Esoteric Survey

It's that time of year again. Objects USA Malcolm  Leland, Dorothy Schindele, Luther Conover and a bunch rad art by  people you haven't heard of but are kind of a big deal.   The Reform McCobb booth For the iron addicts, the Paul McCobb Pavilion Collection. Gerard is pulling out the good stuff from his McCobb stash. The Reform California booth. Design Line, Raul Coronel, Gerald McCabe, Milo Baughman, Paul Tuttle, John Altoon and Billy Al Bengston  The Altoon and Bengston both have Ferus tags. Fat Chance always has a big name slick booth. Paul Evans as far as the eye can see.  20th Obsession - Always a hit with the ladies  It seems like it rains during Palm Springs Modernism every other year. Not in 2012 

This model popped up on ebay for a minute and went away before the auction ended.   As the his ebay name, and description state – "Mr. Haney Can Sell Anything". The model is by Ernest Towers, who apparently designed kitchens, and cool models.  It came with original drawings and a booklet about Towers kitchen designs.  Good job to whoever ended up with it.

Eames + Valastro  by Daniel Ostroff  Most collectors, including me, get caught up in the minutia of screws, labels and  unusual base configurations.  Eames + Valastro looks at Eames furniture in the context of what it was designed for-- to be lived with.  Sal and Gladys Valastro were married on Valentine's day, 1954 (58 years ago today). Shortly after, they used money they received as wedding gifts to purchase a houseful of Eames furniture. Photo: danielostroff.com Sal and Gladys lived and lovingly used their nine Eames pieces for over 50 years. The ESU 400 was $100 in 1954. That's about $800 in 2012 dollars.  One sold at Wright last year for $9K.  Photo:  Eames + Valastro The red CTM was a popular ride at the Valastro house.   The rocker was also turned upside down and used as a turtle shell for the kid underneath.   Photo:  Eames + Valastro The green felt is on this...

Photo:  Brooklyn Museum Photo:  Brooklyn Museum Photo: Eames Designs

The Los Angeles Pottery Show was this past weekend. The only thing I came away with was a  Ken Price Interior Series catalog for the prints he did for  Gemini G.E.L. in 1971 Addressed to Peter Townsend, editor of the British art magazine, Studio International (1965-1975) More about Townsend can be found on the  Tate blog . Although the catalog is cool, I wish it would have been a Ken Price cup I found at the show instead.

Isamu Kenmochi Photo: Design: Isamu Noguchi and Isamu Kenmochi Isamu Kenmochi with Charles and Ray Eames at the Eames House, 1952 Photo: Design: Isamu Noguchi and Isamu Kenmochi Living Art Showroon, Kenmochi Design Associates, 1956-58 Photo: Restrospective: Kenmochi Isamu Photo: Restrospective: Kenmochi Isamu   Photo: Restrospective: Kenmochi Isamu

Pacific Standard Time at the  Getty . I went onthe last day of the exhibit, February 5th.  I guess there was a big football game going on that day too.  The Central Garden, by Robert Irwin This is the PST nerve center.   It's set up like a war room to plan your attack on all the PST exhibits. # 8 , 1966, John McLaughlin.  The Marilynn and Carl Thoma Collection. Image courtesy of Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, New York Photo: Getty Archives Pacific Standard Time: Crosscurrents in L.A. Painting and Sculpture, 1950–1970 The first gallery in Crosscurrents is a mix off hard-edge paintings, like the John McLaughlin above and  big clay pieces by Peter Voulkos,  John Mason and the  Henry Takemoto pot below. Here he is with his pot at the studio of  John Mason and Peter Voulkos,  Los Angeles, ca. 1959. Image courtesy of Henry Takemoto Photo: Getty Archives Avocado Mountain , 1959, Ken Pri...