Tonight, mad dreamers in the desert by the look of things – TELOS at 5.15 and the the Visions of Paolo Soleri at 6.45 at the Embassy Deleuze suites. They simply don’t make wild architectural dreamers like this any more – or if they do, they don’t get to dream in such a large scale. Last, looniest, nuttiest hangovers from the 1960s that will fill you with intrigue, and make you laugh and swoon for a time when we were more filled with hope than with cynicism. Go see one. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Well I took my own advice and went to see Paolo Solari – and sadly, I was disappointed. It’s a really bad film. Great guy, great visionary, but what an irritating experience. Bad cinematography, bad editing, awful, awful soundtrack, far too many quotes read out loud like the worst powerpoint lecturer you’ve ever seen… and far too many out of focus talking heads. Lots and lots of shots of a very old Soleri, looking bleary eyed and mystical, either shuffling about with a stick, or close ups focused looking straight up his nose, getting a great shot of the intricate interior of his nose hair.
Personally, I’d rather have had more explanation of his architecture. He apparently has a huge back catalogue of drawings, from his many varied schemes to see the future of the world in his version of a city – an arcology, such as his final work, ArcoSanti – still slowly growing in the Arizona desert.