Wendell Castle – DesignApplause

design mastersworks auction. wright.

Apr 25, 2016

a showcase for exceptional objects, wright presents design masterworks, a tightly curated sale featuring seminal works by the most innovative and influential artists and designers of the 20th and 21st centuries at auction on may 19th. notable works include a minguren ii coffee table by george nakashima, an influential bloc bahut by charlotte perriand and a sculptural rocking chair, titled reaper, by wendell castle, alongside works that unite the worlds of art and design by paul kelpe, peter voulkos, nanda vigo and ettore sottsass. further distinguishing this impressive sale is a selection of important italian glass made by the country’s best designers and makers including an early mosaic vase by artisti barovier, a unique con macchia vase by fulvio bianconi and an exceptional carved vase by vittorio zecchin and franz pelzel, and more.

each of these groundbreaking designs will be featured in our full-color catalog alongside texts and images that contextualize their significance within the cannon of design. all lots will be on view in our new york gallery located at 980 madison avenue.

below> pennellate vase model 3788 | carlo scarpa | venini | 1942

below> bloc bahut | charlotte perriand | cité cansado | 1958

below> sculptures from stemmons towers dallas | harry bertoia | 1964a

below> miss blanche chair | shiro kuramata | ishimaru | 1988 / 1989

below> o vessel from the kalligraphy series | ettore sottsass | bitossi/flavia | 1996

dolphin lounge chair | hans j. wegner | johannes hansen | 1950

below> untitled (monumental sonambient) from the standard oil commission | harry bertoia |1975

experts top 10 picks at design miami/ 2015.

Dec 4, 2015

1/
cangaço/
the campana brothers, 2015/
firma casa/ sao paulo

“the campana brothers’ cangaço chair offers a vibrant mix of materiality, color and pattern that feels effortless and natural. this piece would make any good interior great.”

– martin brudnizki (martin brudnizki design studio)

2/
cavallina argento/
alberto biagetti, laura baldassari, 2015/
secondome/ rome

“i am incredibly fascinated by cavallina argento by alberto biagetti and laura baldassari, how it takes a generic object outside the world of high design and transforms it into the sublime. the delicate and precious palette of materials is beautifully composed to evoke sensuality and desire.”

– chad oppenheim (oppenheim)

3/
happiness/
wendell castle, 2015/
friedman benda/ new york

“his work always makes me smile with its humanity. he has the courage to reconsider what he has done in the past and explore new directions.”

– tom kundig (olson kundig)

4/
design miami 2015/
pavillion/
in collaboration with the harvard university graduate school of design

“although it looks as if i will be needing a cherry picker to get really close, i am looking forward to seeing the gsd pavilion, with its forest of pink representations of designs for pavilions designed by students faculty and alumni. under mohsen mostafavi’s leadership – who previously made his mark at the architectural association in london, and then at cornell, harvard has been making waves again.”

– deyan sudjic (design museum)

5/
off-railing series/
arandalasch 2015/
gallery all/ beijing & los angeles

“i love the idea of an infinite line that can be used to define furniture and architecture and thus reduce the late 20th century barrier between these two disciplines. also this pieces speaks as much about the new york subway as the los angeles freeway network.”

– elliott barnes (elliott barnes interiors)

6/
zig-zag chair/
gerrit th. rietveld, 1934/
galerie vivid/ rotterdam

“as a designer, i’ve always been fascinated by things that were built with a cantilever effect. i admire this chair because it broke the paradigm for conventional furniture.”

– george yabu (yabupushelberg)

7/
pouf vague, wave bench/
maria pergay, 1968/
demisch danant/ new york

“this bench by one of my favorite designers of all time, maria pergay, is graceful, elegant and chic and in 1968, when it was made, most likely a revelation for her use of materials and the fact that it was designed by a woman. a very chic woman at that!”

– robert stilin (interior designer)

8/
wall light #7417/
serge mouille, ca. 1960/
1950 gallery/ new york

“this classic piece is as much a work of art as it is functional. i have used it in my home and many projects as it is iconic, faultless and its timeless beauty will never tire for me.”

– kelly hoppen (interior designer)

9/
4×4 demountable house/
jean prouvé, 1935/
galerie patrick seguin/ paris

“prouvé is always an inspiration in how the functional, in this case a prefab military shelter, can still have elements of beauty and proportion. the general concept of well proportioned prefab modularity by modernist masters like prouve influenced our neuehouse studio design”.

– david rockwell (architect)

10/
long chair/
george nakashima, 1952/
moderne gallery/ philadelphia

“i love the interesting balance and clear comfort of this piece. it is such a clever design – both tough and organic, disproportionate, yet softened beautifully by the welcoming webbing, and the warmth of the cherrywood. excellent design which stands the test of time.”

