Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/15

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Architects, the Division of Labour and gen-x recidivism
From: Henning Wulff <henningw@archiphoto.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 00:03:12 -0700
References: <5DC9703A010C0160@smtp-gate.mottmac.com>

At 6:59 PM +0100 8/14/01, Malcolm McCullough wrote:
>Kyle Cassidy ended a post with



>And why not?
>How many would like to build their own bridges if they could?
>Hundertwasser said something along the lines of*
>
>"Only when the designer, builder and occupier are one and the same person
>can it be called architecture. All else in the manifestation of a criminal
>act."

He only lives in one unit; the others are not occupied by the 
designer/builder. Also, he was only the builder in a general sense, 
not in the most specific hands on sense. As an artist and designer, 
he is interesting; as a building occupier he is not.

Should a photographer shoot the photo, develop the negative, print 
the print and hang it in his private room, to be seen and critiqued 
only by himself? This seems strange in photography, where it is even 
possible, let alone architecture. Architecture is a collaboration, 
with the architect leading a team at a certain stage of the creation 
of a building. The owner/developer, consultants, contractors and 
society as represented by the municipal authorities and the users, 
both direct and indirect all have a part in architecture. The extreme 
solitary act described by Hundertwasser, even if it were possible, is 
an act of narcissism and/or masturbation (to bring this back in line 
with some previous threads) in the extreme if applied to structures 
in an urban setting.

If you are on your own wilderness spread, don't interact with your 
neighbours, have no friends or family and build yourself a home, 
Hundertwasser's description if not definition might apply. But then 
you would probably not allow anyone else to see your photos either.

- -- 
    *            Henning J. Wulff
   /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
  /###\   mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com
  |[ ]|     http://www.archiphoto.com

In reply to: Message from Malcolm McCullough <MM4@mm-croy.mottmac.com> ([Leica] Architects, the Division of Labour and gen-x recidivism)