Esoteric Survey

Calder and Abstraction, at LACMA No photos allowed, and there were plenty of guards making sure of it.  Trust me, you need to go see this exhibit.
James Turrell: A Retrospective, also at LACMA 
 James Turrell, "Breathing Light" is an 8 minute walk-in environment with a constantly changing spectrum of lights.
Art that you have to take your shoes off for is the best.
Turrell and Eames
Along with the light pieces are several exhibits that deal with larger scale works, like the Roden Crater Project and other site-specific works.  There's a lot of ephemera too. I wish I was on the ball and was able get a spot to see Perceptual Cell and Dark Matters before they sold out. 
If you haven't already been, don't forget to go to TANYA AGUIÑIGA: FIBER ELEMENTS at Reform She'll be at LACMA soon too. Wanna bet?

I was digging around in the Reform Gallery archives this weekend and came across this announcement for  the opening of Alexander Girard's studio on Fisher Rd. in Grossee Pointe, Michigan.  It's not for sale -- I tried.
Gerard O'Brien has put together an incredible library at Reform.  The LA Times even did a story about it, here.


 This is just incredible


More Girard flyers from Fisher Rd Source: ALEXANDER GIRARDby Todd Oldham & Kiera Coffee
The Fisher Rd space Source: ALEXANDER GIRARDby Todd Oldham & Kiera Coffee
More here

In 1949, Alexander Girard curated An Exhibition for Modern Living at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA).
Image: Life Magazine


It was a ground breaking exhibition which showcased some really great design, like the Saarinen and Albini designs
seen here, the Eames "La Chaise" and also the Eames Sorage Unit.

Photo: ALEXANDER GIRARDby Todd Oldham & Kiera Coffee


I was up in San Francisco this weekend at Farnsworth.  He had just picked up a copy of  the An Exhibition for Modern Living catalog and this DIA brochure was inside.
In 1949 the DIA was being touted as the city's "proudest possession". 


Sounds familiar
"Owned by the People"
Detroit is now the 18th largest city in the US —and it's shrinking.




Let's hope we never find out much they'd get for that Calder. (Photo: AP, Paul Sancya)
Now, in 2013, the state of Michigan has hired bankruptcy attorney Kevyn Orr as the city's emergency manager. He is exploring the idea of selling off pieces from the mu…

Eliot Noyes (1910-1977) designed the IBM Selectric typewriter.
Noyes probably doesn't pop into your head when thinking about modern architecture and design heroes —
even though he was actually a major figure in the modern design movement.He defined the NY MoMA's design program 
in the 1940's—he actually created the definition for "Good Design" and produced some of the most important 
 exhibitions relating to modern design, like Organic Design in Home Furnishing. He also brought Paul Rand and the 
Eames (along with several other major figures) to IBM. He was the father of corporate design identity 
in modern America, first with IBM, then with Westinghouse and Mobil. Basicaly, he was a big deal.
Image: Rowe


Noyes was heavily influenced by the Bauhaus, which is not surprising since he studied architecture at Harvard under Bauhaus 
founder Walter Gropius. Josef Albers and Marcel Breuer were also teaching at Harvard during that time.  In fact, Noyes 
worked for Breuer and Grop…

The 10 Ten booth at the 2013 Los Angeles Modernism show. Scott always dials it in with a great display. Having some really good pieces to show off doesn't hurt either.
Vintage Cynthia Sargent rug at 10 Ten.  The George Nelson sofa is a good one too.
David Cressey pots with Malcolm Leland door and birdhouse, at the Reform booth
Gimme that Doyle Lane.  At Reform
Espenet dining set at Reform

Jerry Ackerman messing around with Gerard in front of three Ackerman pieces at the Reform booth. Jerry is such a cool guy. He remembers every little detail about his and Evelyn's pieces.
The wall of Myrton Purkiss at Reform
The Lisa Cliff Collection
Beatrice Wood and Paul Soldner at the Lisa Cliff Collection
Archive was showing vintage wor