the city of domes-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


is　showing　a　tendency　to　get　away　from　the　worship　of　the　body。　Ever　since　the　Christian　era；　of　course；　the　physical　has　been　deprecated。　We　may　come　to　see　that　the　body　is　useful　as　it　develops　and　serves　the　spiritual；　that　is；　as　it　subordinates　itself。　The　marvel　is　that　the　pagan　tradition　has　persisted　so　long　in　spite　of　the　Christian　influence。　This　Exposition　shows　how　strong　it　remains。〃

〃But　what　would　you　have　in　place　of　the　human　figure　as　the　inspiration　of　art？〃　I　asked。

〃Oh；　there　are　plenty　of　things　that　might　take　its　place。　Flower　themes　are　just　as　beautiful　in　decoration　as　the　shapes　of　men　and　women。　I　can　conceive　of　the　time　when　it　will　be　considered　uninteresting　and　commonplace　to　have　human　bodies　used　as　a　means　of　aesthetic　display。　The　self…glorification　in　it　alone　becomes　wearying。　We　are　gradually　learning　that　the　best　we　can　do　in　life　is　to　forget　about　ourselves　and　our　old　bodies。　There　are　even　those　who　go　so　far　as　to　look　forward　to　the　time　when　we　shall　escape　from　our　bodies　altogether。　It　would　be　interesting；　by　the　way；　to　get　the　point　of　view　of　a　very　spiritual　Christian　Scientist　on　the　display　here。　I　suppose　that　it　would　see　good　in　the　tendency　to　reach　finer　and　nobler　conceptions　of　art　according　to　our　present　understanding。〃

Then　the　architect　proceeded　to　discuss　the　artistic　superiority　of　the　Japanese。　Though　they　used　the　human　figure　in　their　art；　they　did　not　play　it　up；　after　the　habit　of　the　Western　world。　They　did　not　make　it　seem　to　be　of　supreme　importance。　They　conventionalized　and　subordinated　it　to　outline　and　color。　The　use　of　the　nude　they　never　cultivated。　Their　attitude　toward　the　body　was　characterized　by　discretion　and　modesty；　qualities　that　they　showed　in　their　dress。　You　would　never　see　a　Japanese　woman；　for　example；　wearing　a　dress　that　conspicuously　brought　out　the　lines　of　her　figure。

〃On　the　other　hand；〃　the　architect　went　on；　〃there's　no　doubt　we've　become　absurdly　prudish　in　this　country。　We're　afflicted　with　shame　of　the　body　which；　in　itself；　is　unhealthy。　If　art　can　help　us　to　get　back　to　a　more　normal　attitude　it　will　do　a　big　service。　All　the　more　reason　then　why　it　should　keep　within　reasonable　bounds。〃



XV

The　Court　of　the　Ages



As　we　turned　from　the　Avenue　of　Progress　toward　the　Court　of　the　Ages　the　architect　said：　〃The　workmen　about　here　call　this　inner　court　'Pink　Alley；'　not　a　bad　name　for　it；　though　its　real　name　is　the　Court　of　Mines。　Throughout　the　Exposition　Guerin　shows　that　he　is　very　fond　of　pink；　probably　on　account　of　its　warmth。　He　has　been　criticised　for　using　it　so　much　on　the　imitation　Travertine　for　the　reason　that　there　is　no　stone　of　exactly　this　color。　And　yet　there　is　pink　marble。　But　even　if　there　weren't　any　pink　stone　in　the　world；　Guerin　would　be　justified　in　his　use　of　the　color　for　purely　decorative　purposes；　just　as　he　was　justified　in　using　it　on　his　four　towers。〃

Inside　the　Court　of　the　Ages　the　architect　drew　a　long　breath。

〃In　this　court　we　architects　feel　puzzled。　We　think　we　can　read　new　architectural　forms　like　a　book；　and　find　that　they　are　saying　things　repeated　down　the　ages。　But　we　can't　read　much　here。　In　that　lovely　round　arch　there　are　hints　of　Gothic；　and　yet　it　is　not　a　Gothic　arch。　Throughout　the　treatment　there　are　echoes　of　the　Spanish；　and　yet　the　treatment　is　not　Spanish。　The　more　one　studies　the　conception　and　the　workmanship　the　more　striking　it　grows　in　originality　and　daring。　Mullgardt　has　succeeded　in　putting　into　architecture　the　spirit　that　inspired　Langdon　Smith's　poem　'Evolution；'　beginning　'When　you　were　a　tadpole　and　I　was　a　fish。'　In　the　chaotic　feeling　that　the　court　gives　there　is　a　subtle　suggestiveness。　The　whole　evolution　of　man　is　intimated　here　from　the　time　when　he　lived　among　the　seaweed　and　the　fish　and　the　lobsters　and　the　turtles　and　the　crabs。　Even　the　straight　vertical　lines　used　in　the　design　suggest　the　dripping　of　water。　When　you　study　the　meaning　of　the　conception　you　find　an　excuse　for　Aitken　in　flinging　his　mighty　fountain　into　the　center　of　all　this　architectural　iridescence。　He　caught　the　philosophy　of　Mullgardt　without　catching　the　lightness　and　gaiety　of　the　execution。　In　that　fountain　he　has　brought　out　the　pagan　conception　of　the　sun；　and　he　has　used　the　notion　that　the　sun　threw　off　the　earth　in　a　molten　mass　to　steam　and　cool　down　here　and　to　bring　forth　those　competitions　between　human　beings　that　reveal　the　working　of　the　elemental　passions。　Aitken　is　material　and　hard；　where　Mullgardt　is　delicate　and　fine。　How　subtly　Mullgardt　has　interwoven　the　feeling　of　spirituality　with　all　the　animal　forces　in　man。　That　tower　alone　is　a　masterpiece。　I　know　of　no　tower　just　like　it　in　the　world。　　From　every　side　it　is　interesting。　And　at　night　it　is　particularly　impressive　from　the　Marina。〃

