Photos were taken like two weeks ago. I don’t see why I should restrain myself from sharing them. Il Maestro! Should any of you visit Chicago, take an hour green line train to Oak Park. Lovers of Beauty, you will not regret.
Several fun things for you to note if the guide doesn’t bother to tell:
- The idea of a building within itself. The interest in self-mirroring, self reflection. The floor plan of the Unity Temple sanctuary is abstracted in the art glass for the ceiling.
- Frank Lloyd Wright home logo. On the lower right corner of the stone plaque saying “Frank Lloyd Wright Architect,” you see a circle circumscribed by a square with a central cross emblem. It is like a cute signature! I believe it reflects his interest in geometry, which one may argue boils down to circles and squares, as well as a sense of order and harmony this house supposed to convey. The flower urns in front of the house is a 3D version of this geometry emblem, with a round body, a cross neck, and a square foot.
- A mimicry of nature. The green, yellow, orange pieces in the art glass windows on the ceiling allows natural light into the house in a soft, organic manner, designed to mimic light passing through tree canopy.
- Above the fireplace, the heart of the Oak Park house, reads “truth is life.” Frank Lloyd Wright’s mother side of the family is from Wales. Their family motto reads “Y Gwir yn erbyn y byd,” meaning “truth against the world.” This phrase is strong! Really moved me somehow. If you become interested, maybe look up Frank’s life. Then you will see there’s nothing wrong if we call that “a life against the world” (and eventually leaving something for the world, timeless. Am I overindulging him? Maybe.