Hundertwasser

[Lova]

"The straight line is the curse of our civilization. "

"Modern architecture scandalously robs us of our humanity by its disgraceful dictates. We are legally restrained from making any change or additions to facades, designs, or interiors, either in color, structure or masonry. Even tenant-owned buildings are subject to censorship (by regulations of the Board of Works and Lease statutes). Such regulations are characteristic of prisons, cages, and tables - all ready-made, a priori structures, for which construction is completely halted prior to prisoner or animal habitation, assuring total alienation between inhabitant and structure."

Hundertwasser was an Austrian painter who wrote the "MOULDINESS MANIFESTO:

AGAINST RATIONALISM IN ARCHITECTURE." He's one of my favorite architectural thinkers, but is probably unknown around here.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/math5.patte....html#MANIFESTO

http://www1.kunsthauswien.com/english/fenster.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story...,178823,00.html

Read it all.

[glassandsteel]

I will, thank you.

[BBascule]

I think he's remembered more for his paintings than anything else. I've always liked his paintings, but his architecture always just seemed more like folk buildings with surfaces covered by his colorful nouveau patterns. ie: superficial/surface-based as opposed to spatial.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.