Frank Lloyd Wright
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Wright is the cornerstone of modern American architecture.
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A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his client to plant vine.
Portrait taken in 1926
Source: Library of Congress, cph.3a36793
Short biography
Wright grew up in the state of Wisconsin, whose landscape minted his architecture. This landscape was his main inspiration in finding a new, modern and contemporary architectural exression for America, independent from outdated European conventions.
After a few years work in the office of Adler and Sullivan in Chicago he established his own studio in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1893. He built his characteristic stretched prairie houses, consisting of a centrally placed chimney around which emerged an open plan. These houses were a huge success, so around the turn of the century they echoed over the Atlantic unto the old world. There, his buildings ignited the inspiration of local architects in their quest for a modern and contemporary European architecture for the 20. century.
In 1911 he moved his family and studio to Spring Green, Wisconsin, where he built the housing complex called 'Taliesin': it was self sufficient - fully equiped with a farm, living-, working- and leisure-quarters. Taliesin ist welsh for 'shining brow' - and that's exactly what the complex on the hill in the prairie was supposed to be.
Taliesin became a Summer residence from 1937 on, since Wright together with family and studio flew from the icy cold prairie Winters to regularly move to 'Taliesin West' near Scottsdale, Arizona, in the US-Southwest.
In the early 20. century he backed away from his prairie style to explore new designs in his own distinct way. Think of the mushroom-like roof of the Johnson Wax Company. He finally created those two icons of 20. century architecture: 'Fallingwater' house in Pennsylvania and the Guggenheim museum in New York city. The Usonian house and Broadacre City were his new hope designed as a counter against an egoistic Amerika.
Well, how might it have been to work under Wright's supervision? Some sources speak of slavery. Well, after Taliesin burnt a second time (once the living quarters, then the farm - but never his studio) he saw it as a sign: God may have questioned his character, but never his work!