Memorable Art Pieces at Taliesin West

On the morning of Sunday, October 23, 2022, I spent several hours touring Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Phoenix, Arizona.  Several years ago I had read somewhere that the iconic architect had incorporated petroglyph boulders into the design and construction of his summer retreat, where he and his apprentices lived and worked each summer for many years.  I made a mental “note to myself” that I should visit this place some day, mainly to see the petroglyph boulders.  So when I planned my itinerary for my Fall 2022 Rock Art Trip, I included a stop at Taliesin West.  I am glad I did.  Because I saw much more than petroglyphs at that enchanted place!   As I wandered through Taliesin West, I was intrigued by the many works of art that the compound contained.  So, upon my return home, I did some research and reading about the art pieces I had seen.  This blog is the result of that research.  I hope you enjoy my words and pictures about the Memorable Art Pieces at Taliesin West. 

Frank Lloyd Wright and His Art Collecting

Frank Lloyd Wright was an iconic rule-breaker, andnot just when it came to his architectural designs.  While most serious art collectors kept records and approached their collecting in a systematic way, that was not the case with Wright.  When he traveled, he would visit stores and if he saw something he liked, he bought it, and took it home.  He keep no records about the pieces– where he bought them and what he paid for them.  And while most collectors protect their art and often keep it to themselves, Frank Lloyd Wright kept his art at his places of residence, and would move the pieces around often, because he wanted them to be seen and experienced.   While he loved Buddhas, Asian art of all kinds, and Pueblo Pottery, at Taliesin West I experienced a much broader and eclectic collection that was unique, intriguing, and enchanting.  Here are some of my favorites from Wright’s art pieces at Taliesin West, and a little information about each of them.  

1.  Works By Heloise Crista:  The Wright Bust, and Aiming For the Mark

One of the many talented characters that were part of Wright’s Taliesin Fellowship was Heloise Crista.  She joined the Fellowship in 1949 at the age of 23 and, unlike most of the apprentices, she did not join to become an architect.  She studied dancing under Iovanna, Wright’s daughter, and studied the philosophy of Russian mystic George Gurdjieff.  She also became a talented sculptor.  Her first major work was the bust of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956.  A number of her other works adorn Taliesin West, including “Aiming For The Mark”, her sculpture of an archer, which is displayed in the sculpture garden.  She resided at Taliesin West until her death on March 11, 2018. 

2.  Ming Dynasty Buddha Head, aka the “Studio Buddha” 

This piece is displayed at the entrance to the Cabaret and Theatre at Taliesin West.   Wright had owned it since the late 1920s and, while he was alive, he would take it back and forth between his summer residence in Wisconsin (Taliesin) and his winter residence in Arizona (Taliesin West).  This cast-iron piece was also mentioned in 1948 and 1951 articles about Wright in Architectural Forum.  Directly above the Studio Buddha is an ornate Asian Wood carving featuring flowers around a solitary face.  It is unknown where the carving came from, who made it, and what it is meant to portray.  

3.  The Shiwan Ceramic Opera Vignettes

There are twelve Chinese ceramic vignettes scattered about the walkways and other open areas at Taliesin West.  It is thought that Wright purchased them in 1955 from an oriental art store in San Francisco that kept an eye out for pieces that might be of interest to him.  While no one knows for sure, the vignettes are believed to be from the village of Shiwan in Southern China, an area known as a center of handicraft art and a pivotal center for Cantonese opera.  One of the Shiwan pottery guilds specialized in long ceramic friezes depicting scenes from well known operas.  It is thought that the twelve pieces at Taliesin West were originally one long frieze that Wright separated into scenes and then installed in masonry frames throughout the compound.  Whatever their true history, these brightly colored and detailed pieces are mysterious, unique, unexpected, and a joy to experience!  I photographed eight of the vignettes during my visit–  I guess I need to go back someday and find the other four!  Here are detail photos of the eight that I saw on my visit…

A couple of photos that show two of the ceramic vignettes in situ…

4.  A Couple More Buddhist Artifacts:  Maitreya and Quan-yin

There are many, many Buddhist artifacts at Taliesin West, besides the Studio Buddha discussed in Number 2 above.  I want to mention a  couple more of the artifacts that are note-worthy.  First, there is a stone Maitreya in an area of Wright’s private quarters known as the Dining Cove.  The carved stone is a depiction the “Buddha of the Future”, commonly known as Maitreya.  The details of how Wright got this piece are not known, but it is supposedly from an unidentified 5th or 6th century Chinese cave temple.  The Maitreya has been at Taliesin West since 1939 and now resides in the Dining Cove where he and his wife often entertained guests privately.  Near the Maitreya (on the other side of a doorway opening), is another Buddhist artifact, but, for the life of me, I can’t find a name or description of this artifact.  I know I read about it somewhere, so if I find it again, I will update this part of the post.  Here are the photos of the Maitreya and friend…

