Esoteric Survey

Harrison McIntosh, Dora De Larios, Tom Tramel and Rupert Deesse  Jack Boyd Design Line jacks and smalls Jens Quistgaard

  Last week I visited the California Design auction preview at Los Angeles Modern's new space in Hollywood.  Sam Maloof is a staple and so is Stan Bitters, but who is that on the left? Yes, that is indeed a Lawrence Hunter clock. THE clock from California Design 76! Michael Cooper's Soapbox Derby Car , which is seen on the opposing page of California Design 76, is also in the sale. In 1975, the San Francisco Museum of Art held a fundraiser where they invited artists to build soapbox derby racing cars and trophies. This downhill racer was his entry.  It was later shown at the Pasadena Museum of Art's California Design 76, which was held at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.  Here is a small portion of the other artists who participated in the derby. I wonder what the Ruth Asawa piece looked like?  The  LAMA essay  includes a must watch video on the derby.  In October of the same year, Cooper had an exhibition of 14 works, mostly with wheels, in San Diego at Palomar

Soleri bells, bowl and Galef catch all  Esta James vases and Amy Donaldson George Nelson for Arbuck

Ceramic plaque Mario Bellini  Paul Tuttle for Modern Color Inc. Timo Sarpaneva, Alvar Aalto. Arne Jacobsen

  Saturday, September 28th Symposium and Home Tour The third in a series celebrating Modern architecture in Bakersfield, Bakersfield Built: Architecture of the 1950s , will explore the most exciting decade in the city’s history. From a devastating earthquake to postwar population growth, local architects and a handful of internationally known architects transformed “America’s Newest City.”  The symposium will feature a panel of experts including: David Coffey, of the Bakersfield Built Foundation. Maristella Casciato, Senior Curator at the Getty Research Center, Frances Anderton, Author and former host of KCRW's design and architecture program, Alan Hess, noted architectural author, Sian Winship, President of the Society of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter, Volker M. Welter, Professor of Architectural History at UC Santa Barbara, Raymond Neutra, President of the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design, John Berley, architectural designer involved in Neutra I

Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape Curated by Jo Lauria, at AMOCA Jo, Dan Chavkin, Jeffrey Head, Gary Wexler and the AMOCA team put together a wonderful exhibition. Displaying this many pots is not an easy undertaking. The wall graphics and photos are great as well. It all started with La Gardo Tackett in 1949.  Tackett assigned his students at the California School of Art to create forms for modern homes. They held an exhibition of their work at a Evans & Reeves nursery, where Max and Rita (pictured with Tackett above) Lawrence saw the work. In 1950, the Lawrences partnered with two of the students, John Follis and Rex Goode, on a company they named Architectural Pottery.   LaGardo Tackett with a group of his designed Totems; Photo: George Szanik, 1957 Courtesy of Monacelli Press from the accompanying book, Architectural Pottery Ceramics for a Modern Landscape.   by Daniel Chavkin, Jeffrey Head, and Jo Lauria From the collection of JF Chen.  The bisque platfor