After They You Took Left It Apart - mottalini ::...

After You Left They Took It Apart D e m o l i s h e d Pa u l Ru d o l p h H o m e s� �

Photographs by Chris Mottalini

February 6–April 17, 2010 • Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University

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After You Left They Took It Apart� � D e m o l i s h e d Pa u l Ru d o l p h H o m e s� �

Photographs by Chris Mottalini

February 6–April 17, 2010 Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University

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westport, ctT h e M i c h e e l s H o u s e

The Micheels House #317 x 23 ½ inches

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Chris Mottalini began photographing Paul Rudolph-

designed houses in 2006, almost by happenstance. At

the time he knew little about Rudolph or his Modernist

architecture. An acquaintance that worked for the Paul

Rudolph Foundation had asked Mottalini to photograph

an abandoned house in Westport, Connecticut, by the

important 20th-century architect, literally on the eve of

its destruction. With 35mm camera in hand he explored

the vacant structure, astonished at what he found. Since

making those first haunting images of the Micheels House,

included as part of this exhibition, Mottalini has been

fascinated with Rudolph’s remarkable accomplishments in

residential design; and especially so through the disturbing

experience of witnessing them in ruins.

The modern ruin is an object rife with multiple and

contradictory connotations. Like earlier depictions of

classical ruins in 18th-century painting or 19th-century

Romantic poetry, the modern iteration offers a ready

symbol of vanitas and the transitory nature of life. In

common with the aesthetics of the sublime, the imagery

of ruins elicits awe for the abiding and destructive forces

of nature, and history. Contemporary examples evoke

in contemporary audiences a direct feeling of loss

After You Left, They Took It ApartD e m o l i s h e d Pa u l R u d o l p h H o m e s � Photographs by Chris Mottalini

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unvarnished by the separation of centuries, as they reflect

wreckage of the present-day and the lived experience.

An extreme example occurs in the imagery of the toppled

World Trade Towers after 9/11. The modern structure in

ruins, subject of Mottalini’s Rudolph series, disrupts our

vision of the future.

Modernism, as exemplified by Paul Rudolph’s architecture,

signified the creation of new and pure forms—a look

ahead, free of nostalgia. Its clean lines and austere

surfaces made concrete the drive toward perfection,

order, and progress. Part of the poignancy in Mottalini’s

visual record of Rudolph’s demolished homes derives

from the very physical expression of decay to those ideals.

As such, the “modern ruin” is almost an oxymoron. The

fact that these were domestic structures, not corporate or

industrial edifices, and were once occupied by families

with aspirations and personal histories deepens the

photographs’ emotional impact. As the artist relates:

“It didn’t quite feel like photographing a death, but I

was definitely affected by thoughts of the family who

commissioned the home and lived their lives there and

the kids who grew up there and all of the moments and

memories.”1 To some viewers the images may serve as

commentary on the doomed utopian ideals of modernist

architecture. Others might construe criticism of a society

that is unwilling or unable to recognize the inherent value

of its most daring creations. In either case, Mottalini’s

photographs provoke reflection on the circumstances that

led to the homes’ destruction, and debate on why such

unique structures of mid-20th-century architecture could

not be preserved.

After You Left, They Took It Apart: Demolished Paul

Rudolph Homes transports the viewer back in time

and through the disheveled rooms and grounds of

three homes designed by the renowned architect. The

knowledge that these structures—Dr. Louis and Ina

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The Micheels House #1 17 x 23 ½ inches

The Micheels House #16 17 x 23 ½ inches

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watch hill, riT h e C e r r i t o H o u s e

The Cerrito House #18 14 ½ x 22 inches

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Micheels residence in Westport, Connecticut; Dr. Louis

Cerrito residence in Watch Hill, Rhode Island; and Mr.

