Frank Lloyd Wright in Arizona

by Lawrence W. Cheek

"Wright fell in love with the desert quickly and profoundly," writes Lawrence W. Cheek. "It was a vast, blank canvas ... it was an open-air warehouse of natural forms, colors, and textures that both delighted and inspired him."

Frank Lloyd Wright first came to Arizona in 1928. In this spectacular desert landscape he built his winter headquarters, Taliesin West, and found a passion that drove him for the next 31 years of his life. In the first book to focus solely on Wright's work in Arizona, Lawrence W. Cheek explores the twelve breathtaking buildings that Wright contributed to the state. Cheek also delves into the audacious, mischievous, egocentric, and often outrageous life of Frank Lloyd Wright and examines today's Taliesin West, still a center of vigilant devotion to the man often called the greatest architect of the twentieth century. 50 color photos.

72 pages, Hardcover

First published January 25, 2006

About the author

Lawrence W. Cheek worked for the Tucson Citizen for 14 years as a reporter, music, and architecture critic, essayist, and Saturday editor. He then edited Tucson's City Magazine, a free-ranging monthly that comprised investigative reporting, politics, popular culture, and the arts. His work frequently appears in Arizona Highways magazine, which also has published three of his books: Scenic Sedona, Photographing Arizona, and A.D. 1250: Ancient People of the Southwest. In addition, Mr. Cheek is also the author of Compass American Guide: Santa Fe.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short little coffee table book had photographs that I had not seen before and included stories that were new to me. Features a list of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Arizona and the West, and a short list of recommended books to read.

[Sheila Willson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently toured the Arizona Biltmore, where Frank Lloyd Wright consulted on the design of this unique property. I had found this book at a thrift store but had never taken the time to read it, so this presented me an opportunity to learn even more about his impact on the Arizona skyline.