Re: [CR]measuring ugliness

(Example: Framebuilders:Bernard Carré)

Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2004 22:55:51 -0600
To: chasds@mindspring.com
From: "Mark Stonich" <mark@bikesmithdesign.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]measuring ugliness
In-Reply-To: <27297517.1100041589341.JavaMail.root@wamui01.slb.atl.earthlink.net>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

"When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. But when I have finished, if the result is not beautiful, I know it is wrong" - Buckminister Fuller

What Bucky doesn't say, but may have been implying, is that one's perception of beauty or lack thereof is determined by the sum of one's knowledge. In fact I think that this perception is a shortcut. If we see something as ugly or beautiful I believe that our subconscious instantly gathers everything we know, or think we know, about that object and tells us whether that object is "Right" or "Wrong", much faster than our conscious mind could analyze it.

Example; I know, or think I know, that straight blade forks are "wrong" functionally, so I think they are ugly. If someone else thinks they look great, I assume that person "knows", or thinks he knows, that they function better than curved.

Why are many of us, myself included, impressed with intricate lugwork. Compared to simple, minimalist lugs they add nothing but weight, and to the time that the tubes are heated. Would someone who didn't understand the skill and tradition involved find them beautiful?

I'm sure many on this list find TIG welded bikes ugly, even those with perfect "stack of dimes" welds. Is this because seeing them reminds us of what has been lost?

BTW I also find that seat cluster to be ugly. I think it's because of the curve reversing direction in the tip of the stay.

At 11/9/2004 03:06 PM -0800, chasds@mindspring.com wrote:
>After a bit of off-list correspondence with a couple of
>list members, I have a challenge for the
>mathematically-minded among us.
>
>This challenge comes out of some idle chatter
>about that Colnago Export frame on ebay.
>I think the seat-cluster is butt-ugly, and
>the question was raised "how do you measure
>ugly?"

Mark Stonich;
     BikeSmith Design & Fabrication
       5349 Elliot Ave S. - Minneapolis. MN 55417
            Ph. (612) 824-2372 http://bikesmithdesign.com