Artists are told to be inspired by three things. Art (duh), fashion and architecture. I've never really been inspired by the third, and always hated looking at buildings. They're buildings. Big deal. But after my trip to London and Paris this break I've had a breakthrough. That yes, buildings are just buildings on their own. They are beautiful on there own. But for the first time ever was actually able to be inspired because of the environment they create. From the culture architecture breeds.
London was extremely clean. Pristine. The people were flawless. There are no ugly people in London. No sweatpants, pajamas, track suits or ill fitting sloppy clothes. Everyone was polished and put together. The street fashion trendy and forward but never forced. Tailored designer jeans, hot shoes and boots, and not a single nylon jacket. Just coats. And impecably tied scarves. And all of this was a function of the architecture that surrounded them.
Now, I don't know anything about architecture technically, but I did feel something when I was in that city. Everything was low. Old. beautifully sculpted with solid angles, checkard patterns, light colors. All of this somehow reflected the people, or rather the people reflected it. Polished, quiet, dignified, light, yet beautiful and well put together.
If this is making any sense, please continue reading.
In paris, the buildings here were more fragile, decorative. Points and curves. Round corners and wrought iron rails. It created a much more gritty, raw yet beautiful and incredibly rich environment. The people were much more diverse, more unique and distinguishable. The ugly were ugly, the good looking beautiful. The dress, dark. Eclectic. Rough, but with polished shoes. And so was the environment they lived in. Gritty, rugged, to the point, blunt, ugly beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful.
To beat a dead horse, New York: Obnoxiously tall, loud, dirty, macho, strong, ever adapting, confident. Buildings or people?
So I feel now what architecture means to an artist. At least my interpretation. It's not about the buildings on their own and how beautiful they are. Everyone can see that side of it. It's about the reflection onto us as it creates the environment we live in and breeds the culture we adopt.
You get the idea, hopefully.
I get it. Duh.
