Three Homes of the Architect, December 8, 2007
Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA)
The Homes of Frank Lloyd Wright (A&E DVD Archives) (1996)
Director: Scott Galloway
This work does not concern the entire oeuvre of FLW. It's about the 3 homes he built for himself and his families (purposely plural). What I like about art documentaries is how they don't just discuss the subject of the work, but they talk about the materials, history, and tacit messages about it. Similarly, this work doesn't show a single blueprint. It speaks of the shape of the houses, but also the materials used, how the homes were expanded. They even mention chairs that FLW designed.
The work says FLW was influenced by the minimalism of Japanese architecture. As the Impressionists looked to Japan, so did he, but the work does not make that connection. In the middle of the work, the narrator states that FLW knew Georgia O'Keeffe personally. However, it never makes the connection that both would have one home in the Southwest and one home farther east. One interviewee stated that FLW tried to make an architecture specific to or relating to the Midwest. Many scholars have write about nationalism, how artists want to create things that describe their nation. I guess one could say FLW was dedicated to a regionalism. His Southwestern home reflected the environment of its particular place.
The work has male and female interviewees. A female student was interviewed, suggesting that his disciples were not only male. The work doesn't shy about from FLW's adultery. Near the end of the work, photos of shirtless, young men building FLW's last home were seen, and some may find the men and the photos erotic.
From :The Homes of Frank Lloyd Wright - Amazon.com
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