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Taste of Italy Tour in New York
Although I was late getting there from a client presentation, I was still able to enjoy The Taste of Italy Tour at GD Cucine, last night. The event was well attended by foodies in various industries, which included designers, chefs, TV personalities, and the media. It was staged to educate Americans on the importance of using authentic, pure ingredients and to secure Lucini and Delverde as the authority on real Italian food. The pasta that was served was so delicious!Cristobal Prat-Gay, President Molinos USA, Gail Simmons and David Neuman, President Lucini Italia
And it was clear that they’ve used authentic, high quality products in order to elevate the cooking experience to match or even exceed that of restaurants, primarily because of the ingredients used. So I had to curve the urge of not going for seconds. After schmoozing with some of my friends, I found out that the people responsible for the fabulous food bus parked outside GD Cucine were in partnership with Auricchio, Caffè Vergnano, Ferrarelle, Fratelli Beretta, Locatelli, Montosco, Zonin and Olis (an impressive group, indeed!)
Gail Simmons, Bravo celebrity chefAt the center of the tour was the Delverde and Lucini Food Bus, which was not your run-of-the-mill food truck – believe me! This state-of-the-art coach has been outfitted with an Olis industrial kitchen, modern lounge area and its own team of Italian chefs. They can certainly count me in as a passenger.
Photos courtesy Barabino USADid you know that Italian food is the number one ethnic food consumed in the US? Delverde and Lucini want to educate consumers on where their food comes from, how it tastes and the quality of the food they eat. Pasta and Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not all created equal, so by giving consumers the chance to taste the product, they are more likely to understand and appreciate the difference in quality. And as we all can agree, quality is everything. - 1stDibs, Art, Calendar of Events, Elsa Schiaparelli, Galleries, Georffrey Bradfield, Haute Couture, HEW Hotels, Liz O'Brien, Miuccia Prada, Photography, Robin Rice Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum, Todd Burris
This Week 5 Hottest Events
The show brings together five examples of Swing’s iconic coin furniture, and will serve as the debut of his most recent and ambitious work to date, Murmuration. A fully illustrated catalogue showcasing each of the works from the series, with essays by David Collens, Judd Tully and James Zemaitis, will accompany the exhibition.Johnny Swing, Murmuration, 2012May 3, 2012 – June 29, 2012Opening Reception hosted by Geoffrey Bradfield
The opening reception hosted by Geoffrey Bradfield. Monday May 07, 2012. 6:30 – 8:30pm. Sebastian + Barquet – 601 West 26th Street, 3rd flr. New York NY 10001.Born in Connecticut in 1961, Johnny Swing lives and works in rural Vermont, though set up his first studio in 1986 in an abandoned gas station on the corner of 2nd street and Avenue B on New York’s Lower East Side. Space 2B served as both workshop and showcase for his and other artists and designers work, and was the venue for his initial experiments with repurposed found objects and furniture. Central to his practice is the importance of his materials, exposing their inherent nature with a witty detachment from their intended utility. Nothing is taken at face value.
Todd Burris, Corso Sienna, 1989The opening reception for the spellbinding photographs of Todd Burris will take place on Wednesday, May 9th, from 5:30-8:30pm at the Robin Rice Gallery. The exhibition will be at the gallery until June 17th. This is the second collaboration between the artist and Robin Rice, so expect to see a series of beautiful photography which are like a visual dance of contractions. The exhibition is from May 9th to June 17th, 2012. Robin Rice – 325 West 11th Street, New York, NY 10014.
Liz O’Brien, Editions – Vintage-inspired FurnitureAntiques dealer Liz O’Brien debuts her first collection of newly designed, vintage-inspired furniture, lighting and accessories at 1stdibs on Wednesday, May 9th. The pop-up shop opens with a reception at NYDC from 6 to 8 PM. The collection will be on view and for sale from Wednesday, May 9th until Monday, June 4, 2012 at 1stdibs at the New York Design Center, 200 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor.The Editions Collection offers a sophisticated, refreshing alternative at exceptional value featuring thoughtfully selected designs inspired by Liz O’Brien’s keen eye and passion for 20th Century art and design. These unique pieces are priced competitively to attract those seeking high style at an accessible price. With her ability to bridge the gap between historical design and contemporary interiors, Editions captures the essence of the great designers of the past with an updated, elegant and practical interpretation. Liz O’Brien is considered one of America’s leading experts in modern design and has forged her reputation as a premier furniture dealer catering to the most respected architects, interior designers, museum curators, and private collectors.
