Gehry Draws [Hardcover]

Mark Rappolt (Editor), Robert Violette (Editor), Frank Gehry (Illustrator), Horst Bredekamp (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262182416 | ISBN-13: 978-0262182416 | Publication Date: December 7, 2004 | Edition: 1st

Everyone knows what the distinctive curves and lines of Frank Gehry's buildings look like. But where do they come from? Gehry has described drawing as his way of "thinking aloud"; Gehry Draws traces that thinking through 32 major projects (both built and unbuilt) with more than 500 drawings (many of which have never before been published) and more than 400 additional illustrations -- providing a privileged view of the creative practice of a master architect. Horst Bredekamp's introduction relates Gehry's drawing methods to the concept of "disegno," as practiced by Leonardo and Durer -- not only the act of drawing and modeling but also the dynamics of creative thinking -- and shows how Gehry thinks through the curving movements of his hand on paper. Gehry himself describes for Bredekamp his method in several explanatory sketches, and Bredekamp applies this to a study of drawings made for specific Gehry commissions.Gehry Draws is produced in collaboration with Frank Gehry and his team at Gehry Partners. Project synopses and commentary by Gehry and two of his Partners and Project Designers, Edwin Chan and Craig Webb, guide us through the full range of Gehry production, from the small details of furniture design to such large-scale undertakings as the Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The drawings, illustrations, and text in Gehry Draws definitively place drawing at the heart of Frank Gehry's creative process.This book is published by The MIT Press in association with Violette Editions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The shapes—of the Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao, of the unbuilt New York Times headquarters, of Los Angeles's Walt Disney Concert Hall—are by now familiar, if no less wonderful and estranging. This terrific book can hardly be called a set of sketches. It brings together drawings architect Gehry has done for 29 recent projects; to look at them in series is to watch a genius think out loud, so close does the link between thought and line seem here (before the projects have been computer simulated, modeled and hyped to death). Text-wise, signs are sometimes taken as wonders, with Gehry's most banal pronouncements given the status of pull-quotes ("We work with clients a lot. I listen to the client a lot. I spend more time with clients than most people would guess"), but the drawings themselves (950!) are arresting, and they lose none of their impact when put on the page. (Mar.)
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Review

"A superbly designed volume" John Wilson Christianity Today

"In an era when computers have a big impact on the design of buildings, it is refreshing to see how important old-fashioned pen-on-paper drawings have been to the creative process of Gehry, one of the most important contemporary architects of our time." Library Journal

"This massive book is clearly a must for every serious student of architecture." The Globe and Mail

"This terrific book can hardly be called a set of sketches. It brings together drawings architect Gehry has done for 29 recent projects; to look at them in series is to watch a genius think out loud, so close does the link between thought and line seem here" Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1st edition (December 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262182416
• ISBN-13: 978-0262182416
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,252,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding presentation!, May 30, 2005

By 

Ping Lim (Christchurch) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gehry Draws (Hardcover)

As a Gehry fan, I have been rummaging through many books that are written about him and his projects. The problem about that is those architectural books can't simply keep up with his prolific efforts in creating masterpieces at different corners of the world. However, the solution is nigh! Rather than bombarding us with all Gehry's projects, it concentrates mainly on a few projects that meant something to Gehry and his team (built and unbuilt). The book is kept very simple. Pages and pages of "noodle" scribbles done by Gehry on a hotel pad or even on a note paid are complemented by Gehry (when needed)'s comment and also by his team's. At times, the scribbles are understood but at times, the scribbles are verging towards abstract arts. If we are shrugging our shoulder, we should feel for the design team that would need to interpret Gehry's works into a form that is legible for construction purpose. It also confirms what Gehry enthusiasts have known all along, Gehry thrives on conceptual designs and he's a big fan of using long hand to derive his inspiration consciously and subconsciously. You can say that this book is a Gehry thinking aloud book and truthfully, I enjoy every moment flapping through this breath-taking book which is printed on thick quality paper. It is not a mean feat that the book is printed and bound in Slovenia. A definite collectible for a Gehry enthusiast or even an architectural enthusiast. It's not a book to get a finite answer of how a genius thinks but a book that might just inspire us to think outside the square for a change. Here, I dedicate this proverb to all of you: let's not follow the foot steps of the old but seek for what they sought. Highly recommended.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Gehry Draws, July 30, 2005

By 

Eric A. Boettger (Yellowknife, NT Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gehry Draws (Hardcover)

The book is not filled with drawings. It's filled with meaningless doodles. Had I been able to see inside, as I would in a physical bookstore, I would not have bought the book.