From Chaos to Beauty: Frank Gehry is Dead

Deconstructionist master architect Frank Gehry is dead at 96.

Gehry's style reacted against the suburban-blah and modern "nice" that came to dominate American architecture and Gehry reacted with full-on, postmodern, organized-chaos.

You would know a Gehry if you saw one:

It is beautiful.
It is ugly.
It is simple.
It is complicated.

From Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles to the Louis Vuitton headquarters in Paris, Gehry commands your attention when one of his buildings is in front of you.

Gehry, as a postmodernist, reflected his values. He, like all good architects, believed that architecture should reflect the beliefs that a society values. That is true of all culture making. Speaking of his philosophy of design, it was once noted that "his architectural philosophy revolves around the notion that architecture must reflect the values and culture of its audience rather than imposing a predetermined idea of a building."

Since postmodernism's values of chaos, distortion, and deconstruction of that which is honest, just, good, pure, lovely, and virtuous are the values of our culture, I do wonder what will be left of Gehry's legacy in 50 years or a 100 years when cultural values shift?

Will a Gehry still demand attention for beauty or is that merely our culture speaking and imposing meaning on his work? Personally, I think that his work is complicated and beautiful, but I question whether that is my worldview that sees those virtues in a Gehry or is our society's lack-of-virtue imposed on my own sense of aesthetic value?

The Apostle Paul said: "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8)."

Of course what may be seen in Gehry's work is beauty despite his worldview of postmodern deconstruction. That's what I desire to believe in my soul when I see his work: a building that reflects a world-to-come despite his worldview of unbelief and deconstruction. Herman Bavinck, in his Essays on Religion, Science, and Society said:

“Beauty is the harmony that still shines through the chaos in the world; by God’s grace, beauty is observed, felt, translated by artists; it is prophecy and guarantees that this world is not destined for ruin but for glory—a glory for which there is a longing deep in every human heart.” Bavinck, 259.

Gehry appreciated chaos, but the beauty of his work reminds us all that this world is destined for glory.