Starchitect Frank Gehry to Teach Online Masterclass
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Ever wondered how master craftsmen conceive of, execute, and complete their projects? Well, now you too can have the chance to be taught by the masters, via a new online learning platform called MasterClass. Go inside the minds of some of the most celebrated actors, directors, writers, and performers of our time, as well as the platform’s most recent and exciting addition, starchitect Frank Gehry. Last month Gehry was added to the website’s impressive roster of tutors and will be leading seminars in architecture and design, sharing his unorthodox approach with his legions of followers.
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MasterClass was launched in 2016 with a view to giving “anyone the ability to gain the wisdom and knowledge of the world’s best creators. The education platform offers affordable, engaging and inspirational online courses curated by world class instructors.” Each MasterClass is available for $90 USD, and offers a package of classes led by individual instructors, as well as assignments and individual and group activities. With the sign-up fee you also receive unlimited access to the class of your choosing, allowing you the ability to go back and refine or refresh certain aspects of the course at your leisure.
Frank Gehry’s MasterClass is sure to be high in demand. Having been lauded by Vanity Fair as “the most important architect of our age,” Gehry is perhaps the original “starchitect,” a term used to describe architects whose works and reputation have made them famous outside the relatively insular world of architecture. Gehry’s infamous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is partly responsible for coining the term, which propelled the somewhat downtrodden city into the limelight and generated a new era of economic prosperity, producing what is now known to developers as the “Bilbao Effect.” Many of Gehry’s buildings are popular tourist attractions, and celebrities fans such as Brad Pitt are rumored to have taken informal internships in the architect’s LA studio.
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Gehry is known for his playful nature and unconventional approach to architecture. His iconic Bilbao museum and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles both employ construction techniques specific to the architect which are inspired by the fluid movements of fish, creating unusual ripple effects in the buildings. Gehry has even created his own technology to be able to construct his projects, as the demanding and innovative nature of his structures defying existing computer-aided design software.
Students of Gehry’s MasterClass will gain insight into the mind of one of the most experimental architects of our time, who will discuss his design philosophy, encourage students to find their own voice even in the face of rejection by clients, and instruct them “to take the risk of doing something for humanity” in every project they design.
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MasterClass also offers the public the opportunity to learn screenwriting with Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin, comedy with Steve Martin, singing with Christina Aguilera, tennis skills with Serena Williams, acting with Kevin Spacey, writing with James Patterson, and even cooking with Gordon Ramsey, among others. Each class is two to five hours long, with course length varying depending on the discipline (Gehry’s masterclass is spread over 15 classes, for example, whereas Christina Aguilera’s spans 23 classes).