NYC Tribal Art Week® 2012Traditional arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas take center stage in New York City during the 3rd Annual NYC Tribal Art Week®. Historically, New Yorkers have been among the foremost collectors of tribal art. New York politicians, artists, business leaders, professionals, fashion moguls and celebrities such as Helena Rubinstein, Nelson Rockefeller, Andy Warhol, John Friede, Armand Arman and Robert Mapplethorpe have solidified the international tribal art market rumored to now only exist in Paris. This year NYC Tribal Art Week® has reached a pinnacle and features three major tribal art auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams as well as a wealth of gallery exhibitions and events focused on tribal art. NYC Tribal Art Week will take place from Thursday, May 7 until Wednesday, May 13, 2012 in New York City.Participating Galleries include: Cassera Arts Premiers, La Conner, Throckmorton Fine Art, Luz Miriam Toro, Corso Gallery, David Norden African Art, Antwerp Belgium, Oumar Kiende, Wormhole to the Past Gallery, Hemingway African Art. Regular Show Hours – Friday, May 11th, Saturday, May 12th, from 11am – 6:30pm. Sunday, May 13th, from 11am-4:30pm. NYC Tribal Art show VIP Preview To Benefit Miracle House is on Thursday, May 10th from 5:00 -9:00pm at The Bohemian National Hall: 321 E 73rd St New York, NY 10021. Tickets available through Eventbrite. The Official NYC Tribal Art Week and Art Week and After Sotheby’s Auction Roof Terrace Celebration is on Friday 11th May Open 4:00PM – 12:00AM at the Bohemian National Hall, Roof Terrace, 321 E 73rd St New York, NY 10021 (3 blocks from Sotheby’s). Tickets available through Eventbrite.
Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, The Metropolitan Museum of ArtLeft: Elsa Schiaparelli. Right: Miuccia Prada, photographed by Guido Harari in 1999.Photos: Hoyningen-Huené/Vogue/Condé Nast Archive and Guido Harari/Contrasto/Redux“Fashion is instant language,” Miuccia Prada has said. That gives curators Harold Koda andAndrew Bolton plenty of material for the conversations they’ll imagine between Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973) for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2012 Costume Institute exhibition. Opening in May, “Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion” will explore the affinities between the two Italian designers from different eras. “Given the role Surrealism and other art movements play in the designs of both Schiaparelli and Prada, it seems only fitting that their inventive creations be explored here at the Met,” said museum director Thomas Campbell in a statement announcing the exhibition. “Schiaparelli’s collaborations with Dalí and Cocteau as well as Prada’s current Fondazione Prada push art and fashion ever closer, in a direct, synergistic, and culturally redefining relationship.” From Media Bistro. Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations at The Metropolitan Museum is on view from Thursday, May 10 through Sunday, August 19, 2012. -
The Weekender: Todd Burris
MODERN NOSTALGIAThe opening reception for the mesmerizing photographs of Todd Burris will take place on Wednesday, May 9th, from 5:30-8:30pm at the Robin Rice Gallery. The exhibition will be at the gallery until June 17th. This is the second collaboration between the artist and Robin Rice, so expect to see a series of beautiful photography which are like a visual dance of contractions. Each one of his muse is whimsical, sophisticated, stylistic and simple – but at times, studied and carefree. His work challenges the traditional symmetry of beauty.Todd Burris, Look Away, 1990
“In ‘Mercer Street, NYC’ we are taken back to the darker days of Soho in 1992. A woman is shot from behind, walking down the gravel filled street in a long white flowing cloak, There is a patina of glamour set in the grit of real life. This sense of asymmetry threads throughout the exhibit.”Photos courtesy Todd BurrisAll rights reservedThis is not surprising since the artist takes a photojournalist approach to most of his work. Todd Burris worked as a fashion photographer, and became a fine artist by instinct. His early career was spent working with fashion photographer Bill King. This exhibition explores a collection of black and white images which conveys a sense of effervescence and Élan, which includes photographs from Burris’ time in Los Angeles as well as earlier experimental work in Milan and New York City. Some of his prints have a purposefully grainy and soft contrast, reminiscent of a newspaper photo. Burris manipulates the film during developing to create an “un-reproduced” effect. Prices range from $600 to $2,200. To view the exhibition, please visit http://www.robinricegallery.com.
