Furniture Pimp : Jim Walrod

Ettore Sottsass Hsing Vessel from The Pop Series, Model 456

Stools After Jean Prouvé 1985

Kim Moltzer & Jean Paul Barray Coffee Table 1965

Guy de Rougemont Wall Mounted Console

On May 3rd Wright presents The Collection of Jim Walrod at auction. Comprised of 250 lots of art, design and objects from Jim’s personal collection, the sale is a celebration of a man who collected everything and knew just as much. 

Jim Walrod’s eye was legendary. Mike D of the Beastie Boys called him his ‘Furniture Pimp’ in sincere gratitude of his talents as a designer and in appreciation for the breadth of his knowledge. Clients worldwide—from David Bowie to André Balasz—sought his unparalleled expertise. Although Jim saw his role as a guide, aiding clients in finding their own distinct eye, it was his unique vision that shaped so many others.

His career began after a chance meeting with Andy Warhol led Jim to work for Fiorucci, the legendary style makers. There he was introduced to the radical designs of Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis group, as well as the key members of the New York art world. In 1987, Jim entered the New York art scene with his first gallery on Lafayette. He opened Form & Function in 1998, which became a mainstay for those looking for expertly curated vintage design. He remained true to his unique vision throughout his career, later lending his expertise as an interior designer, adviser and curator. With exhibitions at R & Company and Patrick Parrish gallery, Jim shared his collecting vision with an even wider audience.

Jim’s beloved Chinatown loft always remained the truest expression of his remarkable collecting vision. Works by friends were placed alongside modern icons creating an interior rich in dialog. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Jim sought works labeled as ugly or incompatible. And it is those experiments that make his collection so wonderfully rare and unique. Jim shared glimpses of this extraordinary space with friends, followers on social media and clients. Sourced from numerous locations, he was proud of his finds, whether it was a rare book or piece of radical lighting. Each cherished object was thoughtfully selected and likewise showcased within his interior.

This collection celebrates a rare collecting vision without boundaries. Each object was assembled with a singular appreciation of its aesthetic, regardless of the value to the outside world. As Jim was known to say: “Time is the only real critic that matters”. ~via Wright 20

*Our friend Jim is deeply missed*

ugo rondinone: seven magic mountains

photo Mikayla Whitmorephoto by Mikayla Whitmore

IMG_1898_t610photo by Mikayla Whitmore

7photo via kickstarter

Located 10 miles south of Las Vegas Blvd. you will find Ugo Rondinone’s: Seven Magic Mountains;  a monumental, site-specific public artwork that will bring color to the desert landscape. Created with the assistance of Art Production Fund/Nevada Museum of Art kickstarter campaign that raised $64k to fund the project and is now official completed.

It’s like a Hell Yes in the desert!

The Highboy Picks

 

Highboy-PicksSPONSORED POST

It was recently brought to my attention of a new online market place, The Highboy.  They have a nicely curated selection of antiques, fine art, vintage furnishings and design objects, all from trusted and reputable dealers in the industry.  

Shown above personally selected from The Highboy: Vintage Chinese Black Lacquer Console Table“Visage Brun-Bleu” by Pablo Picasso, White Earthenware Clay with Englobes Decoration, 1947, Pair of Mid-Century Art Pottery Vases by Eduardo Vega,  Pair of Murano Glass Sconces, Loewe Black Alligator Briefcase.

Hauser Wirth & Schimmel

Hauser Wirth & Schimmel opened in downtown LA this last weekend. The inaugural show “Revolution in the Making, Abstract Sculpture by Women, 1947-2016,” features almost a hundred works ranging from pioneering female artists.

Watch curator Paul Schimmel discuss LA’s new art space.

ART in LA

There are several art fairs going on in and around LA this weekend.  Most started earlier in the week, but you still have time to hit  a bunch of them before they end.

Yesterday I checked out Art Los Angeles Contemporary at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica. I was amused by this Brian Bress video installation shown above and wanted to share with you. I have my other highlights from the show featured on my instagram here.

LA Art Show 2016 is at the Convention Center downtown LA with their sister show, Los Angeles Fine Art Show across the Hall. The Paramount Ranch in Augora Hills is going on as well, ends Sunday.

For more events, see artnet’s “Must See Art Guide” here.