Ralph Twitchell residence in Siesta Key, Florida—were

leveled shortly after the photographer departed

the premises is chilling and it indelibly marks one’s

reaction to the images. These three homes were

typical of Rudolph’s best work and in many ways were

extraordinary. The first that Mottalini encountered, the

4,200-square-foot Micheels House (1972–2007) on

Long Island Sound, featured overlapping parallel planes

and cantilevered structural members that seemed to

glide past one another. Its interlocking arrangements of

rectangles and interplay of lines across open, light-filled

spaces recall in three dimensions compositions by the

painter Piet Mondrian, perhaps a nod to Micheels’ Dutch

heritage. Pieces of Arctic quartz embedded in the exterior

stucco gave further evidence of Rudolph’s adventurous

experimentation in materials. After the elderly Micheelses

relocated and sold the house, in which they had resided

for more than thirty years, the new owners razed the

structure to construct a more traditional home, despite

public controversy and legal action to protect it.

The Cerrito House (1955/56–2007) very nearly survived

its destruction by way of a planned relocation. Purchasers

of the residence in 2000 wanted the structure removed to

make room for construction of a larger vacation home.

The new owners intended to donate the 3,900-square-

foot clapboard house to the Paul Rudolph Foundation

and thus began discussions with a couple who hoped to

re-site the building on their property in Catskill, New York.

The deal collapsed when the prospective new residents

discovered irreparable damage caused by the owners’

contractors during initial dismantling. In its original

state, the flat-roofed structure seemed to float above its

stone piers, and winged extensions contributed to an

appearance of an air- or sea-faring vessel. However,

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many of the small details that completed the design were

missing, including the kitchen’s mahogany cabinetry,

distinctive bathroom fixtures, mosaic tile work, and copper

flashing around the exterior perimeter. Its integrity was

considered lost, and with no other options being pursued

the house was torn down.

The Twitchell House (1941–2007) was the residence

that began what is now called the Sarasota School of

architecture, or Sarasota Modern. After the Atkinson

House in Auburn, Alabama (1940), it was Rudolph’s

earliest realized project, designed with and for Rudolph’s

architectural colleague, Ralph Twitchell, with whom he was

employed and later partnered following service in World

War II. The 2,700-square-foot home was purchased in

2005 by Joe King, an expert on the architecture of Twitchell

and Rudolph, with the dream of restoring it. As described

in Christopher Domin and King’s authoritative book, Paul

Rudolph: The Florida Houses, “the Twitchell Residence does

not give the impression of a house built vertically on top

of the land. Rather, it reads as a series of layers parallel

to the earth, with the horizon of the sea and sky beyond.

The sandlike color and subtle texture of the lime block,

the natural color of the cypress, and the transparency and

reflection of the glass all contribute to make the house an

integral part of the Florida landscape.”2 Unfortunately,

after extensive investigation, King found that the structure

had deteriorated too far to feasibly be restored. Sixty-five

years in a harsh Florida environment had exacted a severe

toll. Fully aware of the irony in his decision, King, a strong

advocate for the preservation of mid-century modern

architecture, had no choice but to pull the house down.

This group of photographs by Chris Mottalini, taken

from an ongoing series of images of Rudolph’s houses

both extant and demolished, highlights the distinctive

architecture of one of America’s creative masters. Sadly,

the pictures also reveal the tenuous state in which many

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The Cerrito House #5 14 ½ x 22 inches

The Cerrito House #4 17 x 23 ½ inches

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siesta key, flT h e Tw i t c h e l l H o u s e

The Twitchell House #1 14 ½ x 22 inches

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of Rudolph’s structures exist, along with other significant

examples of mid-20th-century architecture. Truly nothing

lasts forever, not every building can be saved. Even

these photographs will fade in time. Yet, like Rudolph’s

architecture and the ruins of all ages, they have the ability

to change perceptions and point to a different future.

An iconoclast of twentieth-century architecture, Paul

Rudolph (American, 1918–1997) is highly regarded for

his starkly geometric, concrete-building design, termed

“Brutalism,” as exemplified in his best-known project,

Yale University’s Art and Architecture Building. Rudolph’s

residential work reflects the same Modernist aesthetic

while assimilating regional influences. His extant houses

may be found in California, Colorado, Connecticut,

Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee,

Texas, and Alabama—including three buildings in Auburn.

Rudolph’s projects for corporate, cultural, educational,

governmental, industrial, and religious structures span the

globe with numerous buildings in Hong Kong, Indonesia,

Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Spain,

and the United States.

