NYC Days 44 & 45: In Which I Luxuriate in The Lincoln Center Out Of Doors

The main Lincoln Center Out Of Doors stage 

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Any questions?

No? Then let's get started.

If it's summer (and it is), it must be time for the annual Lincoln Center Out Of Doors festival, that wonderful three week program of free dance, film, spoken word, and music - lots of music. Last summer I attended numerous performances during the festival, and I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the gigs and the performers who featured in them. So it was with much anticipation that I looked at the program for this year's event.

The festival began last Wednesday with a concert hosted by NPR (National Public Radio) Music. Called Turning The Tables Live, the evening was "...a celebration of the pioneering women of the "classic album era" (approx. 1964-present). Some of today's brightest performers open the evening with a set of covers handpicked from NPR's newly unveiled 150 Greatest albums by Women list."

As it happened, the evening opened with Ricky Lee Jones performing in full her classic album, Pirates. Jones was followed by a great lineup of female talent which included Lizzo, Gaby Moreno, Alynda Segarra, TORRES, Nona Hendryx, and the great Ronnie Spector. To make an amazing night of music even better, the audience was treated to a surprise appearance by Roberta Flack, one of America's greatest contemporary singers.

The inimitable Dionne Warwick commands the stage.

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Due to other commitments (see previous posts), I missed the Thursday and Friday night events, but was back on Saturday night for An Evening With Rumer. The British born Rumer, as she is known professionally, has a repertoire of songs in the same vein as Dusty Springfield and Karen Carpenter, and apart from performing her own material, Rumer is a fine interpreter of the songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

The highlight of the night for me, and for the assembled mass of people waiting to see and hear her, was the special guest set of songs by another of America's great performers -- and surely the best interpreter of Bacharach and Hall David -- Dionne Warwick. At 76, it has to be said that Dionne Warwick's voice does not command the full power it once had, but that made no difference to the many hundreds of fans hanging on her every note, happy just to be in her glorious presence.

Dionne Warwick on stage.

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Which brings me to today, Sunday. This year Lincoln Center Out Of Doors was hosting the Double Dutch Summer Classic National Competition. On a hot, but thankfully almost humidity free day, dozens of children and adolescents ranging in age from 10 to 17 or 18 years, hammered the boards at the Josie Robertson Plaza with so much energy, enthusiasm and athleticism that I am positive it left them all completely drained and exhausted by the end of the afternoon.

Forget the endless 'Boot Camp' variations. If you want to push your body through a full aerobic series of exercises, I would argue that Double Dutch beats boot camp hands down. The one-minute routines the competitors put their bodies through provided the best example of High Intensity Training I have yet seen.

A typical routine included jump rope, squats, high kicks, back flips, push-ups, leg splits, and so many other complex maneuvers that I can only apologize for my lack of knowledge and vocabulary that fails to give the young competitors the full credit they deserve.

Video footage from one of the teams competing at the Double Dutch championship.

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Week Two of Lincoln Center Out Of Doors continues next Wednesday, August 2, 2017, with performances by Ibibio Sound Machine (in their U.S.debut) and Angelique Kidjo. Ibibio Sound Machine are described in the program as "an eight-piece band led by English-Nigerian singer Eno Williams." The band plays a "...mix of Afrobeat, club music, and funk." Angelique Kidjo, a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, who was born in the African nation, Benin, reimagines Talking Heads' groundbreaking album Remain In Light. As a huge fan of Talking Heads and of that album in particular, I will definitely be there Wednesday night. Maybe I'll see you there!

Any questions, comments or suggestions? How about complaints or compliments? Let me know via the comments box below.

