Product Description

In a collection of unequalled photography by Marvin Rand, a whole new interpretation of the legendary California brothers and architects, Charles and Henry Greene, is revealed in Greene & Greene, published by Gibbs Smith. Renowned photographer Rand has documented the architectural work of the Greenes since 1959, when he accepted a request from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to photograph sconces and lighting. He has been enamored with the Greenes ever since, building a body of work that is unsurpassed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57852 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-17
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From the Inside Flap
Greene & Greene By Marvin Rand With an introduction by Daniel Gregory In this collection of unequalled photography, renowned architectural photographer Marvin Rand reveals a whole new interpretation of the legendary California brother architects Charles and Henry Greene. Rand has documented the architectural work of the Greenes since 1959, when he accepted a request from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to photograph their sconces and lighting. He has been enamored with the Greenes ever since, building a body of work that is unsurpassed. Going beyond documenting the Greenes' work, Rand captures the emotion and art of their buildings. His images focus on details-architectural elements, lighting, materials-creating the illusion that one could reach out and touch them, feeling the sensuousness of line and texture they possess. The art of the Greenes is interpreted by Rand in 150 choice photographs recording the culmination of the Craftsman period and highlighting the art and workmanship of the architects. Marvin Rand, Hon. AIA, His photography has been published in more than forty books and magazines, has been exhibited in California and Washington, D.C. His numerous awards include a Graham Foundation grant, lifetime achievement awards from the City of Los Angeles and the Pacific Design Center, and an Honorary AIA from the American Institute of Architects. Some of his select architect clients have included Frank Gehry, Cesar Pelli, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Gwathmey/Siegal & Associates, Gregory Ain, William Pereira & Associates, and John Lautner, to name a few. Rand lives in Marina del Rey, California, with his wife, Mary Ann Danin.

About the Author
Marvin Rand has tried to extend architecture in an art, showing the quality of emotion through light and shadow, using what is in the subject matter-strong line and form. He has been published in numerous books and magazines throughout the world and has been showcased in major exhibitions. Rand lives in Marina del Rey, California.

Daniel Gregory graduated from Yale in 1973, and after earning a Ph. D. in Architecture from U. C. Berkeley, he taught architectural history at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Now Sunset magazine's home editor, he has served on national juries for the American Institute of Architects.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"The realism of living"
Marvin sees the architecture of Greene and Greene as art that is part of the environment where we live. At his studio he showed me one of his most evocative images, the shadowy porte cochere and crisply curving driveway of the Blacker House, and there was a surprising detail: the sprinklers were on, forming a mist over the lawn at the right rear of the photograph. This is what Marvin calls the "realism of living." Daily life--represented by the sprinklers--is lived in these houses, no matter how artful or remarkable they may be from a design standpoint. In this case the mist created an ethereal, almost otherworldly aura, like the idealized background in the portrait of the Mona Lisa. The effect was both realistic and romantic at the same time.

Customer Reviews

Poor image quality
The book has a great selection of Greene & Greene houses and design elements. Unfortunately, the image quality is poor. The lighting is often poor to begin with, and the attempt to correct for it in post production was not done properly in many cases, the result of which is a posterized effect and a loss of overall depth, contrast, and sharpness. The color balance is off leaving most of the rich, reddish mahogany and other woods looking green and flat. It's possible that all of this is the fault of the book's Printer, in which case I feel sorry for the photographer. Been there......

Beautiful, Unique Photos
I own several other books about the Greene brothers but this one is my favorite. I am a woodworker that makes a lot of furniture. And this book provides lots of photos regarding the furniture. In fact, at the end, there is a section of close-up photos dedicated to the details. These are photos of the chairs, sconces, stained glass and lights.

There is very little discussion of the Greene brothers' career--this book is almost all photos. And almost all of the photos are from unique perspectives. Very few of the perspectives are repeated in my other books on the Greene brothers.

Another Passage Through the Wonders of Greene and Greene Ideas
Marvin Rand is an accomplished photographer with a special affinity for capturing the essence of architectural details. His eye is keen, his technical skill in manipulating the camera is obvious, and his ability to go beyond the surface makes this portfolio a very fine exploration of the mysteries and profound accomplishments of the brothers Greene!

Having the luxury of visiting many of the homes photographed here offers the opportunity to evaluate more acutely. After a fine introduction by Daniel Gregory who, like Rand, prefers to concentrate on interesting details rather than over-chewed history, the remainder of the book is a collection of lavishly colored plates of the houses created by Greene and Greene, showing the importance of the California climate in the way the houses were laid out architecturally, the concept of the bungalow style, and the craftsmanship which lent its name to a movement. But the real treasures are Rand's scrupulously lighted and composed images of details of the Greene and Greene genius. These include doors, and windows, lamps and furniture, intricate and simple designs from the blossoms of Art Nouveau, and the endlessly fascinating influence of the Orient in finding the quiet and tranquility of the through-designed/composed dwellings.

This is more a book of photographs than the books written by the Greene and Greene scholars and as such serves as an adjunct to the literature rather than just another volume about California's favorite architects. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05