And now for something completely different. Berman wonders that 'Faustian development', as a driving concept, might have been over by the 1960's. What topples it over? Is it the arrival postmodernism in collusion with consumerism (see previous post) or the rejection of such hierarchical society in itself? Certainly 'counterculture' becomes the word we use to describe the hippies and their antecedents, the beatniks, who challenged so called civilisation on their own terms, equipped with cars that worked, emergent freeways to drive them on, pills to keep them awake, contraceptives to keep them free, money in their pockets and that intense desire to leave the world of Mom and Pop behind.
If you are wondering at the architectural consequences we might discuss, think Woodstock, think Archigram, Reyner Banham, Superstudio and so on, and think of the origins of that 'dematerialisation' of architecture conference we saw Rowe speak at during the last session (hosted by Peter Cook of Archigram).
This powerful poem, Howl (1956) on the subject of freedom, spirituality and madness, is easily downloadable for free. It would be a crime if it wasn't. Those of you who fancy yourselves as 'angel headed hipsters' might learn something here!
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