TALIESIN FELLOWS NORTHERN The Norcal Website CALIFORNIA Develops ur website project continues apace and we are looking NEWSLETTER O for new material to show on the Internet. We have changed our Internet address to WWW.MIDGLEN.COM / NUMBER 10, FEBRUARY 20 1999 NCFELLOWS with Midglen continuing to act as our headquar- ters. We are in the process of creating links to our site through other organizations and we have been looking for a “Search” engine to bring attention to our location. We also plan to publish our Newsletter on the Website to add to the entertainment and information value of what we can of- fer. We would like to see some effort from our members in provid- ing material for this project. Since many of our members are not on-line as yet,we print a smattering of our current materials featuring work by Fellow Richard Keding as a sample. Keding who lives in Santa Rosa, was born and grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. He was inspired to apprenticeship with Wright through early familiarity with the houses on the streets of Oak Park. His view is that Organic Architecture is not at all related to that of the past, and is concerned not with composition but with interrelationships. It generates fluid forms and assymetrical arrangements that create possibilities not yet fully explored in architecture.. He was apprenticed at Taliesin 1958-60; 63-70. Fellow Richard Keding’s recent creation of an elegant country house in Sonoma County, CA. Meetings We’ve turned over the critic’s corner this The Northern California Fellows will issue to the hand of Frank Laraway of Silverhill, Alabama, who was apprenticed hold our annual meeting at to FLLW in 1958 and1959. Midglen Headquarters Saturday, June 5, 1999 at 2 p.m. We’ll con- Frank has contributed to several earlier issues of the Newsletter. duct some business and we’ll fire up the pizza oven for a party in To the loyal friends of FLLW and Organic celebration of the Architecture: birthday of FLLW. Am I alone in my very negative reaction and as- sessment of Ken Burn’s recent TV essay on the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright? Did anyone else notice the general import of the distortions, the half- We have learned that the truths and the backhanded put-down of his life and Taliesin Fellows in Los Angeles work? Does anyone dare speak out against this have scheduled an event for highly touted but misleading video essay of his life, philosophy and works? Wright’s birthday at Eric Wright’s Malibu place tentatively set for The selections of the various periods of his life, the June 6. We will coordinate the dreary black and white views of old work, the un- fortunate old photos, TV interviews of even his aged events and change dates as face, gave one a most negative impression of the necessary to enable man himself. The obsession with his amorous af- participation at both fairs, marriages, divorces, his personal mistakes, his financial woes, all gave the impression that they lit- venues. erally dominated his life and work. Even when he was out of architectural commissions, he was de- We’ll keep you informed. signing, building, writing and doing great things while the program would lead you to believe that he was dead in the mud. The use of all of his surviving old enemies-of-Or- ganic-Architeture (Scully, Johnson, Gill) along with many others of the new literary/academic critics like Levine,Cronon, et al, to tell what it was all about, was like wolves in a chicken house. They went on and on about their assessments of the man and his architecture, spending many precious minutes showing us and rationalizing about The International Style of architecture, the movement so hated by Mr. Wright. This time could have been better uti- lized to show more contemporay pictures of his work to not only illustrate its consistent good qual- ity but its broad scope of character. The camera FURTHERING THE PRINCIPLES OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT reviews the same buildings over and over. The lim- ited comments by some of his old apprentices dwelt more on his mythical character and his idiosyncra- sies than on a more realistic interpretation of his life and philosophy. There were many anecdotal ac- counts present to the neglect of his positive ideas about beauty, Nature, Unity, Architecture and Reli- gion. We heard nothing about the unit system of design, his ornament system, his concepts of con- tinuity of structure, inside-to-out architecture and his theory of graphics and many more. continued 2 critic’s corner CEO Nick Muller Responds So much of everyone and everything else, comparative analysis and little of the thing on Taliesin itself. This type of historical and philosophical Alumni Association revisionism is very characteristic of the media at this time. It is a media bent on Following our inquiry on the future role of Taliesin Fellows in an sensationalistic entertainment rather