Frank LLoyd Wright
Organic Architecture
Let me introduce you to the "World's Greatest Architect," a man I know well and fortunately never met.
I've been an official photographer for the Preservation Association for several decades and have had unlimited access to all of Frank's works. Living only a few minutes from Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin, I could roam unencumbered through this estate anytime. This flexibility allowed me to photograph during ideal lighting situations that are often fleeting and only ideal for moments.
My exclusive contract with the association allows me to share my images via electronic display or computer renderings -- such as this graphic novel you are reading. My photographs in this section are unavailable for download or purchase.
I captured Taliesin in Winter immediately after a fresh snowfall. Latter, the view is quite different without the sun in the ideal position and footprints marring the landscape.
Taliesin in Winter Copywrite © 2022 Dick Ainsworth and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Larger
Why am I happy to skip encountering Frank personally? In an exclusive network interview, the moderator's opening remark, "One of America's greatest architects..." was interrupted rather violently.
"America? Why just America? I'm the greatest architect in the entire world!"
Fortunately, knowing the man is best done through immersion in his creations, not his bombastments. While others on the Taliesin staff are often occupied guiding tours, repairing buildings, and so forth, I have had the luxury of simply being at Taliesin, visualizing his genius.
Copywrite © 2022 Dick Ainsworth and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
When I photographed Fallingwater, my friend Ed Wohl was loading and handing me film as I quickly captured multiple panorama images before the lighting changed. A very excited gentleman approached us, speaking non-stop German.
We quickly realized that his hometown was famous for creating the very Schneider lens I was using on my view camera. This reputation for ultimate optical quality is well deserved and appreciated by Ansel Adams and others. I thanked my German friend for setting optical standards that have endured for generations.
Copywrite © 2022 Dick Ainsworth and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Larger
Historical perspective and preservation through photography can be supreme. This Taliesin view with the magnificent birch tree is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, the tree was removed just days after this shoot because the root system interfered with the building foundation.
