Saguaro Forms and Cactus Flowers
In 1927, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a series of 12 monthly covers for Liberty Magazine based on seasonal themes. Unfortunately, the publishers judged them as too radical for the time. The magazine returned Wright’s presentation drawings, which became the basis for later interpretations executed in diverse media. Each cover design exemplifies Wright’s practice of using a T-square, triangle, and compass—the tools of his trade—to create lively geometric designs.
Wright designed "Saguaro Forms and Cactus Flowers" as an adaptation of a stylized detail from a desert landscape. Although the design was never published by the magazine, Wright used it on the cover of an anthology of lectures he gave at Princeton in 1930 entitled Modern Architecture. In 1973, the Arizona Biltmore Resort experienced a devastating fire. During the reconstruction, the design was adapted by the Taliesin Architects for an art glass window installation in the entrance to the resort where it can still be seen today.
