March 3, 2004

Gaudi

            The paragon of modernism is in Barcelona, home to the famous architect Antonio Gaudi.  Modernism is characterized by a “dynamic mix of old and new,” rejection of “the straight line or mechanical form,” and “look to the past for symbolic inspiration” (382D).  The historic event of Catalunya’s claim to sovereignty brought about a need to break from the past and a need to express new freedom, and thus came about modernism.

            Antonio Gaudi’s could be described as a mix of Gothic and Islamic; however, Gaudi would argue that both styles simply served as inspiration, a typical modernist answer.  Parabolic arches were his signature architectural feature.  Here, I have posted my own picture of the Casa Battlo which displays the body of a dragon colored “bits of mauve, blue and green tile” (382E) like the shingles of the Littlefield House.  Notice the bones posts. 

 I also have my own version of the Casa Mila which is named “La Pedrea” (in Spanish “La Piedra”) because it looks as if it were carved out of quarry.  In both Casa Battlo and Casa Mila, Gaudi “banished right angles and straight lines” (382E) allowing his buildings to drastically stand out among the neighboring, right-angled buildings.

            As the anthology states, Parc Guell was built as a utopian park community as an extension of the old sector of Barcelona; however, only two houses (to the R) were ultimately constructed.  The project turned out to be a “commercial flop” (382F) because no one wanted to live in such an isolated area.  Neither of these houses is “true to nature;” as a matter of fact, I am fondly reminded of Candy Land and gingerbread houses.  In the dimness of the background, one can spot the “84 Doric columns meant to house a marketplace for the utopian suburb” (382F).  Notice the only Doric column visible in this picture.  Gaudi had quite an imagination.  Although his architecture is gloomy and oppressive, it has a very unique touch.  Nevertheless, I wouldn’t call his architecture particularly pleasing to the eye and wonder why the Spaniards admired the work of Gaudi so much.  However, La Sagrada Familia is quite an exception to my previous statement.

            Nominalism, often seen as exaggerated realism, was favorite topic of discussion in the Middle Ages.  Nominalism was anti-realism: the denial of the existence of abstract and universal concepts.   Because nominalism is appropriate to materialist and empirical philosophy, it has been popular in modern thought to coexist with modernism art and architecture.  To the nominalists, Gaudi would merely be “architect” and therefore fall in the architect category; Nominalists classified like individuals with a general term and ignore the need to acknowledge individuals universally.  Perhaps it is because of nominalist philosophy and modernist art combined that American mundane commercial and civil buildings appear similar among each other but very different in contrast with England’s ornate buildings.