'Child of the Sun' Frank Lloyd Wright's Florida Southern College Photography by Robin Hill

Two exciting shows coming up in New York which both feature my photos of Frank Lloyd Wright's Florida Southern College; (the campus is known as 'Child of the Sun' because of FLLW's ruse...'Out of the ground and into the light...A Child of the Sun'...a reference to his philosophy of organic Architecture) The first show is at Wright's masterpiece...the Guggenheim, a rotunda of such Architectural amplitude that its hard to overstate its flourish with glory. The show is called Frank Lloyd Wright: From within outward and you can read the full press release here:
http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/press-room/press-releases/2658-flwrelease
Featuring many of Wright's projects, I'm delighted that Florida Southern is included in this exhibition because it has been so overlooked in the past, and now its time for its day in the sun.
Its a little bizarre that Florida Southern has not been given more attention, since it is the world's largest collection of FLLW buildings in one location, plus with its ten buildings and interconnecting esplanades...its as close as the great architect ever got to fulfilling his dream of 'Broadacre City'....I would argue that Florida Southern far from being peripheral to the Wright legacy is actually central to his philosophy and in fact has Architecture that holds its own against Fallingwater and the Johnson Wax Building. To see photos please go here:
http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewFlashMedia.aspx?AID=113117&AT=3

Many of these photos will be included in the second exhibit in New York which is generously sponsored by the World Monuments Fund (Florida Southern is on the top 100 endangered site list of the World Monuments Fund) and is hosted at the Charles Cowles Gallery in Chelsea from May 19-23rd. Over the last seven years, I have made numerous visits to the campus in the hope that these photos will help to inspire the renovation and preservation of this amazing collection of under rated FLLW buildings. Momentum seems to be gaining ground too, as the College just received $350,000 from the save America's treasures fund...and last year the magnificent new waterdome was added as well as a full and successful renovation of the esplanades. The total cost of renovation is put at around $50 million. The president Dr.Ann Kerr and PR director Lee Mayhall have added much needed dynamism to the preservation effort and fans of inspiring Architecture everywhere should be cheering them on. Much needs to be done, but with changing attitudes in Washington and 'spade ready' projects like Florida Southern ready for a quick stimulus...things are looking up.
Now a note about the photography...Instead of focussing my lens on the decrepitude of the buildings, I chose to focus on the essence of Wright's Architecture...the interplay of light and shadow coupled with color and powerful geometric designs and open flowing space...in the hope that when people recognize the inherent aesthetic beauty in the Architecture that they will be empowered to visit the campus and help to spread the word about its possible brush with annihilation through preservational neglect. I was fortunate in using a similar philosophy when shooting MiMo or MIami MOdern Architecture here in South Florida and its been my experience that focussing on the positive aspects of preservation is the best way to go to get people's imaginations stirring.