Robin Boud

Arrogance and Sophistication in Australian Architecture: The importance of idea behind Robin Boyd.
James Carter
299553

When one looks at Robin Boyd’s “The Australian Ugliness,” the apparent lack of

artistic knowledge of Australian architecture and architectural knowledge becomes

somewhat of an overpowering presence. Ideas of featurism and the Austerican way of

life filter through one’s mind as it reminds us that such ideas are as prevalent today as

they were when Boyd wrote the book. However when one reads the book again and

seeks out further detail, one cannot stop to read the obvious attacks and prejudice

feelings towards uneducated people and Boyd’s loathing for how they succumb to

fads and different styles of any time, to keep themselves in the vast realm of fashion.

This prejudice, whilst being extremely well used by Boyd as a point of passion into

the argument of the downfall of Australian architecture, can be misunderstood as

Boyd’s belief that his educational background in the arts and his subjective artistic

beliefs are better than others of the populace. And it is his idea to eradicate what he

calls Featurist architecture, by creating a neutral background in which to control all

featurists’ desires, whilst bringing to the forefront the pioneers of Australian design,

that comes across as ignorant, arrogant and ill thought out.

Boyd’s main aim in his writings and especially in this book was to pinpoint and attack

the problems of the suburbs in Australia. He saw the fleeting position of taste of the

people of Australia, which was bathed in apathy,[1] as a detriment to Australia’s own

identity and individuality. This loss of individuality, he believed, was brought about

by the people’s obsession with “features” and what Boyd called “featurism.” Boyd

believed featurism was the “subordination of the essential whole and the accentuation

of the selected separate features.”[2] What is meant by

Bibliography: Boyd, Robin. The Australian Ugliness (Fairfield: Peguin Books, 1963) Hamann, Conrad Hamann, Conrad and Chris, Anger and the New Order: Some aspects of Robin BOyd’ Career, Transition, September/December 1981 Harden, Michael, Jimmy Watson’s Wine Bar, The Age December 18, 2007. Serle, Geoffery, Robin Boyd: A Life, Australia. 1995. ----------------------- [1] M Spens, The riddle of Australian suburbia, Architectural Review, 1992 July, p 1 [2] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p 23 [3] C Hamann, Against the Dying of the Light: Robin Boyd and Australian Architecture, Transition, 1989 Winter, p19 [4] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p50 [5] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p180 [6] H Siedler, The Australian Ugliness, Afterwords,, Australia, 1980, p 261 [7] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p46 [8] C and C Hamann, Anger and the New Order: Some aspects of Robin BOyd’ Career, Transition, September/December 1981, p 34 [9] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p66 [10] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p110 [11] J [12] I Kelly, Learning from the Australian Ugliness, The Architect, 1989 Summer, p 38 [13] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p131 [14] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p131 [15] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p140 [16] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p140 [17] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p131 [18] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p134 [19] I Kelly, Learning from the Australian Ugliness, The Architect, 1989 Summer, p 40 [20] I Kelly, Learning from the Australian Ugliness, The Architect, 1989 Summer, p 37 [21] C and C Hamann, Anger and the New Order: Some aspects of Robin BOyd’ Career, Transition, September/December 1981, p 34 [24] G Serle, Robin Boyd: A Life, Australia. 1995, p 243 [25] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p131 [26] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p131 [27] G Serle, Robin Boyd: A Life, Australia [28] M Harden, Jimmy Watson’s Wine Bar, The Age December 18, 2007 [29] C Hamann, Against the Dying of the Light: Robin Boyd and Australian Architecture, Transition, 1989 Winter, p19 [30] R Boyd, The Australian Ugliness, Australia, 1960, p131