Louis Sullivan The Struggle for American Architecture

Streaming video - 2015

Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924) was one of the most celebrated architects to come out of the Chicago School of architecture in the late 1800s. He is often called the “father of the skyscraper” and the “prophet of modern architecture.” Sullivan also coined the most famous phrase ever to come out of his profession, “form ever follows function.” This award-winning documentary is not simply the first film on Sullivan, but the first time a filmmaker has presented architecture in the broader context of American social, political and cultural history. It combines stunning photography, insightful commentary from Sullivan scholars and experts, and a brisk narrative that will guide the viewer through the life of an artist who, for a brief m...oment in his thirties, was among the most celebrated builders in the United States. His works that survive are recognized by architects and critics as among the most beautiful buildings in the world. Despite his early success, Sullivan was bitterly opposed to the fashionable imitation of European styles of architecture that was all the rage between 1890 and 1930. This opposition eventually consigned him to the margins of his profession, and he was barely able to scratch out of a living for most of his life. Yet he exerted an enormous influence on younger architects, in particular Frank Lloyd Wright, who worked for Sullivan for seven years. Even after their bitter split in the 1890s, Wright ever after referred to Sullivan as the “beloved master.” more