Loving Frank

A key characteristic of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture is the way he approaches the relationship between buildings and nature. His innovative approaches to organic architecture separated him from his peers, even to the point of leaving school because he was unable to discuss his ideas freely. Being able to move freely between nature and home is a recurring motif in Loving Frank, as Frank and Mamah wrestle with their inner nature and who they are at home.

The first time Mamah and Frank discuss organic architecture, it is in nature, as they go to a prairie outside of Oak Park. The fact that they commence the explicit nature of their relationship outside foreshadows their future together, living in Taliesin. The house, designed by Frank as per his organic style, provides a space in which they can be themselves. They each feel smothered by their spouses and children, and being together—being in nature—provides much needed peace. When Frank describes Taliesin, he says, “You’ll walk from indoor room to outdoor room and never even feel where the house ends and the fresh air begins” (158). Similarly, he and Mamah live without the boundaries of societal expectations and norms, and in ignoring these boundaries, they are able to be their true selves.