Paolo Soleri in Arizona

Artist/architect Paolo Soleri studied at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West and with the famous architect himself, although Soleri's designs took on a more amorphic and almost insect-like look about them. The photos were taken by me at a retrospective of the artist at The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in 2018.

This work is a dam design for Mesa, AZ. It really resembles what you imagine a dissected ant hill might look like. Soleri founded two schools/art residences around Phoenix which are both still functioning, Cosanti  and Arcosanti.

Soleri and his students started making bronze bells as a source of income and an artistic outlet. The bells can still be purchased at Cosanti.

Architectural model for Arcosanti, Mayer, AZ

Mad Architecture

The Old Pennsylvania Station, NYC, 1910-1963, McKim, Mead, and White Architects.

When the original Beaux-Arts station was torn down in 1963 there was such an uproar from the citizens of NYC that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission was established. The loss of historic architecture to make way for future projects is a double-edge sword, what went up in its place is Madison Square Garden. The destruction of this building was featured in an episode of the television series Mad Men.

City on the Lake

Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 (aka Chicago World's Fair) Designed by a panel led by architect Danial Burnham and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition made Chicago the leading force in architecture, a prominence the city is still known for today. The style is classically influenced by the Greeks and Romans, but the designed on a  faux city built onto the lake. More than 27 million people came to see the sights, among them, the first use of electric lighting designed and installed by George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesl , using his invention of AC current.

Soleri at Cosanti on Paradise Valley

After seeing the Soleri show at MOCA Scottsdale, we went over to Cosanti in Paradise Valley, AZ to buy a couple of bells for ourselves.

Directing the New Age

The Marshmallow Sofa by George Nelson and Irving Harper for Herman Miller, 1956.

George Nelson was offered the Directorship of The Herman Miller Furniture Company in 1945 following the publication of a book called, Tomorrow's House which he co-authored with Henry Wright. Under Nelson's leadership, mid-20th century design had a home and was allowed to flourish.

The Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, MI is hosting a retrospective of Nelson's career through October 14, 2012.

Circles and a Flag

Window Triptych from the Avery Coonley Playhouse, Riverside IL., 1912 by Frank Lloyd Wright, The Art Institute of Chicago.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed every element of his buildings especially his homes. He designed this stained glass window for the Playhouse of the young Coonley daughter.

Happy 4th of July!