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MOMA is Latin Chic
“We are so impressed by the depth of talent among Mexico’s emerging designers, not only are we seeing innovative products crafted from unique materials, we are also inspired by these designers’ passion for creating new, contemporary visions of classic Mexican themes.”—Kathy Thornton-Bias, President of MoMA’s retail division.
Right: Jam Collapsible Side Table/Stool Rodolfo Samperio
Completely collapsible and flat packed. Jam is a versatile piece of furniture formed by three planes that rotate on cotton-rope hinges. The rope is used to fasten the pieces together. Jam works equally well as a side table or a stool. Made in Mexico of birch plywood with biodegradable finish and cotton rope.
Canasta Glass Bowl Emiliano Godoy, 2008
A futuristic interpretation of the traditional basket, this bowl is made from blown glass and can be used as a decorative centerpiece perfect for displaying fruit and flowers.
Made in MexicoIf you’ve visited the MOMA Design Store last month, you probably noticed their limited-availability product collection from Mexico. That’s right, MOMA have launched about 150 lifestyle products by emerging Mexican designers, including home accessories, furniture, paper goods, and jewelry. These products are rarely seen here in the United States. Most of them have this incredible bold colors, pop culture iconography and ceramic innovation, all elements which are sometimes associated with Mexico’s design heritage.
However, some of these wonderfully designed pieces are a bit demure, yet vibrant in their appearance. Products such as a pre-Columbian-style pitcher rendered in polyester resin, a chair woven with ancient Mayan techniques that uses zinc-galvanized PVC string, and an everyday market bag reimagined as a ceramic fruit bowl are a few examples of how designers are transforming traditional ideas using modern materials, production methods, and aesthetics.Right: Maria Bonita Table Francisco Torres, Irene Rojas, Estefania Robles, Cecilia Ezquerro, Alejandra Pimentel, Mariana Aguila, and Alejandra Rodriguez, 2010
Great for any space, this sturdy side table handcrafted from walnut wood
with handbraided and hand- knit rattan embellishment.
Made in Mexico. -
Fernand Léger: The Original Granddaddy of Pop Art
3 of 3 on our series of the legendary paintings of Fernand LégerThis is the last installment of my three part series on the legendary paintings of an extraordinary artist. Although I am certain that this won’t be the last time that his name or work will come up on this blog. I thought it was interesting that Fernand Léger joined the Communist party once he returned to France in 1945 after living in the US. During that time, he made a rather large mosaic for the church of Assy between 1945-1949. Léger did the decor for the ballet Le pas d’acier, in Paris in 1948, and continued to produced several book illustrations.Fernand Léger, La Joie De Vivre, 1955Signed F. Leger (lower right) Oil on canvasPhoto courtesy High End Weekly™
Fernand Léger, La Femme Au Mirror, 1920Signed F. Leger and dated, Oil On CanvasPhoto courtesy High End Weekly™
Fernand Léger
After a design by Fernand Léger, La Femme Au PerroquetBearing the signature F. Léger (lower right), Mosaic executed by Heidi Melanoafter an original work by Fernand LégerPhoto courtesy High End Weekly™
Fernand Léger, Visage aux 2 mains
Fernand Léger, The Tree, 1925Image via Anticipated StrangerIn 1949, he made designs for ceramics executed at Biot in my all-time favorite place – The South of France. It was there that he established his ceramic workshop. In 1960 a Léger museum was created in Biot in honor of his vast contribution to the art world. During the later part of his life, he made several designs for a number of stained glass windows, and painted murals for the assembly hall of the United Nations. I am attracted to the fact that Fernad Léger could of painted a number or top officials, and high society folks, but instead directed his body of work towards honoring the life of ordinary people.
Vyna St Phard next to design after Fernand Léger
La Femme au Perroquet, Sotheby’s, NY
Photo courtesy High End Weekly™NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.
