An exhibition organized by
the School of Architecture
4.15–
5.16.2022
Terrol Dew Johnson
Form Over Function, 2014
This basket, made of wood, bear grass, and sinew found in the Sonoran Desert environment of the Tohono O’odham Nation. It acknowledges the indigenous values that preceded and parallel Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous words, in response to the design philosophy of his mentor Louis Sullivan: “Form follows function—that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”
In the Tohono O’odham language, there is no word for art. Instead, Native people have always looked to create artful ways of living, seeking ways to blend beauty and usefulness. Baskets hold the stories of our ancestral culture, passed down through generations of change.
In the Tohono O’odham language, there is no word for art. Instead, Native people have always looked to create artful ways of living, seeking ways to blend beauty and usefulness. Baskets hold the stories of our ancestral culture, passed down through generations of change.