Form - John Portman

A monograph on John Portman that explores the intimate relationship of the man, his architecture and his art Internationally recognized as an architect, real estate developer and entrepreneur, John Portman's personal commitment to the integration of art and architecture was evident from the start. His first commission was the renovation of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Building on which he envisioned affixing a contemporary metal sculpture to an eagle. The client liked the idea, but was unwilling to finance the art. Portman invested his own money for the sculpture and, thus, began incorporating art as an integral part of his work, including designing lighting fixtures, hardware, and furniture, and eventually channeling his creativity into painting and sculpture. His interests - the love of nature, the merging of opposite forces, the study of human responses - are as central to Portman's artwork as they are to his architecture.