Roads Less Traveled-Exhibit by James Warfield in Shanghai, China

"Every man is like all other men, like some other men, like no other man." This simple observation by sociologist Clyde Kluckhohn provided the conceptual foundation for “Roads Less Traveled,” a new book and exhibition by UIUC School of Architecture Professor Emeritus James P. Warfield. “Roads…” opened at Kengo Kuma's Z58 on January 8, 2009 in Shanghai, China, with great fanfare: opening introductions by architect/planner Zheng Shiling, one of four members of the organizing committee for Expo 2010, the next world fair; by Wu Jiang, Vice-Mayor of Shanghai in charge of architecture and planning; and internationally acclaimed photographer Wang Xiaowei. Warfield's exhibition was designed and realized by the Shanghai design firm UN+Architects. The opening was hosted by China's major architectural journal “Time+Architecture.”

The Shanghai opening brought to fruition a 2 1/2 year project conceived as a joint east-west venture by Warfield and Gao Bei, Shanghai architect and president of UN+Architects. The project, based upon Warfield's 45 years of travel and research in vernacular architecture, is a visual and verbal memoir in images and words. It addresses 34 distinct world culture areas on six continents, each anchored by provocative photos of places, often gritty and textured, which find their focus in the daily living environments and architectural legacy of uniquely different peoples. Portrait galleries illustrate each culture with the faces a man, celebrating the dignity of the individual, the distinctiveness of cultures, and the community of mankind. Its text is culled from Warfield's travel journals, spontaneous accounts written on site as he experienced the places and people and cultures around the world.

In an opening night interview with ICE-TV, Warfield spoke of his collaboration with UN+Architects and the shared intentions which led to the unique “Roads…” project. “Both the book and exhibition,” he said, “are based upon the concept of a project grounded in universal principles, truths this that are neither Eastern nor Western, that are both Eastern and Western. Throughout the project, all cultures are considered without hierarchy, without priority, without rank order. Thus, the project has no beginning, no end. The book is composed like a work of poetry, of volume which can be opened to any chapter at any reading, never dependent upon what comes before or after.” Regarding the photographs, Warfield continued, “The visuals presented are intended to provoke thought. It is my hope that they will be considered without categorization: they are offered neither as art nor photojournalism; their subjects touch upon anthropology and architecture, but their focus is neither; the face photos are more landscapes than portraits. Similarly, the text derived from original journals written over 45 years, unselfconsciously represents the uneven skills/moods/ideas of a naïve/seasoned traveler/wanderer/researcher over a lifetime.”

When asked by the ICE-TV reporter if there was any unexpected outcome or pleasure derived from the exhibition, Warfield answered, “Without doubt, the greatest pleasure would have to be the truly wonderful collaboration I experienced with both young and old Chinese friends and colleagues. With only a few short face-to-face meetings to establish the ideas upon which to base the project, we worked by Internet and e-mail over a 30 month period. While Gao Bei and I established the concept, UN+Architects’ Cheng Tao, a master professional, designed the book, commissioned original calligraphy for posters and banners, and envisioned the elaborate exhibition at Z58. Gao Bei accepted the most difficult challenge: the ‘words.’ Both Bei and I were intent to create a book with a quality text in both English and Chinese. The English language does not translate easily into Chinese, nor did my casual, often idiosyncratic journal writing style, filled with idioms and references to popular culture (Ridley Scott's ‘Blade Runner,’ Mary Shelley's ‘Igor,’ Stevie Wonder’s ‘Ebony and Ivory!’). Additionally, there was no uniformity in my journal entry writing styles which range from humorous to critical, from describing architecture to discussing theory, from storytelling to poetry. We realized that a direct translation was out of the question. So UN+ formed a ‘cultural research group’ which worked for two years to read, discuss, retell and rewrite each journal entry. While I cannot myself judge the quality of the Chinese writing, I can convey the overwhelming praise that we received from many individuals after my wife Chelle and baritone Singapore native Chen Yi read alternate stanzas of my poem "From the Okunoin Graveyard” at the exhibition opening in English and Chinese.”

Anecdotally, while the formal Z58 opening of “Roads Less Traveled” was limited to 200 invited VIP guests, nearly 200 students from Tongji University “crashed” the opening party. In a typically selfless Chinese gesture, UN+Architects issued everyone attending, invited VIPs and students alike, a signed copy of the new publication.

School of Architecture Director David Chasco has announced his intentions to bring the exhibition to the USA and fall 2009. At this writing, it is unclear when shipments of the new book will arrive in the USA. However, plans are to release it on Amazon.com sometime in the spring.