I've been reading a lot of Jeffrey Kipnis and I've decided that the man is determined to work eroticism, erotica, fetishization, or anything overtly sensual or sexual into his commentary no matter what! It made me wonder--what would sex with Kipnis be like? Wouldn't that make for a hysterical little satire on architectural criticism? A one-act play perhaps?
In one article I read Kipnis criticizes Colin Rowe for his hyperbolic titles. "Given that architects are congenitally terrified that their art is merely superficial, who among them could resist Rowe's ponderous promises of profundity?” But if we're going to put our knickers in a twist over nonsensical terminology carried to its own recognition by the effect of manufactured cachet, shouldn't we ask why Kipnis always falls back on the sex-sells formula?
My readings may be out of date so I apologize if he's suddenly taken a celibatory turn, but in any case I find it a bit funny that the man who likes so much to mince his rivals words relies on such colorful, and such ambiguous language.
4 Comments
you are brave to be willing to imagine something so grotesque and congenitally terrifying as kipper and bed contact sports. i am sure the man would be more than willing to star in your one-act play -- or anyones one act play for that matter, as long as he gets to be on stage.
as for the sexuality of his discourse, this is the natural evolution of his effect --> material --> affect --> erotic --> sensuality --> sex interests. he is simply seeking a stylish archi-wave to ride, and he is selling architecture as sex for two reasons: 1) just another blatant attempt for attention from avant-garde shockery; 2) he has completely cribbed his notes from greg lynn on this archi-rotica matter (somewhat sad in itself).
maybe best to let him write his own one-act plays. they tend to be short anyway. its a shame really because he occasionally makes good points, but remains an intolerable self-serving avant-archi-club bully nuisance.
anyway his time on the stage has been replaced by so many other worthy writers of greater substance ... somol, whiting, etc.
try some Bernard Tshumi, Architecture and Disjunction, I think he gets away with arguing on matters such as pleasurable architecture, eroticism, sensuality, madness, much more than any writer I´ve read before, besides Aaron Betsky, who treats the subject a bit differently, but whose books are equally interesting and worth reading. One on this matter is queer space, architecture and same sex desire, building sex ,and on a different topic, but just as great, violated perfection.
Should I bother mentioning your very own Joel Sanders? Not intending to say anything deleterious of his work, but the STUD author has spent a fair amount of time and effort describing the gender roles embodied in everyday spaces.
His essay on urban gym spaces is posted on his firm's website and deals with the extension of Modernism, as a de-con instrument of gender roles, into the urban gym typology. That was my quick reading of it anyway.
lifeform not too sure of your accusation of kipnis - he's been obsessing over sex and architecture before Lynn even started on the wave post Eisenman architects
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.