Donald Judd "Untitled" 1989.
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Donald Judd "Untitled" 1972.
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Currently in Japan art, Takashi Murakami advocate "Super Flat" with Hiroki Azuma's support. Besides, in today's society, almost all company try to make flat and smooth organization without any hierarchy. Once diversification of values among the people is recognized affirmatively in public, "the king of the castle" would be regarded as evil more than garbage. There is nothing more old-fashioned than believing in the truth. So, architecture would follow this current, for it's a kind of reflection of a society.
However, I have suspected over the years that architecture could reflect social trend so easily and be discussed on the equal level to the theory of industrial organization. Recently I start thinking that there is another reason for flat architecture, it doesn't come from a society or art world.
The idea, that made me think such a way, was Rem Koolhaas's concept, "generic".This means ordinary, “mujirushi”(= no name ) and anonymous. He proposed this idea around over 10 years ago in front of major cities in the world, so this is not really new and he put Mies's architecture on an extension of his idea. Then he admired Mies's achievement.
I couldn't admit that what he's saying is always true but sympathize with his recognition of the age. It means that making themselves melt and be anonymous in the city is regarded as a one of enjoyments of city life. Due to easiness of irresponsibility, this orgasm, which comes from floating between fiction and reality, can't be gotten without this anonymity.
Then, architecture moves to get this anonymity and orgasm which will be ahead. Though anonymity isn't always making an orgasm, definitely architecture moves there in ”after-post modernism”. The power, which makes it move, comes from desire for orgasm.
Now then, what on earth is anonymous architecture? If we make it or seek it at the present day, how could be it? Needless to say, Cartesian grid is the most anonymous concept in the modern architecture. Modernism rationality、it is still wondering around this world and sometimes turn up. What's the meaning of being Cartesian grid? Surely Cartesian grid means general and it's generality is set up behind architecture as an object, for architecture pursuit its anonymity.
I'll repeat what I said, it isn't true that architecture becomes flat because of society's flatness. Architecture pursuit orgasm coming from anonymity, therefore “cartesian” and flat architecture come on the stage.