On Modernism

After a 47 minute conversation with Michael (who has his Masters in Architecture), I have to say that I'm not the huge modernist that I thought I was.

I like minimalism.  I get the concept.  I understand nature and minimal impact and open spaces and clean lines.

There seems to be a disconnect between modernist architects and, oh, say, the rest of the world.  I likened it to union life: those that are in it aren't aware that there is a huge populace with entirely different working conditions out there.

If this film had been situated such that it's premise was that modernism was an expensive and elite art form which was unattainable to most (and also not the preference of many) I might have been able to appreciate it more.

Unfortunately, Coast Modern tried to finagle the premise that, post WWII, architects attempted to offer a variation on the sloped roof, tried and true housing premise and that they failed because people simply weren't avant garde enough.
You shouldn't have to be avant garde to live in your own house.  For the duration of the movie I kept thinking "who lives here?" and I kept coming back to an uber-wealthy professional couple with very white teeth and 12% body fat that entertained other, similarly situated couples.
Fundamentally, what aggravated me most about the documentary was the false pretense that somehow modernism was available to everyone, and that there is some consternation as to why modernism didn't catch on in mainstream consumerism.  That it's about getting back to nature and being able to commune with the outdoors and having a zen life.
Yeah.  It's like Romney trying to win over the middle class while having Lipizzaner horses that compete in dressage.
Does not compute.
Anyways, it was pretty ironic that the movie that Michael and I contemplated going downtown to watch at the VIFF met with our own scathing reviews.  I don't even know if Michael said hello when I rang him this evening, he said "so what did you think?".
I think that modernism is a very neat way for the wealthy elite to live in a piece of art and think that that lifestyle is ideal, because people who have a vested interest interest (livelihood) advise them that this is so.
It's art, man.  And art is subjective.