Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibition at MoMA Celebrates the Architect’s 150th Birthday

Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibition MoMA

Colored pencil sketch of Fallingwater house.

In celebration of the 150th birthday of acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, New York's MoMA is holding a comprehensive retrospective. Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive looks at the legend's drawings and architectural models as a way to delve into his pioneering career.

The 450 objects on display from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives were jointly acquired by the MoMA and the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University in 2012. It's only fitting that the exhibition should take place in New York City, as Wright spent the later part of his career there, focused on designing the Guggenheim.

Divided into 12 sections, everything from colored pencil drawings of Fallingwater to models of unrealized projects helps piece together the genius of Wright. As an architect who embraced new technology and aimed at forging a uniquely American style of construction, it's impossible to overstate his influence.

The exhibition, which will be accompanied by lectures and panel discussion, also includes photographs, paintings, and scrapbooks for a complete glimpse into the mind of Frank Lloyd Wright. Running through October 1, 2017, anyone interested in a critical look at how Wright changed the course of architectural history won't want to miss this retrospective.

MoMA's Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition looks back at his work through a collection of 450 objects from scale models to architectural drawings.

Frank Lloyd Wright model guggenheim

Model for New York's Guggenheim.

Frank Lloyd Wright drawing

Colored pencil and ink drawing of the Ennis House in Los Angeles, California.

Frank Lloyd Wright drawing

Watercolor and ink drawing of the Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois.

Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit MoMA

Little Farms Units painted model.

Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit MoMA

Model for Wright's unbuilt St. Mark's Tower in New York.

The exhibition is broken into 12 sections and explores the range of Wright's work, including his stained glass and furniture design.

Frank Lloyd Wright drawing

Frank Lloyd Wright drawing

Frank Lloyd Wright was known for embracing new technology and created a modular home system that he felt would change the face of the American residential architecture.

Frank Lloyd Wright drawing

The exhibition also includes plans for unrealized projects, such as the Plan for Greater Baghdad, designed in 1957-1958.

Frank Lloyd Wright drawing

Watercolor and ink sketch for the Plan for Greater Baghdad.

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h/t: [Dezeen]

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Staff Editor and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book "Street Art Stories Roma" and most recently contributed to "Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini." You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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