About this talk

Running time: 32 minutes

Since we last recorded Gehry in 1981 (see Counter Statements) his architectural language has developed enormously. Charles Jencks (see Hunt The Symbol and Suncheon City, Korea: Holding The Eco-Line) calls him "the Picasso of architecture, picking up one new idea after another", while James Steel says "he is the lodestone which others use to navigate whether in similar or opposite directions... Sometime muse to successive generation of architects".

Gehry relates his individual style to strong personal links with the American art world. He fights against symmetry and is the master of unfinished surfaces, colliding geometries and dislocated shapes. But he is a maker of spaces first, sculpture second.

In his talk he states his delight in pursuing the idea of movement using inert materials to build compound shapes. Over the years he has learned how to perfect and, what is more, how to build them economically. It is a fascinating story.

Please note that a transcript of this talk is available - please contact us for further details.