Thanks for the Freud references, Brian. Lots of food for further thought
regarding the Stotesbury story. I have to say, however, that the Freud
quotation--
'The Rome Analogy–tries to explain how memory works through the
analogy of the preservation of the archaeology of Rome. The problem
arises when one tries to imagine a Rome in which every building and
statue of each period of Roman history is imagined existing complete
and at the same time.'
--more or less describes exactly what Piranesi already did with the
Ichnographia Campi Martii. In fact, a quotation from Freud's CIVILIZATION
AND ITS DISCONTENTS --
And now, I think, the meaning of the evolution of civilization is no longer
obscure to us. It must present the struggle between Eros and Death, between
the instinct of life and the instinct of destruction, as it works itself out
in the human species. This struggle is what all life essentially consists
of, and the evolution of civilization may therefore be simply described as
the struggle for life in the human species.
was prelude to the 1999 presentation (in schizophrenia + architectures) of
"Eros et Thanatos Ichnographia Campi Martii" -- www.quondam.com/20/1979.htm
. Of course, I see this "struggle between Eros and Death" as nothing more
than a reenactment of the metabolic process that keeps every human alive.
What interests me more now though, is the notion of Surreal Architecture and
how "Here a Versailles (the original Versailles Palace), There a Versailles
(Herrenchiemsee), Everywhere a Versailles (Whitemarsh Hall) Sigh" aptly
manifests exactly what Surreal Architecture is.
surreal:
1. having qualities attributed to or associated with surrealism
2. having an oddly dreamlike quality.
surreal:
1. characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions
2: resembling a dream
Versailles Palace as the ultimate absolute monarchy dream existence, and its
strange 'place' in Germany's 'rise and fall' history (and don't forget Marie
Antoinette was a Hapsburg). And now it's a prosperous tourist destination.
Ludwig II of Bavaria, aka The Dream King, reenacts Versailles on a Bavarian
island, even more opulent that the original Versailles. Ludwig really only
stayed there for 10 days, and now it's a prosperous tourist destination.
Whitemarsh Hall, the ultimate American Dream Home, turned derelict palace in
suburbia, and at least one architect's "first wet architectural dream come
true." No tourism here though, because there isn't much left to see.
Like you suggested earlier, Brian, there is a surreal (architecture) thing
going on in "Versailles, sigh."
regarding the Stotesbury story. I have to say, however, that the Freud
quotation--
'The Rome Analogy–tries to explain how memory works through the
analogy of the preservation of the archaeology of Rome. The problem
arises when one tries to imagine a Rome in which every building and
statue of each period of Roman history is imagined existing complete
and at the same time.'
--more or less describes exactly what Piranesi already did with the
Ichnographia Campi Martii. In fact, a quotation from Freud's CIVILIZATION
AND ITS DISCONTENTS --
And now, I think, the meaning of the evolution of civilization is no longer
obscure to us. It must present the struggle between Eros and Death, between
the instinct of life and the instinct of destruction, as it works itself out
in the human species. This struggle is what all life essentially consists
of, and the evolution of civilization may therefore be simply described as
the struggle for life in the human species.
was prelude to the 1999 presentation (in schizophrenia + architectures) of
"Eros et Thanatos Ichnographia Campi Martii" -- www.quondam.com/20/1979.htm
. Of course, I see this "struggle between Eros and Death" as nothing more
than a reenactment of the metabolic process that keeps every human alive.
What interests me more now though, is the notion of Surreal Architecture and
how "Here a Versailles (the original Versailles Palace), There a Versailles
(Herrenchiemsee), Everywhere a Versailles (Whitemarsh Hall) Sigh" aptly
manifests exactly what Surreal Architecture is.
surreal:
1. having qualities attributed to or associated with surrealism
2. having an oddly dreamlike quality.
surreal:
1. characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions
2: resembling a dream
Versailles Palace as the ultimate absolute monarchy dream existence, and its
strange 'place' in Germany's 'rise and fall' history (and don't forget Marie
Antoinette was a Hapsburg). And now it's a prosperous tourist destination.
Ludwig II of Bavaria, aka The Dream King, reenacts Versailles on a Bavarian
island, even more opulent that the original Versailles. Ludwig really only
stayed there for 10 days, and now it's a prosperous tourist destination.
Whitemarsh Hall, the ultimate American Dream Home, turned derelict palace in
suburbia, and at least one architect's "first wet architectural dream come
true." No tourism here though, because there isn't much left to see.
Like you suggested earlier, Brian, there is a surreal (architecture) thing
going on in "Versailles, sigh."