new exhibit about the old exhibit at the Guggenheim

[JChoate]

(that's a confusing subject title.)

This article is a review of a small exhibit currently at the Guggenheim that deals with the history of Wright's temporary 1953 exhibit on the Guggenheim site.

http://www.newcriterion.com/posts.cfm/T ... right-7028

Roderick,
Isn't the 1953 exhibit the one in which your friend John Geiger participated?

[SDR]

I like this:

Architectural Forum claimed that “So far as housebuilding is concerned, the 84-year-old architect could now lay claim to having reshaped the countenance of his country. . . . now there is scarcely a house built anywhere in the U.S. which does not in some way . . . show the imprint, however blurred, of this man’s hand.�

[SREcklund]

Interesting statement regarding the temporary Usonian:

"... the house was dismantled, stored for thirty years, and—after being donated, auctioned, and donated again—ended up in the possession of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy."

Was that true when the article was written (Jan 2013) and is it still true now?

[jmcnally]

I like this:

Architectural Forum claimed that “So far as housebuilding is concerned, the 84-year-old architect could now lay claim to having reshaped the countenance of his country. . . . now there is scarcely a house built anywhere in the U.S. which does not in some way . . . show the imprint, however blurred, of this man’s hand.�

I believe this is largely true - particularly for homes built after ranch homes became popular - which is why the "inspired by FLW" moniker tends to turn me off. I don't even bother looking because no one has that much time.

[Roderick Grant]

James, yes, Geiger was involved, along with Johnny Hill and Curtis Besinger. It was a choice: Either go to New York to work on the exhibit or stay at Taliesin and take part in Iovanna's movement classes. It wasn't a hard choice for John.

After the show closed, the house was "dismantled" or "demolished," depending on your interpretation. Years later, as Tom Monahan was getting started on his binge, remnants of the house turned up in David Henken's basement amounting to little more than a brick, a perf and a door knob. Monahan bought it, and not long after sold it, I believe. Not sure where it has ended up, but it is not, nor has it ever been, in the hands of the Conservancy, as far as I know.

[JChoate]

hmmn, I'm only now seeing that it is old news from 2013. I was confused by the website, having glanced at the top of the page where it reads " ...vol.35, no. 5 January 2017". Now I see that right below the masthead it gives the 2013 date. Good thing it was a negative review or else I might've hopped a plane to the Big Apple to check it out.

That Architectural Forum quote is a nice one. Of course, technically, any inhabitant of an air-conditioned office building who's used a wall hung toilet has also experienced the blurred impact of The Man's hand.

Geiger, Hill, and Besinger -- that was a powerful team. A lot of competence and talent there. Time better spent than back in mystical dance class.

[SDR]

I recently went searching the 720s in the main library, for a slender British volume from the early 'sixties. It had black-and-white photos (wasn't all serious architecture publishing committed to monotone illustration, for most of the history and up to mid-century or so ?) of houses in England, some quite small, with pretensions to modernism. One of them, at least, had two or three of Wright's signature moves, miniaturized to fit a 900 or 1100-sq ft plan -- a bit of rusticated ashlar here, a few parallel boards and three or four vertical single-lite sash in a row, the barest minimum of a trellis cantilever . . .

Charming -- heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. Unfortunately, the book seems to have been a part of the big purge, committed when the new building was revealed as unable to accommodate a considerable number of books, including superfluous or out-dated items. Gone for good, though some other institution may have a copy. I never recorded the particulars of this little book.

SDR

[DavidC]

Stan:

As far as I know the Conservancy never had any of the '53 Exhibition House. As Roderick noted, David Henken ended up w/ the remnants of the house. He stored it away for years, intending and hoping to do something (pun alert!) 'constructive' with it. But, alas, nothing ever came to fruition. Eventually, many of the remaining parts of the home were used as a fundraiser for a local PBS station in New York.


David

[SDR]

Used -- as in sold, auctioned off, etc ?

S

[DavidC]

Yes, sir.


David