SMALL AT LARGE

the biomorphic biosphere poster 1972, with head shot drawn by friend glen vippu, the way i was

IN 1972 I PUT TOGETHER A POSTER 21″ X42″ OF THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE , PUT IT IN A TUBE, AND SENT IT OUT TO ALL THE UNIVERSITIES OF NOTE IN THE USA. I GOT A FEW LECTURES. THE ONE IN QUBEC CITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LAVAL, THE STUDENTS HAD TO TOUR ME AROUND. WHERE THE PROFESSORS WERE I HAD NO IDEA. ONE AT BOSTON COLLEGE THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AUDIENCE. ANOTHER AT BRITISH COLUMBIA IN VANCOUVER, ONE AT LAWRENCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ANOTHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOLDER HEARD ME OUT. NONE IN MY HOME CITY OF LOS ANGELES, OTHER THAN THE CAPTIVE AUDIENCE AT SCI-ARC. THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON IGNORED ME.

THE POSTER DOING A DOUBLE TAKE OF A LIVING STRUCTURE AS THE MASK. IT HAS ALL THE MEANINGFUL STUFF ON IT. LIKE EXISTING: APATHY, POLLUTION, GREED, DECEIT, DESTROY, SUPPRESS, COMPROMISE, PATCH UP, MONEY, VESTED INTERESTS, WAR, INEQUITY, GRAFT, NATIONALISM. NONE OF THAT HAS CHANGED IN FORTY YEARS. SAVED BY THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE: CONCERN, HARMONY,SHARE,IMAGINE, INTEGRITY, PLAY,RECYCLE, INVENT, JUST, EXPLORE, CHOICE, TRANQUILITY, HONESTY, UNITY.THAT TOO IS STILL JUST A HOPE. I HAVE GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK FROM THOSE THAT HAVE PURCHASED THE POSTER AND HAVE USED IT FOR INSPIRATION. MAYBE IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH TO COMPREHEND. FEW READ IT. IT WAS IN THE BACKDROP ON A FEW TV SHOWS.

IN THE MID 1970 IES I CONTINUED TO WORK ON THE BIOMORPHIC BIOMORPHIC AND GIVE LECTURES, BUT I WAS NOT REACHING ENOUGH PEOPLE.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE TO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO ALLOW THE MIND TO EXPORE AND CREATE THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE THE VERTICAL CITY AND THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE EXPLORATION. YES, I HAVE BEEN TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP AND PARTIALLY LIVE THERE PERMANENTLY. MY MIND HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY STRETCHED AND IT CAN’T LIVE IN THE PRESENT. I’M AM IMPAIRED. HOW CAN I REALLY TAKE THE EXISTING BUILT WORLD SERIOUSLY?

I HAD AN EXHIBITION AT WALNUT CREEK CITY GALLERY IN 1976 WITH NO FEEDBACK. THE PROJECT WAS DEAD AND THE TIMES WERE CHANGING. EARTH DAY WAS NOT POPULAR. THE MATERIALISTIC 80 IES WERE IN VOGUE. ARCHITECTS LIKE VENTURI THAT GLORIFIED THE EXISTING TOOK OVER. IT IS SO EASY TO EMBRACE WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW, A WIN WIN SITUATION. ARCHITECTS LOVE TO BE PRAISED FOR MAKING A NEW BUILDING WITH A UNIQUE FACE, BUT ALL THE SAME BACK STAGE.

THE SCALE WAS IMPRACTICAL. ARCHITECTS AND CLIENTS REBELLED FROM MEGASTRUCTURES, BECAUSE IT TOOK COMPREHENSIVE INVOLVEMENT OF MUNICIPALITIES, CITIZENS , AND EXTENSIVE PRIVATE CAPITAL. THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. I HAD THE LUXURY OF TEACHING THAT FREED ME FROM RELYING ON MY NEXT BUILDING FOR INCOME, SO I COULD DREAM ON. THE REAL WORLD NEEDED THE NEXT PROJECT TO BUILD TO GET , GOODIES.

