Esoteric Survey

   The William H. and Barbara Kaiser Levit House (1961) by Richard Neutra is the setting for the fourth BLAKEHAUS, curated by Peter Blake Gallery.  As described by the gallery, BLAKEHAUS BEVERLY HILLS is a site-specific installation traversing the disciplines of art, design, and architecture, bringing historically significant modern design and museum-quality contemporary art into dialogue with Neutra's geometric architectural sensibilities. Willy Guhl Scarpa, Angelo Mangiarotti and Pierre Laporte A classic Neutra fireplace KEM Weber Percival Lafer Ettore Sottsass and Carlo Mollino Sculpture by  Stephanie Bachiero The site is pretty incredible. The wildfires in LA were still burning when I was there so the view that day was eerily smokey. However, on a clear day, the San Gabriel mountains can be seen on one side, the skyline of downtown LA on another side and the Pacific Ocean can be seen from the poolside of the house. I remembered the name William Levitt a...

  Peter Blake Gallery curates another  BLAKEHAUS  installation. This time it's at the Hunt House by Craig Ellwood and Jerrold Lomax. It's my first time being back inside since it's been restored. At one point it was on the verge of being demolished . It has since been purchased and restored  by architect Diane Bald and her husband Michael Budman. They were also able to get some of the original furnishing back. Those pieces have been temporarily moved off site for this exhibition. As described by the gallery: This iteration of BLAKEHAUS mines the aesthetics of modern architecture, West Coast minimalism, and historical modern design in a site-specific installation at The Hunt House in Malibu, CA. Eames chair that was deaccessioned from a Greek museum. It has a Hille label on the bottom. That's something you don't often see in the US. This nook looks like it was designed for this DeWain Valentine. The Hunt house really is the perfect setting for West Coast Minimalism ...