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SDR
Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 8039
Location: San Francisco
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 Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:40 pm Post subject: Photos of Taliesin |
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I can't seem to find an appropriate existing thread to place this link -- so here it is.
Three photos found in an online Flickr collection. This one shows the Tea Circle sans tree, from an unusual angle. Two other nice photos to the left.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trevorpatt/6770335465/in/photostream/
SDR |
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DRN
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 1552
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for posting the link to the photo. Is it just me, or does the composition of the photo: the centering of the vertical tower and the tea circle in the frame, look unsettling? My mind's eye keeps wanting to crop the shot to place the tower to one side of the frame.
The B&W shot of the "roofscape" reminded me of a Q&A with Edgar Tafel in Richard Cleary's course at CMU in the '80's. Tafel said that one of his fondest memories of Taliesin was walking the roof. He called it an encyclopedia of roof forms in which just about every possible condition or geometric combination was present. He encouraged us "do whatever we could" to get ourselves on that roof once in our lives. |
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Rood
Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Posts: 424
Location: Goodyear, AZ 85338
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SDR
Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 8039
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, Rood. We were linked to this same page on another thread recently. I wasn't able to figure out how to move on to the next (or previous) image -- "where to go from here." Can you help ?
SDR |
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Rood
Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Posts: 424
Location: Goodyear, AZ 85338
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't know what your trouble is, but with 1274 photographs it takes my computer time to download them all. When I get to the bottom of a page I just wait and in seconds a new crop of photographs appear, and I scroll down through them, etc, etc, etc. I have never reached the end ... As I said earlier, they seem to go on forever. |
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SDR
Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 8039
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, but -- which button to push. What I see is a black page, with a photo of the revised Moore residence in Oak Park. I see no "slideshow" or "next photo" button or arrow . . .
SDR |
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Paul Ringstrom
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 2228
Location: Mason City, IA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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SDR,
There is a scroll bar along the right hand side. |
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Roderick Grant
Joined: 29 Mar 2006
Posts: 3951
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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DRN, I agree, moving the tower to the left side just slightly would improve the composition of that photo.
All you should have to do to see the endless stream of photos is scroll down. I got to 37% and gave up, exhausted. The percentage shows in the lower right corner. It was at 34% that I saw that disquieting photo of Irving House with the porch bulging from its front end. |
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SDR
Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 8039
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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Ah -- thanks, everybody. (And this is after my new interocular lens implants !)
SDR |
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SDR
Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 8039
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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It's interesting to read the comments about this photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trevorpatt/6770335465/in/photostream/
I wonder if what disappoints is the apparent symmetry of the structure -- unexpected when we recall that most images of this unusual tower emphasize the unexpected and distinctly asymmetrical profile of the uppermost roof, with its just-short-of-hilarious overhang -- while the opposite edge of that roof is virtually flush with the "back" wall of the structure ?
In the present image we have a novel view, apparently taken by someone standing on a chimney of the residence (?), in which the two levels of this most novel Taliesin tower, with its hipped roofs pointing to two different compass points (like the Scarecrow -- and related to the criss-cross cupola we spoke of before ?), are seen on the diagonal, their thrusting nature neutered by the photographer . . .
I wonder if this piece of Taliesin looked better to the architect as elevational drawings. It seems to me to be speaking a language largely foreign to Wisconsin.
European, perhaps ? Italian ?
This new view shows the broad chimney as an integral structural/aesthetic feature. From the ground, that aspect is somewhat diminished, isn't it ?
SDR |
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Rood
Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Posts: 424
Location: Goodyear, AZ 85338
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| SDR wrote: | It's interesting to read the comments about this photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trevorpatt/6770335465/in/photostream/
I wonder if what disappoints is the apparent symmetry of the structure -- unexpected when we recall that most images of this unusual tower emphasize the unexpected and distinctly asymmetrical profile of the uppermost roof, with its just-short-of-hilarious overhang -- while the opposite edge of that roof is virtually flush with the "back" wall of the structure ?
In the present image we have a novel view, apparently taken by someone standing on a chimney of the residence (?), in which the two levels of this most novel Taliesin tower, with its hipped roofs pointing to two different compass points (like the Scarecrow -- and related to the criss-cross cupola we spoke of before ?), are seen on the diagonal, their thrusting nature neutered by the photographer . . .
I wonder if this piece of Taliesin looked better to the architect as elevational drawings. It seems to me to be speaking a language largely foreign to Wisconsin.
European, perhaps ? Italian ?
This new view shows the broad chimney as an integral structural/aesthetic feature. From the ground, that aspect is somewhat diminished, isn't it ? SDR |
Symmetry? Sorry, but I don't see it.
