Toyz: And Other Thoughtful Objects for Hours of Play

Mitchell Squire was born in Natchez, Mississippi, is an Assoc. Professor at Iowa State University, a past recipient of ACSA New Faculty Teaching Award and the recipient of the 2007-08 ACSA Creative Achievement Award given to professors and architectural educators who have made a creative achievement in teaching, design, scholarship, research, or service that is affiliated with architectural education.

“Someone once called [my work] ‘enigmatic.’ I really didn’t know what that meant, given that many observers of contemporary art find most of it hard to understand. I thought it had something to do with its placement into one of those “isms,” not so much with its content, but I wasn’t sure. What’s clear—at least to me—is that I make work. If that’s an insufficient description, perhaps ‘enigmatic’ was well put. At the moment I’m thinking of the wonderful justification Magic Johnson provided the late night talk show host when questioned about his opening of the first Starbucks in Harlem. Magic replied, ‘Black folks like Starbucks, too!’ or something to that effect…”