I accept Miller's comment if we keep in mind that fascism and capitalism share hyperbolic excess. Werkmeister is like Marcuse in saying that the self-criticality of capitalism is a false critique, meant to stimulate it more than to correct it. This is also one of the problems of modernist art. It sets up false critiques (by a form of invented redundancy -- successive obsolescence of style) in order to renew itself, perhaps falsely. However, what could be goofier than to admire Nazi art for its "honesty" when in fact it only appears that way to sane eyes.
I do agree that we've entered a new mode of theatricality in the design of public spaces (as well as visual art) and that Speer would likely be in demand were he working today. We are experiencing our new Baroque era. But then theatricality is what human beings do well. It's our metaphor for apelike chest thumping. In the end it's not what we do but what we want it to symbolize that matters. And what we like to symbolize most of all is power. Today we have an air show in Chicago. Military jets are screaming overhead at the lakefront and thousands of boaters are lined offshore and thousands of people are crowding the beaches to watch these soaring, diving weapons. The raw expression of military might is impressive -- and very weird. Elsewhere in the world today the screaming jet fighters and bombers are chasing everyone under cover, perhaps blowing them to bits as well. Obviously, it's all very nuts. There's only a little cockpit pushbutton separating our eager lakeside throngs from the panicked citizens elsewhere. Runaway monopolistic capitalism and totalitarian fascism: the obscene love of power and militarism. WC --- On Sun, 8/17/08, Chris Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Chris Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Totalitarian aesthetics > To: [email protected] > Date: Sunday, August 17, 2008, 11:10 AM > It appears that Werckmeister, as a dedicated Marxist, is far > more concerned > with the "hyperbolic" evils of Capitalism today > -- and how contemporary > visual culture, both popular and high-end, serves to mask > them -- and fails to > provide any kind of criticality. > > What did he have to say about the totalitarian states of > the 1930's ? > > I don't know -- because he has provided all of the > illustrations for his > lecture online -- but none of the text -- which may have > been a wise decision > -- just letting the pictures tell their own story. > > And what a story they tell! > > For example: > > There's the ugly/monstrous figures of Thorak: > > http://faculty-web.at.northwestern.edu/art-history/werckmeister/March_30_1999 > /Thorak.jpg > > Are these masking the brutality of fascism -- or are they > revealing it -- just > like Picasso did in "Guernica" ? > > Is Speer's architecture masking the cold, inhuman > severity of Nazis in Berlin > -- or it revealing it -- just as Mies Van Rohe did for > Capitalism in Chicago > ? (and I wonder whether anyone else sees the strong > similarity between the > architecture for the Fascist Italian pavilion in 1937 -- > and the architecture > for the new, Modernist wing of the Art Institute of Chicago > by Renzo Piano) > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Home prices too high? Click here for interest only loans > to buy the home of > your dreams. > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/fc/Ioyw6ijlfrI58ofgQc6XYhkp13B9ym > TnipdM6qz1orSNIrP9Ere0ja/
