McHugh, John W.

English

University of New Mexico

ldeog _ of TOO$ P\WbIo and contemporary f'.Ww Me_ oeo odobe loolli"CI build ing . The Kolor of TCIDI it ~ aggregc lIe of A.I
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that, so I give him credit in public now. God Bless this good
scholar and Human Being. He was my first real editor. Years later
I found that only Toshio Nakamura among the "international"
editors possessed Bunting's humanity and Conron's "inclusivity.'
Bunting did not agree with me, I suspect, for the same reasons I
do not agree with some of the things I wrote then, now that I am
eighteen years older. I guess "Regionalism," even the "literal"
regionalism of John Gaw Meem (terms such as these were not part
of the architect's vocabulary then), appeals to the older and more
mature, while the young tries to break with everything old and in-
vent the new, without realizing that there are always some
"older" members in the community, with images from the past,
theirs or of their ancestors. Longing for the past comes with age,
as we start to become "past" ourselves. And if some like Le Cor-
busier, never age, staying "children" all the time (in the well con-
ceived, full of energy-creative sense, not the Philip Johnson
"mimicking" childishness), this does not mean that everybody
stays a child in the process of their lives.
"Tradition Versus Contemporary Elements in Architecture," first
article by Anthony Antoniades, Page 11, November-December,
1971.
Twenty years later I found myself doing in Hydra exactly what
I had criticized John Gaw Meem for doing. No, it was not the
strict Historic Zoning ordinance and the architectural morphology
restrictions of the island (similar to those of Santa Fe), but it was
my inner new belief that I had no right to destroy the grain, the
morphology, and the harmony of this island, because my "per-
sonal artistic" arrogance told me I had to do a "modern" or a
"post- modern" building. I would have been really unhappy if my
house were to stand out , in an environment of age-old processesof
- John McHugh, FAIA
The Joy I experienced with my first publication was never sur-
passed by the many others that followed, the editions of my
American textbook and the several books I have been fortunate
enough to see circulating in Greece. "New Mexico Architecture"
and John Conran opened up a door to a territory I had never
thought would be so fulfilling for me and my relationship to the
world. I recall a conversation I had.with Richard Anderson in the
UNM, not yet remodelled, student union building, giving me the
advise to start publishing" in small regional magazines, before
you hit the big ones." Then I sent my first "critical" thoughts to
the magazine, fresh and "arrogant" if you want, attacking a
"giant," without then knowing it. I never came to know John
Gaw Meem personally, as I never made it my task to meet the ar-
chitects of buildings I wrote about. I always believed that the
building should speak by itself, and criticism would be wor-
thwhile only if it were to be removed from the process of public
relations and the "cliquish" interests of the practice. It would have
been so nice if there were a lot more platforms to encourage such
criticism, without the need for the P.R., "architectural
photographer's" glossies, and the built-in steps of conflict of in-
terest that go along with the whole "business" of architectural
criticism. Without realizing it, I had found such a platform with
my first "hit" in New Mexico Architecture. Bainbridge Bunting
read my first essay, and although he didn't share my opinions, as
he told me politely, he was so good to me and went over my
"English" in patience. He didn't want me to give him credit for
"The Three Cities of Spain," a sketch by John McHugh, FAIA,
Page 9, September- October, 1966.
john Conron is one of the best things that has happened to ar-
chitecture in New Mexico. Intelligent, articulate, witty and amus-
ing. He has a keen, incisive mind, intolerant equally of mediocrity
and hypocrisy. His criticism is always constructive, often telling,
but never unkind or vindictive. His happy disposition has made
him an amusing and jolly companion. I recall many long lun-
cheons at the PALACE where we considered the proper
philosophy of architecture, dissected and analyzed buildings by
architects the world over, so as to become aware of current trends
as they related to a continuous stream of architectural develop-
ment , and the history of architecture. His mastery of our language
approaches that of Oscar Wilde . Just between us-and never for
repetition-he would say some incisive character sketches of
mutual acquaintances which were so funny I'd almost choke on
my martini!
He brought all this humor and bubbling enthusiam to New
Mexico Architecture magazine. If ever you need someone to
organize a meeting, conference, convention, or a magazin e, call
on John. It will be informative, stimulating, never dull , and
everyone will have a good time.
May-June 1989 /13


Thirty Years of New Mexico Architecture Magazine

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2527&amp;context=nma

Thirty Years of New Mexico Architecture Magazine

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