Esoteric Survey

This is the third year in a row I've taken a trip to Mexico City in November. It's incredible that just a little over two months ago a  7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the city. 370 people died. I debated about not going this year, but was encouraged by a couple of friends who had just been and reassured me that I wouldn't be in the way. Plus, a large sector of their economy relies on tourism. So against my mom's wishes, I went. Fuerza Mexico (Mexico Strength) banners are hung around the city and in some ways it's hard to tell anything happened. There's actually some controversy about that. There are accusations that the government is trying to hide the damage by covering up earthquake stricken buildings. That obviously isn't the case with this building in the Juarez neighborhood. Although in other areas, entire buildings are hidden with black tarps. What's also not evident is the large number of people who have been displaced due to condemned...

Peter Voulkos, Rondena, 1958 will be up for sale at Phillips .  Rondena was first exhibited at the Pasadena Art Museum in 1958. It was purchased at the Felix Landau gallery by Betty and Stanley Sheinbaum in 1959 and has been in their family ever since. It's huge in terms of size, as well as in the timeline of Voulkos's work, and in the abstract expressionist ceramics world in general. It's also a rare opportunity for someone to actually buy it. Most of these sculptures are in museum collections.  Glenn Adamson wrote a great essay about the sculpture: Tower of Power: Peter Voulkos' 'Rondena' .  And better yet, there's a video starring my buddy and Design Senior Specialist at Phillips, Meaghan Roddy! 

Old Mexican pottery and Pepe Mendoza Valentine typewriter, designed by Ettore Sottsass and Pepe Mendoza for Olivetti.  It's the Spanish editio ñ ñ ñ ñ ñ  Books Mario Pani rendering

Vista of California Bitossi The tough picking season started early this year.

The annual Objects USA show in San Diego was a great success. Thank you to all who made it over.  The Kay Whitcomb wall A collection of Lynn Fayman photographs James Hubbell The next event is Mod Swap (December 9) and then Palm Springs Modernism (February 16-19)

Stan Hawk, Alvar Aalto and Eames Good books Signed by Esther McCoy and includes annotations by Sim Bruce Richards. Milo Baughman for Pacific Iron Products Dean Santner jewelry box Japan

After a seven year break,  Mod Swap is back!  On Saturday, December 9th, a crew of a dozen or so Midcentury collectors will be gathering in San Diego to unload some great vintage goods. Mod Swap was last held in 2010, which can be seen  here . The first was held at Keith York's Craig Ellwood house. Six swaps later,  it  will now be hosted by One Bunk  at their Barrio Logan headquarters. It's a great space and includes some indoor and outdoor areas. See more images at Hatch .

 Lamp by Middletown Manufacturing Co.  In the fall of 1949, the lamp appeared on the cover of the influential Walker Art Center’s Everyday Ary Quarterly, A Guide to Well Designed Products. Rose Dodds, Susan Peterson and a wood guy. Sol Bloom Ravenware Telephone Stand by Richard Galef There are a lot of cheap knock offs of this.

OBJECTS : FALL 17 Vintage Art  Exhibition  and Sale Friday, Nov. 17 from 7-9pm Saturday, Nov. 18 from 10am-5pm Sunday, Nov. 19 from 10am-2pm   Ronis Fine Art 1946 BroadwaySan Diego, CA 92102  Objects   USA , an online gallery and resource for midcentury art and design, presents  Objects : Fall 17, the latest in a continuing series of sales exhibitions. An opening reception will be held Friday, Nov. 17 at 7pm, and Saturday, Nov. 18 from 10am-5pm and Sunday, Nov. 19 from 10am-2pm.   Items for sale are all vintage, from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and include paintings, sculpture, pottery, furniture and functional  objects  for indoor and outdoor use. Hard to find examples of California Design will be featured as well as artwork by midcentury San Diego artists and members of the Allied Craftsmen. This is year 12!

Bowls by Alma Allen Allan Gould and Inco Amy Donaldson, Tapio Wirkkala and Tom McMillin You know, for fruit When is enough, enough? 

Butaca Chair (1940)  by William  Spratling.  Chest by Elizabeth Jane Colter for the Fred Harvey Corporation. The chest was was used in the La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona. They are being exhibited in  Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, 1915–1985   at LACMA is part of PST: LALA .  The exhibition examines  design dialogues between California and Mexico. This includes Americans working in Mexico, Mexicans working in California and the cultural influences and exchanges between the two.    Frank Kyle chair from his Willow series (1953). Kyle was American, but worked in Mexico City. The Peineta chair (1952) by Canadian-born designer, Edmund Spence. He worked mostly in the United States, but for a time his furniture was produced by  Industria Mueblera S.A. of Mexico. Michael van Beuren , Don Shoemaker and Clara Porset all moved to Mexico from their respective countries. Van  Beuren and Shoemaker cam...