Ornament and crime

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In his writings, Loos presents an evolutionary concept of culture in which archaic ornamental practices are developed. By analyzing the behavior of primitive peoples, he explains the source of the ornament, which lies in the expression of animal impulses. However, the ornament was devoid of adequate and no longer reflected the true nature of contemporary society. The ornament became futile, and its primitive functions took over the play. Loos believes that modern beauty determines the precision of workmanship and the nobility of pure ornament-free material.

For an author, the use of ornament is necessarily associated with a loss of capital. He observes that the ornament makes the objects he is assigned to by the succession of styles quickly come out of fashion and lose their value. Opposes the economy, whose production is driven by fashion. It refers to the morality of the consumer - the conscious aristocrat - who is willing to pay more for objects that are devoid of ornamentation and which last longer. Leaving the ornament avoids wastage of work and time. Reception

The ornament and crime was a direct critic of contemporary design practices, and in particular the popular Art Nouveau style. The controversial ideas of Adolf Loos triggered widespread discussion among designers, most of whom stood in opposition to his theses. Over the years, all the time, they have become one of the cornerstones of the Bauhaus and a key element in the definition of modernism. Authoritative control (article): Bibliography

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