Born in Elkton, Kentucky, in 1918, Rudolph earned his

Bachelor’s degree in architecture at Auburn University

(then known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute) and

Master’s degree at Harvard (studying under Bauhaus

founder Walter Gropius), before assuming the post

of Dean of the Yale School of Architecture. Rudolph’s

students number among the most distinguished in

contemporary architecture, and include Lord Norman

Foster, Lord Richard Rogers, and Robert A. M. Stern.

Rudolph died in 1997.

A Connecticut native, Chris Mottalini grew up in Buffalo,

New York, and now resides in Brooklyn. He has been

published in numerous magazines including American

Photography, Casa Vogue, Details, New York Magazine,

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and others. His work has appeared in recent exhibitions

at the Westport Arts Center, Westport, Connecticut;

Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona, Spain; the Museum of

Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Illinois; and

venues in New York; Arles and Paris, France; and

Götheborg, Sweden. His books include Winter City; The

Mistake by the Lake; and After You Left, They Took It

Apart. In addition to the present body of work, his recent

subjects have included Leif Erikson’s Viking settlement in

Newfoundland and vernacular school bus shelters in the

greater-Buffalo area.

Dennis Harper,

Curator of collections and exhibitions

1 Shonquis Moreno. “Photo Show on Architecture, Lost and Found.”

I.D., The International Design Magazine (November 19, 2008),

http://www.id-mag.com/article/chrismottalini/

(accessed January 2010).

2 Christopher Domin and Joseph King. Paul Rudolph: The Florida

Houses (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2002), 59.

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The�Micheels�House�#1�17 x 23 ½ inches

The�Micheels�House�#3�17 x 23 ½ inches

The�Micheels�House�#417 x 23 ½ inches

The�Micheels�House�#1114 ½ x 22 inches



The�Micheels�House�#1914 ½ x 22 inches

(Westport, CT)

The�Cerrito�House�#114 ½ x 22 inches

The�Cerrito�House�#317 x 23 ½ inches






(Watch Hill, RI)

The�Twitchell�House�#114 ½ x 22 inches


The�Twitchell�House�#817 x 23 ½ inches





(Siesta Key, FL)

CHeCkliSt FoR tHe exHibition

Digital C-prints in a limited edition of 15, from the series

After You Left, They Took It Apart (Demolished Paul Rudolph Homes), 2007

All works are courtesy of the artist

After You Left, They Took It Apart: Demolished Paul Rudolph HomesPHotogRAPHS by CHRiS MottAlini

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CHeCkliSt FoR tHe exHibition

Digital C-prints in a limited edition of 15, from the series

After You Left, They Took It Apart (Demolished Paul Rudolph Homes), 2007

All works are courtesy of the artist

education:

BS University of Colorado, Boulder

Additional study at Uppsala University, Sweden

Selected publications/features:

American Photo 24, Anthem, Architecture Boston, Architectural Record, Art + Auction,

Beautiful/Decay, Casa Vogue, Details, Gourmet, GQ Russia, New York, Photographic

Quarterly #98, Pin-Up, Rolling Stone, Soma, Wire

Selected exhibitions:

2010 Connecticut Modernism, The Westport Historical Society, Westport, CT

2009 Charley Horse Gallery, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Aggregate: Art and Architecture, A Brutalist Remix, The Westport Arts Center, Westport, NY

After Architecture, Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona, Spain (with catalogue)

Purpose “Childhood” Projection, Festival Voies Off, Arles, France

The Range (2-person exhibition), Oulu, Brooklyn, NY

2008 Building Pictures, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL

Purpose “Childhood” Projection, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris La Villette, Paris, France

Solo exhibition, Leffot, New York, NY

2006 Solo exhibition, Publik, Götheborg, Sweden

CHRiS MottAlini

(American, born 1978)

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JUle CollinS SMitH MUSeUM oF Fine ARt At AUbURn UniveRSity

901 SoUtH College StReet

AUbURn, AlAbAMA 36849

334.844.1484

[email protected]

www.jcsm.auburn.edu

MUSeUM HoURS

MonDAy–FRiDAy: 8:30 am–4:45 pm

SAtURDAy: 10:00 am–4:45 pm

DeSign by Janet Spivey

© 2010 Jule Collins Smith Museum

of Fine Art at Auburn University

Auburn University is an equal opportunity

educational institution/employer.

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