Stirling's Gold

Stirling's student thesis project of 1949-50, a community center for Newton Aycliffe

Highly recommended: a pair of exhibitions celebrating the career of James Stirling at Yale’s Center for British Art and School of Architecture. The show at the British Art gallery is the main event, a career retrospective that will be an eye-opener for Americans familiar with Stirling primarily through his three most reproduced projects (Cambridge, Leicester, Stuttgart).

The drawings on view are extraordinary — it’s a shame that this skill, which was obviously so central to the design process, has become all but obsolete. The A&A show looks at his work as a teacher (he taught at Yale from the 1959-1983), with projects from his many gifted students. I plan to write about the shows elsewhere, but just thought I’d advertise them here, now. Game changers.

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"it’s a shame that this skill, which was obviously so central to the design process, has become all but obsolete."

OBSOLETE?

You're saying that drawing skill has become obsolete?

Shame on you.

Paul H. Billings, R.A.
11.08.10 at 01:23

"You're saying that drawing skill has become obsolete?
Shame on you".

I absolutely agree, in fact I'm seeing A strong need by clients for a skillfully drawn elevation or sketch to be part of the design process to assist in ones understanding not to mention ours.

J Heilman
11.08.10 at 04:03

Obsolete is right! Everyone has to have it in a digital format and if you cant walk thru it or change it in less than 15 seconds, its not worth anything.
Talented artists are now technicians doing sketchup...bland and without personal style.
Paul, are you still putting out documents by hand? Hats off to you if you do and still keep up with the Jones...

S. Hull, project mgr
11.08.10 at 04:20

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Lamster is a writer on the arts and culture. He is Associate American Editor of The Architectural Review, and is currently at work on his third book, a biography of the late architect Philip Johnson. Follow: @marklamster.
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