REYNER BANHAM PUT THE FINAL SLAM ON MEGASTRUCTURES WITH HIS BOOK ” MEGASTRUCTURES, URBAN FUTURES OF THE RECENT PAST.”
REYNER SPOKE AT SCI-ARC, AND WAS A SMART COMICAL AUTHOR. HE WAS CONNECTED TO ARCHIGRAM, HIS FELLOW BRITISH COUNTRYMEN.
I APPROACHED HIM TO WRITE ON THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. I SENT HIM A TON OF DRAWINGS AND VISUAL IMAGES, AND ALL THE WRITTEN STUFF.
WHEN HE SENT BACK WHAT HE HAD WRITTEN ON ME. I BECAME ENRAGED. SENDING HIM A LETTER CALLING HIM A COCKTAIL SLURPING BLANK ( I CAN NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT WORDS BUT THEY WERE CREATIVE AND GOT HIS ATTENTION. HE SENT ME A LETTER SAYING I WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF HIS BOOK AND NEEDED MY APPROVAL BEFORE GOING TO PRESS, HE CHANGED SOME WORDING AND ADDED SOME MORE TEXT, AND I SAID OK. WHAT UPSET ME, WAS THAT 10 YEARS OF SERIOUS MEGASTRUCTURE CONCERNS WERE REDUCED TO A SINGLE BIRD’S EYE BLACK AND WHITE DRAWING IN THE LA BASIN. THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE TO SAY AND SHOW.

HE VIEWED ARCHITECTURE AS PASSING TRENDS, AND CATEGORIZED MEGASTRUCTRES AS SUCH. WHAT I WANTED HIM TO DO WAS TO WRITE A BOOK ON THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. HE, HIS SON AND WIFE CAME TO DINNER IN THE HOUSE IN VENICE ON THORNTON AND I PITCHED THIS TO HIM. HE WAS SHOCKED AND SAID HE HAD OTHER INTERESTS. HE DIED A FEW YEARS LATTER, NEVER INDICATING TO ME THAT HE WAS ILL. WHAT HE MISSED WAS THAT ISSUES OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN COME BACK AGAIN. AS OF THE MOMENT ALL THE ECO CONCERNS: POPULATION EXPLOSION, TRANSPORTATION, SOCIAL CONCERNS AND MEGA COMPLEXES ARE MAKING A HUGE COMEBACK. FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED CORRECTLY AND ARE PRESSING PROBLEMS ON EXISTING AND NEW URBAN CENTERS.

WHAT IS HAPPENING ARE PATCH UP SYSTEMS THAT CAN NOT KEEP UP WITH THE PROBLEMS. BUT THAT IS WAY THINGS WORK. DO WHAT YOU CAN WITH THE MONEY YOU HAVE, NOT REALLY TRYING IN TO SOME NATIONAL SYSTEMS, LET ALONE GLOBAL. REGIONAL BEING THE BIGGEST GOAL. THE SYSTEMS NEED TO CONNECT UP WITH STANDARDS FOR ALL. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.

jacket cover of book, paul rudolph’s manhattan megastructure housing over freeways

ten years of work ends up as a drawing of the biomorphic biosphere spreading out over the los angeles basin, a few spots on the land like santa monica, beverly hills, downtown los angeles kept as historical monuments

the blurb of reyner banham of the biomorphic biosphere in megastructues, urban structures of the recent past. reyner did say positive things, but i am sure few read the caption on the unattractive ariel of los angeles

CLIENTS TAKE THEIR OWN PROJECTS SERIOUSLY. A HOUSE IS A PERSONAL DEMANDING JOB THAT PROPERLY EXECUTED IS A FULL TIME EFFORT BY ALL PARTIES, ESPECIALLY THE ARCHITECT. I CAN ONLY PUT IT IN A LIMITED PERSPECTIVE OF IMPORTANCE, I AM AN INHABITANT OF THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE.

