On a hyperlink journey this morning I ended up at The Machine Rooms and in turn Open Desk which in thought took me back to Vitsœ. All three are movements, theories, practices, systems and technologies that I love, yet if I’m honest, don’t always love to look at them.
They all share a modernist and minimalist design style which I used to like, but less so now. I wonder if the aesthetics that they embody are products of their philosophies and technologies or if they come from outside, from other parts of the culture that that grew within?
Similarly I’ve always wondered if liking loud angry music, long hair, gore graphics and shaking your head violently are all embodied within someone that likes Heavy Metal, or if by growing to like one element of that culture opens people to liking the others? Same goes for all the trappings that come with being a Skateboarder or a Goth. All the aesthetic parts: Are they embodied or learned and adopted?
In short, I want to use the Machine Rooms but not for making modern plywood furniture, I want to own Vitsœ but not be a minimalist, I want to skate while wearing a suit, and on occasion paint my nails black, while wearing grey and listening to 90s Hip Hop. Interestingly I never want anything that comes packaged with the Heavy Metal culture. Again, is that embodied in me or something I have learned not to like? Can culture and technologies become aesthetically agnostic?
Documenteering 