Eric here with 30 by 40 Design Workshop.
I've just completed Frank Gehry's MasterClass, this is my review of it: what to expect, what
you'll get, who I think it's for, my favorite lessons, and whether I think it's worth taking.
You've probably heard the quote by Jim Rohn that says, “you are the average of the five
people you spend the most time with”; if you're a regular viewer of the channel you'll
know that I live and practice architecture on an island just off the coast of Maine and
although it's not the most remote place in the world, it is isolated and I'm always looking
for ways to increase the amount of time I spend immersed in new ideas and around other
thought leaders.
Taking master classes is one of the ways I do this.
The courses are delivered, by-and-large, via talking head style video chapters ranging
in length between 5 and 16 minutes.
Together they guide you through the motivations of Gehry’s design philosophies and his creative
process and each is peppered with personal and project related anecdotes from his expansive
career.
You'll receive a downloadable PDF course workbook with additional reading and recommended resources
as well as “homework.”
You'll also have access to a private forum and office hours where students can upload
videos and receive feedback from other classmates.
Select students will apparently have the chance to have their work critiqued by Gehry himself
which is presumably why they are preferring video over written submissions.
The class is self-paced, meaning you'll have access to all the course content immediately
once you enroll.
It's divided into 17 chapters or short lessons and this includes a short introduction and
a summary.
This one, like all MasterClass courses, gives you lifetime access for $90.
The quality is nearly flawless.
MasterClass is known for their high production value and in this regard, it doesn't disappoint.
It’s cinematic and beautiful to look at and the quality definitely matches Gehry’s
authority on the subject matter.
Most of the class is set in his never-before-seen model archive and the dolly shots revealing
the intricate details of his models I thought were especially engaging.
I kept hoping for more of that though.
The parts I enjoyed most were where Gehry would interact with the models recounting
the precise decisions that led to the finished architecture.
He seemed most at ease at these points as well.
Now, it's unreasonable to expect anything more than a superficial overview of the profession,
of his ideas, and his work in a course like this especially at this price point.
The parts that resonated with me were the ones where I could directly see how the ideas
being discussed translated into the built-work.
Hearing Gehry’s thought process is engaging and enlightening, but given the compressed
time format they are for the most part delivered in generalities.
We see glimpses of his work, but aren't really immersed in it.
Even the setting - in his model archive - the models are treated as backdrops rather than
devices for teaching.
This, in my mind, is just a missed opportunity.
We hear the struggle of a lengthy, celebrated career, the failures, and the achievements,
but we're left to guess at the transformative act whereby the eloquent serpentine sketches
are magically converted into the titanium clad museum in Bilbao, for example.
We're left wondering about the alchemy it takes to manifest his architecture.
As an architect, I have nothing but respect for the talent and skill it takes to navigate
the myriad forces affecting the construction of such wonderful, sculptural, unconventional,
and risky architecture.
The musings in the course, however, don't offer a deeper understanding of how that happens
only that he's very good at it.
In this way, it's one-dimensional.
All that said, the supplementary material seeks to remedy this by offering avenues for
your own, self-directed, deeper explorations.
If you're looking for process and more of our raw look inside his practice you should
check out Sydney Pollack's documentary, “Sketches of Frank Gehry.”
I'll link it up in the cards.
I think there are three that stand out for me.
They are: Generating Ideas, Design Obstacles, and Residential Projects.
The chapter on Generating Ideas felt the most relatable and human to me.
I was able to get a genuine sense of what his design process is like and it was reassuring
to hear that he suffers from the same procrastination, the same fears, and insecurities that I feel
when taking on a new project.
In the Design Obstacles lesson there's a wonderful discussion about this notion he has that within
all the constraints of building he assumes he has about 15% of freedom to make his art.
This chapter accurately portrays the reality of practice, which really is like a complex
puzzle.
Building is difficult and failures are bound to be a part of the process.
All of this is to highlight the fact that creating the architecture he's created - building
timeless work - is exceedingly difficult.
The chapter on Residential Projects found me taking notes on process that directly apply
to my practice and I can see how it would offer the casual observer a window into the
process of what it's like to work with a “starchitect” on the design of a home, something very few
people will ever experience or be able to afford.
Now, Gehry is a polarizing figure in the architectural world.
You'll either love or hate his work, rarely is there an in-between.
He's also one of the few architects who defies the art and science equilibrium architecture
so often equivocates.
To me, he's more artist than engineer, although he relies heavily on engineering to achieve
his art.
This - in part - is what drew me to take the course, to discover how I might cultivate
the artist’s mindset in a field where there's immense commercial pressures on our work.
Another reason I enrolled is that I have a hard time with his work; it defies sensibility
to me.
So, I wanted a deeper understanding of his motivations.
And then, of course, this kind of personalized access to the mind and design process of a
world-renowned architect, it's still a novel thing.
Who wouldn't jump at the chance to learn from this level of architect, a true master?
So, even if you disagree with his motivations or the physical architecture I think you'll
come away with a better appreciation for how he's arrived at the work.
Not to mention the fact that Gehry has run an office since 1964, and it's one that's
created - what are sure to be - the enduring architectural icons of our time and that alone
demands study and respect.
All of the MasterClasses I've taken are general, skin-deep explorations, of fascinating vocations.
Naturally, it's difficult to get very deep on such complex topics like filmmaking, music
production, or architecture in such a short course.
In this way, all MasterClasses suffer from an audience problem.
It's likely that the information won't be detailed enough for a practicing professional,
yet for the layperson some of the subject matter may still be too esoteric to have relatable
meaning.
However, that doesn't mean there isn't an immense amount of value here.
It's hard to go wrong if you're interested in learning more about Gehry’s work, if
you're just interested in the architectural profession, if you're an architecture fan,
or a student, or a professional, or you're from another creative profession looking for
some cross-pollination; some external inspiration.
I came away with a better understanding of a master practitioner’s design process and
some meaningful advice that I'm already applying in my own practice.
This class, in his own words, isn't designed to teach you to be like Frank Gehry.
As he often emphasizes, we don't need more Frank Gehry's in the world, what we need is
people to be comfortable being themselves and, to me, that's the real point of all of
his teaching.
Now, if you're a technical learner, looking for precise, tutorial-like specifics, this
probably isn't your course.
But, if you're looking for a one-on-one, conversational peek into the career and life of a master
architect, you'll love it.
It's inspiring to know that even - or especially - rogue figures can succeed.
And, I think you'll find his notoriously prickly personality, endearing.
Now, if I had a criticism it's that there's a little too much talking head.
Video is an opportunity to narrate a story with movement and it's almost entirely missed
here.
To sit nearby and learn from a Pritzker Prize winning architect with a massive body of built
and unbuilt work behind him, a practitioner in his 80s, who arrives to his studio each
day and faces the blank page, it's a great opportunity and I'm certainly not a Gehry
fanboy necessarily, just a perpetual student of architecture.
So my recommendation?
I think there's something for all of us to learn from Frank Gehry, it's an unqualified
yes, I think you should take this course.
You can sign up for the course using the links in the cards above or the description below.
So let me know in the comments: are you planning to enroll?
Hit that like button if I've helped you decide in any way.
Until next time, cheers!