Modern Times

Flaunting Your Support

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:21:00 +0000

On March 10, Los Angeles’ Architecture + Design Museum will celebrate its eleventh year with a fundraiser to benefit the museum, featuring an auction of wearable artworks by leading architects, including Richard Meier and Marmol Radziner, designers, graphic artists and others. The descriptions of the pieces are by their designers. For information, visit aplusd.org.

Elsa Mora, Frida Kahlo Necklace. Handmade paper cut necklace.

wHY Architecture, “Four Eyes”
We developed a lightweight concrete mix and incorporated glass and carbon fibers to make one of our favorite materials (concrete) wearable. Our glasses incorporate a tightly spaced series of tic-holes that allow the user a new way to shield their eyes from the sun. Made in an edition of four, there is a pair for each season, each one letting in the appropriate amount of light, depending on the time of year.

David Hertz Architect with Carson Leh and Krista Olfsen., Dress. "Dress inspired by re-use and transformation of repurposing. Channeling natural inspiration and unique industrial fastenings, transparent and translucent recycled plastic, bottles are riveted and formed together to create an abstract fashion formation."

Robert A.M. Stern, Robe. "Inspired by the Museum for African Art's Wearable Art exhibit."

Marmol Radziner, Jewelry. "These solid bronze rings and bracelets transform industrial remnants into personal, portable, architectural fragments. Each piece is handmade by master craftsmen in our workshop and designed to be as individual as the person who wears it. The patina of every piece evolves over time in response to the wearer and no two finishes ever start or stay the same."

Fentress Architects, Dress. "In seeking inspiration to create an unconventional yet beautifully-textured dress, the designer utilized materials that would emulate the signature look of Curtis Fentress, Fentress Architects’ Principal-in-Charge of Design. Fentress’ go-to attire is a sleek pin striped suit, accompanied by a vibrant red scarf. By weaving together strips of pin striped wool with flowing red chiffon, the designer was able to transform traditional masculine materials into a dress that is uniquely feminine, dynamic and elegant."

Eric Corey Freed, ClimateWear™ Daytime Helmet, 2011.

Diana Eng, Foxfire Necklace and Earrings

"Inspired by bioluminescent fungi in glowing wood called foxfire, this electronic necklace and matching earrings illuminate through the use of technology. Made from transparent navy colored acrylic and hand soldered LEDs and powered by batteries."

Modernist Bash

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:20:00 +0000

The Palm Springs Art Museum is offering tours of architect Albert Frey’s home, Frey House II (1963–64), during Modernism Week. Collection Palm Springs Art Museum. Photograph courtesy Gregg Felsen.

The eleven days of this year’s Modernism Week in Palm Springs promise an exciting lineup to celebrate midcentury design and architecture as well as the city itself, with its unmatched collection of midcentury homes and public buildings. Highlights include an opening night cocktail reception at the Elrod House, designed by John Lautner; house tours, including the first public tours of Sunnylands, the 1966 Annenberg Estate, designed by A. Quincy Jones; the four-day Modernism Show of vintage furniture and decorative arts; a modern garden tour; vintage Airstream, trailer and car shows; lectures, cocktail parties, bus tours, a silent auction and more. For information, visit modernismweek.com.

Collecting the Swedish Landscape @ Scandinavia House

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:07:00 +0000

Visit the Scandinavia House this Thursday, Jan. 12th to checkout their latest exhibition LUMINOUS MODERNISM. Then stick around for - Collecting the Swedish Landscape Then & Now: A Conversation with Michelle Facos & David Werner. For more information & reservations, visit: tinyurl.com/72e3cyt

A Desert Lautner Blooms Again

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Photo by Dan Chavkin.

The Desert Hot Springs Motel, an intimate resort designed by John Lautner in 1947, has reopened as the Hotel Lautner. New owners and Lautner admirers Tracy Beckmann, interior designer, and Ryan Trowbridge, furniture designer, updated the landmark steel, raw concrete, glass and redwood building while conserving Lautner’s powerful design. Its four suites, which open onto private succulent gardens, are furnished with vintage modernist pieces by Milo Baughman, Harry Bertoia, Adrian Pearsall and others. Photographs, books and DVDs featuring Lautner and architectural photographer Julius Shulman abound. For reservations, visit hotellautner.com.

