals take chances and break from traditional molds to express new ideas…even if you don’t like the final results it’s inspiring. It’s hard to go back to the ordinary; this is our new normal.
In my conversation with Joseph we discuss The Highline a gorgeous elevated park in New York City. To experience that ignites a passion for more places like this…here in Toronto we constantly have debates about the waterfront, the Gardiner…when if we’re willing to stop being risk averse examples like The Highline point a clear path.
Unfortunately vision can be all consuming. One of life’s modern paradoxes: the determination to get something done can be all too consuming. Jim Stewart the other subject of Integral Man may have paid a high price for this vision.
Like all architecture beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Joseph Clement @ W • T • F
Host Sammy Younan
Recorded: Wedneday May 3, 2017 at 3:30 pm (at Girth Radio)
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