Wright Chat

SREcklund · Joined: 26 Feb 2013 Posts: 801 Location: Redondo Beach, CA

I find myself in the position of soon teaching the basic tenets of Wright's architecture to a group of folks more or less unfamiliar with them. While I am confident I can put together such a presentation on my own, when I have such a deep pool of talent as we have here I feel obligated to us it.

So - what do _you_ feel are the key points in Wright's architecture, and why?
_________________
Docent, Hollyhock House - Hollywood, CA
Humble student of the Master

"Youth is a circumstance you can't do anything about. The trick is to grow up without getting old." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Matt · Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 430

There was a magazine article from the 40's or 50's that had a list of 10-15 items that clearly expressed the work. Maybe someone recalls this or mayb a google search would. It may have been from house beautiful which supported Wright a lot.

peterm · Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:10 am Post subject:

House and Home Magazine. I’ll try to find the date...

peterm · Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:19 am Post subject:

September 1956 House and Home. Practical solutions minus the mumbo jumbo:

Zimmerman

"This rich and rhythmic house expresses 32 simple and basic design ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright.”

http://www.steinerag.com/flw/Periodicals/House&Home.htm#hh

http://architectoid.blogspot.com/2010/08/32-simple-and-basic-design-ideas-of.html?m=1

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18279 Location: San Francisco

Thanks, Peter; the second link contains that list. We had looked at these in the past -- we really need our Search function restored -- but I couldn't find that list in my files.

Specifics like those are, in my opinion, so much more helpful in defining Wright's work, than the vague ideas gathered under the heading of
"Principles." To show that Mr Wright himself was capable of clouding the waters, we have such items as this two-page list, published in 1930. While
these may be helpful, some of them, in gaining insight into how the man thought about his art, I wouldn't dream of inflicting them upon beginners;
they are simply too abstract, and could only lead to memorization as "bumper sticker" quotes. Moreover, these are time-specific, I believe; note
that, for instance, comments about the box -- even a "box set up on posts" -- appear here in the same year as Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye was finished,
and three years after that architect presented his Five Points of a New Architecture.

peterm · Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:47 pm Post subject:

My favorite?

The “fine thing” is Reality.

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 9598

In the November 1955 issue of House Beautiful, page 270, there's an essay by FLW (originally one of his Sunday Morning Talks) titled "Let the Wonderful, Infinite Variety of Sea Shells Inspire You with Faith in Your Own Individuality." FLW points out that, in spite of all sea shells being based on just one principle of design [a geometric logic based on the pentagon], the array of shells is unlimited. This is not only an eloquent lesson, but very accessible for those who aren't quite equipped to deal with abstractions of design. You might reprint the article as a handout.