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Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale
Salvador Dali’s Printemps nécrophilique will be part of Sotheby’s evening sale this coming Wednesday evening. It has not appeared on the market in nearly 15 years. This work was painted by the master at the height of his most creative years in Paris. The canvas exemplifies Dali’s unique aesthetic at its most refined and sensational.Legends & Icons – Vyna’s Top Picks
ProlificAndy Warhol, Double Elvis [Ferus Type], 1963Estimation: $30/50 MillionThis is the first Double Elvis to appear on the market since 1995. This is a seminal piece from the iconic series devoted to the singer and actor that was first seen at the Ferus gallery in Los Angeles that very same year. The celebrities of Warhol’s portraits – Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, among others – were presented as glamorous and powerful icons whose image was imprinted on the public consciousness.
Iconic BeautyRoy Lichenstein, Sleeping Girl, 1964, Oil and Magna on canvas, Painted between 1961 and 1965Signed and DatedEstimated $30/40 MillionThe beautiful women of Roy Lichenstein’s comic book series are not only one of the most instantly recognizable icons of the Pop Art movement but continue the long, rich tradition of artists’ celebrations of the sleeping female form. Paintings from this series are featured in teh collections of major institutions throughout the world such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Sleeping Girl has not appeared in the market since 1964.
Honoré Daumier, Ratapoil, Bronzeconceived in 1850, and cast circa 1892Daumier was a prolific draftsman who produced well over 100 sculptures, and thousands of other paintings, lithographs, drawings and engravings. He was perhaps best known for his caricatures of political figures and satires on the behavior of his French countrymen.
Francis Bacon, Self Portrait, and Alexander Calder White Discs on a PyramidPainted metal and wire standing mobile, Executed in 1965Sotheby’s will auction off Francis Bacon’s Figure Writing Reflected In Mirror (which will talk about later on this blog). I particular liked this self portrait of his (pictured in the left). Along with the Figure Writing Reflected In Reflected Mirror, this one was also included in the legendary 1977 exhibition at Galerie Claude Bernard, in Paris.Collections sometimes reflect the collectors in some way. The work that they choose to put around them show the power, reflection, the confidence that they themselves manifest in their lives. Surrealism is an area which is very hot in the current market right now. It’s probably the last of the great ism of 20th century art that is truly appreciated. Maybe it’s because it crosses over very effectively from the beginning to the end of the 20th century. The great painters, René Magritte and Salvador Dali are two artists that are incredibly desirable. Dali’s best work is from his prime period – the late 1920s to the 1930s. The Printemps Nécrophilique is a rare find for any auction house. It will take a long post to talk about all of the beautiful art that is up on the auction block at Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Day and Evening Sale this coming Wednesday, May 2nd, but for the sake of brevity, I will only talk about one of Dali’s masterpiece. Look for other posts regarding the sale, at a later time on this blog.
Marc Chagall, Le Peintre en Jaune, circa 1978
Pastel, gouache, watercolor and oil on paperStamped with Signature Marc ChagallRussian-French artist Marc Chagall was best known for several major artistic styles, was one of the most successful artists of the 20th century. His avant-garde paintings set him apart as an early modernist.
Willem De Kooning, Seated Woman, Executed 1969/1980De Kooning was part of a group of artists that came to be known as the New York School. Other painters in this group included Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Arshile Gorky, Mark Rothko, Hans Hofmann, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert Motherwell, Philip Guston and Clyfford Still. The Seated Woman is one of his most extraordinary sculpture. A similar work, Seated Woman on a Bench, from 1972 (cast 1976), is at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
René Magritte, oil on canvasMargritte was a Surrealist giant. His body of work challenged observers’ preconditioned perceptions of reality. His work displayed a collection of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things. Regarding the way he arranged seemingly unrelated objects together in juxtaposition, he once said “It is a union that suggests the essential mystery of the world. Art for me is not an end in itself, but a means of evoking that mystery.”Alexander Calder Sculptures
Roy Lichenstein, Sailboats III, Oil and Magna on canvasExecuted in 1974
Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale
After a design by Fernand Léger (1881-1955), La Femme au Perroquet
Mosaic executed by Heidi Melano after an original work by Fernand LégerProperty Of A Royal Collection
Diego Giacometti, Man Bust
Diego Giacometti (1902-1985)
