Buffalo has a place at front and center in the spectacular Arts and Crafts exhibit, which just opened at the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibit is titled Apostles of Beauty, Arts and Crafts from Britain to Chicago. No less than 9 items with a connection to Buffalo are represented in the show. Additionally the exhibit poster, exhibit catalogue cover, and brochure cover prominently feature the world famous Wright designed Tree of Life window from the Darwin Martin House in Buffalo. The exhibit is composed entirely of work from collections in the Chicago area.
The Tree of Life window is shown in the exhibit along with work by East Aurora's Roycrofters and Buffalo's Charles Rohlfs. While I was there a delicately crafted chair by Rohlfs was gathering quite a crowd. Its skillful construction and sumptuous carving are hard to describe in words. It is a spectacular work of art. Rohlfs may be one of the least known American design geniuses. Seeing his work in person was a memorable experience. Elbert Hubbard was, of course, a major player in the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States along with Syracuse's Gustav Stickley. Individually they played the greatest role commercializing and spreading the popularity of what came to be known as "American Arts and Crafts". The exhibit includes three exquisite copper vases produced by Hubbard's Roycrofters. It also includes three beautiful books written by Hubbard and printed by Roycroft presses. Even through a glass case it is easy to appreciate the beautiful craft and texture of dense richly colored inks on the hand made paper.
A Wright-designed chair from Buffalo's now destroyed Larkin Administration Building is also on display. The very basic wooden side chair sits just below and to the right of the Darwin Martin House Tree of Life window. This window is normally on display in the stair court of the main building of the Art Institute. There, it is hung above eye level against a stone wall. This could not be a more inappropriate way of showing the window. In this special exhibit it has been given star billing with back lighting, which brings out the brilliant colors and intricate patterns. It is easy to understand why this is one of the most famous design patterns in the world. Unfortunately this is also not the best way to see this magnificent piece of art. The only place it can truly be seen and appreciated the way it should be is in the place it was designed for, The Darwin Martin House.
Many of the original Martin House windows remain as part of the house in their original locations but many, perhaps the majority, were scattered to far reaches of the globe. Two of them exist in Chicago. One in a private collection and this one at the Art Institute. The Martin House restoration Corporation plans to procure high quality replicas of all the missing windows. To me this seemed like a sin if you know where an original window currently exists. Viewing fragments of destroyed buildings in a museum makes sense to me. Viewing fragments of still extant buildings in a museum doses not. So a few years ago I inquired with the Art Institute and with the Martin House about what it would take to get the window back to Buffalo and reincorporated into the house. Unsurprisingly the museum could not comment without some research into the matter but I am sure it would involve a huge effort and some controversy.
The response I got from the Martin House was a BIG surprise. Paraphrasing, they said that while they would like to have as many original pieces of the house as possible they did not have a strong desire to have the Art Institute's Tree of Life window back. This was because they were not ready for it and they believed that the Art Institute would be a good steward of the piece and that having the window on display there would be benefit the house and the Restoration Corporation's mission. I can now see their point as the Art Institute has so prominently positioned it in this wonderful exhibit. The problem is they make no mention of the fact that the house still exists. How many people are looking at this disembodied fragment thinking that the building is gone? The Exhibit will not travel and runs through January 31, 2010.
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The Tree of Life window is shown in the exhibit along with work by East Aurora's Roycrofters and Buffalo's Charles Rohlfs. While I was there a delicately crafted chair by Rohlfs was gathering quite a crowd. Its skillful construction and sumptuous carving are hard to describe in words. It is a spectacular work of art. Rohlfs may be one of the least known American design geniuses. Seeing his work in person was a memorable experience. Elbert Hubbard was, of course, a major player in the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States along with Syracuse's Gustav Stickley. Individually they played the greatest role commercializing and spreading the popularity of what came to be known as "American Arts and Crafts". The exhibit includes three exquisite copper vases produced by Hubbard's Roycrofters. It also includes three beautiful books written by Hubbard and printed by Roycroft presses. Even through a glass case it is easy to appreciate the beautiful craft and texture of dense richly colored inks on the hand made paper.
A Wright-designed chair from Buffalo's now destroyed Larkin Administration Building is also on display. The very basic wooden side chair sits just below and to the right of the Darwin Martin House Tree of Life window. This window is normally on display in the stair court of the main building of the Art Institute. There, it is hung above eye level against a stone wall. This could not be a more inappropriate way of showing the window. In this special exhibit it has been given star billing with back lighting, which brings out the brilliant colors and intricate patterns. It is easy to understand why this is one of the most famous design patterns in the world. Unfortunately this is also not the best way to see this magnificent piece of art. The only place it can truly be seen and appreciated the way it should be is in the place it was designed for, The Darwin Martin House.
Many of the original Martin House windows remain as part of the house in their original locations but many, perhaps the majority, were scattered to far reaches of the globe. Two of them exist in Chicago. One in a private collection and this one at the Art Institute. The Martin House restoration Corporation plans to procure high quality replicas of all the missing windows. To me this seemed like a sin if you know where an original window currently exists. Viewing fragments of destroyed buildings in a museum makes sense to me. Viewing fragments of still extant buildings in a museum doses not. So a few years ago I inquired with the Art Institute and with the Martin House about what it would take to get the window back to Buffalo and reincorporated into the house. Unsurprisingly the museum could not comment without some research into the matter but I am sure it would involve a huge effort and some controversy.
The response I got from the Martin House was a BIG surprise. Paraphrasing, they said that while they would like to have as many original pieces of the house as possible they did not have a strong desire to have the Art Institute's Tree of Life window back. This was because they were not ready for it and they believed that the Art Institute would be a good steward of the piece and that having the window on display there would be benefit the house and the Restoration Corporation's mission. I can now see their point as the Art Institute has so prominently positioned it in this wonderful exhibit. The problem is they make no mention of the fact that the house still exists. How many people are looking at this disembodied fragment thinking that the building is gone? The Exhibit will not travel and runs through January 31, 2010.
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I must humbly disagree with the opinion that any original windows must be returned to the original building and displayed there.
From a marketing perspective and a business perspective, I think it does an enormous benefit for the windows of the Martin House and whatever, statues and lighting from the Central Terminal, etc. It is of enormous benefit for someone to have the privilege of seeing one of Buffalo's world class treasures and give them a taste, a dream, a hope, a passion to come to Buffalo and visit the Roycroft, the Martin House and GrayCliff, the Central Terminal, etc.
Its one reason I would love to see the Hotel Buffalo art nuveau white and green terra cotta reconstructed...and maybe key pieces of its terra cotta donated to architecture museums across the world, key pieces of the Prudential Building Terra Cotta, etc.
Replica or Real, Buffalo should be known for the very best whether new or whether historical, we can have both in abundance where other cities can only have the new.
In additional to Presidential Libraries, Bicycle and Transportation Museums, Great Lakes Museums, Historica and Botanical Gardens...Buffalo certainly has enough to support a furniture museum.
Last Word, a big failing of our local culturals is that they do not interlock marketing. For instance, the Botanicals in south park with the lake (restored) could easily be a regional exhibit of Great Lakes Flora complementing a Buffalo Zoo that exhibits Great Lakes Fauna which would complement a Great Lakes Aquarium at Canalside...see how the exhibit at one museum could provoke interest in another museum. If they did this...they would be much more profitable than their current go it alone plan.
Im not an elitist or a purist...it matters not whether its original or reproduction as long as it brands Buffalo, is known as being from Buffalo and attracts people to Buffalo.