June's copy of Dwell Magazine focuses on integrating modern with historic and tradional architecture. We don't normally talk in the first person while doing write ups for AT but I can't separate myself for this particular situation so forgive journalistic wrong-doing.
I can't explain why but this issue was not fun to read. I don't know whether my attention span is waning or whether the stories were bores. I actually struggled to read it for today's review. If you're a history fan or rather history of architecture fan you will be in all your glory and to be honest I wish I was. Stories about architect
Peter Blake, and local Richard Koshalek, current president of Art Center College of Art of Design in Pasadena were great learning lessons but just not exciting to me. I'm not immersed with the world of architects so I couldn't truly appreciate the name dropping articles [aside from a Gehry name or two]. I'm sure they're grand folk, but I have no idea who they are.
Aside from the history lessons there were a few nice notes in the issue [and yes, pretty, glossy photos to entertain my bored and wandering mind]: • Update Reports of Dwell house II, which had I been paying attention earlier I would have noticed that it's right here in our very own Topanga Canyon. • Lovely home tours in San Francisco and Lithuania and the best story of the issue for my pea-brain was the renovation of a Harlem row house which the before pictures are listed on Dwell's site currently. What an amazing transformation.
On News stands now.
I'm going to cherish my copy...I was flipping through it on my plane flight home to San Diego from Hawaii and I got to a page with an Eames lounge chair...
To make a long story short, the nice man next to me noticed the chair and told me his life experiences of growing up NEXT TO the Eames house (his family lived in the Case House next door which is now owned by a Simpsons producer).
I was very inspired by his stories of what he had been through (he's a young 62). I also immediately ordered the Eames elliptical table the next day from DWR. Thank you Dwell.
view meltendo's profile
The reason you're not inspired by Dwell is not because the subjects are uninteresting, it's because the writing is as dry as Barbara Bush's bodonk. Homes of the kind that Dwell examines are the product of at least one and usually several passionate people, yet the writing leaves the reader with absolutely no feel for the humans or the structure.
view mcQuaidLA's profile
I always find Dwell boring. The pictures are great, but the writing is unbelievably boring, and I'm the type who will happily read almost anything--but even on the train, I find myself just looking at the pictures, because I can't bear the writing.
McQuaidLA is right--there is no passion in the writing at all. Maybe they should hire him/her (Barbara Bush's bodonk? Ha!)
view fiona's profile
Peter Blake is an unsung hero of modernism - I really enjoyed that article.
Shouldn't the reviewer have a background in this field, or do the research? Seems kind of like movie reviewers who have no idea about the book before they review the movie...
view wannabe minimalist's profile
I absolutely agree about the boring articles in Dwell. It's like every staff writer's computer is equipped with a nozzle that sprays a few milligrams of Paxil and Valium at them every time they hit the space bar. Meanwhile, the photographs and even the print ads keep me wide awake. It's a shame. Modernism and good design are so exciting, but the writing makes me feel like I'm in a library or museum......"shhhhh!"
I think ReadyMade and Dwell should swap writers for a while and see what happens.
view Bx's profile