NP? Vineland (andf GR) echoes from a former (?) P-lister

[Otto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Millison" <pynchonoid at yahoo.com>
To: "Pynchon-L" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 5:15 AM
Subject: NP? Vineland (andf GR) echoes from a former (?) P-lister
>

> "[...] The crypto-fascist Philip Johnson
> http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair0813.html
>

1. Please give us the page numbers in "Vineland" and "GR" where this refers
too.

2. I admit *not* being a specialist in architecture at all and I consider
some modern and postmodern architecture as an assault on humanity too. So
I'm not defending Johnson here but critisizing St. Clair for calling someone
a crypto-fascist without giving *any* reason at all for this judgement
further in the article on Frank Lloyd Wright, which appears at least
questionable to me. So I did take a short look, which I consider as only
fair:

1979 Laureate
Philip Johnson was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1906, and in the years since
has become one of architecture's most potent forces. Before designing his
first building at the age of 36, Johnson had been client, critic, author,
historian, museum director, but not an architect.
In 1949, after a number of years as the Museum of Modern Art's first
director of the Architecture Department, Johnson designed a residence for
himself in New Canaan, Connecticut for his master degree thesis, the now
famous Glass House.
He literally coined the term "International School of Architecture" for an
exhibition at MOMA.
Johnson organized Mies van der Rohe's first visit to this country as well as
Le Corbusier's. He even commissioned Mies to design his New York apartment.
Later, he would collaborate with Mies on what has been described as this
continent's finest high-rise building, the Seagram Building in New York.
(...)
The list of projects fills a volume, but suffice it to say, ranges from
numerous high-rise projects such as International Place in Boston; Tycon
Towers in Vienna, Virginia; Momentum Place in Dallas; 53rd at Third in New
York; NCNB Center in Houston; PPG in Pittsburgh; 101 California in San
Francisco; United Bank Center Tower in Denver; to the far flung National
Center for Performing Arts in Bombay, India; Century Center in South Bend,
Indiana; a Water Garden in Fort Worth, Texas; a Civic Center in Peoria,
Illinois; the Crystal Cathedral in California; and a Dade County Cultural
Center in Miami. There are many, many more.
Since 1989, Johnson, semi-retired, has devoted his time mainly to projects
of his own, but still is a consultant to John Burgee Architects. His most
recent design is for a new School of Fine Arts for Seton Hill College in
Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
http://www.pritzkerprize.com/pjohn.htm

Seems as if the USA is littered with crypto-fascist buildings.

"Over time, Johnson has also come under attack for past political leanings.
He was labeled a fascist and Nazi sympathizer. He later disavowed his
beliefs."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/johnson_7-9a.html

In 1956 he designed a synagoge, very rare for a "crypto-fascist", isn't it?
Kneses Tifereth Israel, Port Chester/New York, 1956.

Why doesn't St. Clair tell us this?

more:
"After all, read in a mirror the title of Butler's novel is Nowhere."
(St. Clair)

He has a remarkable grasp for the obvious.

" J. Edgar Hoover must be laughing as he roasts in Hell."
(St. Clair)

Except that I don't believe there's a place like hell. Being an atheist
means being an a-satanist too (thanks again for the article on Luhman, Kai).

Otto

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