I merely put it that way because its the clearest way I could think of; you can't stand on a song, and you can't sing a skyscraper. Emotional reactions are the primary way one can "measure" a song, and emotion is subjective. There are emotional responses to building, but you can quantify physical characteristics to it -- its X feet long, or Y feet high. You can measure a song in terms of time, but you can't measure a building that way, unless its already been demolished.
I don't think its an overstatement to say they are effectively unconnected. If both dance music and architecture are related because they convey emotion, then so is painting, sculpture, and dance. Its a bit like saying I'm a very similar creature to the beetle, because we both require oxygen to live. The connections there are too vague to be of use. I'd be interested to see what sort of connections people make between the Architecture of Lebbeus Woods and music, since his architecture is more about Trauma, and the city as body overcoming said trauma (Scarification, etc.) e "David M. Sheridan" wrote: > I think the web site D.PART does a nice job of drawing connections > between techno, art, and the visionary architecture of Labbeus Woods > (http://music.hyperreal.org/d.part/). > > As for the concrete vs. abstract distinction, I think it's a little > more complicated than Elliot Taub implies below. When we say that a > painting is abstract, we mean that it doesn't attempt to represent > something else. Even representational paintings can be somewhat > abstract, as when one becomes aware of shapes and visual > patterns--for themselves--in a Hopper painting. > > But do buildings, by and large, attempt to *represent* anything? To > be sure, they do occasionally. There's a synagogue nearby (designed > by Yamasaki?) that is built to suggest a tent. Another place of > worship is built to look like hands folded in prayer. > > But it seems to me that these are exceptions. What, for instance, do > the octagonal towers of Portman's Renaissance Center represent? What > about the curves of the Guggenheim or the mosque dome of the capital > building in D.C.? It seems to me the primary pleasure of structures > derives from their shapes--in themselves--not from them acting as > pointers to something else. Even the examples of the tent and folded > hands above are primarily pleasing to look at because of their > abstract visual patterns, not because we think, "Hey, that looks like > a tent." > > Music is often talked about as the supremely abstract art form, but > there are many ways in which it is also concrete, especially dance > music like techno. It seems to me that techno can often "represent" > emotions more directly and concretely than visual art. I often look > at an abstract painting feel little emotional response, yet when I > listen to techno I often feel intense emotion. I realize I'm bending > the term "abstract" a little here, but it seems to me that there is a > sense in which the body-centered dimension of techno is very > concrete. Remember that one definition of concrete is "perceptible > by the senses." Surely techno fits that! > > Concrete or not, as Elliot implies below, music and architecture are > both art forms and can both be talked about as expressing emotion, > communicating a message, eliciting an aesthetic response. They can > both embody ideas--as when community is "built into" a neighborhood > or is fostered by listening to techno. All of these seem fairly > robust connections, and I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg. > I'd hate to see conversation stifled by rhetoric like "I can tell you > there is no connection whatsoever." Bit of an overstatement, no? :) > > Best, > > dms > > >I have a degree in Architecture, practiced as an architect for a few years, > >and make techno. I can tell you there is no connection whatsoever, other than > >superficial comparisons of musical meter to architectural structure. Music is > >the only truly abstract artform, and architecture is entirely concrete (no > >pun intended). > > > >That's what I think, at least. > > > >e > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- S C A T A L O G I C S www.scatalogics.com Graphic Design Party Promotion Disc Jockeys 718-204-8434 646-752-6262
