transforming the American mind Rahmani, Ayad B. creator author. text bibliography lau 2023 monographic eng

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xx, 324 p. : ill. ; plans ; 25cm. "Frank Lloyd Wright and Ralph Waldo Emerson: Transforming the American Mind is an interdisciplinary volume of literary and cultural scholarship that examines the link between two pivotal intellectual and artistic figures, probing how the author's writings influenced the architect's campaign against dominant strains of American thought. Inspired by Emerson's writings on the need to align exterior expression with interior self, Wright believed that architecture was not first and foremost a matter of accommodating spatial needs, but a tool to restore intellectual and artistic freedom, long lost in the process of modernization. Ayad Rahmani shows that Emerson's writings provide an avenue for interpreting Wright's complex approach to country and architecture. The two thinkers cohered around a common concern for a nation derailed by forces that were not only nefarious, but which also flew in the face of the country's original promise. In Emerson's condemnations of slavery and inequality, Wright found inspiration for seeking redress against the humiliations suffered by the modern worker, be it at the hands of an industrial manager or office boss. His designs sought to challenge dehumanizing labor practices and open minds to the beauty and science of agriculture and the natural world. Emerson's example helped Wright develop architecture that aimed less at accommodating a culture of clients and more at raising national historical awareness while also arguing for humane and equitable policies. As evidence of these interventions, Rahmani details the genesis of recent developments in urban agriculture, rooftop gardens, and cohousing. Frank Lloyd Wright and Ralph Waldo Emerson presents a new approach to two vital thinkers whose impact on American society remains evident to this day"-- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS …. ix -- PREFACE …. Xi -- ACKNOWLEDMENTS …. Xvii -- Introduction 1 -- 1. Of Prophets, Heroes & Poets 41 -- 2. On the Brink of Fear: The Sublime in Wright’s Work 79 -- 3. Designing for a New Ocular Regime 120 -- 4. The Loss of Perspective in Broadacre City 164 -- 5. Black & Blue: Mental and Physical Furniture 208 -- 6. The Guggenheim and the Physics of Continuity 242 -- NOTES 281 -- BIBLIOGRAPHY 303 -- INDEX 313 -- ILLUSTRATIONS: 1. Heurtley House, Oak Park, Illinois, 1902 …. 23 -- 2. Main entrance at Taliesin, Spring Green, Wisconsin, 1911 …. 64 -- 3. Taliesin floor plan …. 64 -- 4. Textile concrete blocks, Millard House, Los Angeles, California, 1923 …. 68 -- 5. Toufic H. Kalil House, Manchester, New Hampshire, 1955 …. 90 -- 6. Homeless man in Hooverville, Seattle, Washington, 1931 …. 93 -- 7. Herbert Jacobs House, Madison, Wisconsin, 1936 …. 96 -- 8. Fallingwater, Mill Run, Pennsylvania, 1936 …. 103 -- 9. Lily Pad columns in the Great Workroom at the Johnson Wax Head-quarters, Racine, Wisconsin, 1936 …. 107 -- 10. Wright with officials at the testing of the Lily Pad columns, Johnson Wax site …. 108 -- 11. Hemicycle dining nook, Winslow House, River Forest, Illinois, 1893 …. 108 -- 12. Front Facade of the Winslow House …. 126 -- 13. Clerestory windows, Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois, 1908 …. 130 -- 14. Skylights, Unity Temple …. 131 -- 15. The Ancient Days, by William Blake, 1794 …. 132 -- 16. Living room at Fallingwater …. 143 -- 17. Corner Window at Fallingwater …. 146 -- 18. Singleton House, Beverly Hills, California, 1959 …. 147 -- 19. Built-in furniture in the great living room at Taliesin …. 151 -- 20. Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouveau (Pavilion of the New Spirit), by Le Corbusier, Paris, France, 1924 …. 155 -- 21. Interior Perspective of Robie House, Chicago, Illinois, 1906 …. 158 -- 22. Exterior view of Robie House …. 158 -- 23. Pencil perspective drawing showing the key components of Broadacre City …. 166 -- 24. A zoomed-in view of the wheel on the car in Broadacre City …. 169 -- 25. Top-down view of the model constructed of Broadacre City in the 1930s …. 173 -- 26. Swivel chairs at the Larkin Building, Buffalo, New York, 1906 …. 189 -- 27. Inglenook in Wright’s Oak Park Home and studio, 1889 …. 204 -- 28. Flower in the Crannied Wall sculpture, now located at Taliesin …. 206 -- 29. Martin House reception room, Buffalo, New York, 1905 …. 209 -- 30. Taliesin’s inner court and main entrance, 1911 …. 214 -- 31. Built-in couch at the Hollyhock House, Los Angeles, California, 1921 …. 218 -- 32. Built-in dining table at the Robert Berger House, San Anselmo, California, 1957 …. 219 -- 33. Dining chairs and table at Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio, Oak Park, Illinois, 1889 …. 225 -- 34. The Great Workroom chair at the Johnson Wax Headquarters …. 227 -- 35. Composition VIII, by Vasily Kandinsky, 1923 …. 254 -- 36. Exterior of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 1959 …. 256 -- 37. Inoportune: Stage One, by Cai Guo-Qiang, 2004 …. 270 -- 38. Japanese screens in the living room at Taliesin …. 273 -- Ayad Rahmani. Includes bibliographical references and index. Wright, Frank Lloyd 1867-1959 Criticism and interpretation Emerson, Ralph Waldo 1803-1882 Influence Architecture and society United States History 20th century Criticism and interpretation Influence Literary, artistic, etc History Influence NA737.W7 R25 2023 720.92 9780807179802 9780807180945 9780807180938 pucpr 230316 20240429143538.0 eng