Esoteric Survey

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 1941, after seven moths of traveling th…

George Nelson
Sometimes all you get is a book and a couple of flower pots.

Museo de Arte Moderno (1964) by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez


The view from above, 1960s.
Source:  Museo de Arte Moderno
There was a small exhibition of Mexican Modernism at the same time the Don Shoemaker exhibition was happening. 
1950s iron table by Talleres Chacón
Cube lamb by Diego Matthai, 1971


Gustavo Perez
Enamels by Miguel Pineda

Mosaic table by Genaro Álvarez
A sculpture garden wraps around the museum.
Manuel Felguérez

Last November I went to the Don S. Shoemaker exhibition at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City
Don Shoemaker was born in Nebraska. He fought in WWII and moved to Mexico in 1947. Shortly after, he started a furniture and craft business in Señal SA in Morelia, Michoacán and lived there until his death in 1990.
The museum worked with Don's grandson, Stanley Shoemaker. This would explain the substantial ephemera stash they had on display.











The piece on the right is a lamp.



A painting by Don