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WEEK SIX EXPENSES*
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ONGOING WEEKLY EXPENSES
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Museum Memberships $19.15 ($25.15)
AT&T SIM card $16.25 ($25.38)
MTA Pass $30.25 ($39.92)
Accommodation $152.00 ($200.00)
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Total Ongoing: US$217.65 (AU$290.45)
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ADDITIONAL DAILY EXPENSES
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Sunday 23, July | Expenses $31.00 ($39.10)
Monday 24, July | Expenses $79.46 ($100.25)
Tuesday 25, July | Expenses $61.35 ($77.55)
Wednesday 26, July | Expenses $22.10 ($27.45)
Thursday 27, July | Expenses $27.25 ($46.30)
Friday 28, July | Expenses $62.80 ($78.55)
Saturday 29, July | Expenses $26.80 ($33.55)
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Total Daily: US$310.75 | AU$402.75
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Total Expenses Week 6: US$528.40 (AU$693.20)
*Figures in brackets are Australian dollar amounts

NYC Day 43: In Which Seaport and Singers Mix Together Harmoniously

Click on images to view full sized.

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I went to the South Street Seaport Museum intent on taking advantage of their Free Friday offer (from 3:00pm to 7:00pm), although I did give them a donation at the end of my visit.

South Street Seaport Museum's collections consist of over 26,500 objects documenting the rise of New York as a port city, and its role in the development of the economy and business of the United States through the social and architectural landscapes. The collection includes paintings; drawings, prints and photographs; manuscripts and ephemera; ship models; scrimshaw; navigational instruments and shipwright tools; and many historical objects related to trade from the Seaport itself, including those from the Fulton Fish Market, the coffee and tea industry, and letterpress printing and advertising industry, which supported the growth of New York as a financial powerhouse.{Source: Museum website}

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I started by going aboard the clipper ship, Wavertree. This is a magnificent ship by any standard you care to nominate. I was surprised by just how big the deck area was. It looked wide and vast, and for a ship that is more than a hundred years old, it is in wonderful condition. Mind you, the Wavertree has recently undergone a multimillion dollar overhaul, and it shows. The rigging is new, the decks are clean and well maintained, and everything looks ship shape and ready for sea.

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I was disappointed that visitors could not go below decks and look around, although that may change one day. Mind you, there may not be anything to see below decks apart from empty holds and storage areas. While you can't go deep below decks, you can enter the cabin area for the ship's captain. There is not a lot to see apart from small, empty cabin areas, which leave visitors to wonder; if the captain of the ship is confined to spaces as narrow and as confined as these, what sort of cramped accommodations did the crew have to contend with below decks?

I have no idea whether the museum intends to fit out the captain's cabin with rebuilt sleeping quarters and other fittings that give a better picture of life on board these types of ships, but I hope they do, if only because the already small rooms will become even more cramped and claustrophobic when fully restored.

Above: The Captain's quarters. 

Below: The ship's galley, or kitchen.

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From the Wavertree I spent some time examining several small exhibitions at the museum's main building. There is extensive information here about the refitting of the Wavertree, and an exhibition called Millions: Migrants and Millionaires Aboard The Great Liners, 1900-1914. This exhibition examines the contrasting conditions on board these mighty ships of the sea for two very different groups of travellers.

Either I missed the entrance to other parts of the museum, or the museum has reduced the size of its exhibition and display areas considerably, because there was a lot more of that 26,000 plus collection to see and discover at the South Street Seaport Museum when I visited the building back in 2010. I suspect the museum is still recovering from the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, when a storm surge of water that rose more than seven feet devastated low-lying areas of New York City including the seaport district.

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Apart from the Wavertree and the main building, the museum also has an extensive program of educational events including walking tours, dockside programs, sailing excursions on the Pioneer, an 1885 built sailing vessel, and the Lettie G. Howard, an 1893 built schooner, and other events.

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If You Go
South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street, New York City
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00am to 7:00pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Tix: Adults $12.00; Seniors & Students $8.00; Child (2-17) $6.00.

Above: The fully rigged Wavertree under sail, by the Australian artist Oswald Brett.

Below: One of several historical images showing damage to the Wavertree after it was dismasted while rounding Cape Horn in 1910.

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Free Music Fridays at The American Folk Art Museum
From the South Street Seaport Museum I went and had a late late lunch, or early early dinner - take your pick, after all it was 4:00pm - and then decided to head back to the American Folk Art Museum near Columbus Circle, where the museum's Free Music Friday was due to begin at 5:30pm. Performing this night were Kalyani Singh, Richard McGraw, and Rachelle Garniez.

