... instead of drawing his inspiration from buildings in his portfolio, Gehry designed the various pieces of this chess set based on their role in the game. So the soft curves of the queen contrast the sharp angles of the king, while the pawns have all been equipped with cannons atop them. Unfortunately the set, which is made from fine bone-china, is only available from Tiffany & Co. as a special order for a staggering $25,000. A check-mate to the bank account for most of us. — gizmodo.com
19 Comments
"The price of the chess set" Gehry went on to explain "reflects the starting salary of recent architecture grads at our office."
Checkmate architects!
That is not the case, Rusty. When I was familiar with the office, starting salaries were actually much higher than that.
Check.
"From the original kickoff the project was marred with delays and construction overruns. Originally slated to retail for $19.95 the chess set quickly balooned to over $10k. Asked to defend the final price of $25k Frank Gehry repeated his famous quote: -You've got to bumble forward into the unknown."
Checkmate Fred Scharmen!
Again, starting salaries in 2007, the last time I was familiar with the office, were higher than that for those with professional degrees. Gehry is one of a few who proudly pays well for talent, and he doesn't let anyone work for free. Check yourself before throwing around broad, unsourced, damaging claims in the service of a cheap joke.
You are going to use figures from 2007 to make a point about current state of architecture? Have you been hibernating for the last 5 years? And damaging claims? Maybe if you have a reading comprehension of a 5 year old.
And salaries 'for those with professional degrees' were higher than $25K? I really frigging hope so.
@Rusty Shackleford
Fred Scharmen is right. I may not like Gehry,but he treat his people better than many offices do. His office is definitely not blood sucking firms. Try to know better before you slam other people.
tee you buttmonkey, I'm gonna take my $8 Michael Graves toilet plunger and smack you with it.
The joke here is that Gehry designed a chess set that no architect (no matter where they work) could ever afford to own. As a chess enthusiast, I look forward to knockoffs sold from dufflebags of chinatown alleyways.
@Rusty Shackleford aka Mr. kettle calling pot black.
I don't think he intend to sell this atrocious thing to chess enthusiasts. He just want to make money out of those who have extra flying around their house. I've no issue with it. Hack if that piece of crap can foot the bill for one of his interns, it is fine for me too.
Now the question to you is
In your career, didn't you design a house that 80% of architects won't be able to dream as his or her?
Yeah, summer interns, who might still be in school, may earn less than that. I don't know, so I can't say. I don't like to make claims in public about stuff that I can't verify.
As for what I've been doing for the past five years? Starting and running my own practice. That's how I know when times are tough it's poor practice to lower starting salary for incoming folks when it's easier to simply ease off hiring and lay off people from the middle, which is arguably the strategy Frank's chosen.
Quit acting like a clown, Rusty, it's unbecoming of a chess enthusiast.
So the queen is soft and curvy, while the king is sharp and angled…yet the queen is the most powerful mover and attacker on the board, yes? While the king hides behind pawns and can't do much? Perhaps basing the shapes on the roles they play in the game sounds nice, but I don't think it's accurate.
Also, they look sculpturally cool, but not hand-friendly.
oh donna, you over analytical, sharp witted critic you...
you know, i actually ran through tiffany's last night (legoland is in the same mall now. 8yo, lego...yeah....) just to see if the chess set was in there. alas, it was not. but all his other jewelry was. their own special case and everything. some of it's better in person than i'd expected. some, not so much. but, hey, i'm glad he's getting to do them, even if the .01% are the target audience. some of the other jewelry certainly could be purchased by the 60%...
And Rusty, isn't the bigger joke that architects design architecture they could never afford to own? Grow up and get a clue, you're obviously low paid, low ranks and disgruntled.
"Grow up and get a clue, you're obviously low paid, low ranks and disgruntled."
Word.
There are very obvious reasons why architecture is intrinsically expensive. Reason for a $25k chess board during one of the nastier recessions in US history is a bit more subtle. Professions that are labor intensive (such as architecture) have pretty much imploded. Professions that rely on speculation, patent licensing, monopolies, and pretty much sitting on ones ass while skimming off the top have never been better. That one of our 'finest' was tasked to create a chew toy status symbol for the later camp is hilarious to me! Not funny to you? To each his own.
chew toy status symbol
Love this.
Fuck that 25k nouveau riche table top accessory, I bet they'll sell one or two sets to decorator's museum or something.
Let's talk about real chess. What do you think of this game by Nimzowitsch, the father of hypermodernism in chess? Coincidentally, it is called "nothing in excess" haha. No pun aqui..
Yeah, I'll actually give Rusty props for 'chew toy status symbol', too.
Orhan, I was fished into that game despite myself - but did I miss something in the ending?
Fred, yes, after white pawn takes the black pawn hxg5, black resigns. Nimzowitsch's annotation says "For after 25...Bg7 26 Ne5+ Bxe5 27 Qxe5 Black's King is a pathetic figure in his helplessness." You can check rest of the annotations explaining the development.
The problem with black's position there is way over my head. Went back and checked again, I'm missing something ...
I visited Orhan's chess game thingy, As a chess enthusiast I still don't get it... How does the horse piece move? It just teleports wherever. Crazy. Someone needs to explain the rules of chess to me.
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