Esoteric Survey

I haven't heard all that much about the Brooklyn Museum (although they are getting some flack as of late). In fact, a few people who live in New York mentioned they have never been to the museum when I posted some pictures on Instagram. It was well worth the trip. Museum Spotlight: Mid-Century Decorative Arts and Design is a current exhibition taking place. There are many examples by designers you would expect, like Eames and Nelson. However, as you'll see, the museum's collection is pretty interesting and includes a wide range of more obscure names. The age old question. Natzler Aalto, Eames and Mollino Japanese Modern:  Ubunji Kidokoro and Sori Yanagi. Kind of a missed opportunity not to display the Aalto next to the Kidokoro chair if you ask me. After all, that's what Perriand did.  More about that here .  Gerrit Rietveld The POMO and Contemporary section Sottsass There is an Art Deco room you can peer into.  My favorite part of the museum is the Luce Visible S...

Marilyn Kay Austin, David Cressey, Robert Maxwell and Bill Curry Design Line lamp. This bowl seems pretty special. It's a typical Cressey flame glaze but I don't remember seeing a piece decorated on the inside like this. This weekend of picking was really good but this Ubunji Kidokoro chair is what I was most excited to find. It's made of bamboo and was designed in 1937. I included a similar design in a post I did on  Charlotte Perriand in Japan .  Early Peter Voulkos Tapio Wirkkala Puukko Knife   I had one of these years ago and had to throw it away. I brought it with me to a trip to Arcosanti and accidentally left it in my bag until my next trip, which was to Detroit. TSA made me throw it away. I'm glad to have one back in my life. It's the ultimate package opener. Large Soleri bell

Charlotte Perriand, with support from Sori Yanagi and Junzo Sakakura, was invited by the Japanese Ministry of Commerce and Industry/Department of Trade Promotion to serve as an advisor to help increase furniture exports for Japan. Perriand had met Sakakura while they were both working at Le Corbusier’s studio. Junzo worked with Le Corbusier in Paris from 1931 to 1936. On June 15, 1940 Perriand boarded a cruiseliner headed to Japan. This was one day after the nazis had captured Paris. She arrived in Japan on August 21, 1940. Image: Perriand with back to camera and Sori Yanagi (center), via Charlotte Perriand: An Art of Living: Mary McLeod   She stayed at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Imperial Hotel. Then she traveled throughout Japan with Sori Yanagi and visited Mingei craftspeople around the county. Source: MFA Boston Perriand (middle) with Sakakura (left) with two Japanese craftsmen, 1941 Image: Charlotte Perriand: An Art of Living: Mary McLeod  In 194...