Phoebe Allen

My first year of architecture school (I later changed majors to mathematics) was largely an art curriculum. I think the curriculum included one or two drafting (by hand, not CAD - it was the eighties!) classes. But mostly it was freehand drawing, art/architectural history and just plain old "art" (even though it had an "architecture" title). It was a "series" course like cal I, cal II, etc, but you had the same professor each term.

I was fortunate to have Phoebe Allen as my professor. Of course, when signing up for courses the summer before (using punch cards!) I certainly didn't know. However, upon getting to school and talking with some "upper" classmen (i.e. sophomores - *sigh*), I discovered that Phoebe Allen was the art/architecture professor. Students in Phoebe's class could mock the students in the other art class. While we used gouache and art paper to learn about color and spatial concepts, the students in the other class used water colors and construction paper - poor things! (A series of abstract paintings from that class is in my living room this day!)

At any rate, Phoebe Allen was different. I think I was too naive to notice at the time, but now that I remember her it seems that she would have been more comfortable in a cosmopolitan place like Los Angeles and Miami. She sort of has a "Patsy Stone" flair about her - at least in presentation. There was a big rumor that she would add vodka to her Diet Coke before class. I honestly don't think she did, but given the town I wouldn't blame her. She drove a late 70's white Corvette with white leather interior - mint condition, of course.

What made me think of Phoebe Allen? This morning as I was quickly ironing my shirt, I remembered that she once asked me where I took my shirts to be pressed. She nearly had a shock on her face when I said "I iron them myself in my dorm room". I've always had an ego about ironing since.

June 7, 2007 update:
I should have added this like a year ago, but Phoebe's website is:
Phoebe Allen

Fabulous.