Jillian Norris

Less is More: Discussing Plain Style in American Architecture and Literature

               As I mentioned in my previous research post, I have always had an affinity for art and literature, which is why I chose to focus on learning more about the Baroque and Plain Styles that we discussed in class. In my previous post, I discussed what it means to be a baroque piece, common characteristics of the style, and how its influence is still prevalent in today's artistic community. In this research post, I hope to discover and discuss most of the same points about the plain style and its influence on architecture and literature. I will be focusing one or two contributors in each field and how they have contributed to establishing and progressing the plain style. Ever since these topics were mentioned in class, I was left with a deep craving to learn more about these two very different, yet equally important, styles of art and literature. Below I have compiled my research findings about plain style and its major authors and architectural structures.
               When discussing the plain style in terms of architecture, the first thing that jumps into my mind is the Puritans. The Puritans are very well known for simplicity in everything that they do, including their architecture. You can plainly see evidence of the plain style in pretty much all Puritan structures, but it is probably most apparent in their churches. Perhaps this is because it is so easy to see how different they are compared to European and Roman Catholic Churches, which are very baroque and adorned with all kinds of intricate details and enormous archways that really give them a sense of grandeur. Puritan plain style churches are the exact opposite of that: they tend to be very washed out, with little to no decorations, and just a have a very sobering style over all. An article entitled Puritan Architecture and Worship in a Dutch Context even states that the Puritans "put their emphasis on the pure preaching and practice of biblical religion, not on outward appearances".
                We looked at a few examples of Puritan churches in class although when I was researching this style of architecture it was very difficult to find any one structure in particular that I could discuss and refer to in this post because the Puritans did not give names to the churches they built, in fact for the most part they simply referred to them as "meetinghouses". But I still would like to share an example of plain style architecture so I chose to look at the Virginia State Capitol. I thought that this was a good example of the plain style because it obviously has a very washed out color and there is just not much to look at in general. The outside of the building is plain white with very little adornments (there are some but it is minimal and probably due to modern renovations), the straight lines that you can see in the columns and roof give it a very simplistic look, and the lack of any color makes it very much a plain style building reminiscent of many Puritan churches. I am personally more in favor of the plain style cathedrals. While I think that the Baroque churches discussed in my previous post are beautiful and extravagant, I am a big proponent of the "less is more" way of thinking and overall I think that the Puritans created some lovely and simplistic buildings that are beautiful in their own right.
               Like architecture, the plain style is very easy to recognize in literature because it tends to be very...dry. As one person in our class said about plain style literature: it tends to feel like you are reading stereo instructions because for the most part it is all meant to just be informative. In fact, this research post could even be considered to be written in the plain style because I am simply delivering information that I have learned in my research without any added fluff or prose. A few examples of this type of writing can be seen in most autobiographies, text books, scholarly journals, and political documents. As you can see, this style of writing is most commonly used in works of non-fiction, although several poets are well-known for their use of the plain style such as Walt Whitman, Anne Bradstreet, and Edward Taylor.
               I think that Frederick Douglass is a good example of plain style literature because his Narrative of a Life holds all of the classic characteristics of the style and is one that many students have probably read. I use Douglass as an example because his retelling of events during and after his life as a slave are written as a simple retelling of events. He does not add in any extra fluff or long, complicated sentences -- he simply wants his experience to be read and understood with ease. In an article entitled The Autobiographies of Frederick Douglass by James Matlack, which discusses Douglass' style of writing, the author states that "He [Douglass] avoids the stylistic and emotional excesses common in the slave narrative genre. Much of the text is given over to careful explanation of the routines of slave life." This variation in style in comparison with other slave narratives is perhaps what led to the books success. Within just four months of the book's publication, it sold over five thousand copies, making it an instant bestseller and eventually an all time classic piece of literature.
               Overall, I really enjoyed continuing my research between the baroque and plain styles of architecture, literature, and art. It gave me a chance to explore a topic that I wasn't overly familiar with before this class, and allowed me to appreciate these three mediums in an exciting new way. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't find very much information on plain style art, although going through all of the readings associated with plain style really made up for that. In the end, I think that both of these styles are very special and unique, but I think that I prefer the plain style. While I do enjoy all of the pretty buildings and art that comes from the baroque, there is just something about the simplicity of the plain style that gives architecture and literature a kind of subtle beauty that I really appreciate.

References

Matlack, James. "The Autobiographies of Frederick Douglass". Phylon, Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 15-28. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. 

Sprunger, Keith. "Puritan Architecture and Worship in a Dutch Context". Church History, Vol. 66, No. 1, pp.336-53. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.