Quote:
Originally Posted by ChargerCarl
Whats wrong with mediocrity? 99% of people live, work, and shop in mediocre buildings every day and its fine.
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Exactly. There's nothing wrong with mediocrity. Most people live mediocre lives. Most people never do or manage to posses something that is truly original. Faced with that reality, you would think more of us would be more kind and understanding in the face of mediocrity.
That brings us to Frank Gehry on the subject. When he received the Asturias Award, a reporter asked him, "How do you answer to those who accuse you of practicing showy architecture?"
Gehry gave the guy the finger and replied:
“Let me tell you one thing. In this world we are living in, 98 percent of everything that is built and designed today is pure s**t. There's no sense of design, no respect for humanity or for anything else. They are damn buildings and that's it. Once in a while, however, there's a small group of people who does something special. Very few. But good god, leave us alone! We are dedicated to our work. I don't ask for work. I don't have a publicist. I'm not waiting for anyone to call me. I work with clients who respect the art of architecture. Therefore, please don't ask questions as stupid as that one."
It is important to note that Gehry is not pretending here to know the difference between mediocre architecture and everything else. Anyone who claims they do would probably also get the finger from Gehry. As Gehry explained later, he was only saying there is big difference between those who try and those who don't try.