MODCITI.DALLAS ISSUE 15 NOVEMBER 2020

nov ‘20

// architect: russell buchanan - rio vista residence

LIGHTS

P R FANTASTIC O

LIGHTS

P R FANTASTIC O

LIGHTS

P R FANTASTIC O

LIGHTS

P R FANTASTIC O

THIS IS THE

FUTURE WE’VE CREATED A NEW TYPE OF SHOWROOM THAT RE-IMAGINES YOUR PERCEPTION OF HOW YOU USE AND VIEW LIGHTING. As technology transforms what’s possible with lighting, Lights Fantastic Pro helps you imagine lighting that enhances your environment like never before. We Help architects, designers, builders and visionaries tap into The Power of Lighting.

lightsfantasticpro.com DALLAS

LEWISVILLE

HOUSTON

AUSTIN

4645 Greenville Ave

2525 E. State Hwy 121

4205 Pinemont Dr

7532 Burnet Ave

1019 Dragon Street | Dallas | Design District | 214.350.0542 | www.sminkinc.com

a modernist state of mind

by Kendall Morgan

// oak court residence

From buildings to furniture, Russell Buchanan has earned a stellar reputation for his ability to blend industrial materials to an eye-catching effect.

The successful Dallas-based architect built his business on elemental geometry. This simple yet obvious approach has assured all of his projects represent his design intent with a single glance.

“My work is so bound up in geometry,” Buchanan explains.

“The obvious thread that goes through all of it is squares and circles. Both in architecture and furniture, you’ll see a real elemental quality to it and reliance on Euclidian geometry. There’s always a kind of logic to how I come up with dimensions. I try to manage and understand (projects) in a very rigid way. There’s still a lot you can do with a square, and I’m not sure I’m done yet!”

Growing up, Buchanan was first exposed to Architectural Record on a friend’s coffee table. A Los Angeles loft crafted

VISUAL COMFORT TECH LIGHTING GENERATION LIGHTING MONTE CARLO FANS PHILLIPS COLLECTION SHADOW CATCHERS ART EMISSARY HOME BLISS STUDIO

“always to the trade only”

2000 N Stemmons Frwy Suite 1D111 Dallas, TX 75207 214.651.9565 taylorsdallas.com

// charlotte and donald test pavilion at the dallas arboretum

by Frederick Fisher featured in the issue became his “light bulb moment,” setting off a life-long passion for industrial materials. His aesthetic was further solidified by a Christmas gift of the classic industrial design book “High Tech.”

“It was in a heavy rotation in that period—the late ‘70s and early ‘80s,” Buchanan recalls. “I wanted to get one of everything. They had really cool industrial parts that were repurposed and used for coffee tables and other things, and that’s what got me interested in furniture.”

Deciding to learn his craft at Texas A&M, Buchanan

“lucked out” because of the mix of architecture professors and students at the university during that time. He extended his studies at the Architectural Association in London before returning to the states and landing a plum gig making models in Frank Gehry’s Los Angeles office.

“A friend of mine was building models there and got me in.

They were on a 24-hour schedule, and that’s what Gehry does. His sketches are legendary, but he rarely works in three dimensions. It was a little frustrating, as you might spend four or five hours working on a wooden element, and he would walk in and say, ‘Why don’t we try it THIS

// casa linder residence

// summation screen

// elements townhomes

// the o’donnell institute digital library

way?” Ultimately, Buchanan found living in California cost-prohibitive, and he returned to Dallas to work for a small local firm. While building his skill set, he found himself equally drawn to furniture design and began creating envelope-pushing prototypes of steel and wood.

The only problem? He had no idea how to launch a design business.

