BONERS FOR BOOKS: TWOFOR

It felt right to include both of these books in the same "Boner for Books" post, partly because they both came in the same box, and two big books in one small box is one of my favorite things.

A special thank you to BSD reader Chris, who sent both books as part of a much larger Xmas present: "Architecture and Capitalism, 1845 to Present", and "Demanding the Impossible" by Slavoj Žižek, philospher provocateur de rigueur.

BONERS FOR BOOKS: LOUIS KAHN

Christmas came early this year thanks to BSD reader Trenton.*  The post man delivered a big box to my back door nearly every day this week.  Louis Kahn came first.  If you haven't heard the tragic story of one of the world's most famous architects and his estranged son Nathaniel, I highly recommend the documentary about Kahn and his son, My Architect.  Watch a version of the film (with Spanish subtitles) below:

*DOH!  Except this book actually came from BSD reader Chris.  I know!  I'm a horrible person, but in all fairness I couldn't find a slip in the box and just assumed it went with all the others.  Thank you Chris.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you!!!!

 

ROBERT E. I LOVE THEE

Somebody loves me.

Really loves me!

And that someone . . . is Robert E.

Tired and exhausted from a delayed 2am train trip across the Eastern seaboard, I trudged home a few days ago after a long weekend in the Big Apple to discover a giant (GIANT!) box blocking my front door step.  As giddy as a little girl at miniature horse ranch, I ran inside, cut open the packing tape and discover four (FOUR!) beautiful art books:

The Painting Factory, Abstraction After Warhol

Wade Guyton OS (the catalog from the recent Wade Guyton retrospective at the Whitney)

Massimo Scolari: The Representation of Architecture

and

Oblique Drawing: A History of Anti-Perpective, also by Massimo Scolari


Top picks from my Amazon Wish List, Robert E's tremendous Valentine's box brought warmth to my heart and blood to my brain . . . err penis. . . err brain.

In return, a belated V-Day missile in honor of Robert E.

I love thee.

(Don't stare too long at your present or you may get a seizure)

RAVEN'S LOCKER ROOM BREAK IN

I couldn't let the home team go all the way to the Super Bowl without a little encouragement.  We may not have as many gay men as San Francisco but we still know what to do with a butt: Kick it!

Go Ravens!

Another interesting Super Bowl connection for the geeks among you who won't be watching the game (I count myself in this lot despite my home town allegiance): Nearly all of the famous iron work in New Orleans originally came from Baltimore.  In fact, Baltimore looked much like New Orleans before a city-wide fire melted most of it down.

If common architectural history doesn't help us win the game I don't know what will!

New Orleans 

Peabody music conservatory library in Baltimore

 

TEXAS VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

 

Rural Texas has much to recommend it: scenic man-made lakes, great chicken friend steak, a cheap cost of living and fascinating, often frightening vernacular architecture.  Take for instance Donna's Egg Rolls above (out of frame to the right).  Donna moved to the United States from Korea and now serves homemade egg rolls and burgers out of a decrepit shack in her front yard.  Its not exactly the kind of place that inspires you to slam on the breaks and pull over the pickup, but Donna's delicious egg rolls can't be denied.  Donna manages to save up enough money flipping burgers to return to Korea and visit her family once a year.  

What you don't see on her eccentric Golgotha-themed front porch are the 20 barking yard dogs locked in kennels.  Before you judge too harshly, keep in mind that my parents live in the poorest county in the state, settled largely by freed slaves and migrating Indians from Alabama.  It remains a majority black county, one of few in the state of Texas.  On a good day, along the side of the local highway (recently made famous by Gatlin Jeter and his runaway SUV) you can catch the Hip-Hop Trail-Riders in full western wear (cowboy boots and 10 gallon hats included) blaring Lil' Wayne from boomboxes tied to their horses' haunches.  Oh yeah, It's also home to death row.

 The record summer drought brought at least one bright spot: a beach on the lake! 

Ancient pre-lake stump and fishing line.

 Capitalism and Christianity have never looked so wrong together.

 When the real thing is too damn expensive: brick print tin siding. 

 

Scared?

