Decent Into Ugly
Once upon a time we lived in a world that wanted to retain its beauty. Of course, long before humans began to ‘reign’ over it, the world was already beautiful. It had its trees, forests, flowers, animals, and serene bodies of water. It was self-sufficient, allowing the animals to feed off the land or each other, returning to the Earth and the soil when their time was up. Little outstayed its welcome and nothing was unable to biodegrade.
‘Twas us who decided we needed more. To live, to survive, to evolve. It was (and is) the necessity of our species, and not something I frown upon. However, centuries, even decades ago, there was usually an aim to achieve a level of beauty within the design and creation of houses, clothing, products, and experiences. Even if resources were limited, there was an attempt to produce something that was desirable and worth the labour put into it. What would be the point of spending time, money, and effort in creating something that was ugly, useless, or didn’t stand the test of time?
Somehow, the ambition of beauty has eroded throughout recent decades in favour of supposed ‘minimalism’ and ‘simplicity’. But what do these words really seem to mean in the modern world? I am not against clean lines and simplistic choices when they are beautifully done. Crafting something beautiful often means creating something inherently simple and seemingly effortless. Overworking or adding too much can destroy the idea and cloud it in rubbish. It is often said that what makes a great piece of art is knowing when to stop, but even so, you still need a good idea to start with.
My point is, although there are moments where minimalistic choices do elevate a space and improve one’s experience of being there, everything has its spectrum, therefore there is a point when minimalism and simplicity can be synonymous with lazy design, lack of creativity, and poor taste.
As you can see, I have laced this article with pictures of daily objects, comparing more historic styles with contemporary ones. At the moment our world seems caught in-between- you walk down one street and see examples of the former, you walk down another street and you see examples of the latter. The contrast can be jarring at times, and the concern is that our urban areas are falling more and more into a fug of metal, concrete, and glass- drab, soulless, and ugly.
If you look at the ‘old-fashioned’ bench (see above), you wouldn’t say it is particularly ornate. In many ways it is simple, with some nice detailing to keep it interesting and appealing to the eye. It serves its purpose with elegance and charm, adding to the space that it occupies in a timeless and unintrusive way. The modern bench, on the other hand, couldn’t be simpler and yet has nothing attractive about it. Purely functional, it doesn’t even attempt to enhance the space that it inhabits. It is simply just there.
Timelessness is a keyword I want to highlight here. You see, often minimalistic design (like that modern bench) is celebrated as a means to produce things that we won’t ‘get sick and tired of’. Stripping something of all its detail is seen as a way to ensure that the design will last throughout the years and won’t date. However, it doesn’t mean that it is timeless. If you take a look at the more ‘historic’ photos on this page, I am sure you will agree that they come across as more timeless than their modern counterparts. They are timeless because after all these years they’re still here, and enough people are not quite ready to fully let go of them, keeping them around even longer. Each one has a grace and sophistication to it that is uplifting to see, whereas the modern alternatives, with their lack of even the tiniest bit of detail, are dull and deathly boring- and who says we can’t also get sick of that!
I believe humans are always looking for something beautiful, something new, or something different to what we grew up experiencing. Styles change because people who grew up surrounded by a certain aesthetic often look to create something new and different in their adulthood. People want to find a way to make their mark, to be the one to change something, anything. But why bother if the change is towards something uglier? We really don’t need it. If we want to live in a world where there is less waste, we need to create things that will be cherished and will stand the test of time because of their universal beauty and practicality. We should wish to walk through a world of endless wonders, and give people something worth looking after, something enjoyable to live in and around, and something to be proud of.
Otherwise we are ruining our own quality of life. We are taking away from the world rather than adding to it. We are producing ugly spaces rather than magical ones. There is no wonder why people are becoming more and more unhappy and disconnected to the world around them. The streets that they live in and walk through are mutating into monotonous grey blocks. The items in their home are falling apart. It becomes easier and easier to fall into a depressive and gloomy state when your surroundings are so disappointing to look at.
And yet it doesn’t have to be that way. We choose what it is we create, and our reasons for manufacture should be based on attaining a level of beauty that inspires us, revives us, and gladdens our hearts. Our current society encourages us to fill our world with endless crap as a means to chase or save money, but really we should focus on creating timeless treasures that are a joy to encounter, because ultimately…
…there is no better investment.
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