Sunday, March 8, 2015

Who's not been offered grandeur?






   I studied the marketing materials
   the other day for the notoriously
   glitzy apartment building in Man-
   hattan by de Portzamparc and sev-
   eral interior designers. There is
   a message in their offering. They
   promise shelter to the life seek-
   ing absolute assurance of matter-
   ing. Another place is bound to do
   the same, next season.

   An interesting strategem. We know
   Scotch which does it, restaurants
   and shotgun craftsmen. Monuments,
   routinely. Always there's someone
   who strives to be able to pay the
   going rate for mattering, who be-
   lieves he will believe he does. I
   remember when a folly was diminu-
   tive. Has anyone the heart to re-
   mark, their parody redeemed them?

























Antoine Watteau
The Italian Comedians
1720
Kress Collection
National Gallery of Art
Washington






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