Esoteric Survey

  Weed Pot by Susan Peterson Poster designed by Elaine Lustig Chen for her 1973 exhibition at John Bernard Myers Gallery, New York, NY Here is a photo of the exhibition. Source: Elaine Lustig Cohen Vintage poster for a Tokyo Chocolate Shop

 Back to my trip to New York. It was a short one, so I was only able to go to two shops.  Being a longtime fan of Weinberg Modern , I'm so glad I was able to visit the showroom in Tribeca. Larry has been in the business since the early 1990's, He's been dedicated to an academic approach that involves the rediscovery of some of the more obscure designers from the late late 1940s and 1950s. In addition to many rare examples by designers such as Henry P Glass, Bill Lam and Greta Grossman, the collection of books and catalogs is just incredible.   Ralph Rapson rocker and Fran Hosken table Some of the great titles at Weinberg Modern Books A Bill Lam lamp on a cabinet by Elaine Lustig Cohen, and a rare stool by elite east coast iron guy Darrell Landrum. Speaking of Bill Lam, I've never seen another one of these.  This is truly a unicorn. A lamp by Jo Mead Designs. Here is another look at the Henry P Glass lounge, a prototype. Eames designs always holds their...

Graphic designer and artist Elaine Lustig-Cohen passed away this week.   According to a biography by Stephen Heller. .. "At 15, she wandered into Peggy Guggenheim’s short-lived but influential Art of This Century gallery, where Guggenheim had exhibited a collection of Kandinskys in an installation designed by Frederick Kiesler. That chance visit ignited Elaine’s lifelong passion for modern art." Image: NY Times Elaine worked with her husband Alvin Lustig from 1948, until his passing in 1955. At 28, she took over the family business and had a long career as a graphic designer and artist.  Source: Elaine Lustig-Cohen One of her first projects was building signage for Phillip Johnson's House of Seagram. Source:  Elaine Lustig-Cohen Elaine's 1955 catalog design for Lightolier, a company Alvin also designed for. It was included in a  recent  LACMA  exhibition of Alvin and Elaine's graphic design work.   The ...

  Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism  Contemporary Jewish Museum  This exhibition, curated by Donald Albrecht, is a survey of contributions made b y Jewish designers, architects and patrons on the midcentury modern America home.  The museum and curators did a great job on the exhibition design. Guest curator Albrecht couldn't have selected a better group of designers.   Alvin Lustig This Lustig combo deserves another angle.  The textile and Paramount chair are on loan from  Elaine Lustig Cohen. Muriel Coleman The Coleman chair is on loan from the Museum of California Design George Nelson George Nelson/Irving Harper marshmallow sofa and Anni Albers textiles Marcel Breuer Rudolph Schindler Ben Seibel Trude Guermonprez Ruth Adler Schnee Elaine Lustig Cohen Alvin Lustig covers and Eugene Deutch ceramics  Gregory Ain / Good Desi...