The Australian Ugliness
 First edition | |
| Author | Robin Boyd |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | F. W Cheshire, Melbourne |
Publication date | 1960 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 229 pp |
The Australian Ugliness is a 1960 book by Australian architect Robin Boyd. Boyd investigates the Australian aesthetic in regard to architecture and the suburbs and in the process coins the doctrine "featurism" to describe it. Whilst not entirely a tragedy for the Australian community, Boyd proposes that education in design, landscaping and architecture can be a means to resolve the ugliness he observed.
Reception
After the book's first publication, Boyd was criticised for being "unpatriotic" by the Australian mainstream press. As the years passed, the book became somewhat of a legacy and is now widely regarded as one of the most important books regarding Australian design, culture and architecture.
The book is now an influential best seller, opening up the debate about design, architecture and urban planning in the country. It also channeled the "cultural cringe" and belief that Australia was not as lively, dynamic or beautiful as Europe or North America.[1]