Fundacion Cesar Manrique, Lanzarote (Opus) (Hardcover)

Rough Guide Directions Lanzarote and Fuerteventura by Emma Gregg 3.1 out of 5 stars (7)  £5.49

The Gruffalo's Child by Julia Donaldson 4.4 out of 5 stars (41)  £3.59

The Half-hour Allotment (Royal Horticultural Society) by Lia Leendertz 4.4 out of 5 stars (8)  £11.89

Feast: Food That Celebrates Life by Nigella Lawson 4.4 out of 5 stars (54)  £13.49

Black Order LP (Sigma Force) by James Rollins 3.8 out of 5 stars (13)

› Explore similar items

Product Description
Text is available in English, German and Spanish. Over the last decade, the island of Lanzarote has become one of the favourite tourism destinations in the Canary Islands. However, our interest is more one of artistic than of touristic discovery, and this would be virtually unthinkable without the work of an artist who fell in love with this wonderful paradise. We refer to Cesar Manrique (1919-1992), who was able to see and reveal to us the unique beauties arising out of the happy marriage of the four elements believed by the Greeks to form the whole of creation: air, earth, fire and water. In fact, after returning to his island in 1968 after a period spent in New York, Manrique dedicated himself passionately to realising his utopia, to renew Lanzarote out of his own sources. Among Manrique's best known works on Lanzarote are the 'Casa Museo del Campesino', the 'Jameos del Agua', the 'Mirador del Rio', the 'Cactus Garden' and his own house in the Taro de Tahiche. Manrique's house in Taro de Tahiche, which nowadays houses the Cesar Manrique Foundation, can be considered as a 'work in progress' as it was built over a period of almost 25 years and was still not completed upon the artist's death. Arising out of the five interconnected volcanic bubbles of the underground storey, it has become a metaphor for the amorous meeting of man with Mother Earth, the latter being understood, to use Bruno Taut's expression, as 'a fine home for living'. The spaces on the upper floor can be virtually mistaken for the white cubic buildings dispersed throughout the island. But when we cross their thresholds, we have the unique feeling that here something was created which is really new. In fact, Manrique - enemy in equal measure of the 'pastiche' of regionalism and the off-key International Style blind to differentiation - sifted the vernacular with certain modern filters such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe or Le Corbusier, and at the same time he gave it such a specific stamp that the final result became indigenous and unmistakable. Simon Marchan Fiz is professor of aesthetics in Madrid. Like Marchan Fiz, Pedro Martinez de Albornoz lives in Madrid. The photographs shown in this book are the best photographic interpretation of one of Manrique's work up to now.

About the Author
Simon Marchan Fiz is professor of aesthetics in Madrid. Like Marchan Fiz, Pedro Martinez de Albornoz lives in Madrid. The photographs shown in this book are the best photographic interpretation of one of Manrique's work up to now.

1 Review 5 star:    (0) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   35 of 35 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars An exploration of the Architecture of Cesar Manrique, 22 Aug 2001 By  Rob (sheffield United Kingdom) - See all my reviews Cesar Manrique must be one of the 20th century's most influential and multi-talented artists. That's a bold statement. Travel to Lanzarote, one of the Canary Isles, a Spanish territory west of North Africa and his influence is everywhere. He didn't want this extraordinary beautiful volcanic landscape ruined by tourist development. He achieved this not by preventing tourism or development but by persuading local government and populace of the merit of his views. For example, he was instrumental in getting a local law preventing building higher than 3 stories. He has helped transform this bleak landscape of black ash and lava into a "must see" for the traveller. Not for him the dead hand of the planning officer, devoid of vision and imagination but integrating the needs of man into the environment to create beauty not monotony or ugliness. He made a massive personal commitment to the island; countless traffic islands are distinguished by his colourful cubist and sometimes mechanical modern sculptures. Manrique was not a sculptor, a painter, an architect or a town planner, he was an artist and he applied his art to all he did, including those disciplines. He is responsible for some extraordinary architecture, modern and yet blending with the natural landscape. In the same way as the castle on Lindisfarne in Northumberland UK seems a natural extension of the rock without which the landscape would be unfinished, so is Jameos del Agua, Mirador del Rio and the main subject of this book, his house. His house. The word conjures an image of four walls and a roof. How wrong. The plan looks more like that of a futuristic space vessel. The house integrates into the volcanic landscape. While using the traditional white painted building style of the region he also exploits the lava bubbles beneath the ground to form a series of interconnected living spaces. Many feature an opening to the sky, one has a palm tree growing up through the centre of the "room" emerging above ground. Another is home to a small swimming pool with a bridge of lava (featured on the book-cover). Nor are the surface-level buildings conventional. No room is without some reference to the landscape; one delightful feature is a window through which the lava appears to have flowed into the room. The book includes a short biography, a description and lavish colour photographs of the house. Buy the book but be warned, you will want to visit the house as a result - and it's worth it. Though not on the same scale, the house imbues one with the reverential atmosphere of a great cathedral. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

great childrens books (0 - 5): A list by Emma Ricketts   Self Sufficiency: A list by The Village Green Preservation Society "Preserving the old ways from being abused, Protecting the new ways for me and for you"   Best books for 5 year olds: A list by Ms. Cheryl Senior "cheryl_senior" Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

• Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Architecture > Architects
• Books > Travel & Holiday

• Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
• I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
• I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.