Esoteric Survey

 I was able to catch the last few presenters at LACMA's  symposium, New Narratives for “Living in a Modern Way ”:  California Design at Mid -C entury I'm bummed I missed the rest. Staci Steinberger from LACMA did a presentation on African-American designers and  craftspeople  in Los Angeles, which included information on Tony Hill, John Smith and Doyle Lane (slide above).   The ads for Tony Hill's ceramics are all over Arts & Architecture magazine. It was good to get some information on him. Individualism vs. Capitalism Craft geek guru Glenn Adamson from the Victoria & Albert Museum ended the symposium with a thought provoking presentation on  California Design after 1965. Adamson used this California Design 8 photo of a Sam Maloof executive chair, with its back to  the camera in a tree grove,  to illustrate the uncomfortable position of the individual craftsman in a  modern  capitalist society at mid-century.   An underlying

The unfurnished Stahl House by Pierre Koenig on the morning Julius Schulman shot the picture below.   Van Keppel Green saves the day.

Ken Price dies at 77. Source: LA Times

Billy Al Bengston, 1966 Photo: Gety Billy Al Bengston With His Bike, 1963 Photo: Marvin Silver, Craig Kuller Gallery Carburetor Floatbowl , 1961 Get it here .

John Altoon, Billy Al Bengston (on Thonet chair) and Irving Blum, 1960 Bengston paintings on the back wall.  Photo: Ferus, Gagosian  John Altoon painting on the left, Thonet chairs and  Billy Al Bengston painting on the back wall. It would have been awesome if Billy Al would have come over after his talk at the art show next door  and sat  in one of those Thonet chairs. Reform Gallery booth, Palm Springs Modernism 

Ken Erwin opened his FUNKIS pop up shop at the Galleria in Palm Springs. Ken always has the good stuff. Hans Wegner Flag Line chair.  This is my favorite Danish chair,  though  I like the version with the green pillow a little better.  Theodore  Waddell lamp by Zonatta. If I ever had a power desk, I'd get this to go on it.  Funkis will be open until the end of the month.  Huge Tackett studio ceramic at Bon Vivant. This is what I came home with. Stan Bitters ashtray from his 1979 Frenso Art Museum show.   Jere Osgood clock  Paul Rand abacus pillow for my Lustig chair. The back is hand knitted. The girl who made the pillow  did a great job, though she wouldn't give up the rest of that vintage Rand fabric she said she has! Update: She came through with the fabric!  Adios Palm Springs

Usually a Palm Springs Art Fair means Shag cartoons and neon palm trees.  The Palm Springs Fine Art Fair was far from that. The first two paintings hung in the hallway entrance were this Gene Davis and the Thomas Downing below. Major stuff. A really good and big Helen Frankenthaler These Milton Avery paintings were in the same booth as the Frankenthaler. They had a bunch of great stuff. If the gallery owner sold all the paintings in that booth, they could probably walked over to the  Modernism show next door and bought half the show. Ed Ruscha, "Las Palmas" belt on board. The story I heard is that Ruscha made this for a girlfriend and when she kicked him out of her house,  she sent him packing with the belt too. Now it's a $200k belt.  Super realistic and creepy life size ballerina sculpture.  Really creepy! DeWain Valentine Billy Al Bengston More Billy Al Bengston Billy Al Bengston in the flesh.

Pierson  had this  George Kasparian lounge chair with original  fabric. I blew it and took too long to decide on this one and someone snapped it up. Good eye whoever you are. Sold Design Line Honeycomb shelving by Bill Curry from Reform Sold 20th Obsession men's display. Barney Reid wallets! Edward Cella had a great display of   A. Quicny Jones presentation boards. They came out of the Jones barn/office. Michael Boyd's new line of chairs were in the booth as well. That string chair is insane. One of the A. Quicny Jones presentation boards. Buckminster Fuller set from  Dharam Damama The set came with a Tiffany & Co box addressed to Bucky himself. Kinetic wood sculture, also from  Dharam Damama Kirk O'Day cabinet from Sputnik . As seen in California Design 76. Sputnik had a great booth and had the red sold tags to prove it.  Sold Malcolm Leland Thermic Fireplace from Objects USA Sold Dorothy Sch