I am on a quest for an architectural gem. I head to Buffalo with Juanita to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Darwin Martin Complex. This is a nice complement to the Falling Water visit in May 2010.
We are picked for a random car search at the U.S. Border. How random is the random search? We are behind by a few minutes but just enough to be late for the 11 a.m. tour.
We enter the modern white reception building, a good antidote to the dirty snow and overcast skies. We step into the main house, signs of ongoing restoration scattered about. The completion date is aimed for October 2012, in time for the the international architects’ convention. We walk through the pergola into the lush conservatory with its cast of Nike (Winged Victory of Samothrace, original in the Louvre). The Barton House next door gives us a taste of the interior, but without the same grand scale. The gardener’s cottage is just darling. If I had the option, I would opt to live here. (But then I don’t.) The bright sunny south-facing dining nook, the art glass window panes, the cozy fireplace, the smaller scale--all leading to a home with warmth. This is a very liveable spot. Lucky gardener!
A quick lunch and a brief stop at the Albright-Knox Gallery, then back to Toronto, just in time for my mosaics class. Lesson learned today: creating good art is much more difficult than it appears. I realize that I am better at left braining than creating art.
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