Dancing about architecture

http://home.pacifier.com/~ascott/they/tamildaa.htm

by the way, the complete sentence, if I'm not mistaken, was "writing about music is like dancing about architecture"...

http://www.bartleby.com/66/72/19372.html

That cite is a good basis for arguing that whoever came up with the quote IS WRONG. In fact its nearly a double negative that turns out to be correct again - but obviously not in the way the author intended: see the end of the Costello cite on that URL in the post above.

Firstly, dancing about architecture seems like a perfectly valid activity to me. Using the 4D (inc timeline) aspects of dance to reveal something interesting about human built 3D spaces seems like a great thing. Dance is mostly self expression, but it can also be a form of communication / spectator entertainment.

I can think of some buildings that would make the basis of a great dance. Even I have been known under the influence of several alcopops to 'do the actions' the Human Leagues 'Empire State Human' - (though it may be a bit of a stretch to claim this unedifying sight is a valid human artistic expression).

Secondly -even if you accept that the dancing stuff is futile- in what way is writing about music like dancing about architecture? It isn't, the abstract non verbal dance activity is a different form of self expression (and possibly communication). Writing has (or should have) a different balance between expression and communication.

So maybe writing about music IS like dancing about architecture in that is is one worthwhile and valid human art form being used to examine and reveal facets of another human art form that is (only) as valid.

There's a website devoted to the question: http://home.pacifier.com/~ascott/they/tamildaa.htm

And here's the NPR snippet: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/20000114.me.04.ram

Nothing about music and furnitures. I also seem to remember the quote being attributed to David Byrne at some point.

I don't know who said it, though, and I'd just like to point out that yes, I am experimenting with obscenely long sentences, thank you for asking I hope it doesn't irritate you as that would be awful.

That said, Costello's comment contains a truth that resonates with a lot of people, so much so that it is part of the language of musicians outside the pop sphere who have never heard of Costello. It reminds us of how bad (and hubristic) most writing about music is.

Ironically one of the best single piece of music journalism I've read in recent years was by Costello himself, a short piece about Sinatra shortly after his death. Given his inability to make decent records these days maybe he should stick to dancing about architecture.

I suspect that it has to pre-date Costello. I am going to check some sources later on.

do we know this yet

Dunno! But I'd like to add Brian Eno to the long list of (mis)attributions.

Honestly, the first person I heard it attributed to was Martin Mull.

bump?

When I went to the Cold War Modern exhibition at the V&A last year they had a film of Russian propaganda that involved lots of people waltzing inside a brand new towerblock while singing a song about how everyone could own their own kitchen. So that was dancing about architecture. It was awesome.

The answer is definitively Martin Mull. See OT: We Hear from Martin Mull.

Honestly, the first person I heard it attributed to was Martin Mull.

― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 15 February 2009 06:04 (1 year ago)

*Head swells, explodes*

Damn, could have sworn it was Dr Johnson

dancing to architecture & morality

Crazy! And good to definitively know this :)

don't know if it's been mentioned but lots of 60s "postmodern" dance was site-specific, thus often very much about architecture...sorry declan!

Damn, could have sworn it was Dr Johnson

hahaha