Dynamic composition and again, your observation of a vignette most wouldn't notice. I like modern architecture when it has curves and diagonals like this: some hint of the organic. The newish Windsor Great Park visitor centre, for instance, is full of organic curves and natural materials, and some modern large bridges are beautiful: the great poles with graceful swathes of those string-like things (don't really know how to describe them!). But I loathe those great minimalist utititarian slabs of blocks which started in the 1960s and are still being built: huge blocks with only verticals and horizontals, not a diagonal or curve to be seen, let alone any sort of ornament. A certain sort of scientist/mathematician loves them: appeals to the autistic in some of them, I think. They are autistic buildings. Quite a lot of these horrors will be going up in Oxford because of the University's wish to expand its scientific facilities (keeping up with the world and China etc - understandable in a way). These blocks are cheaper to build, I suppose, than buildings with curves and diagonals. Ah well, bee in bonnet.....!
The present Diaguilev exhib at the V & A wonderful, if you like that sort of thing. A great cavern of glowing colours and nostalgic photos, and the display of how the art of the 1900s and the 20s became so modern - the Stravinsky/Nijinsky 'The Rite of Spring', and the Picasso/Milhaud 'Parade' with its extraordinary costumes and music with gunshots and typewriter! On till 9 Jan.
Still at the British Museum:
3 comments:
It is really striking. We were there just last month - my first ever visit to the BM...
Dynamic composition and again, your observation of a vignette most wouldn't notice. I like modern architecture when it has curves and diagonals like this: some hint of the organic. The newish Windsor Great Park visitor centre, for instance, is full of organic curves and natural materials, and some modern large bridges are beautiful: the great poles with graceful swathes of those string-like things (don't really know how to describe them!). But I loathe those great minimalist utititarian slabs of blocks which started in the 1960s and are still being built: huge blocks with only verticals and horizontals, not a diagonal or curve to be seen, let alone any sort of ornament. A certain sort of scientist/mathematician loves them: appeals to the autistic in some of them, I think. They are autistic buildings. Quite a lot of these horrors will be going up in Oxford because of the University's wish to expand its scientific facilities (keeping up with the world and China etc - understandable in a way). These blocks are cheaper to build, I suppose, than buildings with curves and diagonals. Ah well, bee in bonnet.....!
The present Diaguilev exhib at the V & A wonderful, if you like that sort of thing. A great cavern of glowing colours and nostalgic photos, and the display of how the art of the 1900s and the 20s became so modern - the Stravinsky/Nijinsky 'The Rite of Spring', and the Picasso/Milhaud
'Parade' with its extraordinary costumes and music with gunshots and typewriter! On till 9 Jan.
Best wishes
I haven't seen the V&A Diaghilev exhibition, Vivien - must make sure I do, the photos I've seen look wonderful.
Post a Comment