“I like complexity and contradiction in architecture. I do not like the incoherence or arbitrariness of incompetent architecture nor the precious intricacies of picturesqueness or expressionism. Instead, I speak of a complex and contradictory architecture based on the richness and ambiguity of modern experience, including that experience which is inherent in art...”
–Venturi, Robert. Complexity and Contradiction p16.
That is the beginning of his introduction to the famous complexity and contradiction essay he wrote. I found it interesting where it is really a contradiction that he is not believe in “Less is more” by famous architect Louis Khan. His famous essay is the start of evolution of Post-modernism whose think opposite from Modernist that claim ‘Modernism is timeless’, Post-modernist would claim ‘It is not true that Modernism is timeless because it is invoked in time, a represent a representation – that it is true. Peter Eisenmann is one of the powerful architect who ideally totally absurd but convincing, he is expert in white(concrete) but making it complete hard understand-able! Does the house need to be base on human central? not for him. When the modernism fade the fact that Architecture is Black and white good and Bad, started to blend in and become grey. Grey is a definition of Post-Modernism.
“If you don’t have truth, then what do you have?” Modernist talks back to Post-modernist.
ANS: We have POWER! (hahaha ... i am just kiding.)
Exeter Library 1965-72, Louise Khan Venturi House 1959-64, Robert Venturi
