Blue Monday: Stories of Absurd Realities and Natural Philosophies

176 Pages·2007·11.19 MB·English

by  Robert Sumrell

BlueM onday
StorioefsA bsurRde alities
andN aturaPlh ilosophies
AUDC
RoberStu mre&l lK azVyasr nelis

Blue Monday
PeripheVriasli obny Reinhold Martin 4
��
REALITY
LEMMINGS 16
INTRODUCTION 20
ABSTRACTION
MY DEARB ERLIWNA LL 30
ETHERO neW ilshire 40
ETHICS
VOLUNTARSYL AVERY 50
THES TIMULPURSO GRESSMIuOzNa k 60
LOVE
MIKE 70
SWARMI NTELLIGQEuNaCrEt ZASriitzeo,n a 80
Epilogue 90
Acknowledgements 95
Credits 100
Peripheral Vision
ReinhoMladr tin
Iti so ftesna itdh atth ea geo fg rannda rratiivsoe vse rI.nt heir
placaer eo nllyi ttslteo rioersm ,a ybea nthologies-collections
ofl ittslteo riSeosi .ti sp robabnloyta na ccidetnhta tth ibso ok
beginwsi th t(hkneo wingdluyb iouasn)n ouncemeonftt h ee nd
oft hen ovelO.rm orep recilsyt,eh ibso oko fl ittslteo ritehsa atr e
apparenatbloyu atr chitecatnudru er banisbme ginbsya nnounc­
ingt he" endo"f f ictiaosan modelo fr ealiotfyw ,h icthh en ovel
isa c lassic example.
Whata rew et om akeo fs ucha na nnouncemeRnitg?h otr
wrongw,h atd oeas literfaorrym l ikteh en ovehla vet od ow ith
architecitnut rheef irsptl acWee?l lt,h eriesa senshee rteh at
wea rei na kindo fc ontemportawriyil ghzto new,h erteh eo ld
clicohfet rutbhe insgt rangtehra nf ictinoonl ongecra ptures
ther ealiotfty h ew orlwdi thw hicahr chitecatnudru er banism
arec onfrontIentd h.i cso llectoifno ont -sa-modleisttts lteo ries
byR oberStu mrelaln dK azyVsa rneloifts h ef ormerly-ALnogse ­
lesb aseAdr chitecUtrubraen isDme sigCno llabora(tAUiDvCe) ,
whatw em ighcta lalr chitectruerael'ipstr yi nciple-its presumed
instrumentabluitat lys,io t osn goincga pitulattoia olsnlo rtosf
perceirveeadl iteisepse,c iaolftl hye " latceap italviasrti"e ty-is
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temporarsiulsyp endeIdni. t psl acaer et rue stowrhioesses ubject
matterre adlsi kaen u pdatoef B orgefsa'sm ouCsh ineseen cy­
clopedlieam:m ingasw ,o manw hom arrietdh eB erlwianl lL,o s
Angelebsi'gsg ebslta cbko xa, r ecord collectColra rneanmceed,
Muzaka,h eadlecshsi ckeann,dQ uartzsiAtrei,z ona.
Sucha l ismti ghlte auds t oc onclutdhea wte a rec onfronted
herwei tha m ered iversiaonne ,n tertaiinnitnegr ltuodd ei s-
tracutsa sw et akae b reafkr omt hei mportabnuts ineosfs( say)
designibnugi ldianngdsc itiBeust.s ureyloyu r emembetrh at
someonfea mouosn ces aitdh aatr chitecitsbu ersept e rceiivnea d
statoefd istractAinodns .ur eltyh ias perap,pul ineosto nlty ot he
periphevriasli oofny esterdf/ayd'nse buurta ,ls too t odays'usr fer,
riditnhge c urrenotfts h eb igc it(yo irn t hec asoef Q uartzsite,
thet emporatroyw n)R.i ghtW?e lly,e sa ndn o,s incteh es urfer
andt hef/ dneaurern o te xactalnya logoFuosr.t hef/ dneduirst,r ac­
tioins e verythiWnhgi.l feo rt hes urfietri s-inth ee xtremcei r­
cumstancoefws h icLh. A .'bse aches mniogthb tet heb esetx am­
ple-deatOhr.t op uti ta nothewra y,t heb ooky oua reh olding
iny ouhr andis sn ota bougto inwgi tht hef lowI.ti sa bouat k ind
ofr esistatnhcere e,s istaonf"c ree aliittys"e lf.
