This is Frank Lloyd Wright

This Is...

by Ian Volner, Michael Kirkham (Illustrator)

Frank Lloyd Wright wasn't just an architect. He was a prophet, a poseur; a beloved teacher, a failed businessman. During his long, eventful life he experienced both incredible misfortune and great success.

This Is Frank Lloyd Wright brings his projects and persona into vivid focus. Wit and visual punch have been the hallmarks of the This Is series to date; the first architectural title in the series will give readers an up-close look at Wright's progress from difficult childhood, to struggling apprenticeship, to early success, through mid-life setbacks and on to late-life comeback.

Beautiful specially commissioned illustrations documenting the important events in his life sit alongside photographs of Wright's most iconic buildings (including Fallingwater and New York's Guggenheim Museum).

Genres: Biography, Architecture, Nonfiction, Art

80 pages, Hardcover

Published August 30, 2016

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and and hypocritical humility. I chose the latter and have seen no reason to change"--Wright

Here's a short, 3 minute biographical video accompanying Simon and Garfunkel's song about the iconic architect who might be the only one most people could off the top of their head name:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUPG_...

Wright has been the subject of many scholarly works, but also of novels, some of them that focus on "his women," such as T. Coraghessen Boyle's The Women, or Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan, which was inspired in part by a quote from Mamah Borthwick Cheney from her diary, justifying her affair with the married Wright: "I have been standing on the side of life, watching it float by. I want to swim in the river. I want to feel the current."

Wright's many affairs seem to be one of the contemporary foci of much writing about Wright, while not ignoring aspects of his presumptive genius or other controversies about his artistic/professional life. Art historian Volner's book, one of the great board-books-for-adults artist biography series edited by Catherine Ingram, is attractively illustrated by Michael Kirkham. I think I get the point of the series about the artists; they don't clean them up and romanticize them (such as the above goofy song) (that I love, anyway). They present them with all their warts and outrages, they don't ignore their personal/professional complications, and they show their triumphs and chicanery. This book fits the series. And it is one of a few very good introductions to his life and work.

I lived in Madison, WI near Taliesen and now live in Oak Park, one of the most "architecturally significant" places in the country, in part because Wright lived here and designed here a lot of houses and the newly restored Unity Temple. (Yes, I recommend the tour, which happens daily. And yep, Hemingway's house is just around the corner). Wright is no saint, but he's made a significant contribution to architecture and life.

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I believe in God, only I spell it ‘Nature’.”

You can tell that a lot of thought and effort has gone into the presentation of this, its short, but yet informative and engaging. This is furnished with some really nice, clean pastel driven art work which at times gives the feel of a Wes Anderson movie. There are also some good quality photographs too, which gives a well-rounded balance to the shape of this book.

[Ahaana Bhargava · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly didn't know who Frank Lloyd Wright was but this book was so much fun to read - and omg i ADORED the illustrations!! also it's non-fiction - and this was my second non-fiction book of the month - so i'm really kicking off my 2021 goals haha

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more a book with illustrations, photographs and text rather than a graphic novel. The book is a biography of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, focusing on his private life and his inspirations as well his architectural creations . The book does a good job of creating a narrative arc of his life interspersed with his buildings showing how his thinking changed over a period of time affected by art, his personal life, his travels and the natural environment around him.

[Evgheni Costov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book doesn't touch much upon the details of FLW's architectural style or techniques. It's a biographical overview of his life with cool illustrations to support them.

If you are new to FLW this little book is a great starting point.

[Sophy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short but informative read on the influential architect.

Turns out Wright was a bit of a philandering shit!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, charming biography of the architect. This book manages to convey the essential facts and ideas of the man's life and work. The differences in Wright's approach to architecture over the years are well drawn, and put in their historical contexts, with a nod to those architects whose work influenced Wright.

The book manages to balance praise and criticism, both of Wright's designs and of his life choices. Unlike nearly every other book about the man I've seen, it does not contain photographs of the famous buildings or other designs; instead, it is illustrated in a clear and pleasant style.

All in all, if you are a fan of, or at least interested in, Wright's work, reading this will be a pleasant way to spend an hour, and you may learn something new about him.

[Nick Woodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, especially with all the photographs and drawings. They really made this book come alive. A great mini-history of Frank Lloyd Wright and his work. I learned a lot about him from reading this book.

[Scott Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be a great starting point to learn about Frank Loyd Wright. Beautifully illustrated, it certainly could have used more pictures of actual works my Wright. Enjoyable read.

[Lisa Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun little book. Easy read. I would have liked even more images of Wright's work.

[William Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Lloyd Wright lived a life! I’ve always heard of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Famous American Architect, but his life story, details and scandals were all a mystery to me until I read Volner’s book. Wright was the pioneer of Organic architecture, where he used his surroundings to build a dwelling that would grow seamlessly with it’s outdoor environment. Some of his best and most famous works such as Taliesin, Fallingwater and Robie House are clear examples of this architectural movement.

When I read about his extra-marital affairs and scandals, I was surprised at how this man was one of a few people during the late 1800s and early 1900s to live his life the way he wanted to irrespective of what anybody else thought. Although I look down upon some of the misdeeds he committed such as abandoning his children to travel to Europe and cheating on his first wife, Kitty, I also grew to respect his individualism and how he was proud to stand out from everybody else. What he created and gave to the world is something no one else has been able to achieve now or since.

