Points on a Line

Point on a Line is a comparative portrait of Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969) and Philip Johnson (1906–2005) through their architectural works. The former, the last director of the Bauhaus, who went into exile in the United States, is regarded as one of the fathers of modern architecture. The latter, initially a curator at MoMA, established himself as one of the greatest advocates of the International Style pioneered by Mies van der Rohe. As a European, Mies van der Rohe profoundly transformed American architecture and the American way of life through his buildings. A complex figure, openly fascist in his youth, Johnson studied, ‘copied’ and transcended historical modernism, and did not shy away from contributing to the postmodern movement towards the end of his career (ATT Building, 1984).

It was following a commission from the National Trust for Historic Preservation that the artist explored the work of these two men through their best-known projects: the Farnsworth House, completed in 1951 by Mies van der Rohe in Plano, Illinois, and the Glass House, built in 1949 by Philip Johnson for his own use in New Canaan, Connecticut. Both sites are managed by the same heritage preservation organisation. Other architectural works, serving as ‘supporting characters’ in the narrative, were subsequently woven into the story: Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive, designed by Mies van der Rohe; the Seagram Building in New York, on which the two men collaborated and in which Johnson designed the Four Seasons restaurant; and the complex built by Johnson around the Glass House. It is in this residence that the collection he built up with his partner David Whitney is housed.

True to Sarah Morris’s sleek and relentless style, the film presents, in a linear montage devoid of climactic moments, a series of architectural details – a reference to Kandinsky; the film’s title is also reflected in this uninterrupted montage. The music, once again composed by Liam Gillick, follows the same rhythm: that of constant progression. Whilst the film features images of buildings (particularly views of the Seagram Building) that are reminiscent of Sarah Morris’s city portraits, it does not rule out a documentary element. Documents relating to the legal case between Mies van der Rohe and his client, Dr Farnsworth, are filmed, as are archive footage depicting the artistic, economic and political circle that revolved around Johnson.