Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Frank Owen Gehry

December 30, 2023December 30, 2023 ~ humoringthegoddess ~ 12 Comments

Frank Owen Gehry is a Canadian-American architect, residing in Los Angeles, California.

Born in Canada in 1929, Gehry attended the University of Southern California and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Binoculars Building (Chiat/Day Building), Venice, California.

Gehry is among the most acclaimed architects of the 20th century, and is known for his use of bold, postmodern shapes and unusual fabrications.

Museum of Pop Culture, Seattlle, Washington

His selection of materials lend some of Gehry’s designs an unfinished or even crude aesthetic.

Use of corrugated steel, chain-link fencing, unpainted plywood, and other utilitarian or “everyday” materials was partly inspired by spending Saturday mornings at his grandfather’s hardware store.

New York at 8 Spruce Street, New York City

This consistent aesthetic has made Gehry one of the most distinctive and easily recognizable designers of the recent past.

“I am not a ‘star-chitect’, I am an ar-chitect,” he has said. “There are people who design buildings that are not technically and financially good, and there are those who do. Two categories, simple.”

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California

More of Frank Owen Gehry can be found at https://www.archisoup.com/frank-gehry and https://www.moma.org/artists/2108.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Friedensreich Hundertwasser

November 13, 2022 ~ humoringthegoddess ~ 13 Comments

Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928 –2000) was an Austrian artist and architect who spent his whole career championing the curve of organic nature against the straight line.

Children’s Day-Care Centre Heddernheim, Frankfurt, Germany

Born Friedrich Stowasser in 1928, the Viennese artist most commonly known as Friedensreich Hundertwasser (or ‘Kingdom-of-Peace Hundred-Water’) started his artistic revolution by adopting a new name.

Even though Hundertwasser first achieved notoriety for his boldly-colored paintings, he is more widely known for his individual architectural designs.

Kuchlbauer Tower, Lower Bavaria, Germany

The common themes in his work utilize bright colors, organic forms, a reconciliation of humans with nature, and a strong individualism.

From the mid 70s, all his amazing buildings were ergonomically curved and ecologically integrated with natural features of the landscape.

There are no corners, edges or straight lines. Instead, there is the courage to create organic forms, colors, joy, and include the human dimension – living works of art.

Hundertwasserbrunnen Fountain, Zwettl, Austria

Many of his creations highlighted architecture with uneven floors, unique windows, and spontaneous vegetation.

Hundertwasser stood out as an opponent of “a straight line” and any standardization, expressing this concept in the field of building design.

Ronald McDonald Kindervallei, Valkenburg, Netherlands

More of Friedensreich Hundertwasser‘s amazing architecture can be found at https://hundertwasser.com/ and https://www.touropia.com/hundertwasser-architecture/.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Antoni Gaudi

May 2, 2021May 2, 2021 ~ humoringthegoddess ~ 17 Comments

Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) was a Catalan architect whose distinctive style is characterized by freedom of form, voluptuous color and texture, and organic unity.

Gaudí was born in Catalonia on the Mediterranean coast of Spain on June 25, 1852. He showed an early interest in architecture and went to study in Barcelona — Spain’s most modern city at the time.

Once he got his degree in architecture in 1878, Gaudí began working on larger projects.

He soon became one of the most sought-after architects, and began taking on larger commissions, leaving behind many other one-of-a-kind works in Barcelona.

Gaudí’s work was influenced by his passions in life: architecture, nature, and religion.

He considered every detail of his creations and integrated into his architecture such crafts as ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry.

Under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the Modernista movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Gaudí’s was highly innovative in terms of his explorations of structure, searching through a variety of regional styles before seizing on the parabolic, hyperbolic, and catenary masonry forms and inclined columns that he developed through weighted models in his workshop.

These are often integrated with natural and highly symbolic religious imagery that encrust the structure with vibrant, colorful surfaces.

More of Antoni Gaudi‘s work can be found at https://www.casabatllo.es/en/antoni-gaudi/ and https://sagradafamilia.org/en/antoni-gaudi/.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Frank Lloyd Wright

May 31, 2020 ~ humoringthegoddess ~ 13 Comments

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was an architect and writer whose distinct style helped him became one of the biggest forces in American architecture.

Wright started his own firm and developed a style known as the “Prairie School”, which strove for an “organic architecture” in designs for homes and commercial buildings.

These were single-story homes with low, pitched roofs and long rows of casement windows, employing only locally available materials and wood that was always unstained and unpainted, emphasizing its natural beauty.

Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture.

As a founder of organic architecture, Wright played a key role in the architectural movements of the twentieth century, influencing three generations of architects worldwide through his works.

Wright designed original and innovative offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, museums, and other structures. He often designed interior elements for these buildings, as well, including furniture and stained glass.

Considered one of the most radical architects in history, Wright used revolutionary building technologies and materials and experimented with using the natural landscape as part of his designs.

Wright was a great originator and a highly productive architect. He designed some 800 buildings, of which 380 were actually built and a number are still standing.

You can find out more about Frank Lloyd Wright at https://franklloydwright.org.

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