"Man loves everything that satisfies his comfort. He hates everything that wants to draw him out of his acquired and secured position and that disturbs him. Thus he loves the house and hates art"
About this Quote
Adolf Loos, a popular early 20th-century architect and critic, is understood for his pioneering views on modern-day architecture and design. In this quote, Loos critiques the human inclination towards convenience and aversion to disturbance, particularly in the context of art and looks.
Bathroom starts by acknowledging a fundamental element of human nature: the pursuit of comfort. Individuals are naturally drawn to things that offer security and ease, such as a home, representing stability and protection from the outdoors world. Your house, in this sense, can be seen as a physical symptom of comfort and safety. This aligns with the human tendency to develop environments where fundamental requirements and desires are easily fulfilled.
Alternatively, Loos contrasts this comfort with a disdain for anything that challenges or disrupts it. Art, which typically provokes idea, conjures up emotion, and presses boundaries, can be disturbing or perhaps threatening to those who favor the status quo. Art challenges people to reconsider their perceptions and can draw them out of their comfort zones, triggering a journey of self-reflection and development. Loos recommends that this capacity for disruption might be why lots of people withstand or misunderstand art.
Additionally, art frequently embodies development, and with it, the uncertainty and discomfort that newness can bring. In the early 20th century, when Loos was composing, art and architecture were going through substantial transformations. Movements like modernism were uprooting conventional designs and perceptiveness, causing resistance amongst those connected to traditional notions of beauty and style.
Hence, Loos' statement underscores a tension between the familiar and the avant-garde. By valuing art's role in wider cultural and intellectual landscapes, people might transcend their instinctual hostility and welcome the enlightening, albeit often unpleasant, experiences that art deals. Through this lens, Loos invites us to reassess our meanings of convenience and to appreciate the transformative power of art and innovation.
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