can you feel the energy?

[stlukesguild]

I should note there are works of geometric abstraction I quite admire.

 

[JohnEmmett]

And I was just saying it did nothing for me.

K

 

[JohnEmmett]

 

[JohnEmmett]

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

 

[stlukesguild]

"Less is more." - Mies van der Rohe

"Less is a bore." - Robert Venturi

 

[JohnEmmett]

Mies van der Rohe

 

[stlukesguild]

Mies is responsible for every mass-produced smoked glass building in every city in the US. His buildings had nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with cutting costs.

 

[JohnEmmett]

Mies is responsible for every mass-produced smoked glass building in every city in the US.

I like skyscrapers

 

[JohnEmmett]

 

[stlukesguild]

There are very fine skyscrapers:

And others... less so:

 

[JohnEmmett]

 

[stlukesguild]

Nice photograph... I'm not certain about the individual buildings.

 

[JohnEmmett]

Nice photograph... I'm not certain about the individual buildings.

Simplicity is sophistication.

 

[Maybenartist]

Simplicity is sophistication.

In building terms simplicity usually relates to cost cutting.

 

[stlukesguild]

In building terms simplicity usually relates to cost cutting.

Bingo!

 

[JohnEmmett]

Mies found appeal in the use of simple rectilinear and planar forms, clean lines, pure use of color, and the extension of space around and beyond interior walls expounded by the Dutch De Stijl group.

Wikipedia

 

[musket]

You can't tell one glass kleenex box stuck on one end from the other. They're just boring buildings all gussied up with a fancy theory. Heaven defend humanity from purity freaks.

 

[JohnEmmett]

 

[stlukesguild]

Mies and De Stijl were purists. Picasso, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Goethe, Dante, Klimt, Beethoven, Mozart, Rubens, Tintoretto, Bonnard, Degas, Van Gogh, etc... None of these were "purists".

 

[brianvds]

Mies found appeal in the use of simple rectilinear and planar forms, clean lines, pure use of color, and the extension of space around and beyond interior walls expounded by the Dutch De Stijl group.

Wikipedia

The funny thing is, in my two years in the Netherlands I did not see much sign of De Stijl. Seems like they exported the worst of it, and held on to their old buildings.