An Exploration of the Design Principles that Organize and Animate the Work of Frank Lloyd Wright
Friday, April 9, 2021
The recording of this session is available for $10.
My guest S. Lloyd Natof is a master craftsman and furniture artist based in Oak Park, Illinois, whose great-grandfather is architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Natof started making furniture in 1988, building pieces for himself that were mostly made of two-by-fours and plywood. The first few years, he built basic works for friends, and friends of friends. Yet among those early modest endeavors were a few complicated and finely-finished commissions that gave Natof a sense of what could be possible with woodworking. Today, he is a highly regarded master craftsman whose work is coveted by private collectors, architects, and artists. He teaches at The School of Architecture (formerly the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture) using an approach to design that hearkens back to Wright’s work.
I had the great honor to interview Lloyd in one of the most iconic buildings in the American Southwest—Taliesin West, originally the home of his great-grandfather. We discussed design principles underpinning FLWs work, Lloyd's own work as a designer and craftsman, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright's stay in Florence, (some 111 years ago), and a project for a palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venice that was never realized.
I wish to thank Jeff Goodman, Vice President of Communication & Partnerships at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, who welcomed us and offered introductory remarks about the Foundation today. To support their mission, please consider becoming a Member of the Taliesin West.
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