Esoteric Survey

I went to Japan again. My first stop was the Nakagin Capsule Tower (1972) by Kisho Kurokawa.  It's located in the Shimbashi/Ginza area of Tokyo.

The 14-story mixed-use residential and office tower has 140 detachable capsules around a central concrete core. The Nakagin was based on Metabolism and exchangeability and was a sustainable architecture prototype. 
"The visions of Kurokawa Kisho, Kikutake Kiyonori, Maki Fumihiko, and other architects who had come under the influence of Tange Kenzo gave birth to an architectural movement that was called 'Metabolism.' The name, taken from the biological concept, came from an image of architecture and cities that shared the ability of living organisms to keep growing, reproducing, and transforming in response to their environments." - Metabolism: The City of The Future, Mori Art Museum

A capsule that was on display at Mori Art Museum's Metabolism Exhibition in 2011 and 2012.
Source: Japan Vision
Source: Atlas of Interi…

Euro smalls

While a lot of people were gearing up to watch America's race to the bottom (AKA the presidential debate), a ton of great art and design was up for sale at LAMA. Wall of Gordon Onslow Ford
Helen Frankenthaler
George Nakashima
DeWain Valentine
R.M. Schindler chairs designed these chairs for Sardi's Restaurant in 1933. The chars were manufactured by the Warren McArthur Corporation. The restaurant was demolished by a fire in 1936. These are rare! George Rickey
Oskar Fischinger is so underrated.
Classic hard edge modern
Model no. T-3-C Heifetz Manufacturing Co. by James Harcey Crate This one came out of The Bailey House (Case Study House 20A) by Richard Neutra. See more on The Bailey House here. 
Eames Colouring Toy. I wonder why some of them use the British spelling? Mine doesn't have the "u". Anyway, it was a gift from Ray Eames to Dale Bailey, who I assume lived in Case Study House 20A. It's next door to the Eames House. The one I own was a gift from Marylin Neuhart to th…

Stan Hawk, Glenn of California, Danish vase and “The Anchor” magazine holder by Seymour Robins
Jean Balmer, Doyle Lane, and Martha Longenecker
Smalls
California Designed (1956)
Fiber

Graphic designer and artist Elaine Lustig-Cohen passed away this week.   According to a biography by Stephen Heller... "At 15, she wandered into Peggy Guggenheim’s short-lived but influential Art of This Century gallery, where Guggenheim had exhibited a collection of Kandinskys in an installation designed by Frederick Kiesler. That chance visit ignited Elaine’s lifelong passion for modern art."Image: NY Times
Elaine worked with her husband Alvin Lustig from 1948, until his passing in 1955. At 28, she took over the family business and had a long career as a graphic designer and artist. Source: Elaine Lustig-Cohen
One of her first projects was building signage for Phillip Johnson's House of Seagram.
Source: Elaine Lustig-Cohen
Elaine's 1955 catalog design for Lightolier, a company Alvin also designed for. It was included in a recent LACMA exhibition of Alvin and Elaine's graphic design work.   The LACMA installation
Elaine continued her graphic design business until 1969,…

Japanese table and fireplace tools
Lisa Larson
Kaj Franck
Smalls, including Andrew Bergloff and Soleri bells