Norw oultdh em etaphoorf" sampliqnugi"t cea ptutrhee
extraordinparroidluyc tsitvrea temgayp pedo utb yt hibso ok.
Since ttehmep orasruys pensioofan r chitectruerael'ipstr yi nciple
meanst hatth eriesn otn ecessaars iellyf -eviadrecnhti ovfep re-
PeriVpihseiroanl
existefnatc ts-objetcetxstt,se ,c hniqueetsc,. -tsoa mplaen d
remixI.n steaidtm, i ghbte b ettteort hinokf B luMeo ndaasyw h at
ittsi tplree ttmyuc hs ayist i sa: c ollectBiuotin t.i sn ote xactly
a collectoifho ins toriacnaelc dotoefse ,n tertailniitntgsl teo ries
withn ou nifyitnhge meI.ti sI,t hinkm,o rel ikaer ecorcdo llec­
tiont,h el ogiocfw hicihs h inteadtb yt hec ovesro ngr,e leased
byN ewO rdeirn 1 983.
Andi ft hicso llectoiflo int tslteo rileist,th lies toriisem so,r e
likae c ollectoif1o 2n" s inglaensdL Psb othg ranadn do bscure,
Clarentcheer ecorcdo llechtoolrd tsh ek eyt ot hew hole project.
Id on'wta ntt og iveev erythaiwnagy h eraet t heb eginnibnugt,
suffiictte o s ayt haCtl arenhcaesa thinfgo rr ecorodfsa lkli nds.
He iss oh elplewshse nc onfronwtietdht hef ast-faldoignigoc f
viny(lw haFtr iedrKiictht loenrc ed escriabset dh eR eaolf a lmle ­
diat echnologtiheasht)e ,m oreo rl esbsu riheism seilnfi tS.u m­
relaln dV arneldiess cricboel lectliioknCesl arencaesa' ssp iritnog
"ani mpossicbolmyp leatned p erfesccta lmeo delo ft hew orlda, "
characteriztahtaiatop np lieeqsu alwleyl tlo B luMeo ndAanyd.
ofc ourswee a res peakihnegr oe fb otht hes onga ndt heb ook­
fort hep erver(steh ough possibly ahpiosctroyorpfyth hael )
best-sel1l2i"sn ign gelvee irs t haitt l ost mondeuyet, o t hea mbi­
tionosfi tgsr aphdiecs igtnos imulaatn eo w-obsolmeetdei um
ofs imulationf,l otphpdeyi skY.o uc ans eew herwee a reg oing
heref:r omt hep ileosfv inyilnC larenckei'tsc hetnot, h ev inyolf
"BlueM ondayt,o"t hef aux-vimnaygln,e t"ifc loppdyr"i ving me­
diat echnolotghiaewtse res tinlelw a tt het imet haJto yD ivision
morpheidn tNoe wO rder.
Ina s ensael olf t hesiem prinatrse p,r ecisreelcyo,r diAnsgi ss.
