I was prompted to write my first blog on Frank Lloyd Wright because I appreciate something that is both useful and beautiful at the same time. To me, his works are the first works of art in our book that have a use other than to be pleasing to the eye/mind.
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| Robie House |
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| Fallingwater |
A house is obviously useful. It provides shelter and i'm sure the houses built by Frank Lloyd Wright do an excellent job of providing shelter, but they are so much more than just structures. They are themselves beautiful, masterfully crafted works of art. I am very impressed with the first impressions I get when viewing his works. I see a finely designed and crafted building which holds my eye for much longer than a glance. I see two parts, the setting and the structure, which go together like summer and the beach. I appreciate the way the colors of the house coincide perfectly with the feeling of the surrounding landscape. In his works, Wright extensively used the cantilever, which is a beam supported at only one end. This technique reminds me of things found in nature such as the water in a waterfall or a sheet of rock hanging over a cliff. Wright claimed, "To use any material wrongly is to abuse the integrity of the whole design." I believe this belief is what makes his works of art so peaceful yet stimulating.
