Frank Lloyd Wright 150th Birthday Tribute

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that today is the 150th birthday of architect supreme Frank Lloyd Wright. His design aesthetic shaped my tastes and his innovative creations continue to inspire. Today's post features a brief glimpse of the FLW structures I have been able to see over the years, starting with his Studio in Oak Park, Illinois.

Taliesen West in Arizona:



Woodside in Marion, Indiana:



The Robie House in Chicago:



The Millard House in Los Angeles:



The Guggenheim Museum in New York City:



The Samuel Freeman House in Hollywood:



The Ennis House in Hollywood:



The Hollyhock House in East Hollywood:



Wow...and that's only a small portion of this man's genius.

More Frank Lloyd Wright at my main website.

Picking the Wright School

In August 1997 I paid my first visit to Taliesin West in Arizona. My brother lived briefly in Scottsdale, which was how I happened to visit this school of architecture founded by the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright. At the time, I had a point and shoot film camera that had a VERY dirty lens. I was experimenting with 3D photography by manually moving the camera from one eye to the other. Not really very exacting, but still kind of cool. Here are a few of those photos brought to life through the miracle of FauxD©.



Because of some recent lemons-to-lemonade events in my life I found myself back in Arizona and was able to make a detour back to Taliesin West. I didn't have much time, but still managed to snap a few shots while there. It was interesting to see the differences in my composition 17 years later.

This time, I went in for a tight shot of this scary little dragon sculpture:





2014 version: shooting these beams at an angle makes a more compelling composition.





Also interesting to note that my camera was about as dirty as it was back in 1997; retouching those dirt spots is a pain in the arse.

This time, I attempted to capture the panoramic beauty of the landscape. Hope you enjoy as much as I did. Wright worked hard to get rid of the utility poles that were in his view; even contacted President Hoover. As you can see, he didn't get very far.





You can see the inspiration for Taliesin's logo in this rock:



You only got this tile "autograph" on your building if you followed Wright's instructions to a "T" with no changes. Very few of these exist.



If you ever get a chance to detour your way out to Taliesin West, do so…and be sure to take the tour. It is a more than worthwhile use of time that will give you a peak into the genius that was Frank Lloyd Wright.



See more Daveland Taliesin West photos at my main website.

Traveling Thursdays: Frank Lloyd Wright

Back in 2002, I took a trip to Chicago and my first introduction to Frank Lloyd Wright occurred when I visited his studio in Oak Park. My sense of design was never the same. I immediately fell for his designs, theories, and practical sense of style.

Unfortunately, these photos were shot many cameras ago, so there were only a few shots and they are not the greatest. I really need to get back there.

In Oak Park, there are quite a few Frank Lloyd Wright homes. I would be happy to have any one of them!





One even bears my last name; must be a distant relative. Hope he remembers me in his will:





Nearby in Los Angeles is the Ennis House, built in 1924. Sitting high up on a hill in Los Feliz near Griffith Park, it has been used for a number of Film and TV productions (including Harrison Ford’s “Blade Runner”):







The textile blocks used throughout the façade are amazing; I really love the Mayan influences that Wright incorporated into the design. It is like nothing else I have ever seen.



For only $15 million, this house could be yours. It has been for sale since last June, and is in need of some TLC as you can see from these photos. Unable to make it as a nonprofit, a private owner seems to be the best solution to keep this historic landmark from demolition.



In Arizona, you can find Taliesin West. Built in 1937, it served as the winter home for FLW and as the main campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. On the tour that I took back in 1997, I was told that the final project for each student is to build a temporary home/tent structure that would be torn down once the project was graded.









See more Frank Lloyd Wright photos at my main website.

Taliesen West

Having first discovered Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago, my 2nd Wright experience was in Arizona. Taliesen West is a school of sorts for architects, and what a fantastic campus to learn from! The final project is to actually build a structure on site that will later be torn down. Wright was a genius, and it’s way cool that there is a place for others to learn his concepts.







For more Taliesen photos, visit my main website.