Goliath vs David
“Opposites proliferate, but they are always in reaction to
the dominant, and thus either in the thrall of it or in retreat from it. Resistance
is claimed, but it is really no more effective than a boxer exhausting himself
against the swinging mass of the punch bag.” – Jeremy Till
I think what makes critical regionalism so important and
applicable to today’s age is that it’s about a response to the existing. It’s a counter
to the already dominant force. Subjective to say whether it’s offensive or
defensive, but regardless respects the hand that is dealt.
Alternatively,…
“There is a sense of retreat away from the suppressor to a place of sanctuary, around which walls are erected against the raging forces beyond. And with this retreat there is a concomitant feeling of hopelessness, an inevitability of failure because not only has the dominant half been left untouched but, worse, the minor pair is still framed within the major’s ideological structure.”
So if the dominant force has already marked its territory then the response must fall in line, restricting its result perhaps.
“There is a sense of retreat away from the suppressor to a place of sanctuary, around which walls are erected against the raging forces beyond. And with this retreat there is a concomitant feeling of hopelessness, an inevitability of failure because not only has the dominant half been left untouched but, worse, the minor pair is still framed within the major’s ideological structure.”
So if the dominant force has already marked its territory then the response must fall in line, restricting its result perhaps.
Another element to the battle between new and existing is the importance of progress. While it is respectful to incorporate what is given, it is even more important to avoid merely replicating the vernacular for the sake of belonging.
ReplyDeleteI would actually have to argue and say that the existing is no longer the dominant in this situation; the dominant is now the new construction that continues to grow all around us. It is like a battle between each new building that it should be better than the one that was built just before. The existing, in a way, has been completely forgotten about and is no longer mentioned or acknowledged at all, completely removed from the battle.
ReplyDeleteHarrison, your argument is valid, especially with how technology and building methods change the battle field giving advantage to the new.
ReplyDelete