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I got there a little late to find Kalyani Singh, a young 21 year old of South Asian heritage already performing. I was immediately captivated by her very distinctive voice and songs. The melodic structure of some of the songs reflected her Asian heritage, while her high soprano voice was clear and bright and reminded me of a young Joan Baez. I was also very pleased that her songs were not the types of works that are often full of youthful angst, and maudlin lyrics about failed love affairs. A topic that plagues far too many songs by young performers.

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Kalyani was followed by Richard McGraw whose catchy songs, quirky lyrics and unusual melodies soon has the audience trying to work out whether he was in fact working out his angst onstage and writing and performing songs as personal therapy. After all, one of his albums bears the title, How To Suffer. Or maybe he was just having us all on, because his songs were anything but maudlin. Richard was not afraid to teach the audience several refrains during his set and have us join in at the appropriate time, and he too, soon won the audience over with his easy stage manner by the time his 35 minute set was over.

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The final act for the evening was Rachelle Garniez. When she began singing I realized that I had seen her performing somewhere before, but it was only when she mentioned that she had been performing at the Bryant Park accordion festival just last week that I remembered. I had missed that performance, but I had seen her playing at the same festival during my visit to New York last year. If Richard McGraw's lyrics were quirky, then Rachelle's were wonderfully idiosyncratic. Accompanying herself on accordion, guitar, and keyboard (not all at the same time!), Garniez has a voice that darts high, low, and all the stages in between. Her songs constantly surprise, both lyrically and melodically, and are full of wry observations and sly digs at real or imaginary ex lovers.

The American Folk Art Museum says about these free sessions: Music featured at the Free Music Fridays series thematically reflects the spirit of the self-taught art on view at the museum. I have been meaning to catch these free Friday music nights for several weeks, but always seem to be elsewhere. However, now that I have seen the quality of the performers, I am determined to attend several more before my visit is over.

Although I stopped buying CDs on a regular basis some years ago, I just had to purchase one CD each from both Richard McGraw (How To Suffer), and Rachelle Garniez (Sad Dead Alive Happy). Kalyani Singh has yet to release an album, although she has recorded three songs which are available via her Bandcamp page (see link below).

If You Go
American Folk Art Museum
Address: 2 Lincoln Square, New York City.
Hours: Tues-Thurs & Sat., 11:30am-7:00pm; Friday 12:00-7:30pm; Sunday 12:00-6:00pm. Closed Monday. Free Music Friday: 5:30pm—7:30pm.
It's worth reminding readers that admission to the Folk Art Museum is always free.

More Information 
Kalyani Singh... 
Richard McGraw... 
Rachelle Garniez... 

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Friday 28, July | Expenses $62.80 ($78.55)

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NYC Day 42: In Which I Travel Back to New York in The 1970s

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The Film Forum (at 209 West Houston Street, New York), is one of the city's great independent movie theaters. It began in 1970 as an alternative screening space for independent films and it has stayed true to that mission ever since. During July, the Film Forum programmed a wonderful series of films around the theme New York in the 1970s, and screened more than 40 now classic movies from that era. These included the obvious choices such as Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, along with great films like Midnight Cowboy, The Taking of Pelham 123, Manhattan, and many others. I had every intention of seeing a dozen or more of these films but in the end only got to one of the final double-bills on the program: Escape From New York, and The Warriors.

Deborah Van Valkenburg (Mercy), and Michael Beck (Swan), in The Warriors. 

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John Carpenter's Escape From New York (1981), was a starring vehicle for Kurt Russell, and also featured Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, and Donald Pleasence. I have seen the film numerous times on DVD, but it has been more years than I can remember since I saw it on a big screen. The Warriors on the other hand is a film I had never seen. It was directed by Walter Hill in 1979, and was a lot of fun if only because the film has not aged well.

