The Right Intensity of Light: The Book Lists of Jules Fisher and Paul Marantz
By Steve Kroeter March 29, 2011
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| Jules Fisher |
To get a feel for the remarkably varied and ever-present role that light plays in our lives, there is no better place to look than the work of the firm founded by lighting designers Jules Fisher and Paul Marantz. Over the course of the more than 40 years that they have worked together, their combined projects reveal the full spectrum of light as a constant social, cultural, and commercial force.
In New York they designed the city’s “Tribute in Light” to honor the victims of 9/11. Well known for their architectural projects, they were responsible for lighting the world’s tallest building (Dubai) and one of the planet’s largest airport terminals (Hong Kong). Their work showcases the art in the Getty Center in Los Angeles and other major museums across the country and around the globe.
The firm has designed the lighting for more than 200 Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well as films, ballets, operas, rock concerts, and television programs.
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| Paul Marantz |
Glimpsing the titles included on Jules Fisher and Paul Marantz's book lists is like experiencing strobe-like insights into the form and function of their world of light. From Fisher comes “The Dramatic Imagination,” “In the Light of Italy,” and “Unless It Moves the Human Heart.” From Marantz, we get “Brilliant,” “Eye and Brain,” and “In Praise of Shadows.”
While Fisher and Marantz think in many ways like artists (Fisher includes a book on the painter Corot and Marantz has one on the architect Albert Kahn, a “poet of natural light”)—working in an invisible medium—they are at the same time attuned to the power of words and how they are used. Fisher compares “picking the right word” to picking “the right intensity of light.” And on Marantz’s list is The Elements of Style, in which “clear exposition” is irreplaceable.
From the “recent and ancient” books on Fisher’s list to writing that Marantz sees as mirroring light in the “mind’s eye”—the books on these two lists provide insights into a subject that touches us all.
Announcements
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy by John Lobell
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy
By John Lobell
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: June 2020
Noted Louis I.Kahn expert John Lobell explores how Kahn’s focus on structure, respect for materials, clarity of program, and reverence for details come together to manifest an overall philosophy.
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn by Harriet Pattison
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn
By Harriet Pattison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Forthcoming: October 2020
An intimate glimpse into the professional and romantic relationship between Harriet Pattison and the renowned architect Louis Kahn. Harriet Pattison, FASLA, is a distinguished landscape architect. She was Louis Kahn’s romantic partner from 1959 to 1974, and his collaborator on the landscapes of the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the F.D.R. Memorial/Four Freedoms Park, New York. She is the mother of their son, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn.
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
By Per Olaf Fjeld and Emily Randall Fjeld
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Published: October 4, 2019
A new and personal reading of the architecture, teachings, and legacy of Louis I. Kahn from Per Olaf Fjeld’s perspective as a former student. The book explores Kahn’s life and work, offering a unique take on one of the twentieth century’s most important architects. Kahn’s Nordic and European ties are emphasized in this study that also covers his early childhood in Estonia, his travels, and his relationships with other architects, including the Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo.
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Ballpark: Baseball in the American City by Paul Goldberger
Ballpark: Baseball in the American City
By Paul Goldberger
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Published: May 2019
An illustrated, entirely new look at the history of baseball: told through the stories of the vibrant and ever-changing ballparks where the game was and is staged, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic.
Charleston Fancy by Witold Rybczynski
Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City
By Witold Rybczynski
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: May 2019
Charleston, South Carolina, which boasts America’s first historic district, is known for its palmetto-lined streets and picturesque houses. The Holy City, named for its profusion of churches, exudes an irresistible charm. Award-winning author and cultural critic Witold Rybczynski unfolds a series of stories about a group of youthful architects, builders, and developers based in Charleston: a self-taught home builder, an Air Force pilot, a fledgling architect, and a bluegrass mandolin player.
Teaching Graphic Design History by Steven Heller
Teaching Graphic Design History
By Steven Heller
Publisher: Allworth Press
Published: June 2019
An examination of the concerted efforts, happy accidents, and key influences of the practice throughout the years, Teaching Graphic Design History is an illuminating resource for students, practitioners, and future teachers of the subject.
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