Purpose of a monument is ideally transferring a work to younger generations through fine arts. But not all cases have an aim, which does not stop newer generation to speculate about older generations lifestyle, way of living or any information that could be useful. When the monument has no aim conducted to it by the artist there can only be speculations about its real aim and purpose. Because history can only be speculated, there is no way of knowing anything for sure. Even a random object as unnecessary as a piece of paper with some writing on it has a significance. The material of paper, material used for ink, text style, etc. But there is still a school of thought, considering the elements of art in the random historical object. In ancient times, there is a stylistic unity that excludes many works of art because they do not fit into the standards of this stylistic unity. As time progresses this unity is demolished because each work of art has a meaning of its own and it does not have to be fitting into any criteria. Monuments that have age value usually contains characteristics such as; outmoded, imperfect, lack of completeness, dissolving shape and color, contrasting with contemporary characteristics. This criteria is rather uniting, since it has a very vague and simple rule that can be acknowledged by everyone. “Historic value is based on scientific basis, can only be achieved through intellectual reflection.”
“A monument's historical value increases the more it remains uncorrupted and reveals its original state of creation.” The natural deformations and decay is not a concern, but finding the original documents for a possible restoration is a concern. Disintegration caused by natural factors cannot be undone but it should be avoided to protect the “original state of a work of man.” Age value postulates these sort of disintegrations. While examining restoration theories through 19th and 20th centuries, age value is the priority for many people including John Ruskin and William Morris. Deliberate commemorative value conflicts with age value. “Deliberate commemorative value simply makes a claim form immortality an eternal present, an unceasing state of becoming.” To prioritize this value, decaying forces of nature should be fought, fundamental requirement must be restoration. “The strongest resistance to this system occurred when the cult of age value came into existence, since the latter concerned itself neither with stylistic originality nor with completeness but, on the contrary, sought to break with both of them. ln this case, according to the cult of age value, what is required to keep a monument "alive," in use, is not necessarily concessions to either use value or its aesthetic counterpart, newness value, but rather a sacrifice of virtually everything that constitutes age value in a monument”
No comments:
Post a Comment