CULTURE

ON A MISSION

Architectural photographer Andrew Pielage debuts Sacred Spaces at Taliesin West

BY MELISSA HIRSCHL / PHOTO BY JEFF CHABOT

Architectural and traveler photographer Andrew Pielage fell under the “Wright spell” while visiting Taliesin West in Scottsdale for the first time in 2011. Visiting the summer home and school of the trailblazing architect Frank Lloyd Wright, he was mesmerized by the symbiotic harmony between architecture and nature. “The home seemed married to the environment,” he says. “I knew I had discovered something deeply spiritual.” The sprawling desert home, created mainly of rocks, wood, cement, and desert sand, provided an epiphany for Pielage. He made it his mission to photograph all of Wright’s 432 remaining buildings. Currently, he’s photographed 115. Until Jan. 29, visitors can view more than 30 large-scale photographs of Wright’s temples, churches, buildings, and homes taken by Pielage. Sacred Spaces x Andrew Pielage invites viewers to ponder provocative questions such as “What does sacred space mean to you?” and “Where does the building end and the landscape begin?” A sampling of buildings brought to life in the exhibit are: Fallingwater, the Unity Temple, the Guggenheim Museum, Romeo and Juliet Windmill Tower, the First Christian Church, and Taliesin. Pielage’s connection to Wright goes beyond his photography. The two share common denominators of religion and a deep respect for the natural world. “I was going to church and camping before I could walk. We went hiking in many beautiful areas, and I’d take shots with my disposable camera.” Pielage says. “Wright was fond of saying ‘I believe in God, I just spell it Nature.’ I feel that same sentiment. When I walk to the edge of the Grand Canyon, it’s like walking into Notre Dame. I feel connected to something bigger than myself.” Pielage’s photos accentuate the use of light to capture the essence of Wright’s philosophy. “I want to shoot structures that personify the sacredness of the natural world through light more than architecture,” he says. Like Wright, Pielage considers light the great beautifier of a building. One of his most memorable photographs is Temple Beth Sholom in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. “Wright wanted to make religion a more human experience,” he says. To imbue that feeling, the architect wrapped the seats around three sides to give a community feel. The “shallow bowl” shape of the floor is symbolic of worshipers rest their hands in God, and the ramps leading to the main sanctuary are suggestive of the ascent to Mount Sinai.

Sacred Spaces, which is curated by Sam Lubell, was organized by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in cooperation with Beth Sholom Preservation, Taliesin Preservation and the Western Pennsylvania Conservatory. Lear more at www.apizm.com or www.franklloydwright.org.