Esoteric Survey

  Inside the Design Center Ilse and Lloyd Ruocco’s Design Center, located in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego, was a foundation for the modern design community of the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. Inside the Design Center brings to life a vignette of mid-twentieth century interior, lighting, and furniture design, featuring pieces by significant California designers, manufacturers, and craftspeople as selected by Ilse Ruocco for her 1950 showroom. This exhibition offers an immersive, revelatory window into San Diego’s culture of modernism through the lens of architecture, design, interior decorating, home goods retailing, landscape architecture, graphic design, and photography. Historic images of the Design Center set the backdrop for over 30 original pieces of modernist furnishings. Works by designers such as Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Greta Magnusson Grossman, Dorothy Schindele, Milo Baughman, and Edith Heath of Heath Ceramics are included.  Guest Co-Curators: Dave Hampton wi...

San Diego Modernism: Furniture and Arts for Daily Living at Palm Springs Modernism - Tues Feb, 21st @ 1PM San Diego's unique culture of post-WWII art, design and architecture remains one of American modernism's best kept secrets. Dave Hampton reveals how it shaped the ‘California Design’ program. Photo: Doors by Svetozar Radakovich and Carl-Ekstrom, photo by Lynn Fayman Designed to complement and contextualize the film and panel discussion following this presentation, Jack Rogers Hopkins: California Design Maverick (below), Dave Hampton will talk about the design and making of Furniture and Architectural Elements –murals, doors, grilles, lanterns, windows, fountains, gates, handles, fireplace surrounds, etc.– in San Diego, connecting this work to San Diego's unique culture of modernism and architecture, from Irving Gill to Lloyd Ruocco, Sim Bruce Richards and Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, and illustrate furniture by John Dirks; Larry Hunter; Jack Rogers Hopkins; Wendy Maruyama; D...