PHOTOLA

james wellingJames Welling “7690” 42″ x 63″, 2015 Inkjet print on rag paper Courtesy of the artist and Regen Projects

Going on now thru January 24th, the international photographic art exposition – photo l.a. – celebrates its 25th anniversary at The REEF, located in the historic LA Mart building in Downtown Los Angeles.

photo l.a. has a long and rich history of bringing the photographic and arts communities together. Each year they expand their uniquely diverse showcase of photographic art, ranging from 19th Century works to contemporary and innovative photo-based art. Galleries, dealers, museums, schools, and non-profit organizations participate to define what photography has been, what it is today, and what it might evolve into. To foster a dialogue they curate and present our acclaimed programming, which includes lectures, roundtable discussions, special installations, and docent tours with distinguished members of the photography/arts community.

More info here.

Billings Auction

billings

BILLINGS LA Auction House is a curated live auction and design community-inspired happening at the Great Company, at 1917 Bay Street. The auction house was recently established in the heart of Los Angeles’ evolving arts district to provide affordable access to quality vintage modern furnishings, art, objects and accessories. Offering rare and noteworthy pieces at low to no reserve, with estimates ranging from $100 to $5,000, its curated cross-section covers the pedigreed to the anonymous, and the classic to the unusual. Co-founded by four highly respected Los Angeles dealers and gallerists, BILLINGS has amassed a collection of a hundred years of North American and international design and decorative arts from the 20th to early 21st centuries, placing an emphasis on mid-century modern selections and pieces from the 60’s and 70’s. December 12th auction is open to the public and will offer live entertainment, featuring music, and food trucks. Lot Previews will take place at BILLINGS’ 1919 Bay Street location from Dec 6 to Dec 12, from 10am-4pm. The option to participate remotely online and place absentee bids is available via LiveAuctioneers.com.

Carpenter’s Workshop

4369glass birds “Flylight” by Studio Drift

carp“You fade to light” by Random International on right 

carp2“Technocrat Bronze Coffee Table” by Atelier Van Lieshout

Just this month, Julian Lombrail opened his 3rd outpost of Carpenters Workshop in a penthouse on the 5th Avenue in New York City.  Located between the new flagship store of Microsoft and Peter Marinos glass palace for Louis Vuitton at the 57th Street hovers the duplex apartment, where the Carpenters Workshop has established as a meditation room for art and design high above the hustle and bustle of shopping. ~ ad-magazin.de  “I wanted to be accessible for clients such as Peter Marino, Juan Pablo Molyneux and Robert Couturier easily,” says Lombrail .

Artists on exhibit at the gallery space which also has been hosting exclusive dinners for art collectors include Rick Owens, Wendell CastleAteliers van Lieshout, and Studio Drift from Amsterdam.

This Is The House That Jack Built

jack

There’s a new book on my radar and I want to share it with you.  “This is the House That Jack Built” named from the nursery rhyme, gives us a look at the contemporary art and design collection of the very private art collector, Maja Hoffmann.  Art directed by Beda Achermann and photographed by François Halard, both have created images of Hoffman’s collection located in her homes in tight vignettes with text of the nursery rhyme  woven throughout the book.

“This Is The House That Jack Built” plays down Hoffmann’s actual houses while (like the nursery rhyme) conveying the centrality of the idea of home, yet one is struck by the breathtakingly original interiors furnished with the best examples of 20th-century design. Hoffmann’s eye for architecture and furniture is as discerning as it is for paintings, and she manages to create spaces where the art, despite its importance, doesn’t overshadow the life of a room. ~T Magazine

Get a good look of the book here.

LADF

ladf01_2015-05-26-at-9.43.24-AM-e1432658650204

Anglepoise-Type_75_Floor_Pendant_A_015-copy-e1432666843533

LA Design Festival is a citywide Design Event starting now continuing through June 14th. Events include Marmol Radziner Studio Tour, award-winning firm known for its innovative design approach and expertise in architecture, construction, interior design, landscape design, furniture design, and jewelry design,  River Makers Bash; an outdoor event on Mission Street by the LA River,   Intro LA at Mack Sennett studios in Silver Lake  showcasing local and contract firms,  a solo exhibition for Arik Levy, the Israeli born and Paris-based artist and designer at Please Do Not Enter, 549 S Olive Street,  as well as City Design Tours that cover design studios in Inglewood, Historic Downtown LA, and the Arts District, Chinatown and Olvera Street.

Many, many more events are scheduled and can be discovered here.