Loos, Adolf. “Ornament and Crime” in: Conrads, Ulrich (ed.) Programs and Manifestoes on 20th Century Architecture, The MIT Press, 1975.
This week’s reading is about ornament and written by Adolf Loos.He explained unnecessary of ornament.
First of all, the writer explains the progress of human.At 2, children see with eyes of a Papuan.The writer assimilate to Papuan.Because, the Papuan kiils his enemies and eats them.But also he is not criminal and it is not a crime.But for modern man, it is a crime.According to Loos everything within reach is the start of plastic artAnd all art is erotic.I thınk this opinion very assertive.And he assimilate to woman-man and Beethoven.
The witer’s following discovery is that the evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from utilitarian objects.In the other words for him, ornament is not necessary.When people say that people meant ornament, he says that therein lies the greatness of our age, that it is incapable of producing a new ornament.The writer adopts the World without any ornament.For writer, the ornamen is a retrograde step.According to writer the enormous damage and devastation caused in aesthetic development by the revival of ornament would be easily made light of, for no one, not even the pover of state. can halt mankind’s evolution.It can be only be delayed.Loon is not certainly accessible the ornament, and he doesn’t want to delay.Because of waste of human labour, money, material.I think this example explains the opinion of writer very clearly; There are unmodern people even cities, stragglers from eighteenth century, who are horrified by a Picture with purple shadows because they cannot yet see purple.
According to given examples omission of ornament results in a reduction in the manufacturing time and increase in wage.So ornament is wasted labour power and hence wasted gealth.So that the writer’s opinions are supported very clear.The writer says that human health is related to ornament.According to Loon, mankind is healthier than ever, only a few people are sick.But these few tyrannize over the worker who is so healthy that he cannot invent ornament.Finally the writer just tolarate ornaments on human’s body.For writer, ornaments are not necassary on other things.
I deduce this reading about the architecture. History of architecture, ornaments have been used in exterior and interior of structure.I agree Loos about ornament.His opinion is valid for architecture.First of all; the enormous damage caused in aesthetic by ornament and the ornament can strain eyes exceedingly,Second; due to ornament, manufacturing time and wage are increasing.Third; in architecture, sometimes ornament is wasted labour power.
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