Knowledge (XXG)

The Australian Ugliness

Source 📝

146:, and the culling of trees in order to "divert" drains, prevent leaf clogging and other immaterial issues. Boyd's belief that trees are not a feature, or a byproduct of design, but rather a fundamental landscaping necessity, something unrecognised by Australian homeowners and city planners who opt for low maintenance. 187:" by the Australian mainstream press. The book’s Afterword acknowledges that it reads as a ‘rage’ and ‘diatribe’, and a 'satirical portrait'. As the years passed, the book became something of a classic and is now regarded as an important book regarding Australian design, culture and architecture. 27: 161:. Boyd's belief was that because Australia was in its infancy at the time of his critique, it had not developed a strong historic character like Europe, and thus its architectural landscape was a bombardment of confused style and mixed ideas. 141:
Boyd's three main criticisms stem from three ideas: the Australian obsession with "featurism"–a fixation on parts rather than the whole, the use of building materials and styles that are unsympathetic to the country's
180:, approved the book for publication in defiance of the "lugubrious advice of sundry experts" who claimed the book "had an impossible title and would not have public anyway". The book sold over 10,000 copies by early 1963. 130:" to describe the state of Australian architectural design. Boyd proposes that education in design, landscaping and architecture can be a means to resolve the ugliness he observed. 190:
The book opened up debate about design, architecture and urban planning in the country. It has received various reprints and adjustments over the years.
333: 338: 268: 343: 311: 193:
In the following years, Boyd's book inspired derivative and reactionary works, ranging from Donald Gazzard's more visual
348: 284: 316: 123: 115: 40: 143: 228: 111: 127: 264: 119: 184: 150: 212:, published in 2020 by National Gallery of Victoria and Thames & Hudson Australia. 177: 173: 58: 138:
The book can be seen as an "attack" on, or criticism of, Australia's built landscape.
26: 327: 154: 209: 88: 245: 158: 243:
John Hetherington, "Publishing Venture Born Out of 1939 Upheaval",
183:
After the book's first publication, Boyd was criticised for being "
153:", as well as drawing comparisons to the man-made landscapes of 285:"Book Review: Robin Boyd's 'The Australian Ugliness'" 95: 83: 75: 65: 54: 46: 36: 199:Look Here! Considering the Australian Environment 231:Robin Boyd's The Australian Ugliness 50 years on 126:and the suburbs. In the text he coins the term " 176:, Melbourne. That firm's publishing director, 8: 19: 263:. Melbourne: Text Publishing. p. 267. 25: 18: 122:in Australian aesthetic, in relation to 221: 20:The Australian Ugliness by Robin Boyd 7: 14: 1: 206:After The Australian Ugliness 114:book by Australian architect 334:Australian non-fiction books 204:It was further examined in 365: 249:, 23 February 1963, p. 18. 339:Architecture in Australia 317:The Sydney Morning Herald 312:"The triumph of ugliness" 289:Architecture & Design 208:, a collection edited by 24: 261:The Australian Ugliness 172:was first published by 170:The Australian Ugliness 165:Reception and influence 157:and to a lesser extent 149:It also channeled the " 107:The Australian Ugliness 344:1960 non-fiction books 259:Boyd, Robin (2010). 118:. Boyd investigates 21: 349:Architecture books 195:Australian Outrage 16:Book by Robin Boyd 103: 102: 76:Publication place 356: 299: 298: 296: 295: 281: 275: 274: 256: 250: 241: 235: 226: 120:visual pollution 67:Publication date 29: 22: 364: 363: 359: 358: 357: 355: 354: 353: 324: 323: 320:, 22 March 2008 308: 306:Further reading 303: 302: 293: 291: 283: 282: 278: 271: 258: 257: 253: 242: 238: 233:, 31 March 2010 227: 223: 218: 167: 151:cultural cringe 136: 84:Media type 68: 32: 17: 12: 11: 5: 362: 360: 352: 351: 346: 341: 336: 326: 325: 322: 321: 307: 304: 301: 300: 276: 269: 251: 236: 229:ABC Lateline: 220: 219: 217: 214: 178:Andrew Fabinyi 174:F. W. Cheshire 166: 163: 135: 132: 101: 100: 97: 93: 92: 85: 81: 80: 77: 73: 72: 69: 66: 63: 62: 59:F. W. Cheshire 56: 52: 51: 48: 44: 43: 38: 34: 33: 30: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 361: 350: 347: 345: 342: 340: 337: 335: 332: 331: 329: 319: 318: 313: 310: 309: 305: 290: 286: 280: 277: 272: 270:9781921656224 266: 262: 255: 252: 248: 247: 240: 237: 234: 232: 225: 222: 215: 213: 211: 207: 202: 200: 196: 191: 188: 186: 181: 179: 175: 171: 164: 162: 160: 156: 155:North America 152: 147: 145: 139: 133: 131: 129: 125: 121: 117: 113: 109: 108: 98: 94: 90: 86: 82: 78: 74: 70: 64: 60: 57: 53: 49: 45: 42: 39: 35: 31:First edition 28: 23: 315: 292:. Retrieved 288: 279: 260: 254: 244: 239: 230: 224: 205: 203: 198: 194: 192: 189: 182: 169: 168: 148: 140: 137: 124:architecture 106: 105: 104: 210:Naomi Stead 197:(1966) and 185:unpatriotic 61:, Melbourne 328:Categories 294:2023-06-01 216:References 142:landscape/ 116:Robin Boyd 41:Robin Boyd 128:featurism 89:Paperback 79:Australia 55:Publisher 201:(1968). 47:Language 246:The Age 144:climate 134:Summary 87:Print ( 50:English 267:  159:Europe 99:229 pp 37:Author 110:is a 96:Pages 265:ISBN 112:1960 71:1960 330:: 314:, 287:. 297:. 273:. 91:)

Index


Robin Boyd
F. W. Cheshire
Paperback
1960
Robin Boyd
visual pollution
architecture
featurism
climate
cultural cringe
North America
Europe
F. W. Cheshire
Andrew Fabinyi
unpatriotic
Naomi Stead
ABC Lateline: Robin Boyd's The Australian Ugliness 50 years on, 31 March 2010
The Age
ISBN
9781921656224
"Book Review: Robin Boyd's 'The Australian Ugliness'"
"The triumph of ugliness"
The Sydney Morning Herald
Categories
Australian non-fiction books
Architecture in Australia
1960 non-fiction books
Architecture books

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.