Beautiful Living, Considered Having never been to Heaven, as far as I remember, I cannot speak of heavenly beauty, of life in the eternal divine. And yet, I have read accounts of those who have visited Heaven, some few of the thousands who relate near-death experiences, and I have read and have considered Swedenborg’s…
Awarding Tradition Is there a heaven? Is there reward for good behavior? Why merit the good? For goodness’ sake, I suppose. And for no other cause? Not even for the cause of enriching civilization by inspiring to good behavior. Awarding tradition. . . . Perhaps you gray-cloth-coat-Republicans have noticed that a corrupting progression of…
ARCHITECTURAL .ART Architecture is an art, a craft, a practical necessity. Sometimes, architecture is man’s grandeur writ large: Saint Peter’s Basilica, The Parthenon, Taj Mahal, Le Mont-Saint-Michel, The Pantheon. Sometimes architecture is foolishness scribbled everywhere: The Guggenheim, Dancing House, Niterói Contemporary, Le Centre Pompidou, The Gherkin. Lately, the art of architecture has been an absurdity…
Summerhouse is the second site of the first chapter of The Classive Tradition, a personal consideration of civilization as revealed in the monuments and memorials, objects and sites of Washington, The District of Columbia. The book is two-thirds complete, and ready for sharing. Hope you enjoy this quaint preview. * * * Trees, bushes, flowers,…
As for myself, I cannot imagine the Mid-Century Modern sans steel and glass. Steel, glass, and technology is the sine qua non of the old-fashioned “Modern“. And, steel and glass, and energy-efficiency is the sine qua non of the new modern.* Trouble is, the old steel and glass are expensive, mostly energy consuming … ever…
Equity Diversity Inclusion: Firmness, Commodity, and Slight of Phrase “Equity diversity inclusion” is a pretty little phrase, quaint, nice and polite, well suited to swimsuit contests, campus riots, and advertising campaigns. We find this fawning phrase graphicly projected on smart boardroom screens, carelessly taped to smudgy coffeehouse windows, and boldly italicized upon preachy university…
Civic Art: The Progressive or the Classive Remarks Delivered at the Cosmos, Club, Washington, D.C., 14 September, 2021: Progressive, or Classive Civic Art? When asked to join this panel, I wondered: “What might I, an old craftsman, contribute to a discussion of architecture and urbanism. Yes, I’ve tinkered with civic planning, designed some little…
Perhaps you assume, which, if you did, you would be mistaken, that Progressive decline is inevitable, that Classive ascendence is impossible, so very loud are the screams of maddened youth, so very droning are the innuendo of obsequious newsreaders, so very disheartened are you that all you honor, all you love, all you believe is…
