Modern Artefacts

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater (1936), is a moderately sized holiday retreat designed for one family, yet it has won huge admiration from the American architecture world. As an example, at the 2000 convention of the American Institute of Architects a ‘top ten’ poll named Fallingwater “The Building of the 20th Century”

(Read more…)

Stanley Kubrick’s films were never just superficial entertainments, but were backed by significant ideas. Although 2001 can be enjoyed as a science fiction adventure, there is more to it under the surface. My comments here suggest ideas you might look for when you watch the film again. Or you can have your own fresh ideas…

(Read more…)

Bing Crosby in the early 1930s

Bing Crosby deserves a particular mention among modern artefacts. He was a genuine innovator who brought a modern approach to popular music. A key modernisation that Crosby utilised was the recently developed technology of electric recording.

(Read more…)

Early Frank Lloyd Wright

He had some low points when he seemed to be quite out of fashion, and there was almost always a drama going on in his personal life. Another article will talk about some of his adventures in the thirties, but this piece is aiming to draw attention to a significant early work, the Robie house, a real modern artefact. (Read more…)

This movie still has a cult following even though it dates from 1971. It is a notable film for a few reasons, not only as Spielberg’s first feature-length movie but also as one of his most intelligent. (read more)

The Sydney Opera House is a wonder of modern architecture. And that’s official. In June 2007 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List to stand beside such structures as the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China. Fortunately for Jørn Utzon, he lived long enough to know about it – he died the following year at the age of ninety.