12.29.2010

unexpected mountain find: jacob jongert!

Well,
Continental cancelled our flight today
and booked us on a
new flight,
IN A WEEK 
from now!
Well, that wouldn't do, 
so after
2 hours on the horn, 
we are now headed back Friday.
The other good news is that we got to go picking,
which we were unable to do earlier due to the weather 
and the holidaze.

You can imagine how
surprised I was to find this icon of 
Dutch graphic design sitting on the floor
in a booth of potpourri and dried flowers
at the local antique mall!
Score!
We actually bought a bunch of cool stuff,
but this was definitely the star of the day.
It's a little worse for wear,
but it is honest wear,
and I think I almost like it better than if it
was dead mint.
Someone also punched a bunch of holes in the top,
probably to house a rattlesnake for some
at the local Pentecostal church.
At least that's the story I'm stickin' with....













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12.28.2010

the architecture of black mountain college

The porch of 
Robert E. Lee Hall.
A classical beginning to the architectural legacy of
Black Mountain College.

Joseph Alber's
drawing class on the huge porch of 
R.E.L. Hall.

Very olde South,
especially with the blooming
dogwoods in front.

Early student study.

Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer
with their proposed buildings
at the
Black Mountain College meeting,
The Museum of Modern Art,
New York
1940


Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer
Lake Eden Campus
architectural model.
1939


A. Lawrence Kocher 
Kocher takes over the design and building 
of the new Studies Building
since there was not enough moo-la
for the Gropius/Breuer building.

A. Lawrence Kocher 
Central building for Lake Eden Campus
1940

Studies Building construction
Fall 1940
It was built by the students and faculty.

Studies Building
Completed wing

View of the building from across the lake.

My view

New and improved student study in the building.
So great, so simple.

View from above on a snowy winter day.

A. Lawrence Kocher
1941

Alexander Reed
1942

Paul Beider
1945

Lake Eden dining hall and theater.
This is now the heart of a Christian boys camp.

Joseph Alber's drawing class 


Chair by Josef Albers adapted from
a traditional Mexican design.
(Seen above and below in situ.)

Mary Gregory
Modular wooden units used as 
stools, tables and sculpture stands.

Concetta Scaravaglione and Isaac Nakata
putting the Mary Gregory "units" to good use.
Summer 1946

A. Lawrence Kocher
Chair of molded plywood
1942

A. Lawrence Kocher
Side table and stool
1942
These are great. Why can't I find these in an 
antique mall down here?

Mary Gregory
Wooden plates
1940s

Woodworking Shop
1944
Mary Gregory is at left.
The Cowboy and Dorky guy are unknown....

A. Lawrence Kocher
Detail of the custom bookcases
built by the Woodworking Shop.
1941


Paul Williams, Albert Lanier, Warren Outten, Si Sillman, Bernard Karp,
Alex Morse, Ralph Chernoff and Ragland Watkins
(Ragland should have been a Blues artist, not an architect with that moniker.)
1947-48

Buckminster Fuller in his studio
Summer 1948

Buckminster Fuller 
"The Supine Dome"
1948
This dome was supposed to be 22 feet high and was made of
Venetian blind strips.
It was a failure.

Buckminster Fuller 
"Dome of thirty-one-great-circle structure 
of tubular beads and continuous
internal cable with double heat-sealed pneumatic, 
transparent skin"
Designed and constructed at the Institute of Design,
Chicago 1948-49
Tested at Black Mountain College
Summer 1949

Demonstration of lightness

Demonstration of plastic skin

Demonstration of strength

Students casting parts of a Bucky Dome
Summer 1949

Kenneth Snelson
"Early X Piece"
Wood and nylon
1948-49

Richard Lippold
"Devotion 1"
Brass, stainless steel and bronze
1948

Paul Williams
Designed 1949
Constructed 1949-53

Paul Williams
Designed in collaboration with Robert Turner
1949-50
(Additional workroom and open shed designed by Jack Rice
Summer 1953)

Hunky Paul Williams
1940s

"Black Mountain Chairs"
Jacqueline Herrmann Gourevitch
1950

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