Does Architecture Parallel Jes Grew?
One
thing I have always found interesting is architecture and design. So when I was
reading about the headquarters of the Wallflower order, my interest was piqued.
But I found this interesting because it almost felt like it was almost
predicted changes to American architecture over the years. During the 1920s,
Art deco was near the peak of its popularity. Art deco is a style of
architecture and design that was highly decorative and glamorous. I also found
this interesting because this was around the time of the jazz age and the
Harlem renaissance. But the Wallflower Order is hiding in the shadows, an
undercover order trying to push their own agenda. Their order has an aesthetic
of sleekness, neatness and preciseness. They use many new materials that are created
synthetically created instead of natural materials that people used before. The
main reason I find this interesting is because many new sleek and modern
architecture and design styles are developed and rose to popularity after the
1920s. For example, Streamline moderne was born from this art style as a more
sleek and "modern" art style. A quote I found that really represents
the changes from Art Deco to Streamline Moderne is "Americans saw a new
aspect of Art Deco, i.e., streamlining, a concept first conceived by industrial
designers who stripped Art Deco design of its ornament in favor of the
aerodynamic pure-line concept of motion and speed developed from scientific
thinking" (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streamline_Moderne)
After
Streamline Moderne, The internationalism style and modern styles was created
which takes its roots from modernism. Even more than Streamline Moderne, these
styles reject forms of ornamentation and decoration. They tend to focus more on
functionality than style and use many materials that were just being introduced
in this time such as steel and plastic and glass as well. I feel like these
styles really represented what the wallflower order believes in and I think it
also tells us something that this style ended up winning over the decorative
style of art deco. Maybe that tells us something on what will happen with the
jes grew epidemic? Also now that we are in a new era of style with the highly expressive
Contemporary architecture does this mean there is another outbreak of jes grew
coming?
I think the changes in architecture in the first half of the 20th century closely match how the Wallflower Order's headquarters are described. Specifically, Modernism (in reference to architecture) is defined by a move to minimalism and a lack of ornamentation, which sounds to me like what the Wallflower Order and the atonists as a whole want.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that the WO's headquarters anticipate future developments in architecture fits with a lot of what Reed is doing in this novel, with anachronism and history: remember, they also somehow have access to television and "video screens," "tape recorders," and other technology that was not widely available in the 1920s. (The implication, of course, is that *these guys* all had this stuff years before the rest of us, to further the illusion of a secret society--just as the government and military were on the internet in the 1970s.) We could contrast the sleek modernity and sterility of the Wallflower HQ with the funky old brownstone that houses the Mumbo Jumbo Kathedral--the settings reflect the ideological differences.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting approach! This novel is indeed working on a *lot* of different levels . . .
I think that the architecture of the wallflower order's building is reflective of their ideology. The streamlined functional approach really brings into mind a large international corporation with a boardroom that sends out marching orders to its peons. The order's purpose is to dominate culture which I think reflects precision of the building. About your question, I do think that in every generation there is a version of Jes Grew brewing that will breakout in different degrees. In history class we learned about the social movements in the 60s and 70s and today I think our version of Jes Grew is the movement for inclusivity and for the environment.
ReplyDeleteApplying the tensions between Jes Grew and Atonism to architecture is a super interesting approach! I don't know a whole lot about design concepts, but the idea that Atonism relates to plastic streamlined forms makes a whole lot of sense. Atonism is all about sticking with the status quo through restraining elemental impulses and fighting new ideas, which seems similar to hyper-functional designs. I wonder if these theories regarding architecture and design could be extended back into human history like the musical/cultural struggle dramatized by Set, Nepthys, Isis, and Osiris. Has architecture always been at the forefront of cultural development?
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