Picturesqueness or Expressionism - Essay Example

Complexity and Contradiction’ versus ‘Picturesqueness or Expressionism’ Introduction The contribution of Robert Venturi in the world of architecture has been remarkable and writings played an important role for the post- modern views in architecture. His book “Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture” primarily says that gray of real aesthetic experience is still in used until the modernist architecture and not the black and white idealization of perfection (Venturi, 1966). Venturi implies that the designs should not be taken literally from the styles of the past. He has been a controversial critic of the works in the past. Actually, his style somehow meant to significantly include the architectural history and collaborate it to come up with a modern piece. His architectures seemed to be different from the normal styles and are hard for the people to understand. Indeed, architecture for him is a simple art and does not always have to look good just like how he promotes the oppositions of the elements hybrid, compromising and distorted. Expressing his art through writings gives many ideas regarding various architectural designs. In addition to, his writings made him say what he perceives about how styles should be in his own taste regardless of the common styles. He describes a lot about complexity and contradiction, as well as picturesqueness. However, these terms somehow lead to confusion and thus needs further clarification according to what his book says (Venturi, 1966). Discussion According to Venturi (1966, p. 16), “I like elements which are hybrid rather than pure, compromising rather than clean, distorted rather than straightforward, conventional rather than designed’.” It means that his idea of architecture falls under a messy way of expressing the styles and designs. As mentioned, people are having difficulties with his styles and his buildings do not reflect the styles of the past. He has his own styles and standards where he could express his own art. Venturi’s Lieb House (Ayyüce, 2009) His theory about complexity and contradiction distinguishes the unambiguous and embedded functions, literal, symbolic and has a variety of interpretations. Complexity according to him is always present in the world of architecture. But it should integrate in the sense of its functions and forms. Talking about his idea of complexity, it sorts a way to make the false simplicity acceptable. For him, expressionism is the way where an oversimplification arises. Modern architects identify complexity as an incoherent idea. Venturi (1966) mainly points out his argument regarding the modernism styles. He visualizes such straight and simple styles as boring and uninteresting and that merely contradicts modern architecture because it has nothing to do with abstraction. But a more recent explanation about simplicity is the doctrine of “less is more”. In a simpler manner, it says that an artist can do whatever he wants to do regardless of the important details that need to be considered for the sake of having a good outcome. That is where the complexity grumbles about and elaborates the segregation of expressionism. It actually gives the chance to the artists to see the things that he only wants to and disregard the essence of satisfying the need of the society (Venturi, 1966). Picturesqueness literally means to represent a clear and ideal beauty and expresses a beauty which is pleasurable in a picture. However, with accord to Robert Venturi (1966), picturesqueness is merely an oversimplification of a simple art. Complexity of an expression itself results to the formalization of diversity which is then an oversimplification instead of simplicity. Consequently, this suggests the term picturesqueness instead of a complexity on the other. Through his works and applying theories, he is able to express himself by creating a different outlook in the world of architecture; he steps beyond the standard of picturesqueness or expressionism with his ideals and structures. The two terms become different in a way he contradicts the very rule of architecture to make a more reflective and distinct structure. Venturi rather chose distorted from symmetrcal, collateral rather than clean, ambiguous rather than articulated as how gentle manifesto depicts. The Vanna Venturi House (Craven, 2009a) The symmetry of the house is distorted from left to right and the windows are different and a big chimney pointing upward is not proportioned with the middle. It looks like a church though if you are from a far distance. This breaks the architectural form of a house and has been a representation of post modernism. The Bank by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown (Craven, 2009b) It also depicts distortion and differs from the look of a normal house. It has the look of being retro with matching colours of different shades and does not stick to the common ways of painting a building. Sophistication and complexity is basically far more reaching from the standard to settle the whole obligation. It seeks out a more abstract thinking to build the structures especially with the levels of elements. "Less is a bore" apparently is what Robert Venturi (1966) puts a highlight on and explains how a detailed and modern form of architecture falls to a superfluous structure, formal though but still it needs more framework validity. Conclusion Generally, complexity is different from picturesqueness through the visualization of styles in architecture. Robert Venturi expressed complexity through distortions while picturesqueness is more on the simplicity. However, his styles vary by integrating the traditional style with modern architectural structures and imploring a more abstract architecture. Promoting validity over the use of complex and contradicting architecture, the scope of architecture should be exploited and expressed most especially for the purpose of attaining goals. Apparently, discussing the arguments of the book written by Robert Venturi, it mainly points out his ideas regarding his contradictions to the modernist views. The traditional way of architecture with the modern styles are seem to be boring and out of life according to him. It just solves the problems that the artists look into and disregards the distinction of the details that the people needs. An artist makes a beautiful house and seems to be a picturesque structure for its location because the artist disregards some important details. Hence, all things can not be seen if simplification will be used and other vital details will be overlooked. Bibliography Ayyüce, Orhan, 2009.Venturis Lieb House in New Jersey [electronic print] Available at http://elseplace.blogspot.com/2009/01/venturis-lieb-house-in-new-jersey-to-be.html [Accessed 07 September 2009] Craven, Jackie, 2009a. The Vanna Venturi House [electronic print] Available at http://architecture.about.com/od/greatbuildings/ig/Modern-and-Postmodern-Houses/Vanna-Venturi-House.htm [Accessed 07 September 2009] Craven, Jackie, 2009b. The Vanna Venturi House [electronic print] Available at http://architecture.about.com/od/plannedcities/ss/celebration_7.htm [Accessed 07 September 2009] Venturi, Robert, Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, New York: Museum of Modern Art and Graham Foundation, 1966. Read More