Frank Gehry, Architect

EXHIBITIONS

January 2001

Frank Gehry, Architect 10.31.2001 - 04.21.2002 For more than 40 years, Frank Gehry has brought a keen eye and an inventive mind to the methods and materials employed to enclose space, thereby creating the powerful forms that distinguish his work. In so doing, he has changed the way architecture is made. Born in Toronto, Frank Gehry moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1947, at the age of 17. He opened his first small office there in 1962, and from the beginning, the visual character of that city had a profound impact on his work. Its stucco bungalows, chain-link fences, Spanish tiles, waving palms, and the motion and vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean are all a part of Gehry's architecture. His ability to capture a sense of place continues in his work today, even as the locations of his projects change. His designs in Europe and the Near East-Prague, Berlin, and soon Jerusalem-incorporate an understanding of the old cities, yet never duplicate old forms. Rather, they respond in dialogue with those rich architectural histories. Frank Gehry, Architect presents nearly 40 of Gehry's most significant works and follows the evolution of his visual language and working process. Throughout the exhibition, many projects are illustrated with Gehry's signature gestural sketches that prefigure the forms to come. Programmatic and process models follow, and final design models and photographs depict the finished works. Within this scheme, the exhibition reveals the all-important interaction between Gehry and his clients and the strong working relationship he has with the many talented members of his staff. Collaborator: Idom