Bronze, Tabouret en x a pair,Each stamped Diego and with the artist’s monogram
Salvador Dali, Printemps Nécrophilique, 1936
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), ELLES, Executed in 1896
Signed on the cover, each with the publisher’s stamp.Property from the Estate of Theodore J. ForstmannPhotos courtesy High End Weekly™All rights reservedPrintemps Nécrophilique is from 1936, and it is one of the finest paintings on the market today. This piece doesn’t have some of the disturbing elements that you often get from Dali’s paintings. It is a beautiful image of a woman whose head is adorned in flowers, and the young boy on her side is a self portrait alter ego of Dali. They seem to be separated by this cypress tree, which is another element from Dali’s recurring paintings. The scale of the picture is unusual, perhaps because to find one that is quite as large from the 1930s is extremely rare. Salvador Dali is unbelievably brave in his use of space. Only the great Dali could say that I am going to paint this in a minimalistic, porcelain-like way, and leave the right part of this painting totally empty. Only Dali could do such a thing. During the press conference for this sale, one of the curators explained how the first owner of this work was a very interesting individual. She was an Italian couturier called Elsa Schiaparelli – the subject of an upcoming show at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Elsa was an important figure in the 1920s and 1930s in Paris who collaborated with Dali quite allot. She made a version of this dress which represented what is fabric and what is flesh merged together as one. Printemps Nécrophilique is estimated between $8-10 Million. -
The Weekender: Spring Show NYC
The Spring Show NYC opening party is on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 from 5:00-9:00PM. The show runs from May 3rd through the 6th. Once again, this year’s show highlights the very best in English, Continental and American furniture, paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, glass and decorative arts; Asian works of art; folk art; 20th-century decorative arts; aesthetic movement and Arts & Crafts furniture; prints, photographs, maps, posters and wallpaper; antiquities and ancient objects; silver and metalwork; nautical art and objects; jewelry; garden ornaments; books, manuscripts and autographs;Abby Taylor Brown, Looks Like RainChinese export porcelain and decorative arts; Native American and tribal art; carpets and rugs; tapestries; textiles and needlework; and clocks.
This is the second anniversary year for the show which takes place at the prestigious Park Avenue Armory. Collectors and designers, and art enthusiasts can shop in confidence knowing that this is a vetted show – every item in every booth is examined by panels of experts for authenticity. The panels also ensure that comprehensive, accurate labeling is attached to every piece. Vetted shows are the standard for all quality art and antiques fairs.
Last year, I attended several VIP museum tours and visited several collectors homes. A good number of my designer friends got together for several “in-house” lectures that went on at the Park Avenue Armory. Next week, why don’t you join us for the following lectures:Friday, May 4th
3 – 4 p.m.Designs On Film: A Century Of Hollywood Art DirectionCathy Whitlock’s lecture covers a century of cinematic set decoration, featuring highlights from every decade of Hollywood history. A slide presentation will show photographs, behind-the-scene images and designer sketches of sets from Top Hat, The Fountainhead, Gone With the Wind, The Age of Innocence, Something’s Gotta Give-and many more! Cathy Whitlock’s book Designs on Film: A Century of Hollywood Art Direction(Harper Collins, November, 2010) represents the marriage of her two passions-design and cinema. She is also a contributing writer for Traditional Home magazine and*The Huffington Post, and features editor for Array Magazine. Cathy writes the blog Cinema Style, which chronicles trends and inspirations in film, reaches 70 countries, was named one of the Top Ten Best Design Blogs of 2010 by Fox News. A graduate of Parsons School of Design and a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, Cathy has more than 24 years of experience in the interior design industry and has had practices in New York, Chicago, Memphis and Nashville.4:30 – 5:30 p.m.Adoption, Absorption, Assimilation: Foreign Influences In Early Chinese Art
Abby Taylor, Archipenko Dr. Robert D. Mowry’s slide lecture examines China’s native artistic traditions as they developed during the Great Bronze Age (1600 B.C.- A.D. 220). Attendees will learn about the wealth of materials introduced from foreign lands via the Silk Route trade during the Han through the Tang dynasties and see how Chinese artists absorbed and assimilated these new influences.
*Dr. Robert D. Mowry is Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art and Head of the Department of Asian Art at the Harvard Art Museum. He is also Senior Lecturer on Chinese and Korean Art in Harvard’s Department of the History of Art and Architecture.
