The baroque era, when you speak of architecture, does not get the high praise given the Gothic or renaissance periods. My interest in the baroque has little to do with the art itself but instead is directed to what it says about Latin America, my favorite part of the world.
Appearances deceive. Baroque architecture frequently contains connections that are not easily seen, obscured as they are by the abundance of detail which characterizes the style. The same can be said of personal relationships and organizations in the region. You cannot judge power by an org chart, nor can relationships be so easily evaluated. I have touched on this them before, but today I am thinking of images. Perhaps the connection to the baroque era in colonial Latin America exists, perhaps it is a coincidence. Does it matter? Think about it.
Never a straight line. The other point of the baroque is that complexity of architecture also translates to the shortest distance between two points; it is never a straight line. Moving from the imagery to Latin America you see this is in personal relationships. Issues take time to address, conversations endure, and after a while you reach your destination. Remember the facade of the last baroque church you saw if you are frustrated in a meeting.
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