Neutra at Your Fingertips

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:20:00 +0000

Richard Neutra’s VDL Research Studio and Residences, where he lived and worked for 30 years, and which served as a laboratory for many of his ideas about the relationship between the built environment and nature, comes alive in a new iPad app created by Sarah Lorenzen, director of VDL, and David Hartwell, who live on the property; Lorenzen oversees the site’s maintenance, restoration efforts and tours and knows it intimately. With many photos, some by Julius Shulman; rotating 3-D models; and informative text covering, among other issues, design intent and materials, the $9.99 app sheds light on this groundbreaking Neutra design. Visit the iTunes store to download.

Artists in Motion

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:19:00 +0000

Since 1990, the Artists Documentation Program has filmed interviews with prominent artists, including Frank Stella, Lucas Samaras, Jasper Johns and James Rosenquist. Initiated by the Menil Collection in Houston to gather data on techniques and materials for conservation and restoration, the candid interviews became fascinating investigations into the making of art. Now the 33 interviews conducted to date — in collaboration with the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Harvard Art Museums’ Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art — are available to the public online. Visit adp.menil.org.

The Power of Eames

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:19:00 +0000

They made films themselves, some of them, like The Power of 10, as iconic as their furniture designs, but now there is a film about them. Eames: The Architect and the Painter takes a close look at the artistic collaboration and personal relationship of Charles and Ray Eames and the 40-year reign of their creative studio, Eames Office, through a rich trove of archival material, films, love letters, photographs, artifacts, and never-seen interviews with these almost unbelievably multidimensional designers. For screenings, visit firstrunfeatures.com.

Saving Structures, Intimate to Colossal

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:17:00 +0000

Paul Rudolph’s Orange County Government Center. Terry Wyllie/World Monuments Fund.

Russel Wright’s studio at Manitoga.Tara Wing/World Monuments Fund.

This year’s World Monument Fund’s Watch List, which draws attention to endangered structures and sites around the world, includes in its modernist roster the 1954 Manufacturers Trust Company Building in New York City, which, in spite of its landmark status, has undergone compromising alterations, raising questions about the effectiveness of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. Also listed is Manitoga, designer Russel Wright’s upstate New York home and studio, built in the 1960s. The structure, which incorporates its site’s boulders and trees, was a laboratory for Wright’s exploration of new materials and indoor/outdoor living. The Russel Wright Foundation has struggled for years to raise money to preserve the structures as well as the Wright-designed landscape (see Modernism, Vol. 13, No. 1). The list also includes a number of Brutalist-style structures facing demolition, including the Orange County Government Center, also in upstate New York, designed by Paul Rudolph and completed in 1970; and, in England, the Preston Bus Station, Birmingham Central Library and London’s South Bank Centre, all slated for destruction to make way for private development. Their inclusion draws attention to the importance of powerfully conceived public spaces in urban life, and will surely prompt discussion about the value of preserving “unpopular” architecture. For more information, visit wmf.org.

EAMES, plus filmaker Q & A!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:06:00 +0000

Want to see Eames: The Architect and the Painter before it premieres on PBS? Come to theACME screening room in Lambertville, NJ this Sunday (12/18), for a chanceto see the feature length film and take part in a Q & A with filmmaker Bill Jersey. For more information, tickets and directions, visit: EAMESscreening.

Modernism for the Masses

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:54:00 +0000

New York, NY – November 17: Manitoga / The Russel Wright Design Center presents MODERNISM FOR THE MASSES, a lecture & cocktail party held at Knoll in NYC. Reservations are required. Please RSVP by November 10, 2011. For more information or to register, visit:
http://www.russelwrightcenter.org/invitations/2011/modernism/

The Return of Modernism

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:50:00 +0000

New York, NY – November 12: The Museum of Arts and Design is hosting a panel discussion entitled, "The Return of Modernism,” as part of their series Forever Modern, which delves into the past, present, and future of midcentury Modernism. Co-presented by NYSID and MAD, panelists include Vladimir Kagan, Jack Lenor Larsen and Evan Snyderman, co-founder of gallery R 20th Century; moderated by Judith Gura, professor of design history at NYSID. For details and additional information, visit: http://www.madmuseum.org/events/return-modernism

