Wright Chat

[frankdelrees@aol.com]

Is there a list of Graduates/Associates of Taleisin West that practice here in the West? In viewing the prior posts, I agree that the design process is crucial to the end result but take issue with the statement that "You get what you pay for". That would imply that the more you pay for architecture, the more you get. In other words, just go find the most expensive office and assume you will get the best architecure. Bad idea! That said, I do not recommend the "cookie cutter" approach either. I think that it is important for the future home owner to educate him/her self, no different than investing your money. This can be a slow process and should be approached cautiously. It could have the longest lasting influence on your life and should be approached with that in mind. Look at projects completed and if possible, talk to the owners, etc. Back to my first sentence, I will probably be building in the San Diego County area and would appreciate visibility on organic architects.

[JimM]

I'm sure Taliesin would provide you with such a list, but I would start by seeking out homes in your area you admire. I'm sure there are good architects in San Diego. You do not need a Taliesin provenance to get good architecture. In fact, that is the last qualifier I would employ.



Organic is a misleading term thrown about wantonly, and should not be considered necessarily symbiotic to Taliesin. Since Wright died 46 years ago, I've yet to see much of anything learned by many who spent time there compared to numerous quality designers who did not.



Of course, you will get many differing opinions on this, as you are about to see.



Still, if you have the money (needed to employ most Taliesinites anyway), one who I think did study at Taliesin and does exceptional work in the San Diego area is Wallace Cunningham. His designs are well thought out and very original ("modern" in the truest Wrightian sense), without getting overtly and decoratively Wrightesque as most tend to-and I do intend that term in a grotesque sense.

[Spring Green]

The Taliesin Fellows is an organization of former apprentices. There was a branch in Northern California that had a newsletter for about 4 years in which various former apprentices were listed. The overall website address is: http://www.midglen.com/ncfellows/index.html. While focusing on specific former apprentices, some of the issues of the newsletter have lists of apprentice names from over the years. It would be some work, but you could take the names and go looking for them on the internet.



There's also the Wrightian organization. They are a "California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, established in 1978 with the intent of joining together to create a community of organic homes in the Los Angeles area, and to educate the public and our members through tours, newsletters, and video documentaries about Frank Lloyd Wright's brand of design, "organic architecture." They have a resource list, also.



Tobias Guggenheimer came out with a book a number of years ago entitled, A Taliesin Legacy: The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright's

Apprentices. There are some apprentices shown in the book who are still alive.

[JimM]

I believe the Taliesin Fellows were eviscerated by Taliesin. They committed the sin of trying to envelop and include concerned former apprentices with the Taliesin/Wright heritage-with the predictable noncooperation.



They had a quality newsletter for some time, but eventually retired it. They tried working with Taliesin, but were treated with the same lack of vision Taliesin is now famous for.



I look forward to the day an independent, professionally run organization takes over the legacy.

[Spring Green]

The close alliance by the journal of the Taliesin Fellows and the FLW Foundation near the end is true, but you can find those old newsletters either on-line or perhaps even in print form (where, I can't say, unless you do an exhaustive library search). Those could be of some use.

[JimM]

Here is an operative link to the original Taliesin Fellows in Northern California. There is a link there to some work, and also a link to all their newsletters. A lot of good, informative reading there about them, Taliesin, and their frustrations.



Be warned, some of the architecture is not that great, but some of it is stellar, and includes information on some of Aaron Green's last work. The organization was a brave attempt to honor Wright and their debt to him outside the 'approved" confines of Taliesin.





http://www.midglen.com/ncfellows/

[JimM]

OOps! Sorry Spring Green-just saw your previous posting of the Fellows site!

[Eric Saed]

A few good resources to check out:



Aaron Green Associates http://www.agaarchitects.com/ is carrying on his impressive legacy.



Former Apprentice Richard Keding http://www.keding-architects.com/ is in California.



Michael Rust, http://www.rust-architect.com/ a former head of residential design at the now defunct Taliesin Architects, practices in Arizona.

[rgrant]

JimM, you are exactly correct. Taliesin doomed the Fellows from the moment they decided to join forces. Considering that the Fellows was founded mostly by disaffected former apprentices (i.e. NOT Olga's peops) it is hard to understand why this happened. Many major universities (Harvard, UCLA, UI/Urbana) were subscribers to the journal, so their libraries would be worth checking out.



On the subject of hiring an architect who could give you a decent house in line with the philosophical precepts of Frank Lloyd Wright, don't limit yourself to those with ties to Taliesin. Will Bruder in New River, AZ, architect of the new Phoenix Public Library, never attended Taliesin -- in fact has been banned from it for blasphemy -- but he comes closer to understanding FLW than just about anyone who did. He is, in my opinion, the best architect working today. Wendell Burnett, also of the Phoenix area, is likewise excellant. If you truly understand what Wright was about, you will also find much to admire in the work of Los Angeles architect, Lorcan O'Herlihy (son of the late actor, Dan). At first glance, his work looks more like Soriano with texture, but his basic philosophy is in line with Wright.

[Nick Spellman]

Perhaps there really are changes afoot at the FLLW Foundation: Will Bruder is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the "Doing more with Less" Fall conference next month at Taliesin West!

[Guest]

Sometimes FLLW, and later TAA, would recycle and update a successful old design. Take a look at the floor plan on Ebay 6572774342. Where have you seen this before? Never thought of this little house with a pitched roof, but why not?



Doug Kottum, Battle Lake

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