Saturday, May 5th11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Legendary Designing Women: Inventing A ProfessionEmily Eerdmans discusses the history of interior decorating and how it evolved into a billion-dollar profession thanks to the seminal efforts of astute women like Elsie de Wolfe, Dorothy Draper and Madeleine Castaing.*Emily Evans Eerdmans is a noted design historian and expert with Corfield Morris, a private art advisory. She is the author of several books, including The World of Madeleine Castaing and the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Wendell Castle. She received her master’s degree in fine and decorative arts from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London and is an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.3:30 – 4:30 p.m.Château De Fontainebleau: 500 Years Of Royal Taste In Architecture And DesignNo French palace holds the living presence-the sweep of 500 years of French royal history-the way that Fontainebleau does. David Garrard Lowetraces its centuries-in-the-making transformation from a forested hunting ground for French kings into a magnificent royal palace in the 16th century. Tour Fontainebleau’s interiors, including Empress Eugenie’s astonishing Oriental Chamber with its rare Chinese porcelain, fine lacquer and jeweled Buddhas. Presented by French Heritage Society.*David Garrard Lowe is a well-known cultural historian whose articles have appeared in The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal and American Heritage. He is Chairman of Cultural Programs, New York Chapter of French Heritage Society and President of the Beaux Arts Alliance; and has lectured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Smithsonian Institution, among others. -
Fernand Léger: The Original Granddaddy of Pop Art
2 of 3 on our series of the legendary paintings of Fernand LégerFernand Léger’s work in the 1920s made his international reputation. They combined that certain quality of surrealism and the strong characteristic of the plain forms which he came to be known for. His work was also associated with Purism and with the De Stijl artists. In 1924, he made the film Mechanical Ballet with renowned artist, Man Ray. The paintings he created in the 1920s were done for architectural settings, they were mainly abstract, while others used simplified motifs.
Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger, Jazz
Fernand Léger, 1917 – Study of the partica of letters
Fernand Léger, 1954
Fernand Léger, Shell Leaf
Fernand Léger, 1929
Fernand Léger, 1918, Mechanical compositions
Fernand LégerFernand Léger, 1923, Fruits and Vegetables, Pear Compotoir
Fernand Léger, 1927, Woman holding a vase
Fernand Léger, Women in an interior, oil on canvas
Photo via Azure Bumble
Fernand Léger, February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955Examples of these sorts were included in Le Corbusier’s Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouveau at the Paris Decorative Arts exhibition in 1925. Léger was fascinated with technology, machinery and the increased speed with which modern life was being lived. He translated this fascination into his art by simplifying forms into tubular structures and reducing colors to monochromes, primaries and secondaries. His need to conjure up the intense and unsettling experience of modern life was quite apparent in all his paintings.
NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you. -
The Weekender: Place Des Vosges, Paris
Each day I’m getting more and more excited about my trip to Paris, and the pleasure I get in planning it. I can’t seem to stop talking about what I often like to call, “my spiritual home.” Paris is beautiful all year around, but in the fall it’s a bit more special for me. It’s a time of rebirth, sort to speak, when Parisians are returning back to the city after spending their summers in the country or elsewhere.
photo via Pictures for Walls
Place des VosgesWe all know how hard it is to find some of the shops opened during the summer holidays, so it’s a delight to see everyone back doing business when autumn comes. In a few months, the long awaited Biennale des Antiquares will open its doors at the Grand Palais on Friday, September 14 through the 23rd, and Maison Object is a week before.
Place Des Vosges, circa 1830
Place des Vosges
Fountain view of Place Des Vosges, photo via World Is Round
Place Des VosgesPhoto credit: Flickriver
Place Des Vosges, architectural detailsPhoto credit: Flickriver
One of the four arches of Place Des Vosges, photo via Simonbuc
Place des Vosges
Photo credit Regis Pettinari ©
Watercolor painting of the fountain at Place Des Vosges, photo credit Regis Pettinari ©
Afternoon repose, watercolor (with fountain in the background), Place Des Vosges, photo credit Gerard Hauet ©.jpg?w=960)
Place des Vosges
Vyna St Phard, Place des Vosges, Paris, circa 2007Photo courtesy: High End Weekly™This is an ideal time to be in Paris to source out various fine and decorative arts for my clients. But flying across the pond also means that I’ll get to stay at Place des Vosges. There really isn’t any other square in the world like it. And that’s not a gross exaggeration.This specific charming square is right in the heart of the Marais. Place des vosges is a large quadrangle surrounded by 39 houses built on a uniform plan with brick, stone, and stucco facades. Arcade ground floors and simple dormers. The trees that I’ve come to love over the years, were not planted in the central gardens until 1783. And as beautiful as they are, they did in my view damaged the overall symmetry of the square. Another interesting fact about Place des Vosges is that it acquired its present name in 1799, after the department of the Vosges was first to discharge its liabilities for the Revolutionary Wars. Who would of thought?NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.
