Esoteric Survey

Jean Balmer, Marg Loring lantern and Stan Bitters

Think / Halloween Pumpkinhead by Maz

The craft world lost an important member yesterday with the passing of  Martha Longenecker.  The founding president and  director emerita of Mingei International Museum  was 93. Along with starting the Mingei, Martha was  was an artist-craftsman in ceramics and an educator . Read more her e  and here . Image:  San Diego's Craft Revolution by Dave Hampton

Isamu Noguchi IN-62 Sam Grawe wrote a great article on the Herman Miller WHY blog. Along with Richard Wright, he explores  some experimental  Herman Miller  designs that have passed through Wright auction. This includes some pre-production, limited production,  custom designs,  bastardized concoctions and some pieces that are a mystery.    Read it here . Mystery Herman Miller table

CALIFORNIA'S DESIGNING WOMEN: 1896–1986 A MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA DESIGN  (MOCAD) catalog for their exhibition at The Autry Museum in Los Angeles. Written and edited by Bill Stern, with contributions by Pat Kirkham and Jeff Weinstein.  Photography by Larry Underhill. Book design by Felis Stella. Marilyn Kay Austin / Architectural Pottery The catalog includes biographies, photos of objects, and period resources for the designers who were in the exhibition. MOCAD worked with many of the designers and/or their  families to provide  information that can't be found anywhere else. A lot of great research went into this. I highly recommend getting a copy.  Order yours   here .  Muriel Coleman Evelyn Ackerman Photos of the exhibition can be found  here .

Fish again?  La Gardo Tackett / Quistgaard Hal Fromhold  Hans Wegner Good Design Robeson Cutlery was selected for Good Design more than once. They're listed in the 1950 and 1954 Good Design catalogs and possibly others. Front page news in Perry, New York

Continental Cup- F R La Gardo Tackett

After 30 years of waiting, the new San Diego Central Library is finally open. Even though I can see the R 2-D2 dome from my window, I haven't been inside since it opened a few weeks ago.  Luckily , architectural photographer Darren Bradley and local art authority Dave Hampton have made it ins ide .  Darren took a great set of photos that can be seen on his blog, Modernist Architecture . Photo: Darren Bradley Dave has written a piece for KPBS's Culture Lust about the art on display: Which Artist Has The Most Work On View In New San Diego Library?   Richard Allen Morris pointing at a Russel Baldwin painting in the new library. Photo : Dave Hampton

Beckman Auditorium by Edward Durell Stone, on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, 1964 The model Image: Architectural Record, 1962  

Jack Rogers Hopkins, 1972 at Archive in Laguna Beach, CA Archive always has great stuff, but this is ridiculous.

Mariners Medical Arts Plaza by Richard Neutra, Newport Beach, 1963  The medical plaza directory, 1964 Image: Julius Shulman  Photography Archive, Getty Research Library Via  HISTORICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF THE MARINERS’MEDICAL ARTS BUILDING The beds with the river rocks were originally reflecting ponds.   Image: Julius Shulman.  Neutra. Complete Works  by Barbara Lamprecht, Peter Gössel Dental examination room...nice Image: Julius Shulman.  Neutra. Complete Works  by Barbara Lamprecht, Peter Gössel Image: Julius Shulman  Photography Archive, Getty Research Library Via  HISTORICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF THE MARINERS’MEDICAL ARTS BUILDING The missing staircase seems a little dangerous. Image: Julius Shulman.  Neutra. Complete Works  by Barbara Lamprecht, Peter Gössel