John Yeon - Architecture

This book marks the rediscovery of a vital voice in midcentury debates on modernism in architecture. Published in conjunction with the exhibition 'Quest for Beauty: John Yeon's Eye for Art, Architecture, and the Oregon Landscape' at the Portland Art Museum, opening May 13, 2017. Exceptionally beautiful archival photography by masters of the era, including Maynard Parker, Roger Sturtevant, and Ezra Stoller. John Yeon (1910-1994) is a pioneering figure in architecture, who paved the way for the Northwest Regional style of modernism. Known for a series of exceptionally beautiful houses - including the Watzek House, a National Historic Landmark - Yeon's architecture was celebrated for its subtle relationship to site and place, and its sensitive deployment of local materials. His far-reaching innovations in construction and early sustainable design, and his stylistic freedom, anticipated several later movements, ranging from ecological modernism to postmodern eclecticism. Yet Yeon's scope of activities stretched far beyond architecture: he was also a planner, conservationist, art collector, historic preservationist, urban activist, and perhaps most of all, a connoisseur. John Yeon Architecture, the first in-depth monograph on Yeon, presents more than 25 built and unbuilt projects for houses, gardens, small public buildings, and exhibitions. Four perceptive essays explore Yeon's life and career: his characteristic design style, his position in the development of Northwest modernism, and his influential role in the stylistic debates of the 1940s and 1950s.