Another Buddhist artifact from Wright’s collection that I wanted to highlight is a Quan-yin.  There is a wooden Quan-yin, the Bodhisattva of mercy and compassion, on display in the Garden Room.  This wooden sculpture is in the Sung Dynasty style of 960-1279, and some believe it may be an original. Once again, there is apparently no record of how or where Wright acquired it. Quan-yin is one of the most popular Buddhist deities and Wright had several other images of this deity, sometimes referred to as the Goddess of Mercy.  Here is my photo of the wooden Quan-yin sculpture in the Garden Room. 

5.  The Clare Boothe Luce Mosaics

On display in the Garden Room there are two mosaic pieces done by Wright’s friend Clare Boothe Luce.  Mrs. Luce was an amazing woman–  an author (including a hit Broadway play), a journalist (correspondent for Life magazine), an editor (Vanity Fair), a politician (U.S. House of Representatives), a leading conservative voice, and, among many other achievements, Ambassador to Italy.  She was married to Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.  Clare Boothe Luce and her husband were were frequent guests of the Wrights at Taliesin West.  Mrs. Luce created two pieces of mosaic art, primarily using materials found in the desert near Taliesin West, including rocks, bark, and deer horn.  One of her mosaics reportedly was inspired by the sun, while the other, the moon.  I can find no other record or instance of Mrs. Luce creating any other mosaics, or art of any kind for that matter.  To me, it is very impressive that a person seemingly without artistic training or experience could create two works such as these.  My imagination suggests that Taliesin West the place, Taliesin the Fellowship, and Frank Lloyd Wright the man, worked their magic on Mrs. Luce, and these mosaics were the enchanted result.  By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the life of Clare Boothe Luce (as I was), I would highly recommend clicking on her name above and reading her Wickipedia page.  I think you will find her life story to be informative, entertaining, and flat out amazing.  Anyway, below are my photos of the two mosaic pieces she created and gifted to Frank Lloyd Wright.   

6.  The Two Midway Gardens Sprites

In 1913 Edward C. Waller Jr. commissioned Wright to design an entertainment venue and complex called Midway Gardens on Chicago’s south side.  Midway Gardens was built in 1914 and was a great achievement for Frank Wright.  He personally designed and supervised all of its elements, right down to the furniture, lamps, and dishes.   He designed a number of elaborate fountains, and, partnering with Italian sculptor Alfonso Iannelli, a series of twelve five to six foot tall cast concrete sculptures he called the “Sprites.” The Gardens fell victim to financial troubles, mainly because of Prohibition, and changed ownership several times.  Eventually it fell into a sad state of disrepair and was totally demolished in 1929.  The story is a bit murky, but somehow three of the Sprites were rescued during the demolition and wound up lying in a farmer’s field in Lake Delton, Wisconsin.  Eventually, Taliesin recovered the Sprites from the field and sent them to friends of  the Wrights named Don and Virgina Lovness.  The Lovness couple restored the Sprites, and for over twenty years they guarded their Wright designed estate in Stillwater, Wisconsin.  In 1980, Mrs. Wright had the Sprites placed in their present location outside of the Garden Room at Taliesin West.  These beautiful cast concrete sculptures stand proudly, reminding all who see them of Wright’s marvelous Midway Gardens complex and his extraordinary design skills.   

7.  The Moon Gate

Can a garden gate be a work of art?  I think so, especially the Moon Gate at Taliesin West.  This iconic gate was one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s many tributes to Asian art at his desert complex.  This large wooden gate, painted in the distinctive burnt orange color that Wright used throughout the compound, sits in the desert masonry wall on the south border of the garden area adjacent to the Garden Room.  As the gate opens, it provides a model of the phases of the moon.  What lies beyond this magical gate?  Look here to find out!

My Not So Artful Conclusion…

Every where you look at Taliesin West you find art.  Every nook, cranny, and corner seem to hold something beautiful, something unique, or something thought provoking.  I have barely scratched the surface, as you will see if you look at my main Taliesin West Gallery.  I so enjoyed my time touring Taliesin West, and the art that Frank Lloyd Wright collected and deposited there was a primary source of my enjoyment.  Go see for yourself…I highly recommend it!