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...

  Saturday, September 28th Symposium and Home Tour The third in a series celebrating Modern architecture in Bakersfield, Bakersfield Built: Architecture of the 1950s , will explore the most exciting decade in the city’s history. From a devastating earthquake to postwar population growth, local architects and a handful of internationally known architects transformed “America’s Newest City.”  The symposium will feature a panel of experts including: David Coffey, of the Bakersfield Built Foundation. Maristella Casciato, Senior Curator at the Getty Research Center, Frances Anderton, Author and former host of KCRW's design and architecture program, Alan Hess, noted architectural author, Sian Winship, President of the Society of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter, Volker M. Welter, Professor of Architectural History at UC Santa Barbara, Raymond Neutra, President of the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design, John Berley, architectural designer involved in Neu...

The Kaufmann Desert House by Richard Neutra (1946) I finally made it inside! When the Kaufmann's lived there, the furniture was mostly Van Keppel Green and Eames DCM's. The DCMs were special.  Rosewood with exposed metal shock mounts. The house was finished in 1946 so it makes sense that they would be such early examples. They probably had the inside line through their son, Edgard Kaufmann Jr. (aka Mr. Good Design)  Source: The vintage photos are by Julius Shulman  © J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) There is still a lot of VKG. Let's head up to the gloriette. The Palm Springs Modernism Week tour bus pulled up when I was up there. In 1947 the neighborhood looked very different. Source: Julius Shulman  © J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) This is what their view looks like. I've been in front of the house more times than I'd care to admit. This photo actually was taken in September of last year....

  Lot 104, Mitchell Bobrick Floor lamp by Controlight Today is Mitchell's birthday so it seems like a good day to post about him. Mitchell Bobrick (November 10, 1921 - February 1979) was born in Colorado and moved to California in 1941. With his degree in aeronautical engineering from Denver University, he went to work for aerospace manufacturer Lockheed in Los Angeles. Like many other optimistic designers from that era, post-war he began his own company to make life better through design. He produced furniture and lighting through his company, Controlight.  His lighting designs focused on humble materials being used in dynamic new ways to solve problems he saw with traditional lighting. Iron, fiberglass, wood and ceramic were combined to create lamps focused on indirect and diffused light. The claim was that the fiberglass discs have an 80% reflection factor. He went on to say the lamps were "scientifically designed lighting instruments that…are new concepts based on an old i...