Flashcards on Philip Johnson: Modern Architecture Pioneer
Philip Johnson: Modern Architecture Pioneer & Controversial Figure
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# The Architecture of Philip Johnson
16 cards
Card 1
Question: Who was Philip Johnson and why is he significant in American architecture?
Answer: He was a prominent American architect, the first recipient of the Pritzker Prize, who influenced the skylines of cities like New York, Houston, Boston
Card 2
Question: What was Philip Johnson's relationship with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)?
Answer: He was the founding curator of architecture at the Museum of Modern Art.
Card 3
Question: What are some significant buildings designed by Philip Johnson?
Answer: The New York State Theater (Lincoln Center), the Amon Carter Museum (Fort Worth), the Crystal Cathedral (California), and the Glass House in New Canaa
Card 4
Question: What is the Glass House and why is it important?
Answer: It is Johnson's radically simple home in New Canaan (1949), which quickly became an attraction and a scandal, and is now a landmark.
Card 5
Question: How did Philip Johnson present himself to the public?
Answer: He had a Barnumesque flair for publicity, wore distinctive owl-shaped glasses, and sought attention; he wanted to be a topic of conversation, and peop
Card 6
Question: When did Johnson become a true architectural celebrity, and what example illustrates his public standing?
Answer: In the 1970s, when he became a cultural figure; he appeared on the cover of Time holding plans for the AT&T Building with its 'Chippendale' top.
Card 7
Question: What was the attitude of many American architects toward Johnson?
Answer: Many disdained him because he presented himself as a public figure and declared that he would build for anyone who paid.
Card 8
Question: What controversial political period in Johnson's life does the biography "The Man in the Glass House" explore?
Answer: The biography examines his period in the 1930s and 1940s, when he was deeply involved in fascist political ideas and sought to create a fascist moveme
Card 9
Question: According to the biography, how long did Johnson's involvement with fascist ideas last?
Answer: Approximately a decade — his involvement was quite long and deep.
Card 10
Question: How did Johnson's political views change after the war?
Answer: After World War II, he changed his views, designed a synagogue for free, built a nuclear reactor in Israel, and befriended politicians like Shimon Per