stuff we did AZ: taliesin west

We checked out the digs of the great American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. If you asked our tour guide, she would tell you he was much more than an architect ... that he's basically responsible for the invention of football stadiums and the stealth bomber and aisle lighting and all sorts of jazz. (Right, Dede?)

Whether or not he deserves the credit, I do appreciate Frank's influence immensely. He had both vision and drive. To put things in perspective, he was born one year after the Civil War ended. However, I will say that I find that his residential interiors are often cramped and dark. That's just my opinion. I think I borrowed it from my sister.

Taliesin West offers a nice departure from the current. When you're there, you feel like you're far away and it allows you to experience Taliesin as Wright's peers might have at the time of its construction in 1937. I really enjoyed the way the open, desert landscape complements the complex's long, flowing structure. And I always love his color choices: minimal blues popping against oranges, reds and yellows.


p.s. I think the next Wes Anderson film should be based on FLW. Wes could go crazy with the architectural aesthetics---the cherokee red details. The central male figure would be a somewhat conflicted and passionate character (and s.o.b, to put it frankly) and he could throw in a bunch of interns, just like those in The Life Aquatic. My understanding is that Taliesin was built by interns using handmade tools, who paid Wright for the experience of working by his side. The estranged children already exist within Wright's story, as does the flamboyant disregard for financial responsibility. Plus, Angelica Houston would make a nice Olgivanna type. It's perfect, don't you think? Thanks to C and James for making the connection.

p.p.s. "Don't point that gun at him. He's an unpaid intern." --Steve Zissou

.