Television is bubble-gum for the mind.
Frank Lloyd WrightRead
True ornament is not a matter of prettifying externals. It is organic with the structure it adorns, whether a person, a building, or a park. At its best it is an emphasis of structure, a realization in graceful terms of the nature of that which is ornamented
Interpretation
What this quote means
True ornamentation enhances and reflects the inherent beauty and structure of the subject it adorns rather than simply adding superficial decoration.
Frank Lloyd Wright's quote emphasizes that true ornamentation should not merely serve to beautify or embellish a subject, but should be an integral part of its structure and essence. Whether applied to a person, building, or park, ornamentation should enhance and reveal the underlying qualities of the subject, highlighting its inherent design and nature rather than overshadowing it with mere decoration.
Themes
OrnamentationDesignStructureBeautyArt
In practice
Example use cases
In an art class discussion about design principles, this quote can illustrate the importance of integrating ornament with form.
More from Frank Lloyd Wright
All quotes →Harvard takes perfectly good plums as students, and turns them into prunes.
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Toleration and liberty are the foundations of a great republic.
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The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his client to plant vines - so they should go as far as possible from home to build their first buildings.
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Human beings can be beautiful. If they are not beautiful it is entirely their own fault. It is what they do to themselves that makes them ugly. The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it.
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There is nothing more uncommon than common sense.
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