IN 1975 I WENT TO A CONFERENCE IN TEXAS ON THE FUTURISTS IN ARCHITECTURE. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A BONDING TIME. SOLERI, RUDY DORNACK, WOLF HElBERTZ , CAROLYN DRY, ROY MASON ETC. WITH MANY MORE. WOLF HELBERTZ WHO TAUGH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN PUT THE CONFERENCE TOGETHER. WOLF ORCHESTRATED A COMBATANT DIALOGUE WHICH ENDED UP MAKING THE SPEAKERS UPSET WITH EACH OTHER.. RUDY DORNAC, THAT GREW HIS BUILDINGS , BEING SICKED ON ME WITH A STATEMENT THAT NATURE COULD NOT BE SUPPORTED IN MY MEGASTRUCTURE. A BLATANT LIE, BUT EFFECTIVE TO THE AUDIENCE WITH HIS CREDENTIALS. I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR NEGATIVE FEED BACK. AFTER CONTEMPLATING RUDY’S STATEMENT IT BECOMES OBVIOUS, I WAS EMULATION A MOUNTAIN, AND WHAT COULD BE GROWN ON A MOUNTAIN SIDE COULD BE GROWN ON THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE, INSIDE AND OUT. DEBATE, DEBATE, DEBATE, THE TOOL THAT ARCHITECTS SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH AND SHOULD BE TAUGHT.

WHAT CAME OUT OF THIS CONFERENCE WAS A CONNECTIONS WITH ROY MASON, THE FUTURIST BROKER OF THE ERA. HE WAS THE EDITOR OF THE FUTURIST MAGAZINE AT THE TIME. HE PUT AN ISSUE OF THE FUTURIST MAGAZINE TOGETHER WITH ME DOING THE COVER AND FEATURED ARTICLE ON THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. THIS GOT ME NUMEROUS LECTURES AND A BIT OF A FOLLOWING. HE WROTE BOOKS AND PUT ME IN THEM ETC. WITH HIS DEATH, CAUSED BY A WACKED OUT LOVER, AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY PROMOTION STOPPED. I MET THE LOVER IN ROY’S HOUSE IN WASHINGTON DC HE WAS INTO BAROQUE STATUES AND PAINTINGS. THE HOUSE STUFFED WITH SENSUOUS ART.

THE ARTICLE IN THE FUTURIST MAGAZINE JUNE 1977 WAS THE MOST COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. IT TOLD THE WHOLE STORY AND HAD THE DRAWINGS AS WELL.

the cover of futurist magazine june 1977

when i had all the answers and thought anything was possible 1977

a cross section with functions labeled, i would be interested in what others thought when reading.

roy mason architect, editor of the futurist magazine 1977 that was a biomorphic fan

OUT OF FRUSTRATION TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS IN THE SUMMER OF 1976 I MADE A MOVIE WITH RALPH MURSINNA, AT THE TIME A RECENT GRADUATE OF SCI-ARC THAT HAD BEEN MY STUDENT. IT WAS SHOT WITH THE LATEST SUPER 8 CAMERA, THE RAGE WITH ZOOM AND DISSOLVE, IF YOU COULD NOT AFFORD 16 MM, WHICH WE COULD NOT. RALPH AND I WENT TO DIFFERENT SPOTS IN LA AND FOUND NATURE AND TECHNOLOGY SHOTS TO BACK UP THE THEME OF USING MACHINES IN A MANNER THAT EMULATES NATURES BUILDING PROCESSES AND FORMS.

THE ONE SHOT I PARTICULARLY LIKED THAT RALPH DID WAS ME RIDING IN MY SILVER CARMEN GHIA CONVERTIBLE IN LA TRAFFIC AND THEN GOING INTO A TUNNEL AND COMING OUT SOARING IN SPACE ZOOMING INTO THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. IT TOOK FOREVER TO GET THE SOUND DUBBED AND THE COSTS TO DUPLICATE ETC. WERE BEYOND MY BUDGET. SO MAYBE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF COMPLETE FINISHED FILMS AROUND. ONE WITH MY DAUGHTER LUCIA AND ONE WITH RAPH MURSINNA. MORTON NEIKRUG WAS THE SOUND MAN.

