Investigation into Liberty, Power and the Gothic Style

In his work “Space, Power and Knowledge,” Michel Foucault boldly declares, “I do not think that there is anything that is functionally- by its very nature- absolutely liberating.” However, in John Ruskin’s work “The Nature of Gothic,” he presents Gothic architecture as an essentially liberating form of architecture. The juxtaposing views of these great thinkers calls for investigation into the relationship of liberty and architecture, specifically in the Gothic form. The underlying idea in Ruskin’s piece is that Gothic architecture is a “free” form of architecture, meaning that is promotes the ideals of liberty and freedom. The Gothic style bestows power to the architect as opposed to the artistic style and the building itself. The architect has power over the work and what is being created. Along with shifting the balance of power from the style to the architect, the Gothic form also delivers power to all of humanity. This important shift of power is what makes the Gothic so unique, and ultimately so beautiful.
Gothic architecture fundamentally is a form of free artistic expression, encouraging creativity and enlivening the imagination of the architect. Ruskin speaks of this ability to create as almost a luxury, a severe contrast to the chains of conventionality (tradition, rationality, symmetry, and expectations) that enslaves other architects. His work reads, “If they wanted a window, they opened one; a room, they added one…,” and this essentially speaks to the power of the Gothic architect (Nature of Gothic). In more traditional styles, the power lies in the style itself and the architect must submit to a set of expectations demanded by the form.
Although there are, naturally, a set of characteristics that define the Gothic form, variation of these elements is encouraged and even expected. The Gothic style is typically characterized by architectural features such as pointed arches, tracery and flying buttresses. However, these core features permit a range of complexities and variations that allow the architect to manipulate and ultimately, create. As Ruskin explains, a pointed arch is such an undefined element in terms of proportions and style. The pointed arch supplies the architect with endless combinations of proportions, while the circular and rounded arch that is characteristic of earlier styles is always the same and does not permit variation. The Doge’s Palace in Venice excellently demonstrates this point. While gazing upon the façade of this Gothic beauty, one can easily see the variation of the pointed arch used, including wider and more curved arches alongside narrower and more peaked ones. Ruskin classifies tracery in the same way, in that tracery allows for many different designs so that the artist is virtually unlimited with his use of this element. The flying buttresses typically associated with the Gothic style also speak to the politics of Gothic architecture, for they spring off the building in an uncanny and untraditional way instead of being tightly wrapped up tight inside a perfect package. Instead of simply blending in or ornamenting the structure, like the pilasters of the Renaissance style, the flying buttresses exist solely for functional purposes and forge their way into our gaze without hesitation.
The Gothic style also admits its imperfections, and the artist has the power to make mistakes and not have to create a work that appears to be perfect. Much like the oppressive governments throughout world history who have demanded uniformity and perfection from their peoples, the rigid and unforgiving architectural styles that encourage these conventional ideals fail to, metaphorically, embrace the outsiders of society, the ugly and the unique. The Gothic form offers a haven for these individuals, with its grotesque gargoyles and unfinished appearance, and celebrates differences as beautiful, rather than a mistake. The Gothic form sees exquisiteness in the unconventional. For example, the Gothic jewel of the Ca’ D’Oro that rests proudly along the Grand Canal in Venice, displays a set of pointed windows in the courtyard with a balcony extending along the bottom. However, the balcony unexpectedly falls short of meeting the last window in the set of four. Immediately, this powerful artistic decision appears as a flaw; nevertheless, the nature of the Gothic style speaks to this imperfection. Ruskin would adore the savageness of this defect, as he characterizes savageness as the most essential and important characteristic of the Gothic form (Nature of Gothic). As for the unfinished nature of Gothic architecture, the Chiesa di San Pietro Martire on Murano, a small island in the Venetian Lagoon, has a façade that opposes the perfected beauty of classical architecture and could be argued to be too raw and imperfect for the exterior of a church. However, the unfinished nature only speaks to the importance of savageness in the Gothic style.
The Gothic style bestows power upon the artist, and is a “free” form of architecture that provides for endless possibilities and delights the imagination. Ruskin even compares the imperfection of the Gothic style to the deficiency of the human condition. He says, “Nothing that lives is, or can be, rigidity perfect; part of it is decay, part nascent” (Nature of Gothic). Humanity is victim to the decay and imperfect nature of life much like the Gothic form. Therefore, the Gothic style is inherently human. The perfectly carved and symmetrically aligned architecture of the classical style seems almost divine and too perfect to be associated with men, but rather with heaven. Therefore, we can conclude that the Gothic style bestows power to not only the architect, but also to humanity. It is the architecture of the people. Although one could argue that the verticality and massive ribbed vaulting of Gothic churches can make an individual feel dwarfed in comparison to the divine, I would argue that the verticality only speaks to the power of the architect to create such an incredible feat.