Weekly Photo Challenge: Solitary~Sculpture of Rose McClendon

Solitary: definition~ “occurring singly and not as part of a group or cluster”.  
Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  

Solitary, singular, alone, lone, special, sole, unique.

This sculpture of Rose McClendon stands alone proudly on the grounds of Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural commission for the Edgar Kaufmann family.  She graces the garden near the walkway that joins the main house and guest house at Fallingwater.

Standing in a prayerful pose, she is startlingly beautiful, serene and reverent, as she tilts her head back toward Heaven.

Rose indeed was special and unique.  She was ‘one of the most renowned African-American stage performers of her time’. *  She starred in eleven Broadway productions.
Ethel Barrymore once said: “She can teach them all distinction.”  Aside from stage work, Rose directed and produced, and was co-founder of the Negro People’s Theatre in Harlem, and supervised the Federal Negro Theatre. *

When we visited Fallingwater, I was mesmerized by Rose.  It was raining lightly, so she had droplets cascading down her face. She looked as if she was crying in prayer, becoming more realistic than just a cast-stone sculpture.  I was very moved by this lovely piece.
I hope you can also feel the emotion as you look at the photo.

Sculpture of Rose McClendon (1884-1936) by Richmond Barthe

*Taken from: Website about Fallingwater click here.

Thanks for coming to visit!  I really appreciate it!

Judy

COPYRIGHT

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

 

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Weekly Image Of Life: Of Dreams And Freedom

“It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.”  ~sometimes attributed to M. Grundler

 We are very blessed to have many freedoms and rights in our country.   We can dream about the future; we can find peace and happiness in our work,  play and with our family.   But not all countries are as fortunate.   And even in our own country, every single person does not share the same rights as the next person, still to this day.  It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.   It takes the shine and glory out of the word Freedom, when you have friends who are not treated with the same respect as they deserve.   

“Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy, because human rights is the very soul of our sense of nationhood.” ~Jimmy Carter 

Everyone….no matter what country in the world they live in……should have the same rights and freedoms as all.   Every person in the world should be able to dream about the future,  feel peace, not fear.  Never fear nor hatred.

“So what we’re talking about here is human rights. The right to live like a human. The right to live, period. And what we’re facing in Africa is an unprecedented threat to human dignity and equality.”
~Bono

 Any person, no matter what gender, race or creed should be able to read what they want, go where they want, eat where they desire, have the respect they deserve, live without fear of harm, worship where they choose, enjoy the freedom of speech,  have plenty of food and clean water, be able to get an education, and many more.  No person should be treated as less than another.  That’s what human rights means.  We are all human and we deserve the same treatment.

William Faulkner has been a favorite author of mine since I was a teenager.

“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.”  ~William Faulkner

If we all had the same freedoms, rights, privileges, respect, we could:

Orville & Wilbur Wright, Kitty Hawk, Maryland

~try something new, like the Wright Brothers.  They flew an airplane!

Study of Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. at Fallingwater. Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. is the owner’s son, who studied architecture for a short while under Frank Lloyd Wright.

~have the freedom to read the books you desire, and  also to be able to write books.

Chicago fountain…..

~to be able to travel anywhere, with no hassle, and see other parts of the world.

We need to work hard to make sure that every person in the world has the same rights, freedoms, and respect.  That way,  every person will be able to dream about a future of equality, peace and happiness.

Judy

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

Water Dragon Weekly Sunday Post: Shelter

Definition of Shelter:  “A place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.”  (Google Search)

Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous place of shelter, Fallingwater, is located in the mountains of western Pennsylvania.   The home he designed for the Kaufmann family affords many areas of shelter. While the entire home is a shelter, there are also sheltered doorways, sheltered walkways, sheltered terraces, and a sheltered carport.   In addition, Wright’s design of wide overhanging rooflines, gives shelter in storms, allowing windows to be open during rain.  They also keep the house cool in hot weather when the sun is high in the sky, and provide solar heat in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. 

In my photo, look for some of Wright’s “Mature Organic” design characteristics:

 *wide overhanging rooflines
*long horizontal lines in the home’s design
*typical red paned windows, often with glass meeting glass in corners
*blending the house with nature

Unable to see here: but Wright’s front doors were hidden from view of the regular pedestrian. He felt that would keep solicitors away!
Also unable to see in this photo: Wright kept the entrance to his homes small, with a low roof.  When you opened the door, you entered a room with higher ceilings and more room.  This was the effect that Wright desired.  Feeling compression…..then a delightful expansion when you entered the home. 

Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright.

This is not the traditional view of Fallingwater.  That will come soon!
For more info on Frank Lloyd Wright’s shelter designs,  click here.

Judy

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.