“I was naïve about how the furniture design business works. I didn’t have any clients; I built all the furniture for myself and then tried to photograph and sell it. That was my naivety. But what I was trying to do was build objects very economically by maximizing the materials

// spring table

and keep it simple.” Although his “Spring Table” built of hot-rolled steel, glass, and an aircraft table eventually landed in the permanent collection of the Dallas Museum of Art, Buchanan decided the construction of buildings was where he needed to apply his energy. Still, the idea of working for himself appealed, and the ties Buchanan developed with local wood and steel artisans served him when well he launched his firm in 1992.

Utilizing a methodology that always encompasses a little

surprise and delight, he begins each project by grappling with a site’s solar orientation and unique aspects of the landscape. Next comes what Buchanan calls “getting a handle on square footage,” and then examining the potential form.

“Design is very iterative, so you build on ideas and explore those ideas. There are forms that begin to emerge and evolve and that very much affects how you approach a structure Ultimately, we’re happiest when we have

// envelope townhomes

as simple a form as we can get.”

Now something of a one-man band, Buchanan operates his offices out of Lower Ross Avenue warehouse where he also lives with his wife. Extra space is rented to colleagues and former employees, resulting in a convivial, inspirational atmosphere for the architect to ply his craft.

High-profile projects such as the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society’s Charlotte and Donald Test Pavilion and his restoration of an iconic Edward Durrell Stone

home have garnered him accolades and column inches in Architectural Digest. Still, Buchanan says he hasn’t realized his ambitions just yet.

“I would really like to be doing bigger projects and more complicated projects. It’s very hard for a small firm like mine to do those, but architecture is changing every day. But it’s less difficult than it used to be because of computer technology, so a small firm can do big projects—we proved that with the Arboretum. Working on projects that have a public audience is exciting to me.”

// engine credenza

With an average eight to ten structures on the docket in a given year, Buchanan’s architecture business is so allencompassing he now considers furniture design a hobby.

He’s known to craft a special piece or two for his clients, but he’s moving more into the realm of sculpture with his work, such as devising a series of chicken wire chairs that you can’t sit in.

structures and his quirky furniture designs all form parts of an aesthetically pleasing whole—a life devoted to the beauty of industry.

Sums up Buchanan, “from my earliest experience looking at that Fred Fisher warehouse to the ‘High Tech’ book to living in a warehouse surrounded by industrial projects, it’s come complete circle for me.”

Still, the space in which he lives and works, his sleek-lined buchananarchitecture.com

ROGER WINTER STORIES FROM MEMORY DECEMBER 4-JANUARY 8

KIRK HOPPER FINE ART

The Age of Smoking, 2020, collage and story

1426 N. RIVERFRONT BLVD, DALLAS

THE WINTER OF HIS CONTENT

by Kendall Morgan

// roofs and walls, 2017, oil on linen, 34 x 38 inches34 x 38 inches

// union square, 1988, oil on linen, 72 x 120 inches, collection of nancy and tim hanley

Prolific painter Roger Winter celebrates a lifetime of impactful work at Kirk Hopper Fine Art. With a career spanning eight decades, Texan artist Roger Winter shows no signs of slowing down. Chatting on the phone from his Manhattan apartment, he has just returned from another fruitful day in his studio on Riverside Drive, where he paints seven days a week (including holidays).

This persistent work ethic has paid off. The most important landscape painter of the post-1945 period, Winter is held in many notable private and public collections, including the Dallas Museum of Art, McNay Museum in San Antonio,

and the Meadows Museum of Art. The subject of this year’s definitive retrospective book by Susie Kalil, “The Art of Roger Winter: Fire and Ice,” Winter is also reveling in the celebration of his life and career that is “Dallas Collects Roger Winter,” which closes on November 28 at Kirk Hopper.

A glimpse of some of his greatest paintings collected by notable locals, the show encompasses everything from a huge photorealist portrait of Union Square to an intimate six-by-eight-inch study of an eight-year-old Sally Horchow (which happens to be Winter’s favorite piece).

