Lascaux Caves,
Southwest France, anniversary of discovery 12 September 1940
Ettore Sottsass, Italian
architect & designer, birthday 14 September 1917Vishwakarma Puja, Hindu god of architecture, holiday (India), 16 September (alternatively 17 September)
When four French teenagers chased their dog Robot deep into
a remote cave little did they know they were on the verge of one of the most
significant discoveries of prehistoric art.
Since there have been several other sites discovered but this was an
eye-opener to the world community as to the complexity and detail which the Paleolithic
mind was able to communicate in visual form nearly 15,000 years ago. Today it is still hotly debated as to the
intention of the artists; from ritualistic to historical recording. However, one cannot help but be amazed at the
diversity of subjects, the depiction of seasonal changes and the overwhelmingly
apparent symbolic meaning behind the images still unknown to us. There are records of now extinct species and
herds of animals that read like an encyclopedia of the hunt. 
There are even examples that appear to
regress in perspective; a technique that would be rediscovered during the
Renaissance. This monumental discovery
forced modern man to rethink the nature of what the prehistoric man was able to
comprehend and thus paint the way for further understanding of from where we,
as a species, came. 
If Ettore Sottsass would have a say in what would happen to
the caves paintings at Lasceaux he no doubt would say to destroy them. This seems harsh but for Sottsass, his idea
was that the future only begins when the past is completely dismantled, and its
logic reduced to dust so only nostalgia remains. He saw that the past was a jumping off point
and for humanity to continue to progress.
And to this credit, it can be believed that we as a species have
considerably evolved from those Paleolithic individuals for millennia without
the benefit of access to those wonderful images to guide us. In Sottsass’s case, he went further to
figuratively dismantle the design greats of the past such as Wright and create
new forms. He believed that
functionalism is not enough; design should also be exciting and sensual. 
This theory lead to the formation of the Memphis
group in the early 1980s (and as you may already know my personal least
favorite movement). However, in
challenging the avant garde to push forward there was a creative freedom that
eliminated heavy-handed design for design’s sake. Designers who followed his mold such as Gehry
& Graves were light-hearted and expressive.
To document the deterioration of the past, Sottsass always carried a
camera which was confiscated on more than one occasion; once while
photographing a rotting window on a police station. The police might not have understood his
fascination with the ruin but were more concerned that he was casing the joint.
Continuing on a venture into the mythical past, according to
the Mahabharata legend, Vishwakarma Puja is the divine draftsman of the entire
universe and the official builder of all the palaces of the gods in addition to
their flying chariots & weapons. He
is depicted as wearing lots of gold topped off with a gold crown. In his four hands he holds a pot of water, a
book, a noose & craftsman’s tools.
Unlike in the west, Indian culture commemorate the day by using it as an
excuse to increase productivity and be inspired to create innovative
products. Most of the festivities happen
on factory floors. However, Hindus also
make the connection with the heavens by flying kites; most likely encouraged by
Vishwakarma Puja to create new and exciting designs for the sky. 
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