Day 1, Taliesin West
Hélène and I have been on the road for the last two weeks, with her sister (Collette) and Collette's husband Jean-Pierre. The couple has never been to the Southwest before, so we tried to give them a Grand Tour. I bought a top-box for our baggage, damn near as big as our little car.
I of course took a ton of photos, which I'll post here.
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Our first stop was Taliesin West , Frank Lloyd Wright's "house" east of Phoenix. I'm not very knowledgeable about architecture, but Wright's work just kinda hits ya over the head:
He included flat-surfaced, oxidized rocks in the walls, which are rarely right-angles.
Note the crease in the taller section that flows seamlessly to the top of the lower section.
and then another boulder points up to the top of the hill behind the "house".
Wright did not want any "boundary" between the "house" and the surrounding wilderness.
(Phoenix was far away via terrible roads, back then.)
Another view across the same petroglyph boulder leads the eye
under a series of angular arches, open to the sky.
The triangular pool was a very late addition.
Wright let himself be convinced by his (third) wife, Olgivanna
who continued to remodel the house even after his death.
Not a single right angle to be found!
Despite the straight lines, there's definitely an "organic" feel to Wright's work.
This fountain was also inspired by Olgivanna .
Next up: the Apache Trail!
Great photos, I love much of Wrights work...I've actually been to his ''house'' a few times.
Another favorite is the Biltmore in Phoenix. Wright is often given credit as the archtitect of the Biltmore, but he was only a consultant on the project.
Looking forward to more photos from the trip.
At an early point in my life I considered being an architect (in fact even designed the home that my parents built for themselves) and learned much about Wright, and have viewed many of his works (in pictures, of course - never had the privilege of seeing the actual buildings). Taliesen West was not only his home, but also his studio.
Did you make any inquiries about the petroglyphs? Are they genuine or just contemporary copies?
I'm looking forward to your continuing photo-essays of your trip.
It was a school. His "apprentices" had a tough time. They did the manual labor. Those boulders! There are still a few of his last (now retired) apprentices living there.
They're genuine, but he had them moved to strategic spots. Supposedly, he maintained their original orientation... for whatever that's worth.
Ah yes, I knew it was more than just a home.
looks like you had a good time
Yes. We hadn't seen them in a while. We spent two weeks in very close quarters, and nobody blew up. That's pretty good!
Welcome back Bob. Absolutely great work, both your photos and Mr. Wright's architecture. Looking forward to the next batch.
Frank Lloyd Wright is one of my all time favorite architects. I became very school in architure, after dating 4 of them in row ( an story for another day) and other than Louis Kahn, I would have to say, that I loved every phase of design he went through. His emphasis on "form follows function" changed the way buildings were made forever.
Taliesin is my second favorite structure of his, the first being Falling Water.
Lovely pics Bob!
My preference is being close to water rather than close to the desert, so my choice of favourites is opposite yours - Falling Water first, and Taliesin second.
Buzz,
Reread my comment. We agree.
Ooops. Dyslexia - I read it backwards.