Villain in a hero’s mask: on confronting the sins of our luminaries
As culture progresses and what is considered acceptable behavior evolves, we are sometimes confronted with the uncomfortable truth that some of the most famous and influential individuals we admire are responsible for harmful or toxic acts. These can include overt acts of racism and misogyny, and acts of violence including sexual harassment, assault, and even child abuse. The resounding impact of the #MeToo movement shed light on the pervasive culture of abuse and exploitation, spurring many people to reevaluate the legacy of those we once held in high esteem. As we grapple with these revelations, it is immensely difficult to face these truths while reconciling the work that made the person famous, influential, and inspirational. However, by confronting these harsh realities, we can aspire to build a better culture, one that stands firmly against injustice, and we empower present and future generations to create a world that fosters equality, respect, and empathy for all. In the words of Eva Darrows from her book You Too? “I look forward to the day we stop saying ‘me too’ and start saying ‘never again.’”
In the mid-1990s, I was working as a multimedia designer at AMPC Research, whose main clients were NASA, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Department of Defense. Most of my time was spent working embedded at NASA/JPL in Pasadena, California. However, in 1995 I had the opportunity to work on two other client projects. The first was creating an official CD-ROM (the precursor of the website!) for the Biosphere 2 Project outside of Tucson, Arizona. I was fortunate to spend several weeks living at the Biosphere 2 facility interviewing scientists, creating content, and designing interfaces.
The second project was creating the official interactive CD-ROM for Arcosanti, a prototype futuristic city north of Phoenix, Arizona, which was designed and built by the legendary architect Paolo Soleri. As with the other projects, I designed and created all of the content for the interactive CD-ROM about Arcosanti and called it City of the Future. I read several of Soleri’s books and immersed myself in his “Arcology” concepts that reimagined the architecture of an entire city as one ecological system. His designs included vertical cities all contained in a massive single structure, the ultimate in high-density urban living. The efficiencies gained, and the interconnections of human and natural systems would make civilization completely sustainable and in harmony with the Earth’s carrying capacity. I met Soleri several times, and although he barely acknowledged my presence, my time there was productive and reflective. I enjoyed experiencing life in this place that felt like a colony from the future. In addition to my main work, I was inspired to make a lot of drawings of my own cities, build some architectural models, and learn how to do bronze-casting for the famous Soleri Bells.
I was inspired by Soleri’s ideas, and his designs sparked me to think in terms of bigger interconnected systems. As a futurist, he was a strong early influencer for me. However, I was never fully comfortable with the morphology of a massive vertical city. One problem is that it seemed to lack the heterogeneity that makes urban life so culturally rich. The architecture and aesthetics of a city shouldn’t all be the same. Another problem was that vertical apartment block living and communal spaces don’t appeal to everyone. While Soleri was opposed in principle to the concept of suburbs and urban sprawl, many people want a private garden or don’t want to live several stories above the earth.
Several years ago, I learned that Paolo Soleri has a problematic past that includes allegations of sexual harassment and abuse, some of which came from his daughter Daniela Soleri. Paolo Soleri’s abuses were allegedly covered up for years, even decades by members of his inner circle. The behaviors described are truly horrific, and I am inclined to believe the victims. Daniela Soleri details those abuses, as well as her father’s positive aspects, in an incredible Medium article, and I applaud her courage and honesty. This is a critical lesson for all of us: we must not tolerate bad behavior, especially by people in positions of power, or who may be inspirational or brilliant in other ways. We must beware of narcissists. By protecting Soleri, his inner circle likely exposed others to his abuse, allowing further tragedies to occur in the name of preserving his reputation.
The aspects of Soleri’s work that didn’t align with my thinking may be traced back to his personal flaws. Daniela Soleri explains this in a way that makes a lot of sense to me now: “Viewing [Soleri’s artistic and architectural work] free from the rationalizations and workarounds, I can also see flaws, expressions of ignorance, arrogance, narcissism.” And that may be the central flaw with Soleri’s work: it’s not human-centered design, but rather ego-centered design.
Coming to terms with the unsettling reality that Paolo Soleri, an acclaimed and inspirational future thinker, artist, and architect, was also an abuser of women and children poses an unsettling challenge for those who once revered his visionary work. While his ideas were ahead of their time and left an indelible mark on the field of architecture and other fields of design, it is impossible to ignore the dark shadow cast by his character flaws and personal moral failings. Moreover, as we examine the flaws in Soleri’s work, it becomes evident that his visionary concepts may have been tainted by his troubling actions. Could the same narcissism that gave Soleri the audacity to believe that entire cities should conform to HIS vision alone also be responsible for his history of abusive and predatory behavior? Confronting this dissonance forces us to reconcile the duality of a figure we once admired, reminding us that brilliance in one aspect of life does not exempt an individual from accountability for their harmful behavior. Tarana Burkę, the founder of the #MeToo movement, observes “…you cannot put a person’s talent over somebody’s humanity.” This sobering revelation challenges us to critically evaluate the legacies of influential figures, acknowledging both their achievements and the human flaws that shaped them, so that we may navigate a path toward a more just and morally conscious future.
Powerful and inspirational figures often get away with abuse for long periods of time, exploiting the power they have over their admirers. This does not mean that every inspirational person is a potential abuser, but it does mean that we must collectively be more vigilant in confronting bad behavior when it happens and taking seriously the words of victims. Embracing and promoting ethical and moral standards paves the way for a just future where every individual’s dignity is honored, and compassion becomes the cornerstone of a harmonious society. We all bear a responsibility to say ‘never again’ to enabling abusers.
References:
It’s you, him, and his work by Daniela Soleri, Medium, November 13, 2017
‘His inner circle knew about the abuse’: Daniela Soleri on her architect father Paolo by Steve Rose, The Guardian, February 29, 2020
Tarana J. Burke Discusses Me Too Movement’s Role in Shifting Power and Privilege by Jamie Landers, The Chautauqua Daily, August 17, 2019
