January took me from Austin to Phoenix for a quick getaway. After clearing my mind with a solo spa day, I dragged my travel mate to Taliesin West. (She’s a good sport with my random art adventures). We stumbled to the tour starting point right before the tour began. (They were strict about late arrivals, aaaand we had discovered the best cocktails the night before….). We chugged our lattes, and the tour began.
Frank Lloyd Wright built Taliesin West in 1937 as a way to share his teaching and principles with the next generation of architects. His third wife, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, led the efforts at Taliesin West while Wright was building domestically and internationally. She continued her work at Taliesin after Wright’s death.
The architecture and surrounding landscape were captivating, and I soon veered away from the tour group to capture photos with my constant travel companion, the Lomography Sprocket Rocket. The panoramic camera was perfectly suited to the site. The cloudless bright sky nicely accentuated the aqua water, perfectly green glass, punches of Wright’s signature “orange,” and bursts of fuchsia bougainvillea.
The triangular reflecting pool, entitled “The Prow,” jutted out from the rectangular, multi-tiered main house. We traversed the building and ducked (literally) into the living room. By design, the entryways are short and make you stoop — the better to reveal the room and views. The furniture was custom designed for the space and was so perfectly 70s.
Our visit wrapped, and we moved on to our next destinations (guacamole and the Mystery Castle, to be specific). But Frank Lloyd Wright wasn’t done with me yet…
Loving Frank
The book Loving Frank by Nancy Horan had been lingering on my bookshelf, on loan from a friend. After visiting Taliesin, it was the right time to delve in. Loving Frank brought the architect and his lover Mamah into clearer focus for me. The novel traced the origin and building of Taliesin (“Shining Brow”) before Frank moved west for his health and Taliesin West.
Both sites were designed to overlook dramatic scenery, whether a river valley or desert foliage. His sense of organic architecture and how a building should respond to its surroundings was easier to envision since I had been to Taliesin West; my mind pictured the compressed doorway into the living room and the narrow, dark hallway which opened up to the dramatic interior courtyard. Japanese elements, placed through the site and as architectural elements, were made more meaningful knowing Frank’s love for the culture and his past visits. Frank loved the idea of a reveal, and the combination of Loving Frank and Taliesin West were just that – a revelation.
Helpful notes: The pronunciation is “Tally-ESS-in.”
Pop culture P.S.: In Season 3 of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai Gilmore advises her mom to be nicer to the maid so she doesn’t find herself in a “Frank Lloyd Wright” situation, referring to what happened at Taliesin.