// columbus avenue, 2001, Oil on linen, 52 x 60 inches, collection of judge b. michael and elise chitty

// washington’s birthday, 1999, oil on linen, 64 x 96 inches, collection of molly e. moore

“(The show) was a joint idea by Kirk Hopper and Susie, who spent five years writing about my work,” Winter says of the exhibit, two years in the making. “I think it took quite a while to round up all the people and decide what would be in the show and let whoever owned the work to decide if they would cooperate. People that collect your work keep you going, at least partially. I think I would have kept going if nobody bought anything, but it does make you think your work must be important for other people.”

Winter was determined to become an artist from the very beginning. Growing up in Denison, Texas, on the outskirts of the Great Depression, his earliest memory is of sketching

household objects. “Art decided for me; I didn’t decide apparently,” he laughs. “The only sibling I have living is 93 years old, and he said I drew a package of cigarettes when I was two years old. What I do remember is, I was terribly fascinated by boxes of old photographs my mother and father had, and I would ask a million questions about each person and draw their faces.”

As a teen, Winter landed a job with the only architect in town, who encouraged him to study for a degree in the field at the University of Texas. When a new college acquaintance took him by the art building, it was clear what his major had to be.

// day Is conquered by night, 1995, oil on linen, 78 x 78 inches, collection of alice and charlie adams

George Nakashima Walnut and Teak Sideboard, 1957

fine mid century and modern design

Dallas 1216 N. Riverfront Blvd Dallas, TX 75207

New York 200 Lexington #1059 New York, NY 10016

circa20c.com

“They had all this student work on the walls, and I had this epiphany moment, and I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do!’ I gave up architecture after one semester, and I’ve never regretted it, and I’ve never turned back.”

Taught by a who’s who of midcentury art professors, Winters honed his explorative technique, ultimately going on to graduate school at the University of Iowa. Post-graduation, he landed in Dallas during a particularly fertile time for the Texan avant-garde. Part of a group that surrounded American abstraction catalyst Douglas MacAgy, who ran the city’s contemporary museum, Winter found himself surrounded by the likes of Claes Oldenburg.

“He was like the sun, and we were like planets circling around him,” he says of MacAgy’s influence on peers, including David McManaway and Jim Love. “I was happy to be part of that coterie—we worked at the (Dallas Museum of Contemporary Arts) and installed shows. When Claes installed his work, we were there to help. I found out a lot more about contemporary art through working at the Contemporary museum than I did if I lived in New York.”

// construction site #6 redux, 2019, oil on linen, 84 x 52 inches

// the dove, 1966, oil on canvas, 54 x 52 inches, collection of pamela and jere mitchell

// highway sixty nine, 2020, collage/story

Winter also benefited from his connections to land multiple gigs as a teacher. Beginning with classes at the Jewish Community Center, he eventually joined Southern Methodist University in 1963, where he stayed for 26 years. There, he paid his knowledge forward, training a new generation of talent that included John Alexander and David Bates.

“The idea of having a signature style never interested me at all. Having grown up during the Depression, I never worried about money, so my work has changed, and I have changed, and the world has changed. Any time there’s a change in the place I live or the book I was reading at the moment or some new experience, my work has changed.”

As Winter eventually retired, moving on from Texas to Maine, New Mexico, and (ultimately) New York City, his art also evolved. Famed for both the landscapes he loves and his portraiture, the artist sees his style as a work in progress, ever-changing in subject matter and influence.

One thing Winter does consistently do is search for “the verb” inside a portrait, preferring to capture what someone is doing rather than drowning in detail.

“I’m not saying the subject is unimportant, but it may be

// horchow sisters, 1978, oil on linen, 60 x 52 inches, collection of roger horchow family

// the box, 2020, collage/story

less important. I told Susie a likeness in a portrait is a gesture, a verb that you look for. It’s what the face is doing that is unique, and human or whatever it might be, and adjectives don’t count.”

at Kirk Hopper in December. Covering everything from a bout with “dust pneumonia” as a child to his days in the army, Winter’s stories accompany collages he made from found materials.

