Beauty - Subjective or Objective?

For a start, don't expect to find the definitive answer here. Also, I apologize for the lack of pretty pictures. I hope some of you will enjoy reading it regardless.

Today an acquaintance on Facebook posted a link to an article, on the subject of Beauty being ... or not being ... "in the eye of the beholder". My few thoughts that follow were in response to that.

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I have a Master's Degree in Architecture, so this article touches particular interests of mine. The comparison of the rubbish heap to the canal houses reveals the limits of the author's argument.

Unquestionably there is a line between them. But where the notion of an objective measure of beauty fails is on one side of that line, what type of canal houses? Should they be ultra-modern minimalist white boxes? Should they be recreations of 19th century traditional Dutch architecture? ect. We see from this that once we have set aside that which our ENTIRE society has mutually agreed upon as ugly (the rubbish heap) we then come face to face with the subjective discussion of relative merits of different approaches to "beauty".

My architectural training subjected me to 2 very different ideas about the "right" kind of architecture. I studied with "modernists" but disliked their iconoclastic "throw the baby out with the bath water" approach. I also had the great good fortune to study with Christoper Alexander, one of the great thinkers of our time, who challenged the modernists at their very core and who, like them, believed that beauty was NOT subjective.

I came to the conclusion this dilemma cannot be resolved. There are those who would try to put beauty into a straight jacket. In much of western cultural history of the last 300 years this could be characterized as the "Akademie", the governing authority of an institution that decides what is and isn't acceptable in creative art.

But science and the trajectory of our modern society has been to open more and more possibilities for creative endeavors of all kinds and the constraints of an "Akademie" will inevitably be challenged, confronted, and toppled.

So now, when a developer proposes a stark modern tower on the edge of a historic district, it is really a political issue and no longer an aesthetic one. All we can do is try to get those who favor our aesthetic approach into positions of political power... OR ... press towards a more 'socialist' society in which the needs and desires of the larger group outweigh the freedoms of the individual.

March Wanderings - Snapshots of Rennes

I needed to take care of a bit of government bureaucracy stuff that warranted going to Rennes. That put me about half way to the Loire Valley. So I took the opportunity to set aside a few days and wander.

Here are a few photos of Rennes. It's not particularly quaint. But it has its moments. And I understand it has been voted one of France's most livable cities. It's not big but very lively, due in part to the presence of several colleges and universities.

The Parliament of Brittany

a market square - this day all the stalls had books

Church of St. Augustine

town ramparts

quirky Victorian Gothic house on the market square

Church of St. Germain

 This is kind of interesting. One of the things you see a lot around town are these exposed side wall. The street fronts are usually lined with nice, clean finish materials. But on the sides you see the rough stone that is behind it all. And then, since that stone isn't suitable for the construction of chimneys, you see clay brick incorporated into it, tracing the lines of the chimney flues as they make their way to the roof. It's all so exposed and the dichotomy of presentable front with utilitarian sides and back is so open. Somehow it feels very French. It's like mothers and wives of all ages who may choose to go topless at the beach. We all know what's there. We've all seen it since we were suckling babies. So what's the big fuss? Still, when you leave the beach and go into town, you put on your stylish outfit and heels and a bit of makeup.

Historical Riyadh

A few weeks back, while the Spring midday temperatures were still reasonably comfortable, I made a sojourn with a few colleagues to the historical Riyadh. Abandoned in 1818 and left to crumble back into the desert, "Diriyah" is now re-emerging. The government has taken on a 10 year project to rebuild and restore it, using original materials and techniques.

The desert architecture, of course, bears strong resemblance to the traditions that developed in other deserts of the world. There are many similarities to the adobe and stone architecture of the American Southwest. But then, of course, there are also the delightful little details that make it unique to this area.

I'll let pictures tell the rest of the story.

If you're interested in seeing the area on Google Earth go to Lat. 24.734, Long. 46.574. Sorry but I don't know how to post a link directly to that location.