What is modern?
I was surprised to see this post kick up so many comments. It shouldn’t though given Agave seems always to stir up emotions.
Duncan did kick up a topic at the end there that I’ve been thinking on and off about for many years: what is modern? And how do you conveyed that to others?
Modern seems to have a much wider umbrella than other styles. I certainly can think of principles which embody modernism but it is hard to pin down with certainty the same way you can with Victorian, Federal, or Colonial styles. It seems more often than ‘modern’ falls into the old “I know it when I see it” method of classification. Duncan pretty much implies the same here:
Modernism should be based on a set of design principles and not be considered a “style” so many homes rely on a series of aesthetic embellishments that complete the checklist to qualify as modern.
I agree with this but when it comes to communicating with other people or with the marketplace it gets blurry. One person’s modern is another craftsmen (well not really, but you know what I am saying). It is all too easy for developers and realtors to try to lack into the modern label.
For what is worth, I often post up listing that I feel aren’t really great examples of modernism but if I got too strict, there would be next to no content.
How do you describe modern design to others?
7 comments July 9th, 2008