Like that other great classic, Easy Rider, the film is let down by its very dated jargon and language that may have seemed hip and 'with it' in 1979, but just seems silly in 2017. Also the young, mostly male actors, emote like they are fresh out of acting school. It has to be said that the few female actors in the film did better in that regard than their male counterparts. Speaking of which, I was delighted to see one of my favorite female actors, Mercedes Ruehl in only her second film. Later in her career Mercedes won an Oscar for Best Actress In A Supporting Role, for her part in Terry Gilliam's 1991 movie, The Fisher King.

Kurt Russell as Snake Plisskin in Escape From New York

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As for Escape From New York, this is a film that has aged much better. But first a brief synopsis: The year is 1991, and crime in America has become so rife that the island of Manhattan has been turned into a maximum security prison. Which has been completely walled off from the rest of the country. Air Force One, carrying the president (Donald Pleasence), has somehow been hijacked and is brought down on the island, but before the plane crashes, the president escapes in a special pod that lands inside the walls of the island prison. Kurt Russell (as Snake Plisskin) is sent in to rescue the president.

As Escape From New York began, I couldn't help but wonder what effect and emotions the early scenes might be evoking on an audience of mostly local New Yorkers. In these scenes, what passed as state-of-the-art computer graphics in 1981, depict Air Force One crashing into a high-rise building. Later, as he sets off to find the president, Kurt Russell has to land a glider on top of one of the twin towers, and the scene can't help but evoke memories of September 11, 2001, in spite of the primitive special effects used.

From the Film Forum I considered heading back to Columbus Circle and the Lincoln Center where the second evening of the current Lincoln Center Out Of Doors program was  getting underway. In the end I decided to walk over towards the Hudson River, and take in the views.

Above and below: Volleyball and playing fields at Pier 26.

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This structure, and three others like it, help extract exhaust fumes from the Lincoln Tunnel as it passes below the Hudson River linking Manhattan with New Jersey.

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Above & below: 'Grand Banks' floating restaurant and party boat.

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Late evening Lower Manhattan skyline. 

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Ex US Coast Guard vessel 227.

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Thursday 27, July | Expenses $27.25 ($46.30)

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Any questions, comments or suggestions? How about complaints or compliments? Let me know via the comments box below.

NYC Day 41: In Which I Visit Henry Clay Frick's Gilded Age Mansion and Museum

The Frick Collection (click images to view full sized)

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FRICK COLLECTION: PAY WHAT YOU WISH DAY
I made a welcome return to the Frick Collection (at East 70th Street & Fifth Avenue). Every Wednesday the Frick has a pay-what-you-wish policy, and I was happy to pay five dollars instead of the usual $17 Seniors price.

The Frick Collection is housed in the former Gilded Age mansion of Henry Clay Frick, a man who made his money mining coke (no, not that kind of coke!). Frick was an avid collector of art, and left a will that ensured that on his death the mansion and its collection would be turned into a public museum. The building, that is to say, the mansion, has remained almost completely unchanged since it was built, although a courtyard with fountain, and a couple of other rooms have been added to an area that was originally set aside for carriages and the horses that pulled them.

Apart from the rare opportunity to walk through a former Gilded Age mansion, the collection, or at least those works that are on display, can been enjoyed in full in a couple of hours. Along with the permanent collection, the Frick generally has two or three small exhibitions running concurrently

Currently there are three exhibitions taking place at the Frick:

Above: Abraham Entertaining the Angels, by Rembrandt.

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Divine Encounter: Rembrandt’s Abraham and the Angels
Now through August 20, 2017

On loan from a private collection, Rembrandt's Abraham Entertaining the Angels of 1646 is the centerpiece of a small exhibition dedicated to the artist's depictions of Abraham and his various encounters with God and his angels, as recounted in the book of Genesis. In the painting and in the other works included in the show — a tightly focused selection of prints and drawings and a single copper plate — Rembrandt explored, in different media, the nature of divine presence and the ways it was perceived.