– rose uniacke

[ design miami/ ]

design miami/ 2015 celebrates the diversity of design.

Oct 21, 2015

As the market for collectible design continues to evolve and mature with each edition, Design Miami/ celebrates the full diversity of its field. With the 11th edition of Design Miami/ this December, the fair offers extraordinary works from galleries based on five continents that specialize in everything from classic early twentieth century design to the conceptual cutting edge. Work ranging from full-sized architectural elements to the most delicate jewelry, by designers from as far afield as the Philippines and Japan, South Africa and Brazil, will be on show under one roof at the global forum for design.

There’s a story behind every piece of great design/.

[ latin spirit/ ]

cangaço – bookstand/ fernando and humberto campana, 2015/ courtesy of campana studio and fernando laszlo/

Firma Casa, the first participating gallery from Brazil (São Paulo), offering a program that is notably strong in design from Latin America. The distinctive and innovative work of the Campana Brothers – Design Miami/ Designers of the Year in 2008 – are represented at both Firma Casa and Friedman Benda. A rare jacaranda wood bench by Modernist pioneer Joaquim Tenreiro is showing at R & Company. Cristina Grajales Gallery exhibits a spectacular coffee table by Gloria Cortina topped with golden obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. ADN Galeria of Mexico participates in the Design Curio program with a project by the Mexico-based sculptor and furniture designer Eduardo Olbés.

[ design reborn/ ]

pair of lamps from villa arreaza, caracas/ gio ponti, 1954/ courtesy of casati gallery/

The scholarship, research and the preservation of historic works that are so important to the world of collectible design are aspects that are perhaps less visible to visitors to Design Miami/. A number of exhibitions at this year’s fair will put the spotlight on projects honoring design history. Galleria Rossella Colombari will recreate an interior in the style of Villa Planchart in Caracas designed by Giò Ponti, using colors and materials dear to the architect. Another apartment – this one from Milan, designed by Ponti’s protegé architect Attilio Colonello – will be recreated from historic drawings and photographs by Casati Gallery, in a scenography that will include a number of pieces from the original scheme.

[ personal connections/ ]

dining table for madeleine and jean prouvé/ pierre jeanneret, 1943/ marie clérin for laffanour – galerie downtown/

There’s a story behind every piece of great design, often one that reflects personal relationships, whether between a group of like-minded creative souls, friends and mentors, hard working duos, romantic partners, or siblings. One compelling personal connection central to the history of modern design is evoked in a piece presented this year by LAFFANOUR – Galerie Downtown: a table given to Jean Prouvé by Pierre Jeanneret in 1943, and which remained in use by Prouvé’s family at his house in Nancy, France. Family relationships are evoked in pieces by Xander Kriel, who created his Vos Altar in memory of his grandfather for Southern Guild, and by Wharton Esherick, who’s graceful sculptural form The Actress (1938/9), presented by Moderne Gallery, was inspired by his daughter Mary. Thomas Fritsch will present works by Verá Szekely, co-founder, with André Borderie and her husband Pierre Szekeley, of Borderie Szekeley, a trio that created work together until 1957.

[ monumental design/ ]

enignum xvi/ joseph walsh, 2015/ courtesy of the designer and sarah myerscough gallery/ photographer: andrew bradley

Large-scale design and architectural components continue to be a keenly anticipated highlight of the Design Miami/ program. Galerie Patrick Seguin will once again be sharing a work of pioneering mid-century modular architecture, in this case the only remaining example of Jean Prouvé’s 1939 baraque de campagne, a rapidly assembled 4 x 4m military hut. At Galerie Philippe Gravier, Kengo Kuma will present a small nomadic tearoom constructed from simple lightweight plastic materials and inspired by the humble, reclusive dwelling of the writer Kamo no Chōmei. Substantial works in wood by Wendell Castle will be on show at Friedman Benda, R & Company and Carpenters Workshop Gallery, in celebration of the American art-furniture pioneer’s equally monumental career. At Sarah Myerscough Gallery, a new generation of designers creating large, finely-crafted works in wood will be represented by Joseph Walsh. From a lighter perspective, first time gallery Orley Shabahang presents the durable, finely crafted silk rugs created by Haji Jalili in the late 19th century represent a highly portable form of monumental design. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the continuation of Naihan Li’s I Am A Monument series at Beijing-based Gallery ALL, which shrinks monumental architectural structures into playful functional pieces for the home.

