“Wright’s Roots”

The first thing we learn in Expo 72’s “Wright’s Roots” is that Frank Lincoln Wright enigmatically adopted the middle name “Lloyd” when he came into his own as an architect. That’s also where the exhibition ends. It starts at Wright’s bright-eyed Sister Carrie–like move from Wisconsin to Chicago. Wright before “Lloyd” makes a brilliant premise for an exhibition. And from a distance the gallery looks its best—colorful walls covered with photos and illustrations, a smattering of pedestals carrying original ornamentations. But the text (strewn with modifier problems) and a schizophrenic timeline (juxtaposing early and late structures) make us work to understand the man behind—and before—the myth.