A stunning 600-page survey of an architectural genius' building designs. Frank 0. Gehry is one of the world's most innovative and acclaimed architects, with an active career spanning nearly four decades. His heart-stopping designs can be seen across the globe, and while the buildings' functions vary, all share Gehry's signature elements: ingenious manipulations of light, shadow and geometry. This exciting retrospective of Gehry's work is the first published in more than a decade and features hundreds of superb full-color photographs illustrating a selection of of the architect's most important designs. Five introductory essays detail his inventive use of cutting-edge technology and diverse materials, and his mastery of light, form and sculpture. Informative chapters come together with striking photographs to reveal the precision and poise of Gehry's buildings. The selected projects range from the architect's tentative start in Los Angeles to his most famous commissions worldwide. They include: Edgemar Project (Santa Monica) - American Center (Paris) - Vila Olimpica (Barcelona) - Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) - Goldstein Housing (Frankfurt) - Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao) - Pa riser Platz 3 (Berlin) - Richard B. Bard Fisher Center (Bard College, New York State) - Maggie's Centre (Dundee, Scotland) - Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavillion (Chicago). There are also photographs of Gehry's furniture designs plus discussions of his preferred materials and specific features: windows, metal, wood and natural light. Stimulating text and images by premier architectural photographers provide exclusive insight into one of the most creative minds in architecture. Mere words cannot capture the grandeur of Gehry's creations. It is the wealth of photographs that carry the book -- page after page of incredible overviews and close-ups of a selection of Gehry projects... It's book to flip through again, and again, especially when planning vacations. One can never go wrong in soaking up what [author] Mathewson describes as uncompromising creativity, stunning composition and sculptural virtuosity. ( Grand Magazine 2008-10-01) A stellar collection of photographs of his masterpiece buildings... the photographs are spectacular [and] will keep you coming back again and again. (Sheila Brady CanWest News Servicee 2008-01-12) A lavishly illustrated retrospective of his stellar contributions to architecture. (Sheldon Kirshner The Canadian Jewish News 2008-01-10) So prolific and innovative is Gehry that, like a poet, he merits a selected-works volume, and this is a magnificent book. With strikingly lit and perfectly composed color photographs on nearly every page, and relaxed yet expert to-the-point commentary, Mathewson's guide to the best of Gehry's curving, gleaming, gravity-defying building and cleverly arcing furniture explicates the architect's music-inspired design process, liberation from the virtual prison of boxiness, grandly expressionistic style, embrace of new technologies, and belief in architecture as a vehicle for enlightenment and enrichment. (Donna Seaman Booklist 2007-12-15) Architect and author Mathewson offers a sweeping retrospective of renowned architect Frank Gehry's considerable body of work. The book can be characterized as a collection of stunning photographs of Gehry's work held together by sparse but effective narrative. When Gehry broke away from uniquitous late modernist style in the 1960s, he began to incorporate sweeping and sometimes fanciful forms into his work.... This collection offers a thorough representation of the results. It also includes brief biographical notes and a chronological listing of selected work. ( BookNews 2009-12-01) Frank Gehry's genius shines in a new book... A stellar collection of photographs of [Gehry's] masterpiece buildings ... Spectacular... The 1,500 photographs will keep you coming back again and again. (Sheila Brady, Homes Editor The Ottawa Citizen 2008-01-05) An atmospheric, mainly pictorial retrospective of architect and designer Frank Gehry's nearly 40-year-and-counting career. Hundreds of gorgeous colour photographs illustrate his ouevre...more than justifying the adulation of the Canadian-born master. Best feature: The book's periodic esssays, which explore Gehry's masterful use of technology, form and light. (Jennifer David Canadian House & Home 2007-12-31) It will be of interest ... to patrons wanting a quick overview of Gehry's work, those interested in investigating images of the many angles of his structures, and those who appreciate architectural photography. Recommended for public libraries with architecture and photography collections. (Valerie Nye, College of Santa Fe, New Mexico Library Journal ) This retrospective analysis of Gehry's work captures the architect's nuances, including his manipulation of light, shadow and geometry, and his innovative use of materials and cutting-edge technology. ( Metalmag 2008-07-01) Casey C