"I see this as a drama, because the Maslon destruction is so theatrical. After reading accounts of the story in Paris two years ago, Tomaszewski pondered what caused such a pure act of destruction. That musing led him to Freud's theory on self-destruction, which in turn led him to the works of late Austrian-British psychoanalysts exploring rarefied theories about Neutra's modernist architecture."
"Richard Rotenberg bought the Rancho Mirage home in 2002 for $2.45 million, having never set foot inside the incomparable design. Without explanation, he razed it within weeks, eliciting worldwide revulsion. For 15 years, the question - why did he do it? - has swirled around what has become legend in architectural circles."
"A consummate researcher, Tomaszewski has visited Palm Springs five times, interviewing preservationists, architects, real estate agents and Maslons' friends. He is also creating miniature ceramic sculptures of the couple's famed, home-based art collection. It will include an art film featuring a subjective model of the 5,000-square-foot, six-bedroom residence, which was commissioned by the late Samuel and Luella Maslon."
Richard Rotenberg purchased the Rancho Mirage Maslon house in 2002 for $2.45 million and demolished it within weeks without explanation, sparking worldwide outrage and architectural controversy. French artist Yan Tomaszewski, funded by a 9,000-euro research grant from the French Institute, traveled to Los Angeles to investigate this architectural destruction. He plans to create an art installation featuring a subjective model of the 5,000-square-foot residence, miniature ceramic sculptures of the Maslons' art collection, and an art film. Through extensive research including interviews with preservationists, architects, and psychoanalysts, Tomaszewski explores psychological theories about destruction and modernist architecture to understand Rotenberg's motivations for razing this masterwork.
#architectural-preservation #richard-neutra #art-installation #modernist-architecture #cultural-heritage-destruction
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