Frank Lloyd Wright: Unpacking the Archive

Published in conjunction with a major exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, this catalogue reveals new perspectives on the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, a designer so prolific and familiar as to nearly preclude critical reexamination. Structured as a series of inquiries into the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives, the book is a collection of scholarly explorations rather than an attempt to construct a master narrative. Each chapter centers on a key object from the archive that an invited author has "unpacked"-interpreting and contextualizing it, tracing its meanings and connections, and juxtaposing it with other works from the archive, from MoMA, or from outside collections. The publication aims to open up Wright's work to questions, interrogations, and debates, and to highlight interpretations by contemporary scholars, both established Wright experts and others considering this iconic figure from new and illuminating perspectives.

About the Author :
Barry Bergdoll is Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at The Museum of Modern Art and Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History and Archaeology, Department of Art History, Columbia University. Jennifer Gray is Project Research Assistant in the Department of Architecture and Design at The Museum of Modern Art.

Review :
a fascinating window into America's cultural past... read the short, sharp essays in the catalog--Alexandra Lange "Curbed" an ambitious catalogue featuring wide-ranging essays--Jonathan Glancey "The Art Newspaper" remarkable... a fresh age in Wright scholarship... shows that Wright's long career, as multidimensional and accomplished as that of almost any architect in history, was richer and more complex than even admiring critics knew.--Paul Goldberger "Bloomberg Business Week" Buildings are dynamic things, not static objects. A look through Wright's archive reminds us that some will exist only in our imaginations, some will be lived in exactly as they were first designed, and others will be destroyed or altered beyond recognition.--Julian Rose "Bookforum" Clearly written and tightly focused... this hefty volume would be a nice library addition for general readers curious about American urban history.--Marilyn Gates "New York Journal of Books" Frank Lloyd Wright is synonymous with American architecture.--Alexandra Alexa "Artsy" Frank Lloyd Wright was a radical architect, designer, thinker, and intellectual.--Lauren Walser "National Trust for Historic Preservation" He was the man called 'the Michelangelo of the 20th century' by the architect Eero Saarinen, so it's no surprise that 150 years after his birth, the work of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright still provides plenty to unpack.--Olivia B. Waxman "Time" It is always the year of Frank Lloyd Wright, so monumentally does he loom over American architecture.--Paul Goldberger "Vanity Fair" Positions the architect as a consummate innovator -- not outside of history, but very much of his time, with ideas that resonate still.--Kristina Ljubanovic "The Globe and Mail" The words 'American architect' feel a little bare when applied to Wright--convention pushes for the addition of a superlative, such as 'greatest' or 'best loved.'--Will Wiles "Apollo"