BluMeo ndaa byo,o kt harte cortdhse ibre coming-obsaonldie nt e
thep rocestsh,e ibre cominagl l-consuamnidna gl l-poweBruftu l.
ify ou beltiheavwteh atw eh aveh eries a k indo fr ecorcdol lection,
theq uestiroenm ainrse:c or(dosrr e cordionfgw sh)a tT?h ibsr ings
usb ackt ot heb eginniwnhge,r wee n oteVda rnelainsdS umrell's
announcemeonftt h ee ndo ff ictiaosrn e cordientd h en oveSle.e n
fromt hipse rspecttihvee ,l istttolreic eosl lechteerdae r eb othr eal
andi maginaartoy n ceT.h ati st,h ery ecorodb jecatnsde vents that
cans tiblelc allheids torfiaccatlBs u.tt heydo s oi na w ayt haptu ts
theirre ality-(vaadsli uset ifnrcotm t heitrr uth-vailnud eo)u bt. In
othewro rdst,h eh istorriecaalli trieecso rdheedr aer em adet os eem
imaginamrayd,e u p,l ikseo mek indo fw eiradr chitecptruorajle ct.
Who,a ftearl lc,o ulhda ve designreidd itchuelu orubsa ann dm ass
cultulroagli stoifac p sl aclei kQeu artzs(iitwfee c ane venc alilta
"placaen,a "r chitectteurrmat lh aste emass o bsoleatsve i nylIJna?
similvaeri nt,h eb elievaboiflt ihtesy t ortyh arte cortdhsea dven­
tureosf M iket heh eadlecshsi ckreens tnso ts om ucho nt heb iolog­
icaold ditoyfi tssu bjebcutt,o nt hei ntimacy wwhiitchhh i so wner
identifwiietdhM ikea ccordtiont gh ee motionparlo tocooflt sh e
massm ediaC.a lilta na llegoorfby i opoliotrit chsep, o litoifcl si fe.
PeriVpihseiroanl
Theries a wahyo,w evetrh,a tth es ubjemcatt teorf A UDC's
stories sesetmitslol s kiratr ountdh es ubejc tm attenra med
int hef ir'msu ppercaascer onyAmr:c hitecatnudrU er banism.
Orm aybei t'tsh eo thewra ya roundM.a ybet hesset oriaerset oo
closteoa rchitecftourur set or ecogniiztAe.f tearl lr,e ading
themw ef inodu rsellvietse railnlsyi tdhee w irinogr,t rappiend
thee levatAonrd.m aybet her esolutiisao lns too oh ight,h ef ocus
toop reciSsoem.e thilnigk teh iiss i mplibeydt he sheer boefa uty
thep hotograpWhhso. b uta rchitewcotusl bdo thetrop hotograph
a tangloefw ireisn s ucha waya st os eemt or eveiatlds a rkest
urbasne cretMso?r et hanm erelfyo rensliick,te h ej ackdeets ign
ofN ew Orde"rBl'useM onday,t"h em anyp hotograiplhlsu strat­
ingB luMeo ndaaryea rtfuwlh,i cihs n ott hes amet hinags c alling
themw orkosf a rts incteh eijro bi sn ott os oliacfifte cbtu,to nly
itpso ssibiJluistatys .t heN ewW aveo fN ewO rdecro nverted
whatt hea uthordse scriabste h ea uthenteimco tioonfsP unki nto
a kindo fs criptceodn sumabtlhee,s peh otogrampehrse lpyo int
towaradn e motionianlv olvemweinttht heisru bjewchti lael so
pointitnogw artdh eh orizoonfi tism possibility.
Considaegra,i nQ,u artzsiIttse c.a rcenleye dtso b es aitdh at
itpsr esentahteiroen owes tmout chhec ollectoifor nosc kass ­
semblebdy t hel ongtirmoec ck ollecRtoobre rStm ithsoinnh is
Site/Non-sSeirtieeB su.ti ft hea rtfulnoefsA sUD C'sp hotos
seemtso " cleuapn" t her ough-and-rmeaatdtye r-of-faocft ness
Smithsond'osc umentasrtyy loere ven( darwee s ayt)o a estheti­
ciziet asn ti-aestwheest hiocu,l ndo tb em islesdoe asilRye.­
translabtaecdki ntaor chitecwteum rieg,h itn steoabds ertvhea t
Quartzsite, prheesreaens at teedm pora,pr syeudo-nommaadri­c
ketf orv erhye avyu,s eleosbsj ec(tsst onegsi)v,en se wm eanintgo
the" stricatrlcyh itecttuerram"l "l ocsatlo neH.a"r dlay t hintgh at
anchortsh i"sc ittyo"s omem etaphysiceaalrltyh bou"npdl acleo,­"
caslt oniesp recistehley thingc itrhcautl aatnedsi, n a na llegory
ofg lobalizatthieorne,pb uyt tsh ipsl ace-QuartzAsriitzeo,n a­
ont hem ap,i nc irculation.