than enlightenment. Surely a man of this ge- Alumni relationship with Taliesin, Nick Muller, CEO and President nius, along with his historical mentor of the Frank Lloyd Foundation, has responded by way of answer- Jefferson, do not deserve the portrait that ing a similar query from the Taliesin Fellows in Los Angeles. the media, either by ignorance or intent have put upon them. If we would be the Following the recommendations of Dick Carney, former CEO, for true admirers of the two greatest men of American history, we all would do well to recognition of the Taliesin Fellows as the “official” alumni organi- devote more time in reading their biogra- zation of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Muller has come to phies, especially their personal writings regard the “step as more important and well worth the energy of about their ideas and life. Their critics have the Foundation”. Muller contemplates establishing an “alumni of- never really appreciated their lives, indeed were always putting them down. Now fice at Taliesin West charged with providing basic administrative they are the experts to feed the public functions, maintaining an accurate mailing list and roster, helping to these distortions and negative opinions. work on the Newsletter and JournalJournal, helping coordinate and ad- minister the reunions, providing administrative support for the alumni Do not fall, without at least a critical re- board or council, and other activities as appropriate.” view, for this anointed video cup of hot spit. -- Frank Laraway An alumni council would rep- resent the views and interests of the alumni and take the bits and pieces by archie tekker lead in securing alumni sup- port for the institution. The Foundation would make a Closing Soon Muenning and other followers of modest investment in this en- Architect Bruce Goff are featured. deavor with the current organi- An exhibition billed as SEEDS OF zations in California and else- Looks like we missed out on INSPIRATION, celebrating the past, where participating as chapters. present and future of Northern this one — perhaps it’s more Goffish than Wrightish. California Organic Art and Archi- A meeting with Directors of the tecture continues through Febru- ______________________________________________ ary 27 at the Canessa Gallery, 708 Los Angeles Fellows and CEO Montgomery Street, San Francisco. Muller and Bill Mimms, CEO of The Hanna House the Taliesin Architects was held Architects and artists include a Restoration at Taliesin West on the weekend number of former Taliesin appren- of February 13. Bob Beharka, tices including Arthur Dyson, Barry The Sunday Chronicle entertainment Northern California Fellows trea- Peterson, Daniel Lieberman, Ling section recently reported that the surer who also serves currently Po, Lee Ward and Charles Sholten Hanna House in Palo Alto will be open on the board of directors of both some of whom are members of for public tours beginning in groups reports little substantial the Northern CaliforniaTaliesin April,1999. Let us test their mettle progress was made at the week- Fellows. Work by Jack Hillmer and and plan a meeting of the Fellows Warren Callister is also on display. sometime after the opening. end meeting, although discus- Crafts in lighting, stained and sions on the possibilites of an —Don Palmer leaded glass, photography, and Alumni Association as a part of original designs by Mickey We’ll check it out and pass the word. the Talisein Foundation organiza- tion were explored. 3 & Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, on the Taliesin Fellows and topic “Apprenticeship to Accreditation, The FLLW School of Architecture and Carnegie CMU to Stage FLLW Mellon University. The afternoon schedule will feature a FLLW Film Festival and exhibits of Pittsburgh Event apprentice architecture, work by Val M. Cox, Heloise Crista,and Susan Jacobs Lockhart, at various venues in the city. There is also sched- itled “When Past is Future: Frank Lloyd uled an open house and reception at the home Wright’s Taliesin Legacy Continues....” a T and studio of Taliesin Fellow Gerald Lee joint effort by Taliesin Fellows, Architrave, a Morosco who maintains his office in Pittsburgh. charitable foundation of AIA Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Founda- The fifth day provides time for optional tours to tion will sponsor a symnposium June 23-27 in Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob and Bernston’s Giles Pittsburgh, PA. Residence. Students in architecture at Carnegie-Mellon Fellows and members desiring to participate or University and the Frank Lloyd Wright School attend the symposium can obtain further details of Architecture will present an exhibition of from Fellow Jerry Morosco at [email protected] or the culmination of a semester of work study- phone 412-431-4347, 50 South 15th Street, ing organic architecture under the leadership Pittsburgh, PA 14203.