- Awards, Events, Interior Design, Jack Lenor Larsen, Life and Style, New York School of Interior Design
The New York School of Interior Design honors Jack Lenor Larsen and Thomas Woltz
Jack Lenor Larsen, and Thomas Woltz honored by The New York School of Interior DesignJack Lenor Larsen received lifetime achievement award, and Thomas Woltz, the Thomas N. Armstrong III Award for Landscape Design. Last night, The New York School of Interior Design honored textile pioneer Jack Lenor Larsen with a Lifetime Achievement Award and noted landscape
designer Thomas Woltz with the school’s first Thomas N. Armstrong III Award in Landscape Design at its 2nd annual Spring Benefit, held at The Metropolitan Club, in New York. While receiving his award, Mr Larsen humorlessly pointed out how delighted he was to be in a room which made him looked younger.Patricia Sovern (Chairman of the Board of the New York School of Interior Design), Jack Lenor Larsen, Thomas Woltz. Photos courtesy Photography by Annie Watt ©
NYSID Spring Benefit at The Metropolitan Club
Thomas Woltz, Patricia Sovern, David Sprouls
Lou Gropp , long-time former editor-in-chief of House Beautiful, Jack Lenor Larsen“I was lucky enough that I could go out and donew things that I did not know how to do yet.“– Jack Lenor Larsen
Marilyn White, Mario Buatta
From Left: Patricia Sovern, distinguished guest, Inge Heckel, Jack Lenor Larsen“The New York School of Interior Design is proud to celebrate the achievements of these two design luminaries for their innovative and distinguished careers, and to launch the Thomas N. Armstrong III Award in Landscape Design, in memory of our late trustee’s devotion to landscape design.”–Patricia Sovern
Elsie St. Léger (centered) and distinguished guests
Ellen S. Fisher, Ph.D. (NYSID VP for Academic Affairs & Dean), and distinguished guest
From left: Marc Gilbertson, Geoffrey Bradfield, and Roric Tobin
Distinguished guest
Distinguished guests
Lynn and Noel Jeffrey
Thomas Woltz (pictured on the screen)
Jack Lenor Larsen accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award at The Metropolitan Club
Distinguished guest
Thomas Woltz
Vyna St Phard, Jack Lenor LarsenPhoto courtesy High End Weekly™
Distinguished guest, Margaret Russell (centered) and Phillip Gorivan
Patricia Sovern, Cynthia Hazen Polsky
Vyna St PhardPhotos courtesy Photography by Annie Watt ©Lou Gropp, long-time editor of House Beautiful Magazine and former NYSID trustee, presented Jack Lenor Larsen with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In memory of his father, Whitney Armstrong honored landscape architect Thomas Woltz with the first Thomas N. Armstrong III Award in Landscape Design. In September 2012, the school will continue their celebration of Larsen’s professional achievements with a major retrospective filling their 69th Street Gallery.Jack Larsen arrived in New York in 1951 to open his first design studio. This was at the beginning of the modern movement, and Larsen immediately understood that less is more, as the nation was influenced by the post war decade. Larsen became instrumental in revealing how textile design can be used to reinvigorate the modern architecture of that time. Over the years, he proved to be much more complexed as a designer, and is still known as the quintessential modernist, who was lured by the past, but admired many styles – especially tribal design. His friends and critics would agree that he is a major force in the world of design, a tireless traveller, successful entrepreneur, a passionate collector of other talents, and a friend to other artists.During his acceptance speech, Jack Lenor Larsen also pointed out that when he began his career, he was lucky enough to have started as someone who “did things that he did not know how to do yet”. And as a society, we should appreciate the beautiful, and natural things surrounding our every day lives, especially living in a world when just about everything is mass produced. He encouraged his friends and colleagues that were gathered together, to celebrate their individualities. He quoted his long-time friend Carl Sandberg who once told him while he was in college to “let us be different from other people, if being different comes easy and natural.”
