Wednesday 4 May 2011

Man, the Builder

_Quote I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York’s skyline. Particularly when one can’t see the details. Just the shapes. The shapes and the thought that made them. The sky over New York and the will of man made visible. What other religion do we need? And then people tell me about pilgrimages to some dank pesthole in a jungle where they go to do homage to a crumbling temple, to a leering stone monster with a pot belly, created by some leprous savage. Is it beauty and genius they want to see? Do they seek a sense of the sublime? Let them come to New York, stand on the shore of the Hudson, look and kneel. When I see the city from my window – no, I don’t feel how small I am – but I feel that if a war came to threaten this, I would throw myself into space, over the city, and protect these buildings with my body.”
                       – Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

[Hat tip Temple of the Human Spirit]

5 comments:

Kiwiwit said...

I love that Chrysler Building and have a photo of it (taken on my last visit to NYC) on my office wall.

Richard McGrath said...

The accompanying music was great, PC. What was it?

Peter Cresswell said...

Music was by Max Steiner, from 'The Fountainhead' film.

I believe you can get the soundtrack music on CD these days?

Shane Pleasance said...

I just read that passage in "The Fountainhead" on Sunday. Even on fourth read its uplifting.

Fierce Guppy said...

The top video reminded me of this 3d animation by Cristóbal Vila of the Frank Lloyd Wright building. Not my favourite animation from him. That would be "Nature by Numbers". But it's good.