
Ways of Looking at Frank Lloyd Wright - brudgers
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/08/17/twelve-ways-of-looking-at-frank-lloyd-wright/
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jefflinwood
This exhibit is a must see if you get the chance to visit it at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York - it runs until October.

The large drawings of the Illinois/Mile High Skyscraper are certainly worth
seeing in person, as are models of the Monona Terrace and the Guggenheim.

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valuearb
Never been impressed with the usability of FLW's designs.

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pgeorgep
My grandpa lived in a FLW house for the better part of my childhood. I don't
remember much of it, but I do remember how in awe I was every time I saw it.

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eternalban
MoMA has the nerve to mention Frank Lloyd Wright?

Wasn't it MoMA's very own Nazi loving Philip Johnson [1] that lead the way to
relegate (hah) FLW as a has been and push the "International Style" via the
cultural propaganda organ of MoMA?

[1]: [https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/one-of-americas-most-
famous-...](https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/one-of-americas-most-famous-
architects-was-a-nazi-propa-1566021324)

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brudgers
MoMA put on its first Wright exhibit in 1940. The book related to that
exhibit, _In the Nature of Materials_ , was first published in 1942 and
written by Hitchkock (the other author/curator of _The International Style_ ).
The Wright book was republished as a paperback and printed at least through
the 1980's and sold through mass market bookstores. It's ubiquity on
bookshelves is reflected in its $1.99 availability on Amazon today.

Historically, it's worth noting that the decade preceding _The International
Style_ at MoMA was not a particularly high point of Wright's career. Partially
because of the personal drama he created led to limited commissions. Partially
because his architectural vision was mostly manifested in textile block
structures. His most interesting earlier works were twenty years old and his
most interesting later works were a few years down the road.

None of which is to defend Johnson. I'm not a fan of Van der Rohe either. He
led the Bauhaus after the Nazi's kicked out Gropius (of whom I am a fan). The
other connection between Johnson and Van der Rohe is both built glass houses.
Johnson first and lived in it, Van der Rohe did a knockoff for a client a few
years later.

Anyway the political affiliations of architects is always problematic, e.g.
Imhotep or Vitruvius or anyone I've ever heard of from the Italian
Renaissance. Heck, HOK designed Enron Field.

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eternalban
Philip Johnson is on the record apologizing to Wright. "Sorry Frankie".

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roceasta
The Illinois sketch looks magnificent. I hope we build it someday.