The　architect　went　on　to　explain　something　of　the　court's　history。　〃When　Mullgardt　started　to　work　out　his　plans　he　must　have　had　in　mind　the　transitional　character　of　an　exposition。　He　knew　that　he　could　afford　to　try　an　experiment　that　might　have　been　impracticable　if　the　court　had　been　intended　for　permanency。　He　evidently　was　determined　to　cast　tradition　to　the　winds　and　to　strike　out　for　himself。〃

〃I　should　think　most　architects　would　like　to　work　in　that　way。〃

〃The　usual　process　is　very　different。　As　soon　as　an　architect　decides　to　design　a　building。　he　first　chooses　a　certain　type　of　architecture；　then　he　saturates　his　mind　with　designs　that　have　already　been　done　along　that　line。　Out　of　the　mass　of　suggestions　that　he　receives　he　is　lucky　if　he　evolves　something　more　or　less　new。　Often　he　merely　re…echoes　or　he　actually　reproduces　something　that　he　is　fond　of　or　that　has　happened　to　catch　his　fancy。　The　chances　are　that　Mullgardt　will　go　down　into　history　for　his　daring　here。　It　isn't　often　that　a　man　takes　a　big　biological　conception　and　works　it　out　in　architecture　with　such　picturesqueness。　It's　never　intrusive　and　yet　it's　there；　plain　enough　for　anyone　to　see　who　looks　close。　It　represented　a　magnificent　opportunity　and　Mullgardt　was　big　enough　to　get　away　with　it。〃

Then　the　architect　told　me　the　human　story　behind　all　this　beauty　as　we　wandered　back　into　the　center　of　the　court　and　stood　there。　〃Notice　the　incline；〃　he　said；　〃from　the　entrances？　It　reminds　me　that　Mullgardt　had　originally　intended　to　have　the　floor　of　the　court　like　a　sunken　garden。　And　remember　that　the　name　expresses　the　original　idea。　The　Court　of　Abundance；　that　it　is　wrongly　called；　would　have　applied　much　better　to　the　Court　of　Four　Seasons。　Well；　after　the　notion　came　to　Mullgardt　to　suggest　in　the　court　the　development　of　man　from　the　life　of　the　sea　to　his　present　state　as　a　thinking　being；　less　physical　than　spiritual；　he　planned　to　build　a　court　that　should　be　the　center　of　the　pageants　for　the　Exposition；　where　art　should　have　its　living　representation　in　the　form　of　processions　and　of　plays；　some　of　them　written　for　the　purpose。　In　the　sunken　garden　there　should　be　plenty　of　room　for　the　actors　to　move　about；　using　it　as　a　stage。　There　should　also　be　room　for　the　sculptured　caldron　that　was　to　be　an　architectural　feature　and　that　later　developed　into　Aitken's　massive　evolutionary　fountain。　For　the　base　of　the　tower　there　was　designed　a　gorgeous　semi…circular　staircase；　which　was　to　serve　as　an　entrance　for　the　actors。　Around　the　court　there　was　to　run　an　ornamental　balcony；　covered　with　a　great　canopy　in　red　and　gold；　making　an　effect　of　Oriental　magnificence。　The　people　were　to　watch　the　spectacles　from　the　balcony　and　from　between　the　arches。　In　addition　to　the　main　tower；　very　like　the　present　tower；　but　to　contain　a　great　pipe　organ；　there　were　to　be　two　others；　in　the　corner　at　right　angles；　to　be　called　echo　towers。　The　music　of　the　organ　was　to　be　transmitted　to　the　echo　towers　by　wires　and　the　echoes　were　to　serve　as　a　sort　of　accompaniment。　The　effect；　if　it　had　been　managed　right；　would　have　been　stunning。〃

〃Mullgardt　has　kept　the　spirit　of　the　pageant　in　his　court；〃　I　said。　〃Just　as　it　is　it　would　make　an　ideal　setting；　particularly　for　pageant　with　music；　opera；　for　example。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　the　architect。　〃But