(Image: A colorful porcelain deep covered dish with handles, decorated with flowers  and figurine at top)

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Fired by Passion: Masterpieces of Du Paquier Porcelain from the Sullivan Collection
Now through August 12, 2018

This installation in the Portico Gallery was inspired by the generous gift of fourteen pieces of Du Paquier porcelain given to the Frick in 2016 by Paul Sullivan and Trustee Melinda Martin Sullivan. Although in operation for only twenty-five years, the Du Paquier manufactory left an impressive body of inventive and often whimsical work, forging a distinct identity in the history of European porcelain production. The exhibition features about forty tureens, drinking vessels, platters, and other objects produced by Du Paquier between 1720 and 1740.

Above and below: both sides of a medal by Pisanello showing portrait bust of Leonello d'Este.

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The Pursuit of Immortality: Masterpieces from the Scher Collection of Portrait Medals
Now through September 10, 2017

Celebrating the largest acquisition in the Frick’s history, a gift of approximately 450 portrait medals from the incomparable collection of Stephen K. and Janie Woo Scher, the exhibition explores one of the most important artistic inventions of the Renaissance. The selection showcases superlative examples by masters of the medium — many of whom were also celebrated painters, sculptors, and printmakers — from Pisanello in the Italian Renaissance to Pierre-Jean David d’Angers in nineteenth-century France, honoring medals as integral to the history of portraiture in Western art and as a triumph of sculpture on a small scale.

In the music room/theatre visitors can watch a short film that provides some historical details about Henry Clay Frick and his collection. Currently a second short film examines Rembrandt's Abraham Entertaining the Angels, which packs an enormous amount of detail into a work that is just nine inches wide.

The beautiful courtyard and fountain at the Frick.

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IF YOU GO
Adults, $22; Seniors (65+), $17; Students (with valid ID) $12.
Free First Friday evening of the month, (except January) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Pay-what-you-wish: Wednesdays, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
NOTE: Children under ten are not admitted.
Online at Frick Collection...

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Wednesday 26, July | Expenses $22.10 ($27.45)

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Note: Current Frick Collection exhibition details are sourced from the Frick Collection website, as are images associated with those exhibitions. My thanks to the Frick Collection for the use of this information and images.

Any questions, comments or suggestions? How about complaints or compliments? Let me know via the comments box below.

NYC Day 37: In Which I Rest and Immerse Myself in the Wide Sargasso Sea

The elderly Jean Rhys (at left) at her home in Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon

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With the temperature across New York City heading for the 90 degree mark, the humidity levels not far behind, and city authorities issuing heat warnings and opening local cooling centers, I decided the smart thing to do would be to stay in. Even the promise of chilly air-conditioning at Brookfield Place could not entice me to descend into what would have been a stifling subway system for the 40 minute ride downtown.

There was nothing for it but to crank up the portable air-con unit in the apartment, and engage in some writing, reading, and account balancing. And since I have been making good use of my commuting time over the past few weeks reading several of the books I have purchased thus far, I thought I might add some comments about one of those titles in today's post.

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WIDE SARGASSO SEA*
Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys tells the story of the 'mad woman in the attic' who is apparently an unseen figure in Charlotte Bronte's, Jane Eyre (a book I have not read), and what a sad and melancholy -- but beautifully written tale it is.

The dust jacket notes: Set in the Caribbean, it's heroine is Antoinette Cosway, a sensual and protected young woman who is sold into marriage to the prideful Rochester. Rhys portrays a society so driven by hatred, so skewed in its sexual relations, that it can literally drive a woman out of her mind.

[Jean] Rhys was born in Roseau, the capital of Dominica, an island in the British West Indies. Her father, William Rees Williams, was a Welsh doctor and her mother, Minna Williams, nee Lockhart, was a third-generation Dominican Creole of Scots ancestry. ("Creole" was broadly used in those times to refer to any person born on the island, whether they were of European or African descent or both.) [Source: Wikipedia]

In the introduction, written by Francis Wyndham we learn:

For many years, Jean Rhys has been haunted by the figure of the first Mrs. Rochester  - the mad wife in Jane Eyre. The present novel ... is her story. Not, of course, literally so: it is in no sense a pastiche of Charlotte Bronte and exists in its own right, quite independent of Jane Eyre. But the Bronte book provided the initial inspiration for an imaginative feat almost uncanny in its vivid intensity. From her personal knowledge of the West Indies, and her reading of their history, Miss Rhys knew about the mad Creole heiresses in the early nineteenth century, whose dowries were only an additional burden to them: products of an inbred, decadent, expatriate society, resented by the recently freed slaves whose superstitions they shared, they languished uneasily in the oppressive beauty of their tropical surroundings, ripe for exploitation. It is one of these that [Jean Rhys] has chosen for her...heroine.

