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...

  Roy McMakin Domestic Furniture Cove dining table Kenji Fujita Eames Office.  Perhaps a little contact magic from 901.  Evelyn Ackerman

 Evelyn Ackerman mosaic, Bob Stocksdale bowl, Fey Marshall enamel and a great Joel Edwards bowl. Jack Boyd pendants  Ben Goo and another Boyd Here's a closer look at that Joel Edwards. Atomic Espresso maker designed by Giordano Robbiatti in 1947 A new set of fake Tackett canisters I'm not sure if this qualifies as a problem yet.

 Evelyn Ackerman, Finn Juhl, Isamu Noguchi Isamu Kenmochi and Mel Smilow Stuffs Luther Conover at my favorite rest stop.

Two Stan Hawks makes for a great weekend. Also, Evelyn Ackerman, Bill Curry, Jens Quistgaard, Peter Shire and Earthgender. Wilhelm Wagenfeld salt and Pepper shakers in a Frasier's box for that California-Bauhaus connection.  

Evelyn Ackerman tapestry, Soleri bell, Don Shoemaker bookends and some other crafty things. I was told that this rug was from the Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman estate. I took their word for it.  Then I tracked down the estate sale photos online.  It was true. Also, I bought the tapestry from another place shortly after buying the rug. Do you believe in contact magic?  I also picked up a nice little pile of ephemera. A few I have never seen before.  Local boy Jack Boyd Vivika and Otto Heino

Peter Shire, Evelyn Ackerman and Pomo Iron things

Lecture Series & Documentary Screening Join the Museum of Ventura County on Saturday, January 25, 2020 from 2—4:00PM for an afternoon about modernist design, fine arts and crafts, and the creative individuals who made a lasting impact in design history. First, Guest Curators Eric Huff, Jordan Downs and Steve Aldana will participate in an insightful conversation with the Museum’s Chief Curator Anna Bermudez about their collaboration on the California Cool: Mid-century Modernism on the Central Coast exhibit. Following the discussion, Laura Ackerman-Shaw will share recollections about her parents’ personal and professional lives that intertwined during their 64-year marriage. Through their combined complementary talents and temperaments, the Ackermans forged a prolific partnership that produced a wide range of timeless designs including ceramics, mosaics, tapestries, woodcarvings, and hardware, an unusual cross-disciplinary approach for designer-craftsmen. Rounding out th...

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 ...