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6/16/2025, 8:30:47 AM
2/2
I suppose I'm a bit tired of these exaggerated performances of extremity. These attempts at one-upmanship in either direction. Both personally and in terms of my artistic perusal. To quote Frank Lloyd Wright
"We no longer live in simple terms or places. Life is a more complex struggle now. It is now valiant to be simple: a courageous thing to even want to be simple. It is a spiritual thing to comprehend what simplicity means."
I think we can all agree he was more prescient than he could've possibly known. The corporatization of the internet has turned the entire worlds engagement away from simplicity and toward the far extremes at every level, from the artistic to the political. If I had to think of an artist that lands in the middle ground, that is, not necessarily being made simply for mass appeal, but engaging with a medium for it's own sake? I would be remiss to not mention Rothko. He's oft mentioned as an example of that low end "modern" art that doesn't deserve the praise and attention it gets, but I've always seen him as an example of perfected simplicity. He's not making something like "Piss Christ" to shock you, or a Thomas Kinkade to make easy money, or a Jeff Koons to do a little bit of everything. I think the sort of critique that lumps him in with any of these says more about the critic than the work.
With that said, to any thread watchers out there, tell me who I'm missing out on in that regard. Architects and designers that provoke through simplicity or elevate the expected. Not necessarily to be shock or impress, but to engage with the medium as authentically as they are able. If you're willing to critique what I've written here in a respectful way, I'd also welcome your thoughts. Otherwise, it's been educational.
I suppose I'm a bit tired of these exaggerated performances of extremity. These attempts at one-upmanship in either direction. Both personally and in terms of my artistic perusal. To quote Frank Lloyd Wright
"We no longer live in simple terms or places. Life is a more complex struggle now. It is now valiant to be simple: a courageous thing to even want to be simple. It is a spiritual thing to comprehend what simplicity means."
I think we can all agree he was more prescient than he could've possibly known. The corporatization of the internet has turned the entire worlds engagement away from simplicity and toward the far extremes at every level, from the artistic to the political. If I had to think of an artist that lands in the middle ground, that is, not necessarily being made simply for mass appeal, but engaging with a medium for it's own sake? I would be remiss to not mention Rothko. He's oft mentioned as an example of that low end "modern" art that doesn't deserve the praise and attention it gets, but I've always seen him as an example of perfected simplicity. He's not making something like "Piss Christ" to shock you, or a Thomas Kinkade to make easy money, or a Jeff Koons to do a little bit of everything. I think the sort of critique that lumps him in with any of these says more about the critic than the work.
With that said, to any thread watchers out there, tell me who I'm missing out on in that regard. Architects and designers that provoke through simplicity or elevate the expected. Not necessarily to be shock or impress, but to engage with the medium as authentically as they are able. If you're willing to critique what I've written here in a respectful way, I'd also welcome your thoughts. Otherwise, it's been educational.
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