Among other things, the book is quite open about the resentment and racism that 'the recently freed slaves' (mentioned by Francis Wyndham in her introduction), express towards the expat British. Terms like 'white cockroach,', 'white nigger' and other epithets are hurled by the local children at their white counterparts, and the understandable resentment that many former slaves feel towards their former owners and overseers, bubble along beneath the surface of all their post-colonial relationships.

From time to time these resentments boil over, leading to one of the key incidents early in the book when the family home is attacked by a mob of angry villagers. This incident results in the death of a minor, but important character in terms of the arc of the book, and without giving more of the story away, let me just say it's all downhill from there. However, the writing is so evocative of time and place, so infused with detailed descriptions of landscape and the natural beauty of the island settings, that it was impossible to turn away and not look at the horror that was slowly smothering Antoinette and the increasingly poisonous relationship with her new husband, Rochester.

It is a relationship that begins to sour soon after their wedding, even as they settle in to their honeymoon in a remote location along with several servants and other staff. Antoinette's newly minted British-born husband has no understanding of the norms, mores, and culture of the islanders he has landed amongst, and even less interest in learning about or understanding them, thus setting the scene for conflict and misunderstanding that spirals increasingly out of control.

I was reading the book on the subway a couple of days ago, and as I closed the book and began putting it away in my bag, I heard a female voice say, "Sir, I love that book!"

When I looked up at the young woman who had spoken, I agreed that the book was a great read, and replied to the effect that although I had not yet finished it, this was a book that I would want to read again. She agreed and said that she had read it three times herself, and that it was one of her favorite books. I added that this was a book that had been on my 'radar' for many years, and that I was only now getting to read it, and that I was very happy that I had finally gotten around to doing so.

It was a brief conversation if only because I was about to get out at the next subway station, but I could see that other commuters were showing interest in what we were saying. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to hold the book up so they could see what we were talking about. If something like this were to happen again with another book (unlikely), I will make sure I do just that.

This book is definitely a 'keeper'. The writing borders on the poetic much of the time, and despite the overall mood of dread I had as I progressed through the story, I knew this would be a book I will keep and read again at some future date. I even thought I might read Jane Eyre, but Rhys's book may have spoiled any pleasure I may derive from doing that. If you have read Jane Eyre and wondered about the mysterious woman in the attic, this is definitely the book for you. I recommend it highly.

More information
Wikipedia entry for Jean Rhys... 
Wikipedia entry for Wide Sargasso Sea...

*Wide Sargasso Sea becomes book number 28 in my self-imposed 52-Book-Year Challenge, in which I aim to read an average of one book per week throughout the year.

Any questions, comments or suggestions? How about complaints or compliments? Let me know via the comments box below.

Jean Rhys at her cottage in Devon. 

WEEK FIVE EXPENSES*

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ONGOING WEEKLY EXPENSES

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Museum Memberships $19.15 ($25.15)

AT&T SIM card $16.25 ($25.38)

MTA Pass $30.25 ($39.92)

Accommodation $152.00 ($200.00)

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Total Ongoing: US$217.65 (AU$290.45)

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ADDITIONAL DAILY EXPENSES

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Sunday, 16 July | Expenses $41.75 ($53.40)

Monday 17, July | Expenses $53.10 ($66.95)

Tuesday 18, July | Expenses $85.53 ($111.05)

Wednesday 19, July | Expenses $16.85 ($21.15)

Thursday 20, July | Expenses $86.50 ($114.95)

Friday 21, July | Expenses $23.00 ($29.05)

Saturday 22, July | Expenses $0.0

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TOTAL: US$306.73 | AU$396.55

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Total Expenses Week 5: US$524.38 (AU$687.00

*Figures in brackets are Australian dollar amounts

NYC Day 36: In Which I Go In Search of Frank Lloyd Wright

Click on images to view full sized

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Yesterday I decided it was time I took a long, detailed look at the major Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive, exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Wright was one of the most influential American architects of the last century.

