Esoteric Survey

  Last week I visited the California Design auction preview at Los Angeles Modern's new space in Hollywood.  Sam Maloof is a staple and so is Stan Bitters, but who is that on the left? Yes, that is indeed a Lawrence Hunter clock. THE clock from California Design 76! Michael Cooper's Soapbox Derby Car , which is seen on the opposing page of California Design 76, is also in the sale. In 1975, the San Francisco Museum of Art held a fundraiser where they invited artists to build soapbox derby racing cars and trophies. This downhill racer was his entry.  It was later shown at the Pasadena Museum of Art's California Design 76, which was held at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.  Here is a small portion of the other artists who participated in the derby. I wonder what the Ruth Asawa piece looked like?  The  LAMA essay  includes a must watch video on the derby.  In October of the same year, Cooper had an exhibition of 14 works, mostly with wheel...

This past weekend I was able to visit Pamela Weir-Quiton's studio.  Here she is laughing it up with Joel Chen , who will be showing a number of her pieces at his gallery. Born in Indiana to a military family, Pamela attended high school in Alaska and Reno. Since 1964 she has lived and works in Los Angeles. She was interested in fashion design, which is a thread that runs throughout her career, be it with her dolls, numerous commissions in shopping centers and even her marriage to fashion illustrator Gregory Weir-Quiton.    While a sophomore at Valley State College (now California State University, Northridge), Pamela won a 1965 guest editorship position with Mademoiselle magazine in New York City. In addition to doing editorial work, she did some modeling (on the right). Source: Mademoiselle, 1965 She also met Andy Warhol and is seen here on the left waiting for a signed napkin. It doesn't get anymore New York than this.  Source: Mademoiselle, 1965 I love the mentio...