More Quotes? (We’re Down to the W’s)
Wright on Kitsch
Janet Maslin in Monday’s Times, reviewing Bryan Burrough’s book on Texas oilmen, The Big Rich, conjures up Frank Lloyd Wright to exorcise the vulgar tastes oilmen were famous for. Shown what was said to be Houston’s most fabulous hotel in 1949, Wright said:
“I’ve always wondered what the inside of a juke box looks like.”
PS: Malcolm doesn’t like the book.
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Deciphering Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein distrusted language as a vehicle to express philosophical ideas — which, he said in the Tractatus, can only be shown, or experienced, not argued or explained in propositions. Thus the famous last sentence of this great work:
“Whereof we cannot speak, thereon we must be silent.”
Which his friend (insofar as Ludwig had a friend) and translator, English mathematician Frank Ramsey, paraphrased as:
“What we can’t say we can’t say, and we can’t whistle it either.”
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Re: Wright on Kitsch.
Years ago in the early 70’s I had neighbors whose interior was painted turquoise, has turquoise carpeting and white Italian Rocco furniture. After visiting, I commented to a friend that now I knew what the inside of a wedding cake looked liked. Seems vulgar taste is not limited to Texas oil men.
Comment by Mrs D. — February 3, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
Whoever the turquoise/rococo interior designer was, he (she?) is probably in line for a commission in Crawford, Texas. (Since you already preempted the presidential library commission by proposing a FEMA trailer).
Comment by Al — February 3, 2009 @ 10:01 pm