Last weekend I helped my friend Glen Small store his stuff in a rented garage. Glen is 75 y.o., dissed by starstruck American architectural realm and moved to Nicaragua permanently (as of today). more
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Glen Small moves to Nicaragua
Last weekend I helped my friend Glen Small store his stuff in a rented garage. Glen is 75 y.o., dissed by starstruck American architectural realm and moved to Nicaragua permanently (as of today).
This is not unlike what the jazz musicians did in the past, avoiding segregation, becoming expatriates elsewhere.
Glen should be treated like a treasure, but instead... All because he has an outspoken and egocentric genius personality. Unfortunately people can't take somebody who can't hide the truth for political and professional advances.
Among his credentials, he is the founding member of Sci Arc. That school still banks on Glen's rebellious image and his early directions.
He is also the subject of my first interview for Archinect and a follow up thereafter.
As we moved Glen's stuff into the storage, tons of models, drawings, publications, personal stuff, posters surfaced...
He, at one point said, "there goes another move."
It was real fascinating to see his work in historical context as he was relating all the models, boxes and documents to their origination points.
We inspected every piece before movers stack them up in the rented garage which now I have a key to.
There were some gems I haven't physically seen before, like the Flying Pod House model.
Familiar with newer versions? I am sure you are familiar with re-discovery of some ideas illustrated, but of course no credit for Glen and his 'way ahead of its time' work.
A lot of this kind of resentment came up parcel after parcel...
At the end, we have decided resentment was useless and time was ripe to move into new ideas, new projects and let many in the architectural world know, "you can kill the architect, but never can take away his ideas."
For those of you who are familiar with Glen Small's work, this is the latest news on him. And those who are not familiar, check it out as soon you have a moment to ponder about where did some of the greenest and futuristic ideas came from, way ahead of their time and along with many works of the time mostly forgotten today under the current green euphoria.
Oh... I am the proud owner of a 'real' Eames shelves prototype that was never produced. All plywood shelves are busted and #4 bar construction needs new paint, but it is modular and stacks up.
Plus some Futurist magazines with Glen on the cover and posters and other stuff...
Thanks Glen you didn't have to...
I hope Nicaragua embraces you better than the US.
Good luck with your future projects and keep us informed with the products of your unbounded imagination, creativity and rebellious persona.
I am posting few images of Glen's work between late sixties and early eighties to give you some idea.
slides
Glen Small with his Flying Pod House 1969-72. Photo; Orhan Ayyüce
5 Comments
Thanks Orhan, nice to get some news of the fellow. After your interview, I purchased the dvd his daugther made, and have been fascinated by his strange personality and "straightforwardness" for lack of better word in my english vocabulary. Hope he will find his audience over there...
hi french,
thanks for the comments. you are right about them.
funny, he was dissed by sci-arc in the 80's, but the work he did then looks almost exactly like the work coming out of sci arc today...
Thank you for the lovely blog about my father. I remember that garage so well - which I filmed...over ten years ago. I now know it is a treasure chest and I dream of the day when these models can be put on permanent display. I wish I could have been there with you too document his move, and going through his models, but I was in the middle of finishing up my last project.
My heart has been so torn by my father's forced exile from the US. I have his latest drawing of his work in Abu Dhabi sitting above my computer - what a beautiful structure.
I do hope that Nicaragua brings him peace and inspiration.
Thanks for understanding and spreading the word about my dad.
Best,
Lucia Small
smallangstfilms@gmail.com
Sent: Dec 14, 2008 5:14 PM
Subject: Archinect : Comments/Feedback
added note by oa, link to lucia small's film (highly recommended as perhaps the best film made about an architect) ;
my father, the genius
thanks for the comments lucia.
i have seen the abu dhabi project last summer. it is so beautiful and i will do an article on that project alone, as soon as glen is ready. too bad the managing architect/developer was incensed by corporate gossip, which glen has no idea how to deal with, derailed the project.
biomorphic biosphere drawings and green machine model along with hong kong peak project will be on display in cypress college art gallery beginning end of january as part of an ecology show.
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