Day in the Sun

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Here's a more thoughtful review of Fuller's stellar career, posing the question whether his image might be rehabilitated, after all those "failures" and subsequent dismissal as some kind of crackpot by "peers in mathematics, cartography and other disciplines he had challenged."

I'd pose the reverse of that question: how might we rehabilitate the image of those who've been doing all this irresponsible dismissing of Fuller as "incomprehensible"? I'm not sure that's a priority right now.

The article is bold in daring to use the word "tetrahedron", generally considered too high brow a word for journalistic accounts, even in the Herald Tribune. Maybe we're actually getting somewhere in the numeracy department?

The analysis concludes that Fuller's contributions are likely to find a more appreciative and receptive crew in the 21st century, now that we're starting to catch up with the guy:

At a time when design and artistic practice is increasingly collaborative, open-ended and fluid, Fuller looks a lot less nutty, and more purposeful. So do his emphasis on concept, rather than the finished product, and his capacity to embrace failure as a learning experience and a step toward success. "You only succeed when you stop failing" was a favorite motto. "It is amazing that Bucky gets his day in the sun at the Whitney," said Cameron Sinclair. "Part-genius, part-altruistic-visionary - what's not to admire?"

My thanks to Bob McGown for the bucket below, something he scrounged for its "allusionary value". For me, it connects to that empty canister of Tefzel in my 2005 Wanderers presentation on Bucky Works, J. Baldwin yakking about pillow domes.