Andrew Geller: Deconstructed (Artist and Architect)

Over the course of a career that lasted more than fifty years, Andrew Geller—architect, artist, and designer—quietly produced a large and culturally significant body of work, leaving an invaluable mark in his field. Geller's impact was first felt in the heady post-World War II years he spent at the Raymond Loewy design firm, where one highlight amongst many was his improvisational and free-handed influence on the Lord & Taylor brand. He is undoubtedly most well-known, though, for his architecture, and his stunning modernist beach houses in particular, houses that still grace our shores and which, not unlike Andrew Geller himself, were innovative, unconventional, and saturated with a delight for beauty and form. In Andrew Geller: Deconstructed, Jake Gorst celebrates the life and work of his grandfather, bringing together two-decades worth of interviews, both formal and informal, as well as many artifacts and treasures culled from Geller's vast personal collection of drawings and photographs. Included within are stories and images not only of his now famous beach houses, but also of the many lesser-known buildings and early artworks, making this the definitive volume on this architectural icon. Gorst's intent in writing this volume - to share this wealth of information and provide an intimate glimpse into the inner workings of an artist—is here fully actualized, rendering a vivid portrait of a man whose main drive in life was to create beauty whatever he did.