So, the author might know why the GG is that particular color? Something either more natural or more architectural would be much more attractive, imo. Blue and white like the sky, grey like fog, or an antiqued bronze. What it has looks like un-tinted industrial rust preventative. The original design is, obviously, perfect.
Here I thought I was the only one to notice that we don't build great things any more. All that we have left are those great things built by our ancestors, many of which are falling apart. Imagine if even a small bit of the trillions being hoarded by the ultra-wealthy were devoted to doing great things for humanity instead of amassing wealth and power.
Or if so much of what we earn isn't seized by the state.
I'm building a library. When I imagine the library I could build if I had the half of the income the state took from me to drop smart bombs on privative people...
Very well put and you make salient points but very wordy, that all this could have been said in 1/4 of the space, imo What I think you're trying to suggest is this decline is by sublime design, and you'd be spot on from my research of 30 years.
I'm guessing it was a flow of consciousness and who am I to say anyway?! I rarely write though it is of course cathartic if not healing and cleansing in this inside out back to front malignant society of stockholm syndrome sonambulists, perjoratives not withstanding.
My very best regards and thank you for the reminder as someone born and spent time in jail, in Toronto.
Fantastic piece. The architectural negligence really bothers me, especially here in Texas. Most buildings and highways are just plopped down rather carelessly, with no style or effort at design whatsoever. Everything is about getting the best deal, offering the contract to the lowest bidder. They don’t seem to care how this eyesore is going to affect people, or how something beautiful and inspiring could make life a little more worth living, allow people to believe in something, inspire them to reach higher, and maybe even increase property values, which would provide a better ROI on the project. God forbid we think long term about anything in any capacity. Only the privately funded projects seem to be set with any level of intention, and even they hold back, seemingly out of fear to not upset the norm or make too big of a statement on an other wise bleak and careless society. Of course, most of this is due to increasing fundamental economic distress. But it’s the people who could change that and who are affected by it, so is this ongoing downward spiraling oroborous (sp?).
At least in Austin they’re trying! Which is the most confusing and tragic part of all this, in my opinion. The liberal party tends to attract the most creative people who can create these designs. What are the thoughts in their head at this point? And what are they really creating? One good call it low effort stuff— street art, kitschy creative bars and restaurants, comedy clubs, food trucks. If it’s not supporting an instant gratification system, or can’t be thrown onto a social media feed for more cred in a short development window, is it worth creating? Austin is a beautiful cornucopia of ideas and new visual styles. With the most low effort, ugly highway plowing right through the middle of it. They can’t even be bothered to put the signs in the right position or put the right things on the signs in South Texas. Half the streetlights don’t turn on at night, the lane delineations are all over the place, the city planning is atrocious. A severe lack of empathy and understanding of the end-user in a place dominated by people who identify with being empathetic to the extent that they even choose the political party based on that. How can so much creativity coexist with so little intention?
So, the author might know why the GG is that particular color? Something either more natural or more architectural would be much more attractive, imo. Blue and white like the sky, grey like fog, or an antiqued bronze. What it has looks like un-tinted industrial rust preventative. The original design is, obviously, perfect.
The color is “International Orange”, and was chosen because it ostensibly blended well with the bridge’s surroundings. Obviously, not everyone agrees.
Jonathan Swift I know. But who is this tailor Swift of whom you write?
Here I thought I was the only one to notice that we don't build great things any more. All that we have left are those great things built by our ancestors, many of which are falling apart. Imagine if even a small bit of the trillions being hoarded by the ultra-wealthy were devoted to doing great things for humanity instead of amassing wealth and power.
Or if so much of what we earn isn't seized by the state.
I'm building a library. When I imagine the library I could build if I had the half of the income the state took from me to drop smart bombs on privative people...
Very well put and you make salient points but very wordy, that all this could have been said in 1/4 of the space, imo What I think you're trying to suggest is this decline is by sublime design, and you'd be spot on from my research of 30 years.
I'm guessing it was a flow of consciousness and who am I to say anyway?! I rarely write though it is of course cathartic if not healing and cleansing in this inside out back to front malignant society of stockholm syndrome sonambulists, perjoratives not withstanding.
My very best regards and thank you for the reminder as someone born and spent time in jail, in Toronto.
Jamie x
Blessings from the Tipperary Mtns.
💖🙏💫
Thanks for the nice comments and the good feedback. Both are always welcome!
He should have written it in brutalist bullet points.
Fantastic piece. The architectural negligence really bothers me, especially here in Texas. Most buildings and highways are just plopped down rather carelessly, with no style or effort at design whatsoever. Everything is about getting the best deal, offering the contract to the lowest bidder. They don’t seem to care how this eyesore is going to affect people, or how something beautiful and inspiring could make life a little more worth living, allow people to believe in something, inspire them to reach higher, and maybe even increase property values, which would provide a better ROI on the project. God forbid we think long term about anything in any capacity. Only the privately funded projects seem to be set with any level of intention, and even they hold back, seemingly out of fear to not upset the norm or make too big of a statement on an other wise bleak and careless society. Of course, most of this is due to increasing fundamental economic distress. But it’s the people who could change that and who are affected by it, so is this ongoing downward spiraling oroborous (sp?).
At least in Austin they’re trying! Which is the most confusing and tragic part of all this, in my opinion. The liberal party tends to attract the most creative people who can create these designs. What are the thoughts in their head at this point? And what are they really creating? One good call it low effort stuff— street art, kitschy creative bars and restaurants, comedy clubs, food trucks. If it’s not supporting an instant gratification system, or can’t be thrown onto a social media feed for more cred in a short development window, is it worth creating? Austin is a beautiful cornucopia of ideas and new visual styles. With the most low effort, ugly highway plowing right through the middle of it. They can’t even be bothered to put the signs in the right position or put the right things on the signs in South Texas. Half the streetlights don’t turn on at night, the lane delineations are all over the place, the city planning is atrocious. A severe lack of empathy and understanding of the end-user in a place dominated by people who identify with being empathetic to the extent that they even choose the political party based on that. How can so much creativity coexist with so little intention?
Anyways, just some thoughts. Great article!