Frank Lloyd Wright (born Frank Lincoln Wright, June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was best exemplified by the Fallingwater house (1935), which has been called "the best all-time work of American architecture". [Source: Wikipedia...]

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I have had an interest in architecture for many years, and the more I travel the more I like to seek out great examples of the profession. Having said that, I have little interest in the smooth modern glass and steel buildings that are dominating the New York City skyline more and more as this century progresses. My favorite buildings, whether cloud busting skyscrapers or four and five storey walk-ups, tend to be survivors from the past two centuries. They invariably have features and facades that stop you in your tracks, and force you to pause and examine, and marvel at the skills of the masons, engineers, steel workers, and other tradespeople who laboured to construct these beautiful buildings. So it was with much interest that I devoted a couple of hours to Frank Lloyd Wright.

The exhibition presents hundreds of drawings, models, film, letters, documents and other memorabilia from the vast FLW archives that are now in the possession and care of the museum. And when I write vast, I mean vast:

Unpacking the Archive refers to the monumental task of moving across the country 55,000 drawings, 300,000 sheets of correspondence, 125,000 photographs, and 2,700 manuscripts, as well as models, films, and building fragments. It also refers to the work of interpretation and the close examination of projects that in some cases have received little attention. [Source: Info panel at the exhibition]

Above: A longitudinal section in ink and pencil for the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, and below a detailed image for the peaked roof seen in the image above.

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As you might imagine, with so much material to select from, to say the current exhibition barely scratches the surface of Wright's massive archive is to state the bleeding obvious. The curators probably had no choice other than to present some of the better known works from among a collection that may stretch back to the beginning of Wright's architectural career. A period of some 70 years.

I was particularly interested in his initial concept for one of his most famous buildings, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue. Early sketches show a building similar in design to the building as it stands today, but instead of rising to the equivalent of a six storey building, the early drawings show one that might rise as high as nine or ten storeys.

Above and Below: Early design concepts for the Guggenheim Museum.

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Always one to think big, in 1956 Wright presented a concept drawing that was eight feet high! Executed in colored pencils and gold ink on tracing paper, Wright was proposing to build the Illinois, a 'mile-high' skyscraper on the lakefront at Chicago. His initial concept may not have been much more than a clever marketing exercise by Wright for his architectural practice, but it go plenty of attention when he unveiled his drawings and ideas back in 1956/'57.

Above: This image does not do the concept of a mile-high building any justice whatsoever. Try to imagine the picture being eight feet high, 

Above: other design ideas for Wright's mile-high Illinois building.

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I very much appreciated the chance to examine the many drawings and renderings (such as the 'mile-high' building), at the exhibition. Modern architects use state of the art software to design their buildings which also allows them to spit out drawings and renderings with a few clicks of a mouse button. What gets lost in that process are the beautifully hand drawn designs one sees in Unpacking the Archive. While many of these drawings were almost certainly made by Wright's assistants, they stand as beautiful works of art in the own right.

Above and detail below: Marin County Civic Center and Fairgrounds, San Rafael, California (1957). 

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There is much to enjoy at Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive, even if you only have a passing interest in architecture. Children will enjoy looking at the models, while adults will gain a greater appreciation for Frank Lloyd Wright, and hopefully for all architects who design the homes and buildings we almost certainly could not live without in the 21st century.

IF YOU GO
Now through until October 1, 2017
Tickets: Adults $25; Seniors $18; Students $14 (under 16, free)
Exhibition free with museum entry
11 West 53rd Street, Manhattan
Open seven days a week.
MoMA Online... 

More Information
Frank Lloyd Wright at Wikipedia...

Above: Detail of building model for St. Mark's Tower, New York.

Below: unidentified building model. 

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Friday 21, July | Expenses $23.00 ($29.05)

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