"The straight line belongs to men, the curved one to God."

October 22, 2014 4:11 PM

Antonio Gaudi [YouTube] a 1984 Japanese documentary film by Hiroshi Teshigahara about the works of Antoni Gaudi. In the film the director visits the buildings including houses in Barcelona and the Sagrada Família.

The Village Voice wrote a review describing the film as "Something of a passion project, completed decades after an earlier visit by the director, the film is given over to an eager, rolling catalog of Gaudí's fin de siècle works sans much voiceover or any explanatory text".The New York Times wrote that "Much of the imagery in 'Gaudi' is nothing less than astounding in its beauty and boldness, and the blending of a neo-Gothic mysticism and grandeur with an Art Nouveau line and a surreal apprehension of the power of nature". Wiki

posted by Fizz (10 comments total)

I remember some of this; one of the most amazing aspects was Gaudi's method of designing arched structures upside down, suspending beaded chains from both ends to get the catenary curves..
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 5:01 PM on October 22, 2014 [4 favorites]

The quote in the title sounded really familiar to me from somewhere else. Eventually, I recalled that I heard it from an out-there Austrian artist/designer named Tausendsassa Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser. His version was "The Straight Line Is A Godless Line". More at this 99% Invisible podcast episode.
posted by sblom at 5:16 PM on October 22, 2014 [6 favorites]

THOMASINA: A gibe is not a rebuttal… God’s truth, Septimus, if there is an equation for a curve like a bell, there must be an equation for one like a bluebell, and if a bluebell, why not a rose? Do we believe nature is written in numbers?

SEPTIMUS: We do.

THOMASINA: Then why do your equations only describe the shapes of manufacture?

SEPTIMUS: I do not know.

THOMASINA: Armed thus, God could only make a cabinet.

SEPTIMUS: He has mastery of equations which lead into infinities where we cannot follow.

- Tom Stoppard's Arcadia
posted by gemutlichkeit at 5:42 PM on October 22, 2014 [6 favorites]

I haven't seen it, but a documentary on the Sagrada Familia (trailer) just came out recently.
posted by juv3nal at 6:01 PM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

I watched this for the first time last week. Really mesmerizing. The film kind of reminded me of some of Chris Marker's work.
posted by TrialByMedia at 7:59 PM on October 22, 2014

The Sagrada Familia is the most amazing building I have ever been in.
posted by ageispolis at 11:19 PM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Gaudi is a truly fascinating artist. I always thought his work looked garrish, but having gone to Barcelona, he basically built that city in his image: the cathedral, the park, several buildings, towers, gates and more. He was (and still is) ahead of his time as far as taking inspiration from nature (including cellular biology), working with native resources and combining artistic styles.
posted by lubujackson at 4:48 AM on October 23, 2014

he basically built that city in his image

I remember standing outside Casa Mila (I think?), admiring the facade, and then realizing that I was standing on sidewalk tiles designed by Gaudi as well!
posted by Kabanos at 6:58 AM on October 23, 2014

Just the other week the missus and myself took a trip to Spain SPECIFICALLY to experience some of Gaudi's architecture (there were other items on the list, but this was at the top). We were not disappointed. Quite the opposite. The Sagrada Familia is still blowing my mind, weeks later.
posted by The Vice Admiral of the Narrow Seas at 7:07 AM on October 23, 2014

Sagrada Familia is the only building that's ever made me tear up. I'm not even religious. It's just awe inspiring. Even though it's mostly a construction site.
posted by empath at 7:48 AM on October 23, 2014