[ simulacra/ ]

cardboard crown necklace/ david bielander, 2015/ courtesy of dirk eisel/

Playful and sometimes pointed references to familiar everyday objects infuse certain exhibitions at Design Miami/ with visual wit. Juxtaposing precious materials and functionality, Siegfried De Buck’s silver Praline Box (1993) is the ultimate vessel for Belgium’s prized chocolate confections, showing at Caroline Van Hoek. Fellow gold and silversmith David Bielander’s thin metal jewelry pieces at Ornamentum reference the simple cardboard crowns of childhood role-play. Another familiar childhood form – in this case a paper airplane – receives a nod in Karen Chekerdjian’s IQAR table for Carwan Gallery. Eric Serritella’s series of ceramic vessels crafted to resemble sections of weathered wood will receive its most ambitious addition yet in a new, larger, work inspired by the branches and bark of a birch tree can be viewed at Jason Jacques Inc. Wolfs + Jung’s ongoing Nature V2.01 explores the disconcerting contrast of apparently natural surfaces and manmade forms: ammann// gallery will be showing new works from the series including a teetering stool balancing on sticks cast in bronze and a rounded bronze vessel apparently clad in bark.

[ earthly matter/ ]

bodypart iii/ kristina riska, 2015/ courtesy of hostler burrows/

Echoing the burgeoning interest in clay as a sculptural medium over recent years, decorative ceramics remain a strong area of creative innovation at Design Miami/. The Finnish ceramicist Kristina Riska will show Bodypart III, a sculptural vessel of vast proportions and organic curvature at Hostler Burrows. Lee Hun Chung contrasts the glassy finish of ceramic glaze with the rough, stone-like surface of concrete in a low table at Seomi International. Patrick Parrish Gallery will show the first ceramic works of painter Guy Correiro.

[ sacred geometry/ ]

zig-zag chair/ gerrit thomas rietveld, 1934/ courtesy of galerie vivid

Geometric shapes occur both by natural and man-made design, the former often inspiring the latter. Ralph Bakker’s jewelry designs, coming to the fair with Antonella Villanova, are based on naturally occurring geometric patterns found in nature. Galerie VIVID presents geometry that changed the face of design in post World War I Europe in the form of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld’s Zig-Zag Chair. Brian Thoreen’s work, appearing at Patrick Parrish Gallery, demonstrates his passion for geometric forms that evolve from nature.

[ transparent and luminescent/ ]

light pods/ terrence main, 2015/ courtesy of magen h/

The technical challenges and diverse effects afforded by glass continue to inspire forms both ethereal and unexpected. At Galerie kreo Julie Richoz shows new works created with glass blowers at Marseilles’s legendary CIRVA (Centre International de Recherce sur le Verre et les Arts plastique). Kyoto-born designer Ritsue Mishima – represented by Pierre Marie Giraud – moved to Venice in 1989 to work alongside the city’s fabled glassblowers, deviating from Venetian tradition to create un-pigmented works. Commonplace Studio’s Lumière series marries blown glass to contemporary technology, illuminating each globe with projections of moving images in a ghostly tribute to the early days of cinema at Victor Hunt Designart Dealer. Terence Main’s branchlike Light Pods set budlike glass elements at the tips of cast aluminum twigs to create a ‘growing’ chandelier at Magen H. Gallery.

[ hard steel, soft leather/ ]

wave bench/ maria pergay, 1968/ courtesy of demisch danant/

The contrast of cold, hard metal with hide is one addressed in a multiplicity of ways at Design Miami/. The unyielding, cool lines of Maria Pergay’s stainless steel furnishings find soft contrast in their leather and hide upholstery. Alberto Biagetti and Laura Baldassari make a more playful juxtaposition in the Body Building collection at Secondome, an ‘anti gym’ that takes formal inspiration from metal workout equipment, undercutting the hard edge with soft pink upholstery. Nanda Vigo’s fur is of the faux variety: at Erastudio Apartment-Gallery synthetic leopard skin covers her hybrid brass forms from 1971 that perform both as coat racks and lighting elements. The classic combination of hard steel face and soft leather straps appears in a number of the vintage watches with extraordinary provenance at the fair’s first watch gallery Le Collection’Heure.

[ Design Miami/ ] is the global forum for design. Each fair brings together the most influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators and critics from around the world in celebration of design culture and commerce. Occurring alongside the Art Basel fairs in Miami, USA each December and Basel, Switzerland each June, Design Miami/ has become the premier venue for collecting, exhibiting, discussing and creating collectible design.

studio job dutch designer of the year 2015.