This intimate contact with his subjects is evident in his newest exhibit. During the early days of the pandemic lockdown, his wife Jeanette (a successful children’s book illustrator) suggested he fill his time with writing what eventually became “Stories from Memory,” opening

“I did 35 stories, and each one was from memory. I would write, then make a collage with whatever material I could find in our apartment. I had a printer and glue and scissors and a keyboard, so I guess you use what you have.”

Winter anticipates working with a colleague of Jeanette’s

// pearl street, 1983, oil on linen, 30 x 86 inches, collection of cele and john carpenter

Jeanette and Roger,2018

to publish the pieces in a book of their own eventually.

Because many of the artist’s other projects have been postponed (including a show at the National Arts Club on Gramercy Park), he looks forward to getting back to business as usual, capturing what he sees around him in his inimitable way, endlessly inspired by his surroundings. “(Italian artist Giorgio) de Chirico said, ‘I paint what my eyes see, especially when my eyes are closed.’ (My work) is a combination of what I see and what I think could be

possible. New York is like my work in a way; it’s constantly changing. I walk from my home to the studio, and I can say it’s never quite the same two days in a row. It really has worked out to be the perfect place at this time in my life.”

“Stories from Memory” opens December 4 and runs through January 8, 2021. kirkhopperfineart.com

MODERN SPACES

5911 Glendora Avenue // $2,750,000 FAISAL HALUM c: 214.240.2575 fhalum@briggsfreeman.com

7805 Yamini Drive // $1,699,000 BECKY FREY 214.536.4727 becky.frey@compass.com

9327 Forestridge Dr // $999,900 JASON THOMAS c. 214.538.3390 jason@localresidentrealty.com

1918 Olive Street #1503 // $1,800,000 MISSY WOEHR + ILENE CHRIST c: 214.213.9455 missy.ilene@compass.com

EVERYTHING OLD

IS MODERN AGAIN

by Hardy Haberman

// photo credit: kurt griesbach

In 1936, the world came to Texas. Dallas was the sight of the Texas Centennial Exposition and in the midst of the depression the city put on a World’s Fair. The planners took Fair Park and transformed it into a gleaming modern city, with buildings and grounds designed in both the Deco and Modern styles. The lead architect, George Dahl called the style of the grounds, Texanic, and it overwhelmed the crowds. Today, much of that original architecture still stands in Fair Park, making it the largest collection of Art Deco exposition architecture in the

country. That legacy is being preserved and restored so that generations to come will be able to enjoy the park and get a glimpse of what the future visions of 1936 looked like.

I have long been enamored with the buildings and grounds of Fair Park. As a native Dallasite, I grew up just a few blocks from Fair Park and I remember many summer evenings strolling the grounds with my parents. One of the curiosities I remember was a house near the Garden

Cooking at home more?

You might as well love it. 

Show off your culinary acumen in the Artex kitchen from Poliform.

Dallas 1617 Hi Line Dr. Ste. 100 214.748.9838 Austin 115 W. 8th St. 512.480.0436 scottcooner.com

Center that looked strangely out of place in a park filled with heroic sized buildings. The small single-family dwelling was unoccupied and somewhat neglected. I later learned that this was one of the five “Homes of the Future” that were built by companies to highlight use of their construction materials in residential housing. The remaining home was the Portland Cement House and it was indeed built completely of concrete.

I had remembered that house and recently went back

to the fairgrounds to discover it was still standing and had been restored. A little digging online and I found the architect responsible for the restoration, Norman Alston, FAIA. I originally spoke with him to learn about the restoration of the house but found he was a trove of information on the entirety of Fair Park.

“The Portland Cement House was my first restoration project,” Norman said.

Engage Educate Experience Enjoy

The Dallas Architecture Forum is for everyone who wants to experience inspired design. The Forum presents an award-winning Lecture Series that brings outstanding architects,interior designers, landscape architects and urban planners from around the world, as well as Symposia, Receptions at architecturally significant residences, and Panel Discussions on issues impacting North Texas.

