Nature and Crime

Louis Sullivan’s: ‘!t could only benefit us if for a time we were to abandon ornament and concentrate entirely on the erection of buildings that were finely shaped and charming in their sobriety’.

Louis Sullivan’s: ‘!t could only benefit us if for a time we were to abandon nature and concentrate entirely on the erection of buildings that were finely shaped and charming in their sobriety’.

The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from utilitarian objects. I believed that with this discovery I was bringing joy to the world; it has not thanked me.

The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of nature from utilitarian objects. I believed that with this discovery I was bringing joy to the world; it has not thanked me.

What mankind created with ornament in earlier millennia was thrown away without a thought and abandoned to destruction.

What mankind created without nature in earlier millennia was thrown away without a thought and abandoned to destruction.

See, therein lies the greatness of our age, that it is incapable of producing a new ornament. We have outgrown ornament; we have fought our way through to freedom from ornament.

See, therein lies the greatness of our age, that it is incapable of producing a new nature. We have outgrown nature; we have fought our way through to freedom from nature.

Since ornament is no longer organically linked with our culture, it is also no longer the expression of our culture. The ornament that is manufactured today has no connection with us, has absolutely no human connexions, no connection with the world order. It is not capable of developing.

Since nature is no longer organically linked with our culture, it is also no longer the expression of our culture. The nature that is manufactured today has no connection with us, has absolutely no human connexions, no connection with the world order. It is not capable of developing.

Freedom from ornament is a sign of spiritual strength. Modern man uses the ornaments of earlier or alien cultures as he sees fit. He concentrates his own inventiveness on other things.

Freedom from nature is a sign of spiritual strength. Modern man uses the nature of earlier or alien cultures as he sees fit. He concentrates his own inventiveness on other things.