Field Journal 6: De Stijl

       While reading the section on the De Stijl movement, I was fascinated by the philosophy of Van Doesburg who published De Stijl as a publication which described and sought to spread the movement‟s philosophy and theory. Advocating the abstraction of pure are by applied art, Doesburg „s philosophy was that “the spirit of art could then permeate society through architectural product, and graphic design. Under this system, art would not be subjugated to the level of the everyday object; the everyday object (and, through it, everyday life) would be elevated to the level of art” (300,301). I found this philosophy to be extremely thought provoking and profound, and I remembered last year when I went to Los Angeles to visit UCLA with a group of friends. Being that it was my first time in southern California, I found everything new and exciting and I took an absurd amount of photos of the many interesting things I saw. A Design/Media Arts major, I found myself taking pictures of things which were mainly art related such as graffiti, murals, architecture, and fashion pieces. I learned that there is no shortage of creativity in southern California, and I happened to snap a picture of this modular building:

What’s so special about it? Why did you take a picture of this building?

       I was not aware of it then, but this building clearly harkens back to the stylistic approach De Stijl movement with its geometrical horizontal and vertical arrangements of primary color (with the exception of orange) and flat planes of rectangles and squares. This building serves as a perfect example of “asymmetrical balance, with tensions between elements” achieving absolute harmony (300). I think one of the reasons I took a picture of this building has to be that it immediately captured my attention and begged for me to look at it. What I found most intriguing was its sense of stability supported by the solid rectangle and square shapes. This reinforced, solid, calming, feeling commanded my attention, and the primary colors felt aesthetically correct as my eyes danced across the face of the building.


As a result, what’s the overall impact and feel of this structure? 

       An effective example of De Stijl, this structure also relates to Doesburg‟s philosophy in that it has taken an everyday object, such as a plain dull modular building, and by applying De Stijl principles, has elevated it to the level of art. Taking an everyday object such as a living arrangement and transforming it or elevating it to the level of art is a feat. I remember seeing this structure and immediately regarding it as art before I thought of its utilitarian function as a building, and I believe that demonstrates how Doesburg‟s philosophy can have impact on anyone. The visual impact and influence it would have on a viewer was more than likely the designer‟s intention, for the plain building structure was immediately transformed into a natural vehicle for expressing an artistic style. As I mentioned before, although I was not aware of the De Stijl movement when I took the picture, the fact that I took a picture of this highly interesting building surrounded by other plain apartment complexes proves that the De Stijl style remains an effective and captivating hallmark style in modern design.