Esoteric Survey

I finally made it to see Soft Schindler at MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler Kings Road House.
Suspended rope sculpture installation by Tanya Aguiña (left), Bryony Roberts Studio (right) and text in the clerestory windows is by Design, Bitches. 
Glazed ceramic torsos by Alice Lang
Anna Puigjaner—MAIO The LTR looks perfect there.
Jorge Otero-Pailos
"Soft Schindler uses the concept of softness to encourage a politics of re-evaluation: If this space/sculpture/material isn’t what was first assumed, what other assumptions need challenging?"
More here.

Happy New Year. I've been slacking off. I haven't been shopping much and didn't take any holiday trips. So how about some cruise ship architecture with a great streamline modern house in Point Loma that nobody seems to know much about.


If you know the architect, reach out. 

Nelson Residence (1958) by Lloyd Ruocco One of Ruocco's "Garden Villas"
Mailbox







John Dirks did some stereos for Ruocco projects. This might be one. 
Now that's a lock
On top of being in near original condition, it comes with the plans. The house was for sale, but it looks like it might have been purchased.  I hope it lands in good hands.

Also on the Tucson Modernism Week architecture tour was the Ball-Paylore house (1952) by Arthur T Brown.
The Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation recently purchased the house and it is such a great original example of Brown's architecture. It has only had two owners in its history. Two Librarians, Phyllis Ball and Patricia Paylore were the original clients. In 1990, Phyllis and Henry Koffler bought the house. Henry was the president of the University of Arizona and it was used as a guest house to host visiting scholars. Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation purchased the house and will be restoring it. At just over 1200 square feet, the house was in danger of redevelopment. 


The hexagonal structure utilizes moveable sun shade as a form of passive solar technology.
Source: Maynard Parker via The Huntington




The aluminum lounge in the back can be seen in the black and white photo above.
Yes, the backs are on upside down. It happens to the best of them.

All the George Nelson and…

Tucson Modernism Week 2019, presented by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation was held this past weekend. A small group of San Diegans ventured out to join the fun.
The firs stop, as it usually is when I go to Tucson, was the Sunshine Shop. It is located in the historic Hirsh's building, where the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation is also located.
Sunshine often holds exhibitions related to Arizona artists and craftspeople. Leona Caldwell, from the Family Archives, was the focus of their modernism week exhibition.
Leona Caldwell was a noted figure in Arizona’s modernist craft movement. Based in Scottsdale, her work celebrated cultural themes and graphics of the southwest. Leona Caldwell Originals, her retail shop, was opened in the respected Kiva Craft Center on Fifth Avenue in Scottsdale. Leona Caldwell became a central figure in the Scottsdale modern craft movement - which included Lloyd Kiva, Charles Loloma, Paolo Soleri, and many others. She created ceramic jewelr…