I. Thesis Statement and Introductory Paragraph
A. General Topics to Cover
defining art and architecture
noting exceptions
four pieces of conception and perception
the importance of function
existence of beauty and futility of ornamentation
truth and good as better than being new and change
B. Thesis Statement Itself
Establishing the contrast between art and architecture, Adolf
Loos identifies the two-pronged mantra of functionality and
evoked emotions of architecture, reflecting on the perversity
of ornamentation too often lauded by the surrounding fin-de-
siecle Viennese society's attempt to hide mediocrity beneath
the novelty of modernity.
II. What We Know of Art
A. What Art Is
Non-functional creations
B. What Art Tries to Do
like Kokoschka's work, art is to disturb
good art can still fail to be aesthetically pleasing
successfully causing discomfort is what makes art good:
succeeded in attaining goal
Tries to cause/arouse emotions
quote about causing discomfort
III. What We Know of Architecture
A. What Architecture Is
Functional volume-space enclosure.
B. What Architecture Is Meant to Do
Tries to cause comfort
serves purpose/function
accomodates
IV. Why Art and Architecture are Exclusive From Each Other
A. Why Art Isn't Architecture
art doesn't have to please everyone
isn't needed/fulfills no requirement
responsible to no one
draws people away from comfort
revolutionary
shows new direction and the future
fulfills no function
hated by man
quote about artist and art being revolutionary
B. Why Architecture Isn't Art
architecture/the house isn't a private matter
made to fill a requirement
responsible to everyone
serves and provides sense of comfort
conservative
thinks of the present
fulfills a function
loved by man.
V. Exceptions to the General Exclusion of Architecture from the Realm of Art
A. What Two Pieces of Architecture Are Also Art
The tomb and the monument.
B. Why The Exceptions Qualify as Art
Architecture whose purpose is to cause emotion with its
appearance
function existing solely on the visual plane
no concrete or internal functionality/purpose
VI. Art and Architecture: Perception vs. Conception
A. Four Architectural Themes in Loos' Work and Ideology
1-visual surface
2-material structure
3-space-volume
4-finality
B. Viewing Art and Architecture From Two Vantage Points
A. Perception
viewing above four in the numerical order: 1 2 3 4
how art is seen and created
how it is perceived is more important than how it
was realized
B. Conception
viewing about four in reverse order: 4 3 2 1
how architecture is created to serve the purpose
how it was conceived to serve the purpose
VII. The Spectrum of Function to Ornamentation
A. Function
1. Meeting Physical Need
being functional means neither bland nor ugly
not just enclosed space
customized to serve a specified purpose
quote about burial site as architecture
raumplan
2. Creating Appropriate Atmosphere
fulfilling perceptual ideals through successful
conceptual-order
construction successfully causing manifestation of
appropriate feelings for desired function architecture
evokes sentiment, must find sentiment from previous
successful examples, bank example, Q27 sending a
message to the customer
quote about building a thought- idea epitomized
in architecture
quote about linguistic relationships
B. Ornamentation: Negative Supplementations
didn't like excess decoration: ornamentation
ornamentation as waste of manpower and therefore health
ornamentation for itself is pointless and worthless
C. Beauty Both Within and Separate From Function
beauty found in functionality
being functional is better than beauty and ornamentation
function alone doesn't guarantee the object is beautiful
material and workmanship make up for the lack of, and are
better than decoration
VIII. Achieving A Happy Medium: Rules to Build By
A. Defining Beauty in Objects: Locating Perfection
beauty exists where to supplement or subtract destroys
perfection
where does the plain halt and frivolous begin?
quote about ornament fine, that which goes away on it's own
is gone for good/fine, Q24
achieves perfect balance of function and decoration
B. Build What is True and Best Over Building for the Sake of Change,
Fashion, or Modernity
quote- truth regardless of being out-moded over change to
appease drive for modernity quote- what is best is better
than what is new for the sake of being new/change fashion is
unimportant
quote about no problem with tradition, should go back, Q23
quote that historical references in architecture are fine,
only hiding truth being seeming-truth is bad, Q21
IX. Critiquing Societal Applications of Function and Ornamentation in
fin-de-siecle Vienna and the U.S.
