User:AWFarrow/Greene and Greene
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[edit]Chinese and Japanese Influences
[edit]Both attending university in Boston, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Charles and Henry Greene would be exposed to a wide variety of Japanese art and pottery, housed by the Museum of Fine Arts. The Greene Brothers first impression of Japanese Architecture came during their relocation to Pasadena, California, on their westward journey, the brothers attended the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. They saw formal works of the Japanese government in the form of the Ho-o-den exhibit, which was a scale replica of a temple in Uji, Japan. The half scale replica of the Ho-o-den of Byōdō-in provided an exemplary showcase of Japanese architecture. One year later, Intrigued by the exhibit in Chicago, they visited the Japanese hill and water Gardens at an exposition in San Francisco. The Japanese influences really began popping in the Greene Brothers architectural designs after Charles Greene's visit to St. Louis in 1904 where he attended the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
Dougong, one of the many building techniques on display at the expositions, is a building practice of interlocking wooden beams, showing exposed joinery which when painted, acted as ornament. Dougong also has the practical application of protection from earthquakes, as the elasticity of multiple dougong could withstand seismic forces. These wooden brackets, often seen on the edges of roofing, are responsible for giving these buildings their traditional Japanese feeling.
Another technique derived from Japanese Influence is the "cloud lift", an aesthetic derived from Japanese furniture, described as elevation of a straight line, was used in many of the Greene's works. The cloud lift is very prevalent in homes such as the Blacker House, Ranney House, Thorsen House as well as the Gamble House, all homes designed by the Greene brothers. The Gamble House being the most prolific example, with cloud lifts on the windows, walls, cabinetry, chairs, doors, fireplace, and even multiple examples in the light fixtures.
References
[edit]Smith, Bruce, and Alexander Vertikoff. Greene & Greene Masterworks. San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 1998.
Makinson, Randell L., et al. Greene & Greene Architecture as a Fine Art. Salt Lake City and Santa Barbara, Peregrine Smith, Inc., 1977.
Mathias, David. “The Japanese Influence of Greene & Greene.” Old House Journal, https://www.oldhouseonline.com/interiors-and-decor/japanese-influence-greene-greene. Accessed 29 November 2023.