Bothr eaaln di maginatrhye,n t,h es toriceosl lecitneB dl ue
Mondaaryea lsol,i kQeu artzsirtoec'ksss t,r icutsleyl ess.
Theyw ilnlo tt elylo uh owt od esigan b uildionrlg a youta c ity.
Butt hewy ilhle lypo uu nderstawnhda tb uildianngdsc itiaerse ,
inr ealiYteys.r, e aliatsyi ,nr ealiTtVy,a phenomenownh osea c­
tualiitsmy e asureidnt hef antastiheasit t s ervicfeosrr, e al.
Fori ts eemtsh esdea ytsh anto te nougahr chitewcattsc ehn ough
TV orl istteone nougmhu siocr r eaedn ough stoMraiyebset. h ey
aret oob usyw itht hes eriobuuss ineosfsd esignibnugi ldianngds
citiWehsa.t evetrh er easotnh,e idri ligeinnca et tenditnotg h e
hars"hr ealitoifce lsi"e natnsdc onstrucsteieomns a,l tlo oo ften,
tol eavper ecioluist ttliem et ou nderstahnodw t hesree alitairees
manufacturTehda.tj obi,ts eemsi,s lfeofrtt h inkewrist ht ime
ont heihra ndlsi kAeU De.W hichi sa nothewra yo fr eturnitnog
PeriVpihseiroanl
wherwee b eganf,o ri ft hicso llectoiflo int tslteo riseese mfsr ivo­
loustloyr ecortdh ee xchanogfeu selersosc kasn dt hep erambu­
latioonfsu ndeacdh ickeintsi ,sb ecaubseeh inadn db etweeint s
episodtehse ries i,n r ealiat byi,gs tory.
Borrowifnrgo mo therVsa,r nelainsdS umrelgli vteh ibsi gs to­
ryb ign amesl ik"eEm pireo"r " latceap italiWshme.t"h eorr n ot
youa cceptth en uancepdr emistehsa cto mew itht hesnea mes,
youh avet oa dmitth atth es tatoefa ffaitrhse yp ointto i s-dare
wes ayi ta gain-fmaorr e" real" tharnea wlto hrel odf c lienatnsd
constructOirob ne.t teirti, sw hat maktehso sree alitrieeaisln
thef irpslta cSeo.a rchitecrteumraei nas p rotagoniints hte b ig
storwyr itten bettwheel einn eosfB luMeo nday.
IfQ uartzsiAtrei,z onmao deltsh ec ity-as-assua c cho llec­
tioonf u seleosbsj ecatk si,n do fr occko llectsieoenm,i ngilnye rt
buildilnigksLe . A .'Osn eW ilshimroed,e leadn dp hotographed
withl ovincga rbey A UDe,t urno utt ob ev ersyp eciraolc kisn ­
deedL.i kteh eM uzakt haotn cep layeidne levataonrdso ffice
landscafpreosm L .A .t oN ewY orkO,n eW ilshiirsbe a ckground.
"Perhatphsew orsbtu ildiSnagM evedre signe(da"c cordtion g
thea uthorwse)d ,i scovtehra itt h arbotrhse s ecreotfst hei n­
formatiaogne m,a terieavli denocfeo urb ecoming-virTthiusa l.
isa crucipaoli natn da ni mportacnotn tributthiaortne sonates
throughotuhtib so okt:h eriesn othinigm materiaablo uvti rtu­
ality. Invsitretauda,li istt oby e u nderstoaosad n otheorr der
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