Saving the Savings Bank

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:11:00 +0000

Palm Springs is one town that appreciates its modernist design. Now the Palm Springs Art Museum has purchased the International-Style Santa Fe Federal Savings & Loan building, a glass pavilion built in 1960. Designed by E. Stewart Williams, who created many memorable homes and commercial structures in the area, including the museum’s main building, it features a floating roof on slender columns that narrow at the top and bottom, heightening the impression of the immateriality of the barely enclosed space. Now a Class 1 Historic Site, which prevents changes to the building’s original design without approval by the Historic Site Preservation Board, the structure was occupied by banks until 1997, then served as offices; it had been vacant for more than a year. The building, with more than 13,000 square feet, will give the museum the space it needs for its growing architecture and design collections, programs and archives. Marmol+Radziner Architects of Los Angeles, who restored Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House of 1946 and the 1936 Streamline Moderne-style Ship of the Desert residence by Adrian Wilson and Erle Webster, will guide the restoration pro bono. For information about the Palm Springs Museum, visit psmuseum.org.

E. Stewart Williams’s Santa Fe Federal Savings & Loan, photographed by Julius Shulman.

© J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman
Photography Archive, Research Library at the Getty Research Institute.

Them Bones Gonna Rise Again

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Aalto's Stool 60, designed in 1933.

Artek, the company that Alvar Aalto co-founded in 1935 and has produced his designs ever since, began a “buy back” program recently called 2nd Cycle, to reclaim some of the millions of the designer’s classic wooden furniture designs that have been sold over the years. Collected from flea markets, schools, homes and garages, the stools and chairs suggest, through their multiple layers of bright paint, chips and dents, the complex, mysterious stories of their lives. An integral part of Artek’s environmental strategy, 2nd Cycle aims to highlight the beneficial longevity of well-made, authentic objects. Artek does not refurbish the pieces in any way, preferring to let each one retain the individuality it has acquired over time. The pieces are resold through Artek retailers in Finland — buyers can read each piece’s history on an attached tag — but some can be seen in the company’s New York showroom. Forty Aalto chairs were recently donated to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York for a children’s design workshop, in which the children treated the chairs like canvases for their artwork. For more information, visit artek.fi.

Vintage examples of Aalto’s Chair 65, left, Chair 69, right, both designed in 1935.

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000

NOBUHO NAGASAWA Cloud of Mushroom Soup (1992)

MIYAKO YOSHINAGA art prospects is pleased to present Till All Is Green, a special art exhibition on view this month, with reception and silent auction onThursday, October 20. The artwork considers ongoing issues faced by the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami and has been donated by a number of internationally known and emerging artists. Proceeds will go to ChildFund International, a non-profit organization that serves vulnerable children throughout the world, and is currently focusing its efforts on Japanese children devastated by the earthquake and tsunami. For details, visit: Till All Is Green

DesignPhiladelphia 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Philadelphia, PA – October 13 to 23: DesignPhiladelphia showcases the role that design has played historically in Philadelphia, and celebrates the city’s contemporary significance as a center for creative advancement. Offering a number of opportunities for people to connect across design categories, this cultural initiative aims to further the region’s creative economy and retain jobs locally. For details, visit: designphiladelphia.org

Tickets Now on Sale for the 2011 Taliesin Centennial Closing Gala

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Spring Green, WI - October 15: Taliesin Preservation, Inc. invites you to Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin Estate for a celebration in honor of the 100th anniversary of FLW’s personal home in Spring Green. Proceeds from the event will support the preservation of Taliesin. The evening will take place in Frank Lloyd Wright's 5,000-square-foot drafting studio in the Hillside School at Taliesin. Formal attire requested.

For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit: 2011 Centennial Events

Double Decker Architecture Bus Tour This Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:13:00 +0000

Palm Springs, CA – October 8 to 10: To celebrate DOCOMOMO National Tour Day, the organizers of Palm Springs Modernism Week (which takes place Feb. 16-26, 2012) are pleased to offer a Modernism Double Decker Architecture Bus Tour! Conducted by a knowledgeable guide, this three-hour tour focuses on the exteriors of dozens of residential homes and commercial midcentury modern buildings throughout Palm Springs. Free admission to the Palm Springs Art Museum is also included. For details and tickets, visit: www.modernismweek.com

Denver 2011 Architecture and Design Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:07:00 +0000

Denver, CO – September 8 to October 1: Join the Denver Film Society for their annual Architecture + Design Film Series. Enjoy five special screening events, including discussions with dynamic filmmakers, architects, and design experts. Films will screen on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons, with a special closing night screening and gala reception on Saturday, October 1. For more information, visit: www.denverfilm.org.

