Frank Lloyd Wright and Japan: The Role of Traditional Japanese Art and Architecture in the Work of Frank Lloyd Wright

Book info: Frank Lloyd Wright and Japan: The Role of Traditional Japanese Art and Architecture in the Work of Frank Lloyd Wright (Hardcover, 244 pages) – Wiley, 1993. Language: English.

Frank Lloyd Wright's admiration for traditional Japanese pictorial art is well known, as is his insistence that neither the art nor the architecture of Japan had any direct influence on his own work. This book examines the evidence that quite apart from their philosophical lessons certain forms of Japanese art and architecture did in fact have a significant impact on Wright's early work, and one which may cast new light on his general approach to design. More specifically, the study sets out to explain Wright's particular perception of traditional Japanese art and architecture in terms of his own 'organic' design principles. And by illustrating how he brought together disparate forms and ideas in new creative syntheses it attempts to clarify the nature of his artistic originality. Eight primary channels of influence, from woodblock prints to publications and individual buildings are examined in detail, and the evidence of their impact on Wright's written and built work is illustrated through a combination of textual and graphic analyses.