Authenticity
Mr. Trump was elected to shake things up and challenge the political establishment. And to many of his core supporters, his incendiary dog whistles, bullhorn attacks and nonstop flouting of “political correctness” remain energizing symbols of authenticity. – David Axelrod, “Let Trump Destroy Trump” New York Times, Sept. 11, 2019
What’s authentic anymore?
If you haven’t asked yourself that question lately, then you haven’t been following the news, or bought groceries, or ordered “ethnic” cuisine, or visited (without necessarily learning from) Las Vegas.
Reality and fantasy, honesty and dishonesty, openness and subterfuge increasingly meet at a fuzzy border. We are all looking for clarity and having trouble finding it. The word that best describes the elusive quality – the thing we’re really looking for – is authenticity: something we can bank on.
In this issue we try to unravel some of the possible connections between authenticity and architecture. It’s not a new challenge, but it’s one that seems especially critical in today’s post-truth world.
Authenticity
For most of its history, architecture had no need to concern itself with authenticity. “Architecture,” in the early days, consisted of buildings intended to convey a sense of importance. If that meant borrowing from earlier styles, so be it.