Skip to Content
Closed today, next open Thursday. Closed today, next open Thursday.

Fantasy Temple, Sketch

A work made of ink and colored pencil on paper.

Image actions

  • A work made of ink and colored pencil on paper.

Date:

1980

Artist:

Stanley Tigerman
American, 1930–2019

About this artwork

Many recognizable buildings of the postmodern era capitalize on the sculptural and symbolic qualities of historical architecture, from the riotous landscape of neoclassical fragments in Charles Moore’s Piazza d’Italia of 1978 to the graphic evocation of giant-order columns in the 1982 Portland Building by Michael Graves. In Stanley Tigerman’s Architoon sketches, references to historical buildings appear in fantastic environments populated by a mix of real and imagined buildings and figures. Although these drawings may initially appear as playful evocations of Tigerman’s signature style, they are layered with dense references to architectural history, theology, bawdy humor, and his own personal narrative. In this sketch, for example, caryatids mingle with what appears to be a parachuting angel, and large column fragments support miniature versions of Tigerman’s buildings, including the phallic Daisy House. Expressing the iconoclastic attitude of the era, the Architoons present a world in which monuments mingle with parking garages, and Classical architecture is subject to devious torments by Tigerman’s many avatars.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Stanley Tigerman (Architect)

Title

Fantasy Temple, Sketch

Place

United States (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.

1980

Medium

Ink and colored pencil on paper

Dimensions

13.7 × 20.9 cm (5 3/8 × 8 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Auxiliary Board Architectural Drawing Fund 1981

Reference Number

1989.460

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.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share