Frank Lloyd Wright : America's Master Architect

by Kathryn Smith

A comprehensive and affordable view of the master architect's entire oeuvre, including private residences, public buildings, furnishings, and decorative pieces. This diminutive survey features all aspects of Wright's art, from lowslung Prairie houses to the dramatic, seminal Fallingwater, to larger projects such as his two homes, Taliesin and Taliesin West, culminating in that icon of modernism, New York's Guggenheim Museum. This satisfying volume is complete with drawings and rarely seen works from Wright's own Asian art collection.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Kathryn Smith is the author of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin and Taliesin West (1997) and Frank Lloyd Wright, Hollyhock House, and Olive Hill: Buildings and Projects for the Aline Barnsdall (1992). Smith is former Professor of Architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

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Reviews

[Max Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short review, but an excellent and digestible read. It includes nicely in-depth chronicling of Wright's career and includes beautiful and rare photographs of unbuilt projects which shed a fascinating light onto Wright's unseen works.

Most significantly to me, it covers Wright's love for Asian art and especially Japanese woodblock (ukiyo-e) prints, a handful of which (from his own collection) I have interacted with myself. It reflects my own fascination with Japanese and Asian art and philosophical connection to its focus on nature as a part of life, not just a collection of flora and fauna. At the end of the book is a collection of recommended readings to further knowledge of Wright and his formative inspirations, which I found very helpful. Overall a quick read, but also a very accessible and very in-depth reference.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content was okay, but the real value is in the pictures.

[theStorykeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that they describe the Monona Terrace Civic Center as being unbuilt, when although it wasn't built while Wright was alive, it was finally built in 1997.

[Sławomir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book about Lloyd and I think I couldn't get better. Short overview of most important works with many photos.

[John of Canada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning architecture, wonderful photographs, nice commentary. Well done.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely, well-designed overview. Each section began with one (large) page of text of historical background and then it was on to pages of photos and sketches. A great, visual jumping-off point for Frank Lloyd Wright.