and everyone seems to wonder why buildings are so fugly and uncomfortable, maybe it has something to do with squeezing all the fucking humanity out of the profession.
So true!! As someone who grew up in the US/Canada.. some of the best artists I've known or witnessed throughout my life have been fellow people of color. Those street artists I see on youtube are amazing. I love how they don't hold back on using super vibrant colors - I've never been a fan of anything dull or watered down when it comes to art. I loveee deep vibrant colors.
I often daydream about the kind of world we could live in if our creativity was allowed to flourish. I've noticed that certain people (who are often white) seem to strongly dislike anything that's too vibrant or aesthetically pleasing, as some sort of expression of stoicism (or a similar set of values stemming from Ancient Greece or Rome or Christianity or whatever). Basically I think these people have horrible, bland taste and they pride themselves on it, because they believe they're morally superior for having more mental discipline or whatever.
Speaking of Christian values.. I knew this guy who was a Jehovah's Witness, and when I commented one time on how beautiful a church building was, he mentioned how Witnesses aren't supposed to appreciate beauty in this physical world because that would be "worshipping the creation rather than worshipping the creator." Something about that really rubs me the wrong way. I can see how their religion might have used that as a justification to destroy beautiful things in the past (and maybe in the present too). Kind of like how they hated anything that was "pagan". What a shame.
It's not just architecture (though architecture is a great example).. I think lifestyles in general in certain US cities (and maybe in other western countries too) can be really bland and soulless. But maybe that's a worldwide thing and not just limited to western countries, idk. I wish this friend of a friend would've been given the chance to contribute to architecture!