ď‚‚ď‚

dallasarchitectureforum.org

“The house was being used as a storage shed for the gardeners and was in rough shape. We used materials as close to the original including the tiles on the roof in the restoration.”

The restored house would fit into any neighborhood in Dallas today. The minimalist traditional lines and big expansive windows still give the house a contemporary

look. That project started a career shift for Alston who has specialized in historic restorations of building across Texas and landed him on the board of Fair Park First, a non-profit organization overseeing the management and stewardship of Fair Park, the 277-acre Dallas City Park and National Historic Landmark.

“Fair Park inspires everyone who works on it”, Alston said. “The Texas Centennial was a celebration of Texas

freedom and opportunity and it is reflected in the architecture of the site.�

The park, which has long been considered the crown jewel of the Dallas Parks system is vastly underutilized.

The mission of Fair Park First is to re-establish Fair Park as one of Dallas’ premiere venues accessible and enjoyed by all. Also, to preserve and restore and enhance the park and its landmark buildings and grounds.

A major step toward that restoration was the recent work on the Hall of State, a massive limestone structure that served as a centerpiece for the Centennial. Dallas architecture firm Gensler was contracted by the City of Dallas to begin renovations on the historic structure.

After a bond package funded the $14.4 million project, the building has been largely restored to its 1936 condition with the addition of modern amenities including accessibility ramps and updated air conditioning equipment.

On my recent visit, the gleaming white of the native Texas limestone was as dazzling as it must have been to Centennial visitors, and the interior frescos and bas relief are truly impressive. I think of the Hall of State as a temple to all things Texas. The stunning details of the building are often missed by visitors. Outdoor lights with sculptures of figures representing the six different flags that have flown over the state are worth your time to notice. Bronze doors with attributes of the Lone Star State tell a story of our heritage in art deco style.

Every aspect of the building was designed to frame vistas and highlight architectural details if you take time to look.

The overall vision of the Texas Centennial Exposition was both a nod to Texas history and a look to Texas future.

The preservation of not just the House of the Future, but the entire exposition grounds will carry that vision to future Texans as a grand civic legacy.

CADDALLAS.ORG 2020 MEMBERS 500X Gallery Carneal Simmons Contemporary Art Conduit Gallery Craighead Green Gallery Cris Worley Fine Arts Erin Cluley Gallery Galleri Urbane Marfa+Dallas Holly Johnson Gallery PDNB Gallery RO2 Art Talley Dunn Gallery Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden

modern

cravings // the stoff nagel bowl zinc with nickel plating available at nashersculpturecenter

// the jubilee small christmas tree available at modernchristmastrees // torii, airy, with constructive details linked to Japanese tradition designed bu nendo available at smink art + design

your modern

calendar

Modern events and activities make for fall fun around the Metroplex.

Meditations: Eleanore Mikus at Tamarind The Amon Carter Museum

Fair Park Tram Tour Ad Ex // dec16

Walking Tours Discover the Arts District + Explore the Main Street District Ad Ex

Virtual Tour - The Fight for Civil Rights in the South Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum

Foundations: Barry X Ball Nasher Sculpture Center

Moth to Cloth: Silk in Africa Dallas Museum Of Art

FOCUS: Marina Adams Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, please confirm availability of viewing these exhibits.

modern

art galleries

Modern art, exhibits, around the Metroplex.

Stories from Memory Kirk Hopper Fine Art

Round, Square, Angled Museum of Geometric and MADI Art

Ruben Nieto Cris Worley Fine Arts

Dornith Doherty Holly Johnson Gallery

Brian Cobble + Scott Gentling + Jean Andrew Valley House Gallery

Robert Mars and Stallman Laura Rathe Fine Art

Art Show Blue Print Gallery

Peter Frederiksen + Jason Willaford Galleri Urbane

Leonardo Drew Talley Dunn Gallery // view current shows online or appointments maybe available