Boys in the Sand: Horace Gifford and the Architecture of Seduction

Fire Island Modernist celebrates the seductive seaside houses of Horace Gifford, a handsome and charismatic charmer who attended business meetings wearing a Speedo. As the 1960s became the “sixties,” Gifford executed a remarkable series of beach houses that transformed the terrain and culture of New York’s Fire Island from a sleepy bohemian backwater into a wildly permissive “oasis of free love.” Growing up on the beaches of Florida, Gifford forged a deep connection with coastal landscapes. Pairing this sensitivity with jazzy improvisations on Modernist themes, he perfected a sustainable yet sensuous architecture in cedar and glass, as attuned to our animal nature and the natural landscape. His serene 1960s pavilions provided refuge from a hostile world, while his exuberant post-Stonewall, pre-AIDS masterpieces orchestrated bacchanals of liberation.

Blending cultural and architectural history, Fire Island Modernist ponders a fascinating era through the story of an architect whose life, work, and colorful milieu trace the arc of a lost generation and still resonate with artistic and historical import.

Christopher Rawlins is the founder of Rawlins Design, an architecture and interiors firm currently restoring several Horace Gifford homes. He is also the founder of Pines Modern, a non-profit preservation organization devoted to Fire Island’s Modernist legacy.

$15

Things To KnowAges 13 and older
This is an indoor activity
Wheelchair accessible
Parking and handicap parking available
Seated activity
Restrooms are available
No smoking or e-cigarettes

Important InformationModernism Week Theater is located at the south end of the hotel’s central atrium.
Ample free public parking is available. Enter underground parking at Hyatt on Palm Canyon Drive or in the multi-level public garage across from the Palm Springs Art Museum.
The organizer of this event is Modernism Week CAMP Theater Activity.

Check-in Location Modernism Week Theater at CAMP
Hyatt Palm Springs
285 N Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92262View Map

Photo Credits: Tom Sibley {"locationAddressVisibility":"visible"}