I like to be buttoned onto tradition. The thing is to improve it, twist it and mold it; to make something new of it; not to deny it. The riches of history can be plucked at any point.
Philip JohnsonRead
I like the thought that what we are to do on this earth is embellish it for its greater beauty, so that oncoming generations can look back to the shapes we leave here and get the same thrill that I get in looking back at theirs - at the Parthenon, at Chartres Cathedral.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We are here to enhance the world's beauty for future generations to appreciate.
Philip Johnson's quote reflects the idea that our purpose on Earth is to create and improve the beauty around us, leaving behind a legacy that future generations can admire and be inspired by. Just as we gaze in awe at historical works of architecture like the Parthenon and Chartres Cathedral, we too should aim to contribute to the world's artistic and cultural richness, ensuring that our creations evoke similar feelings of wonder for those who come after us.
Themes
BeautyLegacyArtGenerationsInspiration
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at the art exhibition, I quoted Philip Johnson to emphasize the importance of creativity in shaping our world.
More from Philip Johnson
All quotes →Concrete you can mold, you can press it into - after all, you haven't any straight lines in your body. Why should we have straight lines in our architecture? You'd be surprised when you go into a room that has no straight line - how marvelous it is that you can feel the walls talking back to you, as it were.
Philip JohnsonRead
The future of architecture is culture.
Philip JohnsonRead
Architecture is art, nothing else.
Philip JohnsonRead
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Art is the most beautiful of all lies.
Claude DebussyRead