Here we have one long, low-roofed pavilion, crossed at right angles and off to one side by another two-story pavilion, not nearly as long, the whole punctured by a three-story high tower. It's a combination that appears occasionally in Wright's early work ... in various configurations ... from the Winslow Garage, The Rollin Furbeck Residence, the Fricke/Martin House, W.E Martin, and, indeed, to some extent at Robie and Tomek, too. I've never known anyone to suggest those buildings had direct antecedents in Europe.
The reason the photograph seems unusual and startling is that few (if any) pictures have ever been taken from on top of the roof. It would be similar to viewing Mt. Everest from the top of Lhotse, rather than from somewhere down in the valley. |
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SDR
Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 8039
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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Yes.
I was proposing that, in this one view, the top two stories make a relatively symmetrical mass, the roofs seemingly one atop the other.
Perhaps Mr Wright enjoyed seeing this piece change quite markedly in silhouette, as he moved from his bedroom, to the drive, and thence into his studio . . .
I've never been quite clear as to what functions are met in the rooms of this tower. Is there a private dining room on the first level, and occasional-use bedrooms above ?
SDR |
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Rood
Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Posts: 424
Location: Goodyear, AZ 85338
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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| SDR wrote: | Perhaps Mr Wright enjoyed seeing this piece change quite markedly in silhouette, as he moved from his bedroom, to the drive, and thence into his studio . . .
I've never been quite clear as to what functions are met in the rooms of this tower. Is there a private dining room on the first level, and occasional-use bedrooms above ?
SDR |
The entire tower complex was originally Taliesin's farm structure ... its barn, to be precise. The cow shed occupied the bottom room ... on the basement level, which room opened roughly southeast, onto the square middle court. The horse barn and carriage shed were to the north, across the court. The history of this section of Taliesin is unbelievably complex, as much of it went through many permutations. I might be the least qualified person to document the changes, but I'll do my best. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can help set things straight.
To the southwest but on the same level as the cow shed was the cooling tower, itself, the bottom, basement level of which was designed to store fresh milk containers immersed in cold water. As everything has changed, I don't know how this all worked, how it appeared, but the tower was designed to let warmer air rise to the top of the tower, so that the room where milk was stored stayed cool even on the hottest summer days. Remember, this is all before refrigeration ... and in the case of Taliesin, before electricity. Taliesin was originally wired for gas lighting.
I believe the rooms opening onto the hill garden (the broad, sloping lawn), and the rooms to the rear, on the same level, but facing southwest, were meant for farm workers. (This part of the complex eventually became the Fellowship dining room, and after the kitchen and dining room were moved to Hillside the spaces were remodeled into an apartment for Iovanna. The several room to the rear of Iovanna's apartment were occupied by staff members.)
Eventually the entire farm complex was extended far to the northwest and much of the original Taliesin "barn" unit was remodeled into rooms for living. For instance, the original cow shed eventually became Cornelia's room, with a fireplace built into the far wall. But even during the 70's, the plan of the milk room itself remained virtually unchanged, save, I assume, for no longer extending into the tower above. The milk room was always damp and cool. I dare say you'll find it basically unchanged to this day.
The tower itself was transformed into two rooms, one on each upper level. They are two of the most romantic rooms in the entire complex. For several years one of them was reserved for Bruce Pfeiffer. |
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Rood
Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Posts: 424
Location: Goodyear, AZ 85338
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:27 pm Post subject: Re: Photos of Taliesin |
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Ah, look closer, SDR. It may not be higher than fifteen feet or so, but the Tea Circle Oak is back. Frances Nemtin planted a young tree there, several years ago. |
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Roderick Grant
Joined: 29 Mar 2006
Posts: 3951
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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The comments about the composition of the photo have nothing specifically to do with the design of the structure, but only about cropping the photo properly. Neither Teske, Guerrero nor Korab would publish such a photo. As to current use, the room which in the photo would be directly behind the bell is where Cornelia Brierly's apartment is located. Also, there was a dovecote on the facade facing away from the photograph, toward NW.
Although the rooms in the tower have uses, I believe the exterior expression was utmost in FLW's mind. Can you imagine the hill without the tower? Rood, your mention of Winslow, Furbeck, Fricke, etc. (plus Metzger Project and both Sherman Booth Project and House) is the direct line of ancestry. While most FLW houses can be analyzed primarily from plans, that collection of structures all feature tower-like elements with rooms at their top that could have been accommodated in some other way (but for Tomek and Robie) or even eliminated entirely, but were so constructed because FLW wanted the tower form to appear on the outside. Since that process began with Winslow, the element is not of Italian origin, but may appear to be, since there is so much of Italy in Taliesin's design throughout. |
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