Vacation House, project, Aspen, Colorado, Fireplace
Michael Graves
American, 1934–2015
1978
A small tracing-paper sketch in graphite and Prismacolor crayon of a whimsical, geometrically tiered fireplace for an Aspen vacation house, proposing a sculptural, human-scaled hearth that mixes monumentality with playful color.
Set against a warm yellow ground, the tiny, centered fireplace reads like a toy stage prop—its diamond-patterned midsection, conical top and stubby supports rendered in soft crayon hues and spare graphite lines, the surrounding emptiness amplifying its presence.
The drawing exemplifies Michael Graves's postmodern turn—reintroducing color, pattern and historical reference into domestic architecture—and shows how evocative hand drawings helped promote a more human, decorative alternative to Modernist dogma.
Medium
Graphite and Prismacolor crayon on tracing paper
Dimensions
8 x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Philip Johnson
Accession
27.1980
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
