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...

I'm going to do some posts on some of my favorite lots from the upcoming LAMA Design auction, starting with Lot 197, Robert Hanley Floor vase for Modern Color Inc. In the early 1950s Robert Hanley designed furniture and accessories for Modern Color Inc. The company, owned by Dorothy Schindele, had a number of well known designers on their roster. Paul Tuttle, Eugene Weston, Craig Ellwood and Schindlele herself designed for the company. Hanley’s contributions included an iron chair with brass tipped legs and this iron floor vase utilizing a Pyrex glass vessel.  Julius Shulman did the photography for the Modern Color ad. Here is one of the images from his contact sheet. Photo: Julius Shulman via  © J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) The vase was featured in the Pacifica promotional campaign.  It's seen here with a Paul Tuttle chair in the foreground and Dorothy Schindele pieces in the background. Hanley also designed this chair for Modern...