Down Home Wright - Taliesin

Every Frank Lloyd Wright space I've seen prior to this one has been built for someone else: private commissions like Fallingwater and the Kentuck Knob home in Pennsylvania, or public spaces such as the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, California. They we're designed and built to please others. Taliesin is all about Wright himself: it was built for and by him and his family as an escape from Wisconsin winters.

Every inch of the site reflects FLW, from the height and narrowness of his doorways and low ceilings (some of which were modified after his death to accommodate those taller than Wright’s 5’8”) to the use of cheap, plentiful building materials: local rock, sand, cement, canvas, and plywood.

Wright is often cited as the father of site-specific architecture; Tallesin is a fine example of that, and also very telling about the man. The impression is of a powerful personality, highly egotistical and self-referential, more interested in form than function. By Wright's own admission, he banged his knees more on his own furniture than anything else. The rooms are showcases for interesting, if somewhat awkward, furniture and seating arrangement angles. Views took precedence over comfort, as did the way the piece looked rather than felt.

Wright admired and used plentiful, available materials, evidenced by his appreciation of simple rocks, turned red by centuries underground or sun-blasted black for an equal amount of time. Apprentices - his students -  labored beside him to hoist boulders into cement and sand forms to create dramatic walls while all, including Wright and his long-suffering wife - lived in tents among the scorpions and sagebrush.

 


All the Wright-designed properties I've visited have significant structural flaws (often water-induced leaks), as does Taliesin. The relentless Arizona sun and dust have combined to weather the property, rendering it a bit shabbier than expected, though Wright's placement of viewing sites and water features remains flawless. His sound design in the small cabaret is nothing short of brilliant.

The school of architecture, which still exists today, was Wright's wife's idea - an income source that utilized the site and gave opportunity to the eager young students who saw the value in Wright's idea of creating human habitations as art that enhanced and blended in with the nature around it.

Don't expect a polished property - this is a desert dwelling in every sense of the word, as eccentric and unique as Wright himself. 

Taliesin
12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.
(if using GPS, the address is 12345 N. Taliesin Dr.)
Scottsdale, AZ 85259

http://franklloydwright.org/taliesin-west/

A Really (Really!) Short Trip to Phoenix

These are glass Dale Chihuly "cacti"

Journeyed out on a brief trip to visit my friend who moved to Phoenix recently, and her dentist. I meet with and approve all my friends' service providers. No, I really was visiting her dentist because some expensive procedures cost about 1/3 less there than in the Bay Area--and that includes two round-trip flights! The main drawback is the Phoenix airport; due to runway rebuilding, three of my four flights were delayed between one and three hours. Flight personnel clued me to the best terminal to hang out in (if you HAVE to): Southwest Airlines (Terminal 4)--better restaurants, art etc. If you're going there, fly as early as possible in the morning.

We were able to do a little sight-seeing during my visit; unfortunately being outside for more than 10 minutes during the day is not something sane people do there (unless completely submerged in cold water), so the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was saved for another day. We toured the tiny town of Florence--its few western-style streets looked like a cowboy movie set deserted in mid-day--and visited its well-stocked second-hand store that had some real treasures.

Outdoor dining at Gertrude's

Then it was up to the city of Phoenix, and the Desert Botanical Garden, which proved to be a fantastic find. Surrounded by hills resembling melted chocolate ice cream, the garden itself is beautifully lit and laid out (it was late in the afternoon by then, and the temperature had dropped to a reasonable 85 degrees). Our companion pooch melted the hearts of the attendants, but alas, no dogs allowed.
Since my flight continued to be delayed, we ended up spending a couple of hours at the restaurant in the garden. Gertrude's has an upscale seasonal menu and mixed drinks that are made from local ingredients and reflect the sunset in their beauty (my vote for best: Tombstone Tea, made with vodka, gin, triple sec, prickly pear nectar and lime syrup).

My favorite bite was the smoked and fried tofu appetizer with tomato kasaundi (a tomato-based dip) and curry salt--it was the chef's grandmother's recipe, modified by her Canadian upbringing and time in New Orleans. Our waiter, Kent, was a doll, especially given the amount of time we dawdled nursing our drinks and waiting for news from the airline. Jared, the bartender, was kind enough to let us taste his favorite (California) wine.

Next time--hopefully in winter, when the air temperature will drop down to the 70s, there's plenty I'd like to see in the Phoenix area beyond Casa Grande: Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, the Painted Rock Petroglyphs...

Chihuly cacti at night

I'm just getting started! I better need more dental work soon...