Michael Graves: Past As Prologue

The extraordinary career of architect, designer, and artist Michael Graves in “Past as Prologue: The History and Future of Michael Graves Architecture and Design,” an exhibit at Grounds for Sculpture (October 2014-April 2015). Michael Graves died a few months after the opening of this exhibition, in March 2015.

Our story follows the retrospective’s timeline, from 1964 when Michael Graves, then a young professor of architecture at Princeton University, opened his firm. Over the next 50 years, his humanistic aesthetic transformed architecture, from the first “Post-Modern” buildings to accessible housing for Wounded Warriors. His impact has been felt in design from high-end products for the Italian luxury firm Alessi, to mass-market products for Target and J.C. Penney, all given the same thoughtful attention.

State of the Arts NJ met Michael Graves and talked with some of his current collaborators at the opening of his 50 year retrospective. Also of interest, a half-hour profile focused on the architect’s home, Michael Graves: The Warehouse, produced by State of the Arts in 2011.

Produced by Susan Wallner; Narrated by Dan Gordon; and Videography by Joe Conlon and Kirk Sohr.