THE INEXHAUSTIBLE COW

When we first learned about the Coney Island Inexhaustible Cow (back in Berrin’s class), I was extremely confused and worried about how one cow could do so much. Instead of fully listening to the explanation, I imagined this poor beast - worked to death and replaced in the dark of the night by the next bovine victim. Thankfully – I was wrong. 

The Inexhaustible Cow is simply an early version of a soda machine, replacing life with fabrication. Coney Island did the same thing with other natural things as well. The horses were mechanical, lights were artificial, even love was claimed to be fabricated from coincidence and loneliness. 

But - how can a machine truly replace reality? How is this a better system then what nature has provided? Koohaas states that the fabrications are “a superior substitute” when what is natural is unavailable due to the “sheer density of human consumers” (324) but modern day research shows that natural sunlight is far superior to artificial light, and that all natural products are healthier then artificial. How can we as architects return to the natural world while appeasing demands from the “human consumers”? Today, we are slowly becoming more mindful of our environment as we try to incorporate nature back into our designs. But will we be able to stop the consumers for wanting more?

Bonus - Warhol's Cow wallpaper!

sources:

http://www.archlighting.com/technology/the-benefits-of-natural-light_o

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2014/08/natural-light-in-the-office-boosts-health