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Villa in the Sky, Plan

A work made of graphite and watercolor on paper.

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  • A work made of graphite and watercolor on paper.

Date:

1987/89

Artist:

Martin Lockwood-Bean
Kenyan, born 1951

About this artwork

Martin Lockwood-Bean conceived his Villa in the Sky project as an allegorical reference to the African rift valley that cuts from the Red Sea to Zimbabwe. Through a series of watercolor renderings, the motif of the cut forms a diagonal axis of corridors and structural beams transecting a structure that is “grafted” onto an International Style high-rise building in Chicago. Blending the spatial complexity of Constructivist architecture and the high-tech structures of the 1980s, this ambitious project transformed the geometric clarity of such plans into a complex living space that suggests both an amphitheater and a bridge. Martin Lockwood-Bean is a former director of Healthcare Interiors at VOA Associates in Chicago.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Martin Lockwood-Bean (Architect)

Title

Villa in the Sky, Plan

Place

Kenya (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1987–1989

Medium

Graphite and watercolor on paper

Dimensions

50.3 × 70.8 cm (19 13/16 × 27 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Martin Lockwood-Bean through the Schiff Foundation Fellowship

Reference Number

1989.230.1

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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