Relief in sight at Fallingwater
Fallingwater is the vacation home that architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the Edgar J. Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh in 1934-39. More than 950 works of art, including textiles, paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, art glass, books, and miscellaneous household objects collected by the Kaufmann family are at Fallingwater. The pieces reflect the Kaufmanns’ cosmopolitan outlook, frequent travels, and friendships with different artists. In describing how the pieces of artwork for Fallingwater were chosen, Kaufmann, jr. said, “They were picked out of friendship and liking for the things themselves, and brought in simply to make things more personal...”
One such piece is located in Fallingwater’s living room. Completed in 1982 by Luisa Rota, this oblong metal relief (pictured above on the wall at Fallingwater) consists mainly of brass with a black elongated triangular form occurring on the bottom fourth of the work. An American living abroad, Rota is a talented artist who never received much recognition in the U.S., even though she was represented by New York City's prestigious Kennedy Gallery. Kaufmann, jr. met her while in Italy and admired her work, which is noted for combined spatial instances, architecture, severity, atmosphere, and matter that repeat in different degrees of depth to introduce singular and strong emotions into her compositions. He commissioned this relief specifically for Fallingwater.
Fallingwater
is offering a Twilight Tour on Saturday, July 26, replete with wine and
hors d'oeuvres on the bridge along with a leisurely self-guided tour of
the house. As dusk descends, you'll follow the lantern lit path to the
meadow where your gourmet picnic dinner waits as the sounds of Bear Run
and the cool jazz of Roger Ryan and the Rooty Toots fill the evening air.
More...
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