In this lecture, Dan will share insights from his 20-year career as an architectural photographer specializing in Midcentury Modern architecture, showcasing the iconic structures and design principles that define this influential era. He’ll discuss the creative process behind capturing the essence of these architectural masterpieces and the stories they tell. Additionally, Dan will delve into the themes of his four published books, which explore the intricate craftsmanship, innovative design, and architectural brilliance of the Midcentury Modern movement, offering a comprehensive look at its lasting impact on the world of design and architecture.

Dan Chavkin began his photographic career studying at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Upon graduating, he moved to New York to start his career as a professional photographer shooting celebrity portraiture for major magazines. An avid enthusiast of all things Modernist, Dan began collecting midcentury Modern furniture, vintage architecture and design books, and ceramics to feed his passion for Modernism. In 2014, Dan co-authored the book Hand-In-Hand about midcentury designers Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman. After ten years of photographing Midcentury Modern architecture in Palm Springs, Dan’s second book, Unseen Midcentury Desert Modern, was published in 2016. Star Trek: Designing the Final Frontier, about midcentury design in the original 1966 series, was published in 2021. Dan co-authored his most recent book, Architectural Pottery, on the 1950s California-based company. Dan resides in Palm Springs, California.

The owners of The Lautner Compound recognized Dan’s incredible talent and asked him to be the first photographer to capture their completed renovation of "The Lautner" in 2012. His images went viral and were published in magazines and press outlets around the world.

In addition to the lecture, guests can tour "The Lautner", which is comprised of 4 incredible "Lautner Living Units". This is your chance to immerse yourself in John Lautner’s spectacular and visionary architecture. Lautner is the most famous protege of Frank Lloyd Wright, and "The Lautner" is reminiscent of Wright's school of architecture, Taliesin West, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he studied for 6 years. John Lautner was one of the most important contemporary American architects of the last century. His work concerned the relationship of the human being to space and of space to nature. Lautner is also known for the Bob Hope and Arthur Elrod residences in Palm Springs.

www.thelautnercompound.com