Esoteric Survey

Photograph of Edward Killingsworth's Triad House by Julius Shulman © J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) Keith York at  Modern San Diego  has two exhibitions coming up...  Julius Shulman: Modern La Jolla Opening reception will be on Friday, September 27, 2019 5-7 p.m. at  Wisteria Cottage  780 Prospect Street, La Jolla 92037. Thereafter the exhibition will be on view between September 28, 2019 - January 19, 2020.   Recognized for his work in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, it is not widely known that between 1934 and 2007, architectural photographer Julius Shulman (1910 - 2009) shot over 200 projects in San Diego.  His clients were architects, publishers, construction companies, and developers, and included notable San Diego architects Lloyd Ruocco, Sim Bruce Richards, Henry Hester, and Frederick Liebhardt. Shulman's work, spanning several decades, documented the region's evolving 20th century architectural...

Table by Sol Bloom for New Dimensions and a couple of pots. One is by San Luis Obispo potter, Roger Marshall.  Alvin Lustig. It's been a while. When in Ojai, you always have to stop at Bart's Books .

California Cool: Mid-century Modernism on the Central Coast  opened last Friday at the Museum of Ventura County. Here are just a few pics. I'll do a more in-depth post later.  Ceramic sculpture by Santa Barbara-based artist Michael Arntz, on loan from The Landing .  Mosaic by Evelyn Ackerman , collection of Laura Ackerman.  Not only did the Ackermans have a long history collaborating with Central Coast-based companies Panelcarve and Forms + Surfaces, Evelyn designed a mural in Santa Barbara (below). Sea, Land, and Sky (1957) by Evelyn,  for a Louis Mazzeti office building on Victoria Street in Santa Barbara. Screen salvaged from a Rodney Walker house in Ojai that was the victim of an insensitive remodel. The screen is from the collection of Eric Huff. Architecture is a major component of the exhibition. The opening was a sell out.  California Cool: Mid-century Modernism on the Central Coast California Cool looks at ...

Lobachi fire pit and lamp by Raymond Pfennig. They were made less than 40 miles away from each other, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Warren Musser was the inventor and manufacturer of the Lobachi. He is seen here with the wheeled deluxe model. Weed pot by Roger Marshall for his company Architect Arts

Arthur Espenet Carpenter (1920-2006) built his studio in 1960, across the street from the Bolinas Lagoon. It now operates as a museum and workshop for Espenet's son, Tripp Carpenter Espenet at work. Source:  Education of a Woodsmith  by Arthur Espenet Carpenter (Author), Linda Moore and Tripp Carpenter (Editor) Vintage photo of the workshop and circular showroom. Source: Education of a Woodsmith Some of the work on display is by Tripp and others are vintage pieces by his father. Espenet also built a circular house on the adjacent property, but ended living in the structure below that he built next to his workshop. Source: Life What it looked like when Espenet lived there. Source: Education of a Woodsmith Learn more about Espenet Furniture, here

As mentioned previously, I picked up a stack of photos last weekend. Ilyana was a dress shop located in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Paul R. Williams was working on a major renovation of the hotel at the time.  Seeing the Dan Johnson chair really piqued my interest.  The way the arms connect to the top of the seat is slightly different than the one pictured in the shop. The ad is a couple years later than the shop photo so Johnson must have decided on the connected top arms.  After some digging I discovered the entire shop was designed in 1947-1948, by a 29 year old Dan Johnson. That means all the furniture was most likely designed by Johnson as well. The textile on the wall is by Angelo Testa.  My friend John has the same table. He's had it for years and has never been able to figure it out, but Johnson was definitely on the list. It was painted orange when he acquired it. The time period was when Johnson was designing f...