September 21, 2006

Gothic Architecture

 

At first glance the pointed arches, rising roofs high above the walls, harsh, uninviting metal, appear eerie and daunting, almost sinister, as many of my classmates have noted. Yet, I have always appreciated and enjoyed these very same characteristics of Gothic architecture. Personally, I love this antiquated style that originated in Europe. Consider how many people flock all over Europe just to see the ¿famous¿ buildings, such as the Notre Dame, or Westminster Abbey, and yet so many claim to lack an appreciation for such styles of architecture. Perhaps my appreciation is because I tend to associate more with ¿left-brained¿ ideals, gravitating towards rigidity and structure, and often seeing beauty in geometric figures. Either way, when I first chanced upon Littlefield home, I fell in love with its style. It stands in stark contrast to its surroundings and yet, I saw a beauty that made me completely unaware of all of the other buildings around me. Just as John Ruskin noted, ¿no pleasure I taken anywhere in modern buildings, and we find all men of true feelings delighting to escape out of modern cities into natural scenery¿ (Ruskin, 535).
And his observation is entirely accurate. Consider a typical scenario of the stereotypical city businessperson: when stressed or consumed by work, an outlet often appears through yoga, meditation, or just taking a vacation to paradise or wherever, but always out of the city. In each case, tranquility is found in nature. Similarly, Gothic architecture falls right in sync with nature, the very foundations of its origin. The style originated at the abbey church of Saint-Denis in Saint-Denis, near Paris, where it exemplified the vision of Abbot Suger. Suger¿s vision was to create a physical representation of the Heavenly Bethlehem-a building with a high degree of linearity, suffused with light and color (Tinkler, ¿Gothic Architecture). Further, the characteristic verticality of the pointed arches represents an aspiration to Heaven, while the ornamentation is akin to natural elements, such as flowers or icicles, as noted by Rachel. Upon reading James¿ post, I realized that perhaps his realization is one that I realized on a subconscious level: my appreciation for Gothic architecture is rooted in the very same comfort I feel in the serenity of nature. Finally, Littlefield House is a perfect example of the very ¿rudeness¿
of Gothic architecture, its ¿expression of energy¿ and how it ¿stands out in prickly independence¿ of its surrounding buildings, built with a Spanish style (Ruskin, 553). Nature is the very foundation from which human civilization has grown from, all the way from the caveman era. Thus, just as Littlefield House pronounces her differing style, Mother Nature often pronounces her domination, when humans need a reminding, such as the recent series of hurricanes the devastated parts of the country. Perhaps, Mother Nature was punishing us for our poor treatment of the environment, as seen by global warming? Overall, I agree with Ruskin and his observation of Gothic architecture¿s parallelism to nature.