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i
1014 pavillon de l’urss; architecte: iophan; collaborateurs francais: bonneres-coquet-jossilowitch architects; h
chipault; boulogne-sur-seine
: :fRaNcis-safaie-bR0wN::
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:: side-by-side :: plus ca chaNge ::
:: these two images may/may not have much in common :: visually at least ::
yet the charred face of cologne’s cathedral was the first image that struck
my mind :: with force :: with a vengeance :: some tangled grotesque web of
brutal irony :: the hammer of the people :: smashing god :: less than ten
years later: the ultimate irony :?: the cathedral snubs the vicious attacks of
the indiscriminating bombs :: the fastidious clutter of spires – centuries in the
making – waiting :: waiting for god’s finger to come crashing through the
skies :: spell-binding :: igniting a firestorm to wipe out those who refuse to get
down on hands and knees :: so the arrogantly raised hammer misses its
target ::
ii
ii
[source? image might be protected by copyright laws]
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:: side-by-side :: plus ca chaNge ::
:: blasphemy :: what could possess anybody to place this distasteful celebration
of atheism side-by-side with such elated beauty of gothicness :: the dirt
and grit of industrial machines side-by-side with the elevated spirit of the
soul :: such mindless stupidity side-by-side with enlightened intellect ::
the horrific principles of social scientific truth side-by-side with the
mystical truths of myths :: truths that condemned most everybody to
live in the dark gloom of filthy hovels :: so the heroic workman smashed through
the doom and let light and air into the lives of the nobodies ::
iii
:: not my favorite gothicness :: too much clutter :: just squatting there :: like
some insanely tricked-out buddha at a vulgar venetian carnival :: or
some sad dragon who has lost its fiery breath :: a beached whale :: so :?: it’s
an immensely/insanely powerful statement :: total power and glory :: absolute
dictate :: this way and no other way ::
iii
ii :: rheims [source? image might be protected by copyright laws]
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:: side-by-side :: plus ca chaNge ::
:: and this must be the pinnacle of insult :: the salt in the open wound of the insult :: the
dazzling gleam of those gilded mosaics :: heralding its presence across the countryside :: both
as a beacon of hope and a dire warning not to mess with them orvietans :: blinding
beauty of immense power :: there cannot be any rational basis for comparison :: yet this is not
to be seen from up close :: at least not the superstructure :: this brilliant cartoonesque
storybook proclaiming an unconfoundable message ::
iv
:: a fantastic triumph of the sacred over the profane :: a call to arms against infidels of
any kin :: just like the call to the workers of the world to unite :: only more oppressive ::
despite its immense beauty :: so what about the architecture :?: there is no
architecture :: just the massive walls of some banal mega barn-like structure :: and it’s
hidden :: hidden behind the gory make-up of mythical stories :: a massive scaffolding to
support amazing artwork :: and it’s not the structure that matters :: it is the gilded
message ::
iv
[source? image might be protected by copyright laws]
[source? image might be protected by copyright laws]
: :fRaNcis-safaie-bR0wN::
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:: side-by-side :: plus ca chaNge ::
:: so capitalism does not have quite such an fanatic face as the socialist
workman and his mate :: so capitalism does not have such a self-glorifying face
as mediaeval ecclesiastical arrogance :: so capitalism has a featureless
face of sky scraping indifference :: paradoxically it’s kinda feminine :: like the
swishing flow of a skirt – not the masculine triumph of the male :: and his
hammer :: and his burly mate :: but the grotesque opposite :: the faceless
anonymity of capitalist mega-power :: in a perverted anti hieros gamos
sexual gratification with itself :: like zeus no longer changes into a bull or swan to
enjoy the worldly headrush of female delights :: like zeus lost and lonely
somewhere in a corner office :: a sad phantom of himself :: gone the days when
structures had a distinct message of divine authority :: and everybody
understood that message :: and lived in mortal fear of divine wrath :: even that
working-class hero has a direct message :: a messenger with a face :: not like
something strangely unfinished :: or :: a ruin :: of a goddess’ statue :: a
distant memory from the future ::
v
[source? image might be protected by copyright laws]
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