This book was concise, direct and imaginative with it’s illustrations and again, similar to the Dali and Matisse books, this series just lures you in and never lets you go. I love Fallingwater, The Unity Temple, Robie House, The Larkin Administration Building (demolished in 1950), Taliesin, Taliesin West, and the Guggenheim. I also liked his furniture details in some of his projects such as his hanging light fixtures from The Unity Temple to his art glass windows he used for Robie House and the Avery Coonley Playhouse. I learned in this book that Wright also had commissions to build houses in California such as the Ennis House, which I did not know about. I also learned that in the late 50s, he also had a commission to build an opera house in downtown Baghdad in Iraq, which unfortunately had to be scrapped at the last minute because of the death of King Faisal II.

With all of this said, I do have one gripe that I have with the book. I was expecting a page or two on one of the most significant projects Wright had in the 1930s. Wright was working on this project and got to complete the majority of this commission and it was for Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL, home to the largest single site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world. This was his first educational institution that he built and it was in Florida, which shows how he was expanding his movement to other parts of America. This project required Volner’s attention and a place in this book.

Other than that, the life of Wright was an interesting and unique one. Wright’s life was definitely not boring. I love his contribution to the world and I’m proud to say I am a fan of Mr. Wright’s work.

P.S. One thing I noticed about Frank Lloyd Wright and Salvador Dali that they have in common is how they both believed in their own immortality. They were right.

[Rich Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew very little about what made a Frank Lloyd Wright house a Frank Lloyd Wright house before this book, but I “get” it now, thanks to the descriptions and accompanying images of his signature designs. I think I prefer Ingram’s writing in the series over Volner in general, mainly because I felt like I had to read these pages twice sometimes for it to sink it, but that could also be that I’m more comfortable with artwork than architecture.

[Pınar Tınaztepe Kaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hep Kitap'ın "İşte Sanat" serisinin 17 kitabından biri olan bu kitap, şuana kadar okuduğum sanatçılar arasındaki en sıkıcı olanlarından bana göre. Açıkçası bu ana kadar Frank Lloyd Wright'tan ve O'nun bir mimar olduğundan haberim yoktu. Bu açıdan yeni bir şey öğrenmiş oldum ve bu benim için bir artı.
Frank Lloyd Wright'ın çalkantılı ve sansasyonel yaşamı ile mimarî başarısına zaman zaman gölge düşürse de hayatının son anına kadar üretmekten ve çalışmaktan vazgeçmemiş.

[Emine · Rating 5 out of 5]

İşte sanat serisi kitaplarının bir bölümünü okudum, kitapların boyutları, ciltleri, çizimleri ve sanatçıların orijinal eserlerinin kitap sayfasındaki resimleri oldukça güzel. Serinin bu kitabında da mimar wright inceleniyor ve onun evlerinin çizimleri ve fotoğrafları da oldukça güzel. İlgilenenlere bu seriyi tavsiye ederim.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome writing and illustrations that bring out Wright’s character in a witty (slightly sardonic?) but still compassionate way. It’s so funny and revealing that “the very dimensions of his interiors were scaled to suit not the client, but Wright himself”, such a self-centred genius, which explains a lot of seemingly contradicting traits existing within a single man

[Marianna Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small but mighty book dedicated to the biography of one of America’s most influential architects. Although the book explores his architecture-and especially glad it featured Fallingwater and the Guggenheim—this remain a biography with a scattering of architectural discuss and is brimming with photos and illustrations.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really nice biography and introduction to the works of Wright, with lovely whimsical illustrations and drawings. I think it's intended for older children, possibly junior high or so, but I think it presents a lot of great info in a very accessible and lovely way.

[Martin Majna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very nice and fast to read. Illustrations and photographies are very well balanced and beautiful to look at. The only disappointment is that I have found that my favorite architect was not as idyllic as a human as I thought.

[Clau P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro, muy buen resumen de la vida de FLW y con ilustraciones preciosas.
Great book to learn more about FLW's life with beautiful illustrations.

[Hannah Mcclennen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. I LOVE his work but didn’t have much background on him as a person. So very well written. Id love to read other books on him to see how it compares.

[Steve Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned much about Wright I did not know. Quite a story.

[A. Reiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good. An approachable summary of an innovator. One thing I would have liked was more pics of his work.

[Emmie · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a narcissistic man. The illustrations are nice.

[Stephanie Rathgeber]

Volner, I., & Kirkham, M. (2016). This is Frank Lloyd Wright. London: Laurence King Publishing.

Citation by Stephanie Rathgeber

Type of Reference: Biography

Call Number: B WRI

Content/Scope: The book covers the life, competitive spirit, and architectural work of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Accuracy/Authority/Bias: This book was positively reviewed in School Library Journal (October 2016.)

Arrangement/Presentation: The book covers Wright's work as both an artist and an architect. It included quotes from both Wright and his family. It is beautifully illustrated and it also utilizes actual work by Wright in it's graphic visuals.

Relation to Similar Works: This book is part of the "This is" series that highlights notable people throughout history. This is the first time an architect has been featured in the series.

Timeliness/Permanence: This book was published in August of 2016, so it is very modern an up to date. However, this book has a timeless appeal because the information is historical and will not change over time.

Accessibility/Diversity: This book is geared toward students in grades 9 and up. It will appeal to art students as well as students who are interested in pursuing a career in architecture. This boo could be used in research related to history, social studies, math, or art. It is accessible to all students.

Cost: $15.95