| Sumario: | Following Samuel Butler's assertion that "Every man's work, whether it be literature or music or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself", the Archi-t?tes are caricatures of world-famous 20th-century architects in the style of their architecture and incorporating elements of their buildings. Modern architecture operated under the pretence that design was a matter of "scientific" analysis and rationalisation and buildings would be as anonymous as machines. In fact, modern architects, like any artists, were developing styles aping machine imagery which were reflections of their own personalities and personal tastes. The Archi-t?tes also exploit the anthropomorphic element in architecture whose whole vocabulary is related to the human form and employs metaphors for the body and nature. Buildings have faces (facades), arms (wings), heads (domes) and eyes, mouth and ears (openings). The book includes a plethora of preparatory sketches, photographs of the buildings that inspired each portrait, potted biographical details and comic verses debunking each star-chitect. Three politicians and Prince Charles are also included. The most celebrated historical precedent for the idea of portraits composed of natural or man-made elements can be found in the work of the 16th-century Mannerist painter Arcimboldo, whose simulacra composed of flowers, fruit, meat or books influenced Surrealists such as Dali and Ernst. But in terms of an attempt at caricaturing the famous using their own products, the Archi-t?tes are uniquely original -- Contracubierta
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