Simon Rodia was born in Italy, and immgirated to California. In 1921 he moved to the small town of Watts and began working on a strange project that would consume the next thirty-four years of his life. Spending what little money he earned as a construction worker on cement and steel, he worked ni
About the drama between good and evil, the editors of the Catholic Encyclopedia are expert; and about Aubrey Beardsley, regularly found at the side of the goddess of indecency fanning her with a gigantic palm leaf, they have this to say: "He was unable to withstand the desire to do clever, mischievou
When newly elected Socialist President Francois Mitterand announced that I.M. Pei had been hired to design the subterranean entrance to the Louvre, many critics flew to their respective podiums. How could a political party so outspoken about American imperialism allow an American to resurrect their m
Toronto-based designer Bruce Mau has long been associated with big projects and big ideas. His approach has been called 'intellectual,' 'ambitious,' and 'striking,' but Mau doesn't always ascribe such grandiose visions to his work. According to the designer, he simply chooses to respect the reader's