The library were giving damaged books away for free so I picked up this Le Corbusier book, having been drawn to the images and architecture without knowing much about him.
I loved the images in the book but found the quotes frustrating in the context of art. Removing pages from the book, I read the quote and responded with a contrary mark. It was an exploration of mark making, what could be conveyed without an articulated image or text. I wanted it to be organic in opposition to the structured, minimalist architecture.
Later, when I researched Le Corbusier I found that I respected a lot of his work and the quotes that I had found so rigid and aggravating seemed more philosophical than I had initially appreciated.
Le Corbusier considered the house to be a machine for living in. A purist, he believed aesthetic was a byproduct of form. Function over form.
He believed in the importance of green areas and large open spaces in cities. Considered local socio-cultural environment when designing for a place. Chandigarh was intended as a pedestrianised city.
Podcast – The Buildings We Create, Le Crobusier
OSJ Wells Fine Art 