I certainly don't want to be the Grinch at this tenderest time of year -- but there are unintended ironies-in-the-fire (!) with this project, for Wright fans, the first of which is: If Mr Mobius had copied the Jacobs house verbatim, an act I'd applaud, he would be liable to be sued by Taliesin for copyright infringement, whereas what he is building will be ignored by Taliesin (and others) as irrelevant, if not harmless.
I've never built a home and will most likely not have the means or the opportunity to do so in my remaining time. Anyone who does has my respect, more or less. As I said, the reasons for this home NOT being a replica of Jacobs have been stated. But reasons are not what I'm looking for -- I just wonder why the owner wanted to start with Wright in the first place, if the result was predetermined (by codes and owner preferences) to be what we see here. Virtually every significant Wrightian material, detail, and refinement is missing -- though the owner will point to the gratuitous mitered window and stacked lites in the living room proudly, no doubt, as evidence of the "roots" of the project.
Pardon me if I say "it's not enough."
Is it admirable to ask for one's own "version" of the Mona Lisa -- with a pink dress and "a different smile because I don't like that smirk" and the owner's wife's favorite necklace around it's neck ? Would the proud commissioner of this painting expect to be greeted warmly at the annual meeting of owners of Leonardo's work ? Is it hoplessly rude of me to make these comparisons ?
No, no, and yes, probably. But like I said, there's irony aplenty with this one !
Others are maintaining a respectable (perhaps respectful) silence ? Admirable. I'll be the goat on this one, and stick up for "art for art's sake" -- as that's what the Old Man was about, in the end, I believe. The final irony is that poor Mr Mobius is only trying to put a roof over his head, in the best way he can think of to do that. I feel like the grandmother I used to rent a room from when I was just out of school, trying to smile and not cry when her young grand-daughter brought her the only blossom from the fledgling rhododendron in the back yard. How do you yell at a kid who brings you a sincerely-meant gift ?
SDR
