For a Marxist educational client we're making art of the building
components to name, credit and celebrate the workers who make
and install the built architecture. No, not doing the workers work,
merely parasitically decorating their work to call attention to
who makes architecture for those who design it.
The work of plumbers, steamfitters, tin knockers, electricians, and
others is often hidden by finish architectural materials, on the erroneous
assumption that this relatively expensive architecture is "ugly."
Ugly in these instances most often belies the judgers ignorance
of the materials and the high skills required to make and install
them. Some artists celebrate these materials by either using
them for art installations or photographing and painting them.
To be sure, exposed mech/elec systems have been around as
a design conceit for quite a while. But the names of those who
manufactured and installed the systems are seldom identified
in the built architecture.
Hugh Stubbins listed on a lobby plaque all the thousands of workers
who built the Citi Corp building in Manhattan, but this is one of the
rare exceptions, and there was not attachment of the names to
a service performed much less putting the names on the actual
building elements (artwork if you will) themselves.
The NY Times reported a couple of days ago that the principal
opponents of a new version NYC building code supported by
Mayor Bloomberg and the real estate industry, are plumbers
pipe fitters and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
The latter group is advocating its own version of the code which
provides greater safety to building occupants. A plumber said
their version of the code honors the working class, language
you don't hear much any more.
We told somebody we had a Marxist client and he twitched
in astonishment. "I didn't think there were any of those now."
Actually, for those who find NYC repugnant, there is a small
rise in Marxism as a fashion statement, in particular in the
meat packing district where the rage is to move into dilapidated
buildings and transform them into luxuriously tony shops and
restaurants.
It is this red hot (pun) area that our client has taken space
to troll for students among the workers selling useless goods
to indolent shoppers. And among the shoppers themselves who
are targets for guilt- and contempt-driven contributions to your
old tyme marxist underminers.
components to name, credit and celebrate the workers who make
and install the built architecture. No, not doing the workers work,
merely parasitically decorating their work to call attention to
who makes architecture for those who design it.
The work of plumbers, steamfitters, tin knockers, electricians, and
others is often hidden by finish architectural materials, on the erroneous
assumption that this relatively expensive architecture is "ugly."
Ugly in these instances most often belies the judgers ignorance
of the materials and the high skills required to make and install
them. Some artists celebrate these materials by either using
them for art installations or photographing and painting them.
To be sure, exposed mech/elec systems have been around as
a design conceit for quite a while. But the names of those who
manufactured and installed the systems are seldom identified
in the built architecture.
Hugh Stubbins listed on a lobby plaque all the thousands of workers
who built the Citi Corp building in Manhattan, but this is one of the
rare exceptions, and there was not attachment of the names to
a service performed much less putting the names on the actual
building elements (artwork if you will) themselves.
The NY Times reported a couple of days ago that the principal
opponents of a new version NYC building code supported by
Mayor Bloomberg and the real estate industry, are plumbers
pipe fitters and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
The latter group is advocating its own version of the code which
provides greater safety to building occupants. A plumber said
their version of the code honors the working class, language
you don't hear much any more.
We told somebody we had a Marxist client and he twitched
in astonishment. "I didn't think there were any of those now."
Actually, for those who find NYC repugnant, there is a small
rise in Marxism as a fashion statement, in particular in the
meat packing district where the rage is to move into dilapidated
buildings and transform them into luxuriously tony shops and
restaurants.
It is this red hot (pun) area that our client has taken space
to troll for students among the workers selling useless goods
to indolent shoppers. And among the shoppers themselves who
are targets for guilt- and contempt-driven contributions to your
old tyme marxist underminers.