Former Employees of FLW with Great Careers in Architecture

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 22, 2011 7:17 pm

Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. is in as a Lesser Luminary because with input his father built 2 of the greatest buildings in the history of world architecture. He is also there for the preservation of Fallingwater.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 22, 2011 7:29 pm

In the special Black Hole Category is Olgivanna Lloyd Wright. She is there, not because of her bad architectural sense which she had an abundance, but because she had Frank Lloyd Wright's body disinterred in Spring Green, cremated, and mixed with her ashes as the ultimate crime against Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright had decided to be be buried at Unity chapel in Spring Green in the incredibly beautiful valley where it all began as a boy and where he created so many great architectural works. For him to be buried there was the perfect final resting place for Frank Lloyd Wright.

Laurie Virr · Post by **Laurie Virr** » Sun May 22, 2011 8:05 pm

I endorse Mr Paul Harding's description. Olgivanna's action was the ultimate crime against Frank Lloyd Wright. The absolute betrayal of trust.

KevinW · Post by **KevinW** » Sun May 22, 2011 8:09 pm

Lesser luminaries:
Robert Carrol May
John DeKoven Hill
Earl Nisbet
Robert Green
Arthur Dyson (my favorite living Architect)
William Burnoudy
Mark Mills
Daniel Liebermann
Bob Beharka
Fred Langhorst

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sun May 22, 2011 8:10 pm

In regards to Olgivanna-

In her defense, however (I find that I often need to be the devil's advocate...) Wright was arguably at his most productive during the time spent with Olgivanna. Maybe her incredibly vain sin(s) might be forgiven if we remember that she probably propped him up more than once. And we do tend to forgive Wright for his numerous vanities... An architect or designer she surely wasn't, but her influence is difficult to weigh. Could it be that Wright would have imploded were it not for her? We tend to dismiss the Gurdjieff movement so quickly, but wasn't the structure of the Fellowship at least partially modeled after many of his concepts?

We are discussing apprentices; would the opportunity have existed for so many curious young people, (and yes, "a woman is a fellow here") to meet and work with the master, if Wright had not crossed paths with this woman?

Laurie Virr · Post by **Laurie Virr** » Sun May 22, 2011 8:51 pm

Surely there is no defense against such an outrageous action?

What of the symbolism? FLLWâ€™s architectural life had effectively commenced in The Valley, where he had worked on Unity Chapel, and it was appropriate that his remains rested there.

Olgivanna had control of his funeral arrangements in April 1959. He died in Arizona, so why return his body to Wisconsin at that time? Did she calculate that her real wishes would be carried out faithfully upon her passing, by the spineless individuals who were pleased to call themselves Apprentices?

As is well known, the Gurdjieff concepts were responsible for creating division in the Fellowship, between those who were interested in developing their ability as architects, and those who were bedazzled, or intimidated, by Olgivanna. What she knew about Architecture could have been written on the back of a postage stamp, and still have left plenty of room.

As Roderick Grant has reiterated on a number of occasions, Frank Lloyd Wright was not a teacher, and never set out to be. If there was any teaching at Taliesin it was by osmosis. Those who worked in the studios, and later had outstanding careers, would have been luminaries in any event. The others were â€˜hewers of wood and drawers of waterâ€™. Real architects are born, not made.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sun May 22, 2011 9:03 pm

I am surely not defending her outrageous action, but I also most certainly can not defend the demonization of a person who Wright chose to live much of his life with, for wouldn't that also be demonizing him? I thought we were making a list of the men who went on to have great careers, not which women could be condemned...

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 22, 2011 9:12 pm

Robert Carroll May is in.

Thewes · Post by **Thewes** » Sun May 22, 2011 9:39 pm

Don Erickson,
and I am not sure if he has been mentioned yet or not, but Alden Dow

also,
Gary Tucker
Mark Mills
Milton Stricker
William Bernoudy

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 22, 2011 9:46 pm

Don Erickson is in for designing a spectacular home for himself and his family. Plus he gave one of my projects the Presidential Award which confirmed his fine taste and judgement.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 22, 2011 9:54 pm

Mark Mills is in. Alden Dow is in the Luminary + category.

The problem that I am having with many of the Taliesin Apprentice nominees is that there work so derivative of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright.

All nominees will be thoughtfully considered by the jury.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 22, 2011 9:58 pm

Gary Tucker is in.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 22, 2011 10:01 pm

Milton Strickler is in.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 22, 2011 10:15 pm

Fred Langhorst is in.

dkottum · Post by **dkottum** » Sun May 22, 2011 11:41 pm

Paul, understanding your problem with the derivative nature of work done by Wright's apprentices, I remember reading an interview with John Howe relating his recognition of this. He said simply that his clients did not come to him because he was John Howe, they came to him because he had been at Taliesin.

Doug Kottum