alt Hacker NewsI grew up a few blocks from his funky Santa Monica house [1], passed by it all the time. When you’re a kid you typically see wild new things like that as just normal because you have no context for how unusual they are. His house defied that perspective; even as a kid you understand that being wrapped in oddly angled chain link fences and corrugated metal is just... different. It's an unanswered question, a loose thread, a thing you can't unknow.
I don't particularly like the house - it's meant to be challenging not beautiful - but with perspective I see now there aren't many creations out there that achieve existence in eternal confusion like it does for me. I see his other works like Bilbao [2] and Disney Hall as refinements on the concept with the added dimension of beauty. They're not quite as memorable, but I think do a great job exploring the frontier of beauty and befuddlement.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehry_Residence
[2] especially the aerial perspective https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guggenheim_Museum_Bilbao#/medi...
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For nonarchitects like me, Gehry pushed more than cognitive envelopes, he was also an early tech pioneer
https://blog.bluebeam.com/gehry-technologies-industry-influe...
The Santa Monica spot was, personally, a bit of an eye-sore after about 8 years. I kept wishing someone else would rise to the flamboyance, but nobody ever really did. Well, I'm wrong of course, but I never did see such a striking spot until I got to Europe, or whatever ..
The MoPoP in seattle also carries his aesthetic, I would say it's funky, not beautiful
I don't have much to say about the focus of your comment, but I do want to talk about this:
"When you’re a kid you typically see wild new things like that as just normal because you have no context for how unusual they are."
NOT TRUE! I remember then (and even now) looking at unique things in awe and amazement, rather than something normal or ordinary.
Just what I think :)
I saw him speak about that house and at that time he was having a really hard time living in the suburban mindset. He wanted to offend.
I’m jealous that you knew it so well and as just another house.