Modern Tulsa

The Modernism of Julius Shulman – A Documentary Film by Eric Bricker

This documentary on iconic Shulman is looking to be pretty sweet. I expect some fantastic imagery and insight into Mid Century Modern architecture. And it’s narrated by Dustin Hoffman! He must be a modern guy!? Check out the trailer at the link below to wet your appetite. This will be screened in advance of its official release at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, May 1-3 along with an exhibit featuring Shulman’s photography from this region.

Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, Visual Acoustics explores the monumental career of 98-year-old architectural photographer, Julius Shulman. Populating his photos with human models and striking landscapes, Shulman combined the organic with the synthetic, melding nature with revolutionary urban design. The resulting images helped to shape the careers of some of the greatest architects of the 20th Century, with Shulman documenting the work of Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, Pierre Koenig, John Lautner, and many others.

See the Film Preview @ juliushulmanfilm.com

I just got word that Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) will have an exhibit of Julius Shulman photographs of Oklahoma Modernism beginning April 30th. There will be a lot of activities going on the opening weekend including a visit by Mr. Shulman himself (health permitting) and screenings of “Visual Acoustics,” the new documentary about Shulman and his long career, directed by Eric Bricker. I also heard mention the possibility of an architecture tour this same weekend. This is very exciting and will warrant a trip to OKC for sure. Read the press release, below.

Oklahoma City, OK—Organized by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA), Julius Shulman: Oklahoma Modernism Rediscovered is the first-ever retrospective of photographs taken in Oklahoma by legendary architectural photographer Julius Shulman. The exhibit runs from April 30 through June 7 and will feature over 65 images – many unseen by the public for decades – of buildings designed by such world-renowned architects as Bruce Goff, Herb Greene, William Caudill, Truett Coston, Robert Roloff, and Paul Harris. Twenty-one architectural projects from six Oklahoma cities and towns will be represented in the exhibition including homes, banks, churches, museums and hospitals.

“When several of Julius Shulman’s Oklahoma photographs began appearing in the recently published books of his work, a handful of passionate local collectors reached out to him about the possibility of exhibiting this virtually unseen work. Mr. Shulman was very enthusiastic about his work in Oklahoma and agreed to work with our Museum to develop this special exhibition in collaboration with the Getty Research Institute. We believe these extraordinary images stand alone as photographic works of art while celebrating Oklahoma’s unique architectural heritage,” stated curator Brian Hearn.

Perhaps best known for his iconic photographs of Los Angeles’ Case Study houses and of Palm Springs architecture, Shulman’s incredible body of work includes more than 70,000 images. Now archived at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, Shulman’s photographs encompass a 70-year-and-counting career that includes thousands of images of buildings that would have been likely overlooked by the architectural world had he not photographed them.

Throughout his long career, Shulman often ventured inland from his base in California to explore the modernism movement in other regions of the United States. During these trips, which spanned over 30 years, he frequently stopped in Oklahoma and photographed some of the state’s most innovative modern architecture. The long, low lines and bold forms of mid-century architecture were an especially good fit, when placed against the backdrop of Oklahoma’s flat plains and vast, often mercurial skies, and Shulman’s lens dramatically captured this symbiotic relationship in images of Greene’s “Prairie Chicken” House, Goff’s Bavinger House, and Roloff’s State Capitol Bank, among others.

Indeed, Shulman’s stunning Oklahoma photographs – and his tenacity in getting them published in national magazines – brought much-deserved attention to the Sooner State and helped launch the careers of Greene, Robert Alan Bowlby, Conner & Pojezny, Murray-Jones-Murray, and other area architects and firms.

As he approaches the century mark, Julius Shulman has himself become an icon in the architectural world, and this exhibit celebrates his incredible life and career. In addition, it pays tribute to the visionary architects whose designs continue to be appreciated and admired today.

(more…)

I was recently contacted by Kim Brown of the Tulsa World to visit about Modern Tulsa. I am quite flattered that she would seek me out. The article is below discussing Modern Tulsa as an entity with a focus on modern homes in Tulsa, in particular Lortondale. The picture I dig.

The Mod squad
Group adores retro look of Lortondale

By KIM BROWN World Scene Writer

Dustin Thames (left) and Cole Cunningham in Thames Lortondale home. "This neighborhood is like living in a painting," he said. "It's a way to apply design to your living style." Said Cunningham: "Neighborhoods like this in L.A. are coveted." Stephen Pingry / Tulsa World

Flat roofs, sleek lines, wood paneling. What some might consider outdated is in high demand for Modern Tulsa.

When Tulsan Cole Cunningham decided to move back from Phoenix a little more than a year ago, he created a Web site to locate like minds who appreciate mid-century modern architecture and other modern styles. And what he found was an enthusiastic and excitedly eclectic following.

Members of Modern Tulsa are architects, designers, Realtors and home owners who like the design and aesthetic of the 1950s and 1960s homes built in many Tulsa neighborhoods, such as the Lortondale neighborhood near 26th Street and Yale Avenue.

“There are a lot of nice little neighborhoods in Tulsa, and Lortondale is probably Tulsa’s biggest and most noteworthy,” said Cunningham, who works at Winston Media. “There’s a great collection of homes and most are still intact. Neighborhoods like this in L.A. are coveted.”

Lortondale was created in the 1950s by builder Howard Grubb and architect Donald H. Honn to provide modern, affordable homes for families during the Baby Boom. Some of Modern Tulsa’s members live in Lortondale, such as Dustin Thames, a Realtor. He purchased his home because he’s been “into mid-century stuff as long as I can remember.”

“This neighborhood is like living in a painting. It’s a way to apply design to your living style.”

Thames has taken mid-century modern to heart.

From the vintage furniture he purchased at estate sales to the authentic wood paneling and cabinets in the house to his dishes designed by Russel Wright, Thames’ home is a throwback.

“It hasn’t been what I like to call, ‘Home Depot-fied,’ ” he said. “This is good for a guy like me because it’s my first home, but it’s a value.”

He’s had to put some work into it, like pulling out the carpets and installing stainless-steel countertops in the kitchen. But keeping it authentic hasn’t been outrageously expensive.

“Is it feasible? Absolutely,” Thames said. “The hardest part is doing it. But there are forums and magazines have pages dedicated to restoring these places.”

But Modern Tulsa isn’t limited to just mid-century. Cunningham said the group is also interested in urban modern and more current styles. He met Thames through the group, which has had a few events since forming. Networking and education are also goals.

“I don’t claim to know it all,” Cunningham said. “On the weekends I get out and explore and take photos. That’s how I find a lot of people.”