This lecture-series by Paul Davies were an interesting journey for me, starting from subjects from today, going back in time to understand what was happening and why -to arrive back to the present time, where we have the feeling we have woken up after a coma. Of course it’s not entirely true, but sounds good.
I did learn a lot, I became interested in many subjects, and got deeper into it. I hope I will continue my pass this way.
I think in today’s generation as part of an Architect’s job is not only to be up-to-date with the present but have to know definitely about the past. In order to be able to criticise the system/the machine, and not to just “swallow the frog..”
A far-far land? A new place, which was built of emigrants, their sons and daughters? A country where everything is possible, where dreams come true? It was definitely true, the possibilities were enormous, and they ruled (rule) the whole world.
We were advised to read three different writing of three completely different lives, and background. Henry Ford, and how he grew up, about his ideas, and how he managed to get them through. How he invented the automobile industry and so much more. For me that was the most interesting reading.
I liked the way Dos Passos was telling the story. It’s simple and descriptive. How he is showing the socialist idea of not telling people what to do, then let them do it, because they want to do it. “It’s up to you” - philosophy. This little essays also showed me how independent America was. How they wanted nothing from Europe anymore, and wanted to invent and reinvent everything and how it led to great stories, inventions and the Industrialisation. And how people happily lived or failed the American Dream…
To be passionate, to be sarcastic, critical, well informed, and to never give up. They say Architecture is the sexiest profession. Is that because of our passion to it, that we can work night and day, long-long ours, with no pay, and small satisfaction? With almost no friends because we don’t have time for them? No, I hope that is not the case. But being a student of Architecture in my 6th year of studying, I do experience problems with time, and energy. Thank god my friends didn’t give up on me yet, and I don’t only have Architect friends. It is good to talk about something else every now and then. It was funny when my best friend, who is an economist by the way, went out couple of times with my architecture friends. She said with her friends she would never talk about uni and work and Economy and articles in their free time, and how interesting it is that we never turn off…
This film was about an American Architect name Howard Roark working hard his way up, never letting go, and being so passionate about his beliefs. Did it pay off? No, not really. Interesting to make a film about it. Was amazing though, playing with emotions throughout the whole movie. Full with romance, and how the girl married someone else instead.
It is about our profession, it is about being an Architect. It depends on us in the future how we deal with it.
We can mention the Greeks, we have heard about them a lot thorough the lecture series. Or the Hungarian Architect Goldfinger’s drawing of the modernist city image – the loneliest woman on the balcony…
Well, definitely Paul Pennyfeather’s story was a tragedy, and he didn’t even realise it himself.I quite enjoyed the book itself, poor guy falling into one problem to the other, falling in love, being blind and being a gentleman. Always.
I liked the part when he was in prison, and after the first 4 weeks of cellular labour he asked for more, because he like the piece and quite…
Similar to Corbusier’s story we got here the sarcastic always-negative Otto Silenus, logical and rational, but so unhappy and unsatisfied with himself.
What curbusier said arriving to NYC was that “ Skyscrapers are too small and too close to each other” so he created the Paris plan which is logical and reasonable.
And how tragic is the last image which we were shown on the lecture, that he lived in a tiny cabin next to a restaurant near to the end of his life. Not in a penthouse, no, he was sitting on a turnover wine case-such a poetic vision.
Vegas is fantastic. Shiny and interesting. A 24/7 city. Where anything could happen. Everyone is treated the exact same way. Everyone is equal. No difference between young and old, poor or rich, beautiful or ugly, doesn’t matter where u are from, or what kind of politics or religion you believe in. In the Air Guitar I liked the way how Hickey is describing it, how he remembers his childhood, and sharing us his memories. How we understand why its Home for him. The language he is using in the book is so easy to read and straight forward. So pleasant.
Las Vegas creates a chance for you to make you feel like a winner, taking risks you normally wouldn’t, but the interesting part is that you know where you stand there and you know that you are just spending your own money, for your own responsibility,
His point comes across quite clear: Las Vegas is the only honest place in America, maybe in the whole world.
According to Eagleton its nothing else but sex and writing about everyday life.This piece is about theory not being innovative anymore, and how this modern culture has taken over and killed the intellect. How we are still using the ‘old’ wisdom, and not producing anything new, how there are no thinkers in todays world anymore. He is also mentioning that he believes the future has to change, and “…the new century will in time give birth to its own clutch of gurus. For the moment, however, we are still trading on the past…” He is explaining how this works generation after generation, the new ones are usually developing the original ideas, adding to them, criticise them and apply them, but we have a harder time, as the previous one seemed to answer all the questions?
So is that why we are the non-thinking generation, who can’t put down our ipods, who are just here to consume and ignore what’s happening in the world. We are just all about sex and don’t know anything about the big theorist, and whoever has, is regarded as a nerd for having heard about them.
I hope that is not true, Sex was always there, and always will be. In Art, in Philosophy and in Theory. Maybe today we are just more open about it. Also, coming from Hungary, a country that is world-wide famous about its porn industry, I can say its huge money-making business… Nevertheless, we have to keep in mind, that our generation is all about money, money and more money.
