Scanning and Dialysis: Design Institute of the Los Angeles Center for the Arts, USA

Author: Wang Shouzhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-10-01
Features: Wang Shouzhi's Scanning and Diagnosing reminds me of the visit to the Los Angeles Center for Design Academy in 1995, when I accompanied Mr. Jin Shangyi and Mr. Dai Shihe. Shouzhi drove us to the hilltop where the academy was located. Under the greenery of grass and shrubs, a steel and glass bridge-like building stood prominently on the hill, resembling a modern sculpture under the blue sky, exuding a solemnity that encompassed order and power. This was the academy's campus. Upon entering, the campus was bright, clean, and well-organized, lacking the casual and laid-back atmosphere typical of many art schools, offering a refreshing experience. Mr. Wang Shouzhi said, "This school does not allow students to wear shawls or eccentric clothes. Because it nurtures the elite of the design industry." The requirements were almost stringent. Of course, the faculty, teaching, and facilities were first-class. As a result, the academy consistently ranked second in the annual rankings of U.S. art schools. Especially in automotive design research, it has always been at the forefront of the world. We were granted an exceptional access to a research room, which is usually off-limits to outsiders. The room was filled with various Chinese magazines, picture materials, and a chaotic array of automotive sketches. On the desk lay prototypes of cars, both completed and unfinished. It turned out that the graduate students in this room were designing household cars for China a decade from now! They only conduct forward-looking research, so they are always at the cutting edge. Mr. Shouzhi is a life professor at the academy, and the design history and theory course he teaches is one of the most popular among the students. Browsing this book feels like visiting the Los Angeles Center for Design Academy with Mr. Wang Shouzhi once again. Unfortunately, the book cannot fully convey the wisdom spark that constantly shone in Mr. Shouzhi's speech and the rhythmic beauty of his super-fast delivery, like pebbles falling into a jade plate.