SO LIKE ANY CRUSADER WITH A VISION, I WANT TO SHARE THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE WITH OTHERS. I REALIZE THE NEED FOR OTHERS TO ASSIST ME TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE. THE OBVIOUS IS TO WRITE A BOOK WHICH I’M DOING, BUT TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE I NEED A MOVIE TO REACH THE WORLD. NOT A DOCUMENTARY, BUT A FULL SCALE HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION THAT PUTS ONE LIVING IN THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. IN 1976 I WROTE A FILM SCRIPT. THE CONCERN BEING TO REACH A LARGE AUDIENCE WITH THE FEELING OF A BUILT REALITY. I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE KNOWN PROBLEMS BY PRACTICING AS A REGULAR ARCHITECT.

REREADING THE SCRIPT AFTER 30 YEARS THE CLICHÉ PERIOD ITEMS STAND OUT, BUT THE MESSAGE IS STRONG AND THE MESSAGE APPLIES TODAY WITH FIRES, EARTHQUAKES, FINANCIAL INJUSTICES, MATERIAL GREED, ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION ETC. SEEKING THE SOLUTIONS OF THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

MOVIES ON THE FUTURE ARE SPOOKY AND TOUGH LIKE ” SPACE ODYSSEY 2001″ AND” BLADE RUNNER”.
I CAN NOT NAME A MOVIE ORIENTED ON A THEME THAT IS POSITIVE ABOUT THE FUTURE. YOU WOULD THINK THIS ALONE WOULD BE A REASON TO INTEREST MOVIE PEOPLE. WHAT I FOUND WAS THE OPPOSITE. THERE ARE THEMES THAT THE PUBLIC LIKE, SO WHY VENTURE OUT WITH THE NEW? WHEN YOU JUST USE THE PAST SUCCESSES AS THE MODEL AND MAKE ANOTHER ONE. THE ULTIMATE BEING JUST MAKING A MOVIE OVER. LIKE SABRINA OR SWEPT AWAY,

I INTRODUCED THE SCRIPT THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE TO SYDNEY POLLACK, SAUL BASS, ROBERT REDFORD, AND STEVEN SPEILBERG. CLAIRE POLLACK, A STUDENT OF MINE WAS MARRIED TO THE FAMOUS DIRECTOR SYDNEY POLLACK. HIS REACTION WAS THAT IT WAS A BRIEF TREATMENT. SAUL BASS HAD A PARTNER, THAT SAID I SHOULD TAKE A WRITING COURSE. ROBERT REDFORD’S WILDWOOD ORGANIZATION SAID THE SCRIP ADDRESSED ALL THE RIGHT ISSUES, BUT THEY DID NOT CHOOSE TO ADDRESS THEM THROUGH THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. STEVEN SPIELBERB WAS SAID TO HAVE GLANCED AT THE PICTURES AND WANTED AN OPTION, BUT THAT WAS HEAR SAY THROUGH A CAMERAMAN CONTACT THAT WANTED A FIRM COMMITMENT TO DO THE PICTURE. IN RETROSPECT I NEEDED AN AGENT TO PUSH THE SCRIPT.

THE WORLD NEEDS TO VISUALIZE POSITIVE THINGS THAT COULD BE. HOW CAN YOU EXPECT CHANGE WHEN MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO CONCEPT OF WHAT THAT COULD BE. THEREFORE IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE THE VISION WITH THE WORLD.

the biomorphic biosphere film script-treatment 1976

IN 1995 GREG DAVIS, A FORMER STUDENT OF MINE REVIVED MY INTEREST TO DOING A MOVIE AND HE DID GET A MEETING AT DREAM WORKS, OUR CONTACT THINKING IT WAS NO MORE THAN A DOCUMENTARY. HE GOT ANOTHER INTERVIEW WITH AN AGENT THAT SAID HE WANTED THE NEXT ACTION MOVIE, NOT A NEW WAY OF LIVING.
WE REWROTE THE SCRIPT TO BE MORE UP TO DATE WITH GANG VIOLENCE OF THE ERA, BUT STILL THE FIRES AND EARTHQUAKE TO JUMP START A CONCERN TO BUILD NEW IN LOS ANGELES.

