Architecture and Fashion
After looking at a series of photos famous historic buildings, I realize that architecture is like fashion design. The works are temporary and temporal. We think of buildings as being solid like mountains, or sculptures, but they are mostly empty air, and structurally delicate; being precariously balanced on a foundation. Compared to other fine arts, buildings have a short life that is akin to the fabric arts. Many new architectural styles actually consist of walls and an exterior that is hung from, or draped over, a solid structural skeleton, similar to fashion design. Architectural styles change as frequently as fashion and the two are frequently related.
copyright(c)2015
William Schaeffer
When I share this idea with friends and associates, many men recoil at the thought. It is as if they cannot accept that there is anything feminine about "Building Construction." As if this association somehow lessens the masculinity of the work.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, most of the significant architectural achievements of the past 200 years no longer exist; their memory being preserved in print and photograph. The buildings just wore out, in much the same manner as clothing gets worn out from continual use.