Oct 21, 2015

[ Studio Job ] has been awarded best Dutch designer 2012, 2013, 2014 and now again 2015. We could show a wide range of visuals to highlight this span but the studio wanted to talk ‘car design’ a nd sent us the following. Salute. Again.

above> click on image for lightbox

[ official release ] Land Rover to present the very exclusive limited edition Range Rover Evoque by Studio Job. The exterior and interior colours were selected in collaboration with the Studio Job design collective. The exterior features include finishing with design elements devised by Studio Job for the bonnet, the front mudguards and the doors.

Studio Job was founded by Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel. The have made a name for themselves with numerous non-conformist objects at the cutting edge of design and visual art, varying from utterly unique furniture and the sculpture known as ‘CAR’ featuring the Evoque (2013) to their ‘Automobile’ creation of an extravagantly decorated Land Rover Defender. These were their first car creations, which they revealed in 2013 during the renowned PAN Amsterdam art fair, as an ode to Land Rover’s 65th birthday. It signalled the start of a partnership which has now resulted in the Range Rover Evoque by Studio Job. Although it is less extravagant than the Studio Job Defender, it is no less unique and challenging.

There are two versions of this Range Rover Evoque Coupé, namely the Job Evoque Bronze with polished bronze elements and the Job Evoque Black which features high-gloss black coated aluminium elements. The personalised features are the bonnet, mudguards, doors, roof spoiler, special hub caps and double exhausts. The name ‘Studio Job’ is emblazoned on the radiator grille. Inside the car, your attention is drawn to a relief signature by Studio Job on the 9-speed automatic transmission gear lever which combines beautifully with the ebony leather upholstery and the ‘Satin Brushed Aluminium and Gloss Black Strata’ inlay in the dashboard and the central console.

“The Evoque is a modern car in which everything is interwoven like a three-dimensional puzzle”, explains Job Smeets. ‘The concept is complex and slick. We have now created the perfect Evoque and its racing seats, panoramic roof and monochrome colour scheme make this coupé even more out of this world. We have replaced some parts with hand-crafted parts cast in bronze or aluminium, directly from our studio. This gives the car an even stronger identity. This Evoque is a future classic.

The Range Rover Evoque by Studio Job is based on the Si4 HSE Dynamic version of the Range Rover Evoque Coupé. The 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine generates 177 kW (240 bhp) and maximum torque of 340 Nm, which can be achieved at just 1,750 r.p.m. The specifications include the Dynamic Plus Pack with racing seats, the Black Design Pack light-metal 20 inch wheels, a reversing camera and a glass panoramic roof with electric sunscreen.
The Range Rover Evoque by Studio Job is available at prices starting from € 92,250 (Dutch registration). If there is sufficient interest, a maximum of 20 will be produced. [ More information ] about this exclusive version of the Range Rover Evoque.

zero40 > ral 9010 white coated defender with special degree of gleam, photographed november 2013 in the studio. now studio job is planning to papier mâché the complete carossery

[ a haute couture car ] For a designer, one of the most prestigious commissions is the design of a car. Preferably for a famous brand or for an iconic car. Designing a car means you’re successful! There are several examples of this, but I will only mention the Ford by Marc Newson and the recent Renault by Rose Lovegrove. Almost always these become ‘concept cars’. A styling exercise at the highest level. The cars look like they have come from Mars, have various futuristic and practical gadgets and high-end ingenuities which the design team of the respective car brand can truly admire… at least, that seems the purpose. Sometimes beautiful, often magnificent, but often filled with promise!

When Nynke and I spoke with Land Rover about the icon of Land Rover, the Defender, which now officially reaches pensionable age, everything that’s described above was exactly what we didn’t want. It should not become a stylistic exercise, no beautification, no gadgets, nothing futuristic. We wanted a JOB Land Rover that’s here and now. A sculpture of today!

It all got totally out of hand! The moment that black lady entered our workshop, inspiration started to flow out of our ears. One idea after another. This Land Rover had to cross the world of Studio Job, dig up her own past and also take with her the most exotic and conflicting elements of the African continent on her freaky journey.

This Land Rover became a rolling cabinet of curiosities. The mysterious car that Doctor Snuggles always wanted to have. It’s the Queen’s car, but also the throne of a chieftain, and at the same time a mechanical rhinoceros, a freak show. An autonomous caricature for the leading part in a video by a leading pop star…

People, this Defender has become everything it could have become. Like a cubistic art piece with various perspectives. It is chaotic and bizarre as life itself. It certainly isn’t a stylistic exercise from the design bible, but definitely a rudimentary work of art, conjured from the high hat – also the controversial palette – of Studio Job. An anti-hero that anticipates itself. A diary and a mirror.

Job Smeets, Antwerp, April 2013

[ specs ]
model: Defender 90
year: 2012 – 2013
edