Blog Archives

Collecting Design: Spring 2014

1/31/2014

Registration to the spring session of the program Collecting Design at the NY School of Interior Design is open now. This season, I will host such experts as Jeffrey Head, author of "Paul Evans, Designer & Sculptor; Evan Snyderman of R & Company; Nicholas Kilner, Suzanne Demisch, and more.

The Pinsofa

1/31/2014

It is called the Pinsofa, it was designed by Demeter Fogarasi, a design student, and it is going to be shown at the upcoming design fair in Stockholm. While this piece features wooden poles holding spherical cushions in various colors, acting as the back of the seat, it is largely inspired by the work of George Nelson.

A Masterpiece of Catalan Modernista

1/31/2014

A masterpiece of Catalan modernista, the Le Palau de la Música Catalana, or the Palace of Catalan Music in Barcelona, which was designed at the turn of the 20th century by Lluís Domènech i Montaner for the Orfeó Català, a choral society founded in 1891.

Pottery Art: The Robert A. Ellison Jr. Collection of French Ceramics

1/30/2014

Robert A. Ellison has created one of the most legendary collection of art pottery in America. Since he has given his collection to the Metropolitan Museum, it was celebrated with a couple of shows and a permanent installation. Now, the Met will open a new show "Pottery Art: The Robert A. Ellison Jr. Collection of French Ceramics," which celebrates the French pottery and porcelain of this remarkable collection, by such master ceramicists as Ernest Chaplet, Auguste Delaherche, Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat, and Jean Carriès.

COLLECT

1/30/2014

There are so many design fairs opening up worldwide, that it is hard to navigate them. Now that SOFA is gone, there is a place for a good fair to showcase excellence in contemporary decorative arts. It seems that COLLECT, which will open in 2014 fulfills this voice. Launched by the Crafts Council in London in 2004, it has since established itself as the leading international fair for museum-quality contemporary decorative arts.

Lee Mindel at Phillips.

1/29/2014

Congratulating Lee Mindel for another curated auction at Phillips, entitled "The Architect," where he celebrates the contributions architects have made to design with some iconic furniture, objects, and photography of architecture. The auction is scheduled for April.

Alvar Aalto, Armchair, 1931

The Rothschild Prayerbook

1/29/2014

“The Rothschild Prayerbook,” a magnificent masterpiece of Renaissance art with an illustrious provenance, sold at Christie’s today for $13,605,000, maintaining its auction record for an illuminated manuscript. This masterpiece was commissioned around 1505 by a member of the imperial court of the Netherlands and entered the Rothschild family collection in the 19th century. The 150-page book features colored drawings and borders by leading masters of illumination, including painter Gerard Horenbout, who served in the court of England's Henry VIII. It was part of a collection of Nazi-confiscated treasures returned to the Rothschild banking dynasty by the Austrian government in 1999.

Olafur Eilasson

1/29/2014

The Danish-Icelandic artist/designer Olafur Eiiasson is one of the more intriguing figures in the contemporary design arena. He is known for installations comprised of light, water, and air. He is based in Berlin, where in the 90s, he established Studio Olafur Eliasson, a laboratory for spatial research.

B&B Italia

1/29/2014

Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, founder of the Italian furniture brand B&B Italia died at the age of 87. Pioneer of modern design, he founded his company, one of Italy's major furniture manufacturers in 1973, having previously developed the company C&B Italia with Cesare Cassina in 1966. Currently, B&B Italia is controlled by his two sons, Giorgio and Emanuele. Under his leadership, B&B became known during the height of the postmodernist phase in Italian design for using experimental materials, such as polyurethane foam molding around metal structures, a method which enabled creating padded furniture. Thanks for his extensive relationship with leading designers, he produced furniture by Gaetano Pesce, Ettore Sottsass, and Vico Magistretti.

Bill Cunningham documenting the Fashion of NYC

1/28/2014

Bill Cunningham, one of the more iconic personalities of NYC, who is known for his keen knowledge in fashion, and for documenting the fashionable people but also the masses and those creative personalities whose style defines the street of NY will finally be honored with a museum show. "Bill Cunningham: Facades," exhibiting Cunningham's project of documenting the architectural riches and fashion history of NYC will open at the NY Historical Society this spring.