Friday, July 22, 2011

Why Fallingwater Still Matters 75 Years Later


Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, especially in the arts. Paint, sculpt, or build it right and others will try to follow your path. That truth makes Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic home known as Fallingwater unique in that it has never been copied. “Fallingwater has no progeny,” Lynda Waggoner writes in Fallingwater, published to celebrate the 75th year of the home’s existence. “It is a singular work that appeared almost without warning, its legacy difficult to define.” Despite that difficulty, Waggoner and other essayists define the legacy of Fallingwater by looking back to its origin in 1936 and then looking forward to how Wright’s integration of artifice and nature continues to matter, maybe more now than ever. Please come over to Picture This at Big Think to read more of "Why Fallingwater Still Matters 75 Years Later."

[Image: View of Fallingwater from below second falls. © Christopher Little from Fallingwater by Lynda Waggoner, Rizzoli 2011.]

[Many thanks to Rizzoli for providing me with the image above and a review copy of Fallingwater by Lynda Waggoner.]

2 comments:

Hels said...

I think all architectural historians should visit. The house, garden and tour guide were all fantastic.

Of course Fallingwater was integrally tied into its exact geographic location. Wright literally looked for his inspiration in nature, leading to both the layering in the house’s design AND the intentional non-disturbance of natural elements, whether they irritated the householders or not.

So I agree that Fallingwater was not hugely popular as a role model for future homes, and I am suggesting it was because this house may have been a difficult model for ordinary humans to live in. I would love to know what the Kaufmanns thought about living there.

Nina Winters Sculptures said...

Such a fantastic home. I love how he always incorporated nature into his work. I am a sculptor, and also went to Cornell for architecture, and I have such an appreciation for the mix of natural elements and design. I build a home myself in the woods of New Hampshire to be closer to nature. You have a fantastic blog, thank you for sharing! I would be honored if you would visit my blog about my sculptures: http://ninawinters.blogspot.com