Loos, Adolf. 1998 [1908]. “Ornament and Crime.” In Ornament and Crime : Selected Essays. Riverside, Calif. : Ariadne Press.
- Future generation discern colors in solar spectrum
- Child is amoral
- People with tattoos are degenerates
- Art is erotic
Main Idea: Evolution of Culture is synonymous with the removal of ornamentation from objects of every day use
- He wants everything to be white walls
- Hobogoblins?
- Epidemic of ornament
- Hunger for simplicity
- He is living in Austria
- What is his obsession with violet? What scientific evidence does he have of this?
- What? “The peasant is not a Christian, he is still a heathen.”
- Not only simplicity in items, but in how food is cooked
- Makes argument about saving more money
- Wasted material, capital, and labor
- Take away pleasure in making, if ornamentation is omitted
- Equating ornamentation to religion
- Did Beethoven not wear fancy clothing? Google search says big cuffs and lapels with practical red scarf.
- Lack of ornamentation is sign of intellectual strength
- Calling women uncultured
- Modern architecture does not have ornamentation
- Art is a product of genius coming from God not to be wasted on practical objects
- Ornamentation will disappear on its own from society
- Style falls out of fashion, thus wasting life-span of practical object
Heynen, Hilde. 2009. “‘Leaving Traces’: Anonymity in the Modernist House.” In Designing the Modern Interior: From the Victorians to Today., edited by Clive Edwards, Trevor Keeble, Penny Sparke, and Anne Massey, 22:119–28. Oxford ; New York.
Modernity and homelessness
- Change paramount
- Desire to progress
- Homelessness hallmark of modernity
- Don’t inhabit space, ready to leave
Old and new dwelling
- Masculine rhetoric
- Interiors: there is nothing here for you in ornamented room
- Modern architecture apt for collective way of living in a classless society
- Interiors deeply ingrained with capitalist commodity culture
- Bare rooms show social spirit more important than material belongings
Inhabitation as appropriation
- Caring for things
- Values to next generation
- Emotional bonding
- Doing away with warmth and comfort which has been traditionally feminine
- Dwelling is active form of interaction between inhabitant and his environment
- Changeability and transparency in modern dwelling
- Negotiation between art and life
- Mess of live
Need for identification
- Humans have a need for identification
- The home is different in this respect from public spaces
Response to Ornament and Crime
Loos’ claim that ornament is a waste and that craftsman is wasting time, money, and resources totally dismisses the cultural aspect. He claims that ornament does not have a relationship to his present day culture without showing any evidence for this claim. Craftsmanship that has been perfected and past down through generations defines a culture. Craftsmanship is pivotal to what sets people apart from animal. It’s what ties us to a place and past generations. Loo sets a pompous and all-knowing tone that gives no hint at other ways of thinking. Without being open to listening to other opinions and ideas, it is impossible for one person to come up with the “best” idea without first truly listening to a diversity of opinion and experiencing different ways of living/being.
Forgetting Time House
Building Name: Forgetting Time House
Architect: Wallflower Architecture + Design
Year: 2022
Location: Singapore
This is modern architecture in composition with its lack of ornamentation, however the material choice creates the cozy home feeling. The warm wood tones with the greenery and water create a comfortable feeling. The soft interior furnishings at to the cozy. The architect wanted the user to experience a sense of timelessness though the relaxation of the space. The space is designed to provide a contemplative atmosphere as opposed to the need to progress or move ahead. Modern design meets tranquility in today’s rushed society.
Take-Aways
- Ornamentation should not inhibit workmanship
- Homes need to respect one’s privacy and give voice to personality
- Warmth and coziness are paramount in a home
“the capitalist commodity culture” caught me – an interesting critic on having too many things in support of capitalism. I have to disagree with the author, that a bare space does not possess more spirit than our personal memorabilia. As a maximalist, it’s hard for me not to be surrounded by my collections and memories, but I never thought of it like that!
You are absolutely correct in your assessment that Loos fails to address the culture of the individual in his work. Though he does claim that the lack of ornamentation is synonymous with modern culture, a persons culture is more than the culture of the times: it is the culmination of their past, their ancestor’s past too, all they have experienced throughout their life, and more. This shortcoming in Loos’ argument is perhaps the most potent.