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Conlon Nancarrow / Juan O'Gorman

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Casa Estudio Conlon Nancarrow, designed by Juan O'Gorman (1948,1972) Nancarrow was an  American composer who moved to Mexico City in 1940.  He joined the Communist Party in the United States in 1930 and in 1937 volunteered for the Abraham Lincoln Brigade to fight Franco fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Facing political blacklisting upon returning to the United States, he moved to Mexico City.  His closest friend in Mexico was painter-architect Juan O'Gorman. The Nancarrow house and studio was designed by O'Gorman and built in two phases. The small front house and music studio came in 1948 and the second in 1972. O'Gorman designed the second building as a wedding present to his dear friend. This was O'Gorman's final architectural project. Conlon lived in the house until his passing in 1997. It's still owned by his family, although his music and most of his instruments are owned by a foundation in Switzerland. The stone mosaics murals were the second time O...
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Weekend / Stuff

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  Early Doyle Lane vase The Doyle Lane came with Ralph Bacerra and Vivika and Otto Heino pots. These three all came together which is interesting because both Lane and Bacerra studied under Vivika. In the new Doyle Lane Book , Lane didn't have good things to say about the Heinos. David Stewart and Peter Shire Bronze produce California Design 11 poster and books.
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Weekend / Stuff

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I went to Mexico City and did a little shopping while I was there. Pepe Mendoza and snakes. The bookends are by Don Shoemaker. It's a design by him I've never seen before. A scene from La Lagunilla flea market in Mexico City.
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Architectural Pottery / Lawrence Residence

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A reunion was held last weekend to bring together everyone who was involved in the Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape book and AMOCA exhibition . It was held at the home of Architectural Pottery co-founders Rita and Max Lawrence. Damon Lawrence and his wife now call it home and were amazing hosts. When Rita and Max Lawrence began their involvement with Architectural Pottery, they lived in a Gregory Ain house in the Mar Vista tract. They previously lived in the Ain Altadena tract and the Dunsmuir Flats apartments, where Damon was born. As Jeffrey states in the AP book, it was Ain who introduced the Lawrences to modernism.  The Lawrences were working with Ain to design a new home for the family in Bel Air, but were having issues with the City. In 1953 they moved into a Spanish Revival house in Bel Air, where the reunion was held. It was designed by Carleton Winslow Sr. He was part of  Bertram Goodhue's firm that designed the Los Angeles Central Library. On a...
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