Marshall Bermann - All That Is Solid Melts Into Air - Goethe's Faust

In the first chapter of 'All That Is Solid Melts Into Air - The Experience Of Modernity' Marshall Berman uses Goethes interpretation of the legend of Faust as a literary interpretation of modernization. In the other chapters he uses Marxist texts, French poetry and Russian Literature to analyze modernisation and modernism, but I am yet to read that far. Goethe's version of Faust, as Berman tells us, is the most extensive and rich interpretaion there is, not unexpected from a man who spent sixty years working on it. The main difference, we are told, of Goethe's Faust to its predecessors is the desire for development which previous incarnations had represented by more obvious desires such as money, sex and fame.

Berman goes on to describe the most original idea in Goethes Faust as that of the two modes of development in Faust as both self-development and economic-development and that these must be fused to achieve either. He analyses the story in its three parts, The Dreamer, The Lover and The Developer and through this explains how the Faust tradgedy of Development comes to pass. From his desire for knowledge to his unexpected encounter with love and eventually his
unstoppable thirst for development, it is clear why Berman sees this as the original tale of modernity.



1926 German Expresionist Film 'Faust' by F.W. Murnau:

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand - King Vidor

Finally managed to watch this last night, brilliant movie, really enjoyed it in many respects, especially as it is relevant to my dissertation.

So first of all the story (and I havent read the book even though I've been meaning to for years) is interesting because it not only represents the attitude of the time but also romanticizes the architect and his profession. The character Howard Roark is obviously based on Frank Lloyd Wright and whilst the societal attitude conveyed in the movie is one of anti modernity it is clearly pro modernism or at least change and progression as our hero Roark wins in the end despite ridiculously getting away with blowing up a huge development. What is interesting is that the way this romantisization brings the game into the public forum. Hollywood was just getting into full flow at the time and tried and tested narrative constructs were being established.



I would say that The Fountainhead falls into the genre of Film Noir, which interestingly enough was a particularly architecturaly relevant genre. Film Noir was a movement between the early forties and late fifties and was generally hollywood crime dramas, but not specifically and the style drew alot from German Expressionism. Expressionism wasnt solely film based, we all know Munch's The Scream, do I need to mention that this was about distorting reality in order to induce emotional reaction? Anyway the movement gained alot of strength in the film industry with the likes of Lang (Metropolis video in earlier post) whos films used alot of mise on scene and narrative based around the dark fringes of society to create more engaging and moody films as they didnt have the resources of Hollywood. Filmakers like Lang and Siodmak later moved to Hollywood where these techniques and styles went on to form the foundations of Film Noir.





I could go on, but the point is that these movies, Metropolis, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, numerous others and even Blade Runner(a sort of NeoNoir) are the most architecturally relevant movies around. This is not neccessarily because they are about cities or buildings, but because they are about modernism and the societal shift towards modernity. This is why The Fountainhead is an important film and relevant to this course, because it is a statement on these things, Modernity and The Machine, albeit with a little more Hollywood sheen than its Noir contemporaries.

Evelyn Waugh - Decline and Fall

I cant pretend to know enough about literature to say that Waugh was a modernist, but if you read up about him you'll find out that he was. However reading this book wouldnt necessarily make you think that. It was his first book and is entirely, except for a few cockney sort ere an there, written in the most terribly old school tie manner. I think thats the the point though, that hes taking the piss, and it is funny. Im not finished yet, but right now Paul Pennyfeather is in Jail for prostitute trafficking, although for Paul this is not the real Fall (which was his expulsion from Oxford), and hes being punished for being an introvert and enjoying solitary confinement! His punishment is to spend time chatting to other prisoners in the yard, one of whom thinks he is the Lion of the Lord and was sent to kill all the philistines!

I laughed out loud on the tube earlier while reading this, which was a bit embarassing.

The relevance to the course though? I think its firstly relevant in that it is about the decline of the bourgouisie and the interwar period - we talked about this when we looked at Lefebvre and Marxism. Secondly it pokes of fun at Corbusier and modernism with his brilliantly named characters Professor Silenus and Lord Tangent Circumference. My favorite names however, and only because theyre ridiculous, are Beste-Chetwynde and Digby-Vaine-Trumpington!



I had to scan these in, theyre such a good representation of the book and the times and I think Waugh drew them.

Howl by Allen Ginsberg

More beatnik, love it. I have of course read On the Road, which actually I liked alot, but that was about ten years ago. Ive also read Queer and Naked Lunch by Burroughs. Naked Lunch is supposed to be the classic but I found it pretty much unintelligable, I think most of the stuff in that book is written while Burroughs is out of his tree on smack. However Queer is a great book, better than any other beatnik stuff Ive read. I must read Junkie, which is also supposed to be very good.

Before this Id never read any Ginsberg and Ive got to say its brilliant. I dont know much about poetry at all and cant say Ive read much, but this just unfolds, its dynamic and you feel yourself rolling along with it.

The discussion about industrialisation and the machine (society) is I think why the beat generation became so famous, not just because of that initself but because of the liberative reaction to it, which I guess in no small part brought about the social changes in the sixties.

I was interested to read that Ginsberg studied in great detail early classical writers and from that was able to create his style, for example using parataxis to engage the reader or listener.

Anyway so I guess the link to Archigram is the MACHINE, weve been talking about the societal machine, but something that the world has been obsessed with ever since the industrial revolution is technology, the future and the machine. Archigram heavily drew on technology to imagine future living growing cities and I guess this will tie in with Corb who must have been one of the first architects to start directly relating architecture to the functionality of machines and industry.

Now my videos are becoming a bit more relevant so Im gonna put another one up..

these guys have to be the only band to succesfully infuse heavy metal with rap, except maybe Cypress Hill, but unfortunatley spawned years of shite music from people like Limp Bizkit

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE




this album was released 17 years ago yesterday! I couldnt find the original video so this will have to do. The images are a little on the anarchic side but at least theyre fairly provocative.

Moloch & Metropolis

Im loving the blogging as part of the course, hence my various random posts that arent necessarily tied to theroy2, but this should not be confused with the abomination that is Twitter, which is clearly for twits, Ive tried all the other social networking crap, but twitter really is a step too far :)

These past two however are related to my dissertation on architecture and film and this one is related to the next piece by Allen Ginsberg as he did say that the Moloch section in Howl was partly influenced by the character Moloch in Metropolis, even if he was off his tits on cactus when he thought of it!

More on Howl next...

Man With A Movie Camera

Awesome Cinematic Orchestra song, that everyone probably knows, but the vid is an edited version of Dziga Vertov's 1929 movie, the original can be watched on google:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2809965914189244913#

Oh and by the way Cinematic Orchestra are playing at the roundhouse on friday night - I cant go damn it but it will be awesome they are doing a full live orchestral show of their man with a movie camera album - tickets are 25quid - pricey but well worth it.

Las Vegas - Tom Wolfe & Dave Hickey

Both pieces are very pro Vegas, particularly in relation to democratisation. Indeed Hickey sees Vegas as the last democratic stage in America and as a result calls it home. I think this comes from the total freedom that Vegas offers its users. Something that America is supposed to be and in turn exactly where Wolfes beatnik style comes from.

The same applies to the architecture of Vegas, total freedom from history, to the point where buildings are no longer the architecture but signs and light are. Having spent some time in America and been travelling alot I can identify with the beat philosophy and the liberation that is tangible in America so the idea that Vegas is this and more just makes me want to go there!


http://amazingdata.com/old-las-vegas-neon-signs/

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=buttocks%20d%C3%A9colletage