Franklin's Morals of Chess

Size: 420x420x180mm
Medium: Translucent, Clear & Black Acrylic

The Morals of Chess is an essay by the American philosopher Benjamin Franklin originally published in The Columbian Magazine in December 1786. He compares chess to life and writes that foresight, circumspection and caution can be learnt from the game. After describing the effects chess can have on one's perception of life he describes a set of moral rules that a chess player should hold.

The discourse for Karl’s work is based on taking the philosophies and etiquette described in the essay and applying it to the creation of new buildings in London.

When one sets out to design a new building foresight, circumspection and caution should be applied. They are qualities the architect requires in great abundance. Their architecture should observe its surrounding rules and be executed with skill and humbleness. Are the buildings of London at war with one another? Or are they part of the same, ambient dysfunctional, family?

 

The board comprises of the following players:

The Thames Barrier
BT Tower
20 Fenchurch Street - The Walkie Talkie
30 St Mary Axe – The Gerkin
One Canada Square – Canary Wharf
London Bridge Tower – The Shard

The Tower of London
Elizabeth Tower – Big Ben
Tower Bridge
Christ Church Spitalfields
Westminster Abbey
St Pauls Cathedral

All pieces are to scale.

Franklin's Morals of Chess was sold at auction for the charity Article 25 on the 27th November 2014 at the Shard London.