On the comment by E.J. Johnson ’59 on the “ironic columns” of the Williams College Museum of Art (“Ironic columns stem from architectural innovations and quirks,” Sept. 26, 2018)
To the Editor:
Having always enjoyed the humor in these structures, I don’t think, as [E. J. Johnson ’59] snarkily suggests, that taking art history 101 is necessary to appreciate them. However, I do wonder what course he would recommend to enhance one’s perception of the eyesore that houses the Williams Bookstore, a design that, if memory serves, Johnson defended. Like so many recent constructions on campus, no amount of academic apologia can make me believe it is aesthetically pleasing.
Ralph Hammann
Town Resident