Behind the Scenes: Constructing Frank Lloyd Wright

Instructor: Jennifer Gray

4 Thursdays: 6/29, 7/6, 7/13, 7/20
This course has multiple sessions. Register here beginning March 21.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s notoriety almost makes a critical reexamination of his work impossible. Arguably the most prolific architect of the 20th century, he was also the first celebrity architect—a savvy self-marketer who recognized the power of media to advance his ambitions, carefully staging photographs, installations, and stories to cultivate a particular public image. What new ideas could possibly be advanced about such a renowned, well-known figure? This course investigates curatorial and historical strategies for deconstructing Wright, and considers the roles conservation, archival practices, and historical preservation play in shaping our understanding of his work. Conversations with curators and conservators and a trip to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives will complement visits to the MoMA exhibition Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive. In addition to learning about Wright’s practice, we will learn about the process of historical inquiry and how new knowledge is produced.

This course is designed to complement Original Histories: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Birth of Modernism.

Jennifer Gray (PhD, Columbia University) is a historian of modern art and architecture, specializing in the relationships between social politics and the built environment. Her work has been published in Future Anterior, Il Giornale Dell 'Architettura, and SmartPlanet. She is a Project Research Assistant in the Department of Architecture and Design and a lecturer at The Museum of Modern Art, an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University, and co-curator of the exhibition Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive.

Non Member: $355
Member: $325
Student/Educator/Corporate Member employees: $250

Capacity: 25

Explore various periods of modern and contemporary art through programs led by MoMA curators and other prominent experts, both inside and outside the galleries.

All MoMA evening classes include multiple sessions after the Museum has closed to the public; registration is open throughout.