Post by pandemonium on May 6, 2008 9:38:13 GMT -6
Your spouse is an architect? My father and grandfather were architects. Furthermore, my father's first job out of school was in a firm with John Lautner, a former Wright apprentice. I live in a house designed and built by my father -- and I would call it third generation Prairie.
Yes! My husband's an architect, and if I recall correctly, one of the principals of the firm where he worked in Madison was a former Wright apprentice, but I can't recall the principal's name. My grad advisor lived in a second generation Prairie style house designed by a Wright apprentice. The style's so distinctive: rustic, organic and sophisticated. So the association in "Not Fade Away" made perfect sense to me.
I was actually an architecture major for a while as an undergrad. I started out in pre-med biology, changed majors to architecture, but with only 12 credits remaining for matriculation with a degree in architecture, I fled back to biological sciences. I was an insufferable dilettante back then, too.
I've been out to Taliesin too, and found myself impressed by the feeling of utter peace that descends on a person in that valley and in that house in particular.
I loved Spring Green. We often attended the American Players Theatre performances. One of the most memorable was "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The moon was full and hanging above the stage, and then a whip-poor-will started calling. The setting could not have been more perfect.
AND he designed dresses for the lady of the house to wear that would not clash with the decor. I thought that was a bit over the top until I saw a photo of a turn of the century woman in ruffles standing out in front of one of the early Prairie houses. At which point I said, "Go Frank!" For the record, I'm just as bad about colors and furniture placement as he was.
Ha! I forgot about that. Yes, my husband mentioned this as well. He had the benefit of more advanced architectural history classes than I did. I only took two which got me through the Renaissance.
I borrowed yet another Wrightian anecdote for an earlier story. In Call of Duty, Thranduil has designed his throne room with a light shaft that illuminates him as he sits on his throne.
My father told me that Wright had designed the dining hall at Taliesin such that a beam of light would strike him at the dinner hour -- as if he were being blessed from On High. Like my Thranduil, FLW was not lacking in the ego department.
My father told me that Wright had designed the dining hall at Taliesin such that a beam of light would strike him at the dinner hour -- as if he were being blessed from On High. Like my Thranduil, FLW was not lacking in the ego department.
;D That is brilliant and so fitting for your Thranduil! Aaron Rivers has a marvelous sense of aesthetics. Another touch I loved was the portrait of his wife by John Singer Sargent, one of my favorite American painters.