A. Positive Perception of Viennese Society (Musil's quote)
1. Ethical and Aesthetic Drives
much ethical and aesthetic activity in vienna
viennese culture is looking for new creativeness
2. Heading From Past to Future
aiming towards the future with new art, trying to
master the future
3. Denial of Decadent and Morbid Themes in Vienna
impression of morbidity and decadence expressions
of attempts to leave the past
B. Loos's Negative Perception of Vienna
1. Failure of Rules to Live By
railed against local architects, Hoffman, z.b,
for manner of building
disliked use of historistic architecture
2. Supply and Demand of Architecture
nature of the builder to build in cheapest, most
artistic and true manner
people don't like plain, demand nonfunctional
ornamentation
3. Sickness and Death from Immorality of Ornamentation
in Vienna
a. Loos on Musil's Denied Morbidity and Decadence Themes
considers them true death/eros themes
historistic style and ornament for modern
creativity by young is wrong
b. Loos Condemned Ethical and Aesthetic Drives
ornament is immoral
ornamentation wasting manpower and health
quote in VI.B
pursuit of aesthetic is then not ethical
via immoral and wasting health
4. Problems Found in Attempting to Hide Reality
a. Attempting to Veil Truth in Society
quote that society hiding its poverty is
a miserable one
potemkin's fake villages to beautify
landscape for Czarina Catherine
loos says vienna is our version of
Potemkin's villages
fake facade created beauty but was empty
of purpose
trying to hide reality
quote on ornament, papuan tattoing as art and
conveying idea versus decoration to hide
mediocrity, Q25
b. Causing Confusion
kraus quote about urn vs. chamber pot
adolf loos and kraus show the difference
between objects
ornamentation causes people to mistake
one object for another
function becomes ambiguous
C. Loos's Perception of U.S. as Favorable Contrast to Corrupt
Viennese Society
1. Success of Rules to Live By
lived in NY in his youth
america had a more ideal society than vienna
liked U.S. architecture, skyscrapers
quote about it being useless to modify functional
objects, admiring US and england, Q22
passes criterion-fusion of beauty and utility, as
seen in VII
2. Value Found in Utility over Decoration in American Society
supply and demand (as in VIII.B.2) is different here
place value on different aspects of architecture, so
architecture exists differently egalitarian and
utilitarian societal aspirations
3. Health and Life from Functional Forms in American Society
a. Life and Vitality in America-Contrast to Vienna
unlike viennese morbidity and decadence
society full of vitality contrast to viennese
death/eros themes
b. Successful Ethical Drive Contrary to Viennese
Aesthetics
musil ideas of positive ethical and aesthetic
goals don't fit together
aesthetic not important excess ornamentation
is immoral
4. Building in Praise of Truth
a. Truth Idealized in Society
society is good and vital because aspirations
to utility
b. Lack of Confusion
since function is apparent there's no
confusion in society
X. Artists and Friends Influential in Loos' Work and Ideology
A. Art Movements
art nouveau was big at the turn of the century-sensualism
and decorative obsession
list of other art movements he wasn't associated with
Kraus, Loos, Schoenberg, Wittgenstein, Trakl, Kokoschka
exceptions to art nouveau
never resolved which movement loos fit into, doesn't need
to fit, explained on his own
B. Influential Artists and Friends
1. Wagner
ornamentation decoration as a skin, not heavier
additions
quote about material as cladding versus clad
material, Q20
Wagner as craftsman quote
connection of shapes oft-used by Loos: same as
Wagner's use of shapes
2. Semper (german)
3. Kokoschka
supporter of Kokoschka as artist
how Kokoschka's work would fit in a Loos house
4. Friends with Kraus
Kraus made urn v. chamber pot quote
5. Friends with Schoenberg
6. Friends with Altenberg
picture/mosaic done by Altenberg for Loos in his
Kaertner Bar
7. Engelmann
8. Mach
9. Wittgenstein
XI. Utilization of Various Architectural Elements
A. Materials
like above: material and workmanship better than/makes up
for lack of decoration
wood
marble
B. Colors
C. Shapes
the cube
the stepped pyramid (like Wagner)
spheres
cylinders
rectanglular columns
grid patterns
D. Ceilings
ceiling of Kaernter Bar in stepped pyramid/cube form like
Wagner's work
grid of cubes with spherical center
tend to be plain in public, grid shapes in private
E. Floors
parquet wood floors
oriental rugs
tile motifs
F. Outsides v. Insides
external facades vs. internal decoration-aesthetic aspect
of inside vs. outside.
quote- expressive external facades on public buildings to
preserve urban fabric
quote- outside of house
should be discrete, inside of house should reveal house's
richness
quote- building should be dumb on outside and reveal
their wealth on the inside
outsides of (private) buildings have no message-reference
Kraus and Steiner, VI.A.
XII. Conclusion
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