I SEE PENIS: FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

Along with hairspray, tupperware, and cat litter, the United States gave birth to the skyscraper.  It's the one architectural idiom we've managed to spread the world 'round, to the acclaim of some and dismay of others.  Frank Lloyd Wright, perhaps America's most well-know architect, built just one.  Oddly enough, the only Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper in the world is in the small town of Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  Price Tower now houses a local community art center, a museum, and a small inn.  According to the Price Tower website, "Wright took his inspiration for the cantilevered design from a tree"-- no wonder the upper level balcony also claims host to a massive swam of wasps.  Thankfully I survived without a sting, but I did manage to play with some Lincoln Logs on my way out.  Frank's son, Jon L. Wright, invented the favored children's toy in 1916.  Another highlight: the building also contains three specially designed octagonal elevators.

Frank Lloyd Wright's son Jon L. Wright invented Lincoln logs in 1916.  

Triangles have three sides and three angles.  :-)

The building's unique octagonal elevator, one of three.  

A "copyrighted" Frank Lloyd Wright mural.  I was chastised by the guard for taking this pic.  

Frank Lloyd Wright custom designed angular office furniture

I SEE PENIS: THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Every man knows the fruit of his loins is love and joy.  Who knew about the spirit?  According to the lintel above, "the spirit" also bears the fruit of peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control.   With two men kneeling near my junk, I'd need a lot of self-control indeed.  

One of the most fantastic examples of Art Deco architecture in Tulsa is one of the oddest-- the Boston Avenue Methodist Church (1929).  Rare even by today's standards, the congregation chose a woman and novice to help design the building and its interior, a local high school art teacher named Adah Robinson.  Heavy on symbolism, much of it uncommon to most Christian sanctuaries, Adah doused the building in mauve and pink.  Some of the building's chapels (poorly captured by my shitty camera phone) feel more at place in a David Lynch movie than a church.  Its takes a lot to "wow" me these days, but the Boston Avenue Church packed a heavy punch.  Love?  Joy?  Put "wow" in your spirit sack and smoke it.  

TULSEE TOWN ARCHITECTURE TOUR

Tulsa, the second largest city in Oklahoma and largest community in the Creek Nation tribal allotment, may surprise you.  For one, Tulsa can claim its very own doppelganger.  Tulsa (originally Tallasi) and Tallahassee come from the same Muskogean roots ("old town" or "old field"-- an ironic name considering the Creeks founded their new settlement after the long and arduous Trail of Tears in 1834).  Tulsa was also site of one of the nation's bloodiest, yet often forgotten, riots, The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, where one of the countries wealthiest black communities, "The Negro Wallstreet" Greenwood District was completely burned to the ground, leaving 10,000 people homeless and countless dead.  Despite its checkered past, Tulsa boomed in the 1930s, thanks to a seemingly endless supply of oil.  Tulsa faired better than most cities during the Great Depression and invested heavily in Art Deco architecture.  Tulsa has some of the finest examples of Art Deco in the country (as well as a fantastic and wacky selection of architecture from other periods).

There was a lot worth seeing.  While I'm home in Houston, I've scheduled posts from my travels in the Sooner State.  Here are some of my favorites.

The Farmer's Market (1929), Art Deco "zigzag" style

Christ the King Parish, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright protege Francis Barry Byrne (1929), Art Deco "zigzag" style

random building, not Art Deco, painted to resemble wood.  

The Public Services Company (1929), Art Deco "zigzag" style

Not Art Deco, but impressive eaves none-the-less.

Interior of the Gillette-Tyrell building (1930), Art Deco "zigzag" style

Art Deco portable heaters.  

The gold lobby of the Philcade building (1930), Art Deco "zigzag" style

The Tulsa Fairgrounds Pavilion (1932), Art Deco "PWA" style

Art Deco objet d'art at the Philbrook Collection.  

see-thru iron

Art Deco toaster

The "Rose Bowl", not Art Deco, but impressive none the less.  

In desperate need of repair, the Riverside Studio (1929), Art Deco "zigzag" style

Egg and Dart madness in nearby Bartlesville