RECENTLY I STARTED TO WRITE A SCRIPT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A THEME PARK THAT ONE COULD EXPERIENCE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND BUY INTO IF THE VISITORS BOUGHT THE IDEA. THIS IS A PRACTICAL BUSINESS PLAN THAT COULD BE A REALITY. AS THE GREEN MOVEMENT AND CONCERNS INCREASE, WHICH THEY ARE, THE NEED TO REALLY DO SOMETHING WITH SUBSTANCE WILL INCREASE. THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE INCREASES AS MORE PEOPLE BUY INTO THE IDEA. LIKE AN APPENDAGE TO EXISTING CITIES THAT PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN. REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN A SUBURB THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO BECOME A SELF SUFFICIENT CITY.

LUCIA SMALL, MY DAUGHTER, MADE A FILM ON ME IN 2000 “MY FATHER THE GENIUS” RECEIVING NUMEROUS AWARDS AND APPLAUSE, AND AVAILABLE ON ON NETFLIX, ANOTHER BLOG. IT HAS THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE IN IT, BUT WITHOUT ANY COHESIVE EXPLANATION. SHE IS ALL UP FOR ME DOING A FILM ON THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE, BUT SHE DEMANDS TO BE THE DIRECTOR. IT IS ALL ABOUT MONEY, AND AT THIS TIME SHE HAS OTHER DOCUMENTARY WORK THAT PAYS. I DO GET PEOPLE GOING DOWN ON THEIR KNEES WITH RESPECT AFTER SEEING THE FILM ABOUT ONCE A MONTH , BUT NONE WITH THE BUCKS FOR A PROJECT.

IN 1982 I ENTERED THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE AND THE GREEN MACHINE IN THE PARIS BIENNALE, THE GREEN MACHINE WAS CHOSEN, AND THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE WENT BEGGING. MY ENTRY BOARDS OF ” REJECTED SUITCASES” APPROPRIATE. FOR THE PRESENTATION. I NEEDED AIRPORT STUBS FROM LOS ANGELES WHERE I LIVED. AT LAX THE MAIN AIRPORT IN LOS ANGELES THEY DID NOT HAVE TICKETS STUBS FOR LOS ANGELES, BECAUSE PEOPLE FLEW IN FROM OTHER DESTINATION. SO I STOOD ON THE CURB AT LAX ASKING FOR BAGGAGE TICKET STUBS FROM TRAVELERS COMING IN FROM OTHER CITIES . ONE WOMAN SAYING SHE WOULD GIVE THE LAX STUBS TO ME, BUT I WAS UP TO NO GOOD! WHY SHE GAVE THEM TO ME IS A MYSTERY. BUT SHE WAS RIGHT, I WAS UP TO NO GOOD.

the paris biennial entry boards 1982 with lax tags, set for travel after being rejected by los angeles

paris biennial entry boards 1982

the biomorphic junction point that i developed, all structural that nobody wants to discuss, but everybody fascinated as a sculpture, one architect referring to it as my knitting

a static triangular growth pattern starting small and slowly increasing in width and height. stationary, meaning that the foundation points do not move

a stationary pattern for a city that would grow from a small grid pattern that slowing twists and increases in size (width and height) adding more density, but never destroying the existing.

a combination of a couple of stationary grid growth models connected, stationary meaning that the foundation points do not move

MY REAL TALENT IS BEING WASTED TRYING TO SURVIVE, I SHOULD HAVE A RESEARCH LAB FULLY FUNDED BY A UNIVERSITY, PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, OR THE GOVERNMENT. I HAVE PROVEN I LACK THE INTEREST IN MONEY , SO WHY NOT LET THE MONEY PEOPLE, WHOEVER THEY ARE TAKE CARE OF MY QUEST TO BETTER THE WORLD? BUT THERE IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THAT.

I HAVE DONE A LOUSY JOB OF SPREADING THE DREAM. DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? BUT SHAME SHAME ON THE ESTABLISHMENT. IT IS NOT LIKE I AM HIDING UNDER A ROCK.

NEXT BLOG, COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN, THE GREEN MACHINE.

GLEN