Prouve RAW: Special Edition US Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:04:00 +0000

New York, NY – September 14 – 26: Prouvé RAW is a collection of newly interpreted furniture classics from French designer and artisan Jean Prouvé. The Prouvé RAW Special Edition will be on display in a Pop-Up Shop at the Vitra Store New York on 29 Ninth Avenue, Monday – Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, including images and details on specific items, visit: http://tinyurl.com/3gtnlq5

Architectural Photography "How-To" Walking Tour 10/1!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0000

New York, NY – October 1: Join photographer John Hart for a 2-hour how-to photography walking tour of the Upper West Side. Mr. Hart will explore the West 70s, photographing buildings ranging from brownstones to individual landmarks such as the Ansonia and Apple Bank. Bring a digital OR a film camera! Reservations and Advanced Payment Required Call 212-496-8110 or email landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org. For additional details, visit: landmarkwest.org .

Beyond Georgian in Georgia

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Georgia, better known for its colonial and 19th-century buildings, has been promoting its modern architecture lately. In honor of Preservation Month in Georgia — this year’s theme was Celebrating Georgia’s Treasures — the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (HPD), in partnership with the Georgia chapter of DOCOMOMO US (documentation and conservation of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods of the modern movement), came up with an interesting way to publicize its midcentury modern architecture, much of it endangered: a “Mid-Century Modern Georgia” photo contest, seeking photos depicting buildings or sites in Georgia designed from the 1930s through the 1970s. The first prize went to Harlan Hambright of St. Simons Island, for his photo of the Alma Exchange Bank drive-in branch in Alma, built in 1966 (below). The contest highlighted the importance of documenting Georgia’s modernist heritage, as buildings reach 50 years of age and become eligible for landmarking.

“There may seem to be a lot of it around now, but much of it is disappearing,” Dr. Richard Cloues of HPD says. “In the 1970s, bungalow houses were considered common and too recent to be historic, but now they are highly sought after and even copied in new construction.” Modernism was happy to donate subscriptions to the top three winners. See all the entries at flickr.com/groups/modernGAcontest.

Sleeping with Panton

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 15:44:00 +0000

The owners of the Hotel Alexandra in Copenhagen, established in 1910, like sharing their love of modernist design with their guests. A few years ago, they began creating “retro” guest rooms devoted to a particular Danish designer, from furniture to fabrics to colors. Now, to add to the Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, Ole Wanscher, Nanna Ditzel, Kaare Klint, Børge Mogensen and Arne Jacobsen rooms, there is a Verner Panton suite. Panton (1926-98), an architect who worked with Jacobsen early in his career, is perhaps best known for his brightly colored space-age furniture made of plastic, notably his stackable “S” chair, designed in 1960, the first one-piece injection-molded plastic chair — a clear break with the traditional Scandinavian Modern crafted-wood style, although he retained his region’s interest in organic forms. Other popular designs are his Fun lamps (1964), pendants of hundreds of mother-of-pearl or aluminun discs, the Cone chair of 1958, and his fabrics with geometric and optical-illusion patterns. For information, visit hotelalexandra.dk.

Mies Society Exclusive Tour of 860/880 Lake Shore Dr. Apts

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:53:00 +0000

Chicago, IL – September 20: Join the Mies van der Rohe Society for an exclusive tour of four artistically unique homes in the 860-880 North Lake Shore Drive Apartments. These units have never before been open to the public and are full of design inspiration. After the tour, participants can enjoy a wine reception in the apartment of Don Powell of Powell/Kleinschmidt. Reserve by September 12 by visiting: www.miessociety.org/happenings/happenings.

13th Design Boerse Duesseldorf!

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:44:00 +0000

Duesseldorf, Germany – November 27: Design addicts from all over the globe are invited to the13th Design Boerse Duesseldorf, an annual event for 20th/21st century design offerings from a selection of galleries and private collectors. This year, enjoy presentations from 150 dealers in over 43,000 square feet of space! For additional information, including a list of participants or nearby hotel accommodations, visit: www.designboerse.info.

Tour Day 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Modernism Magazine) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Where will you explore on TOUR DAY 2011? DOCOMOMO, an acronym for the Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement is pleased to announce its 5th annual National Tour Day, held from October 8 to 10. Each tour is uniquely designed to take advantage of the modern resources in a number of regions across the U.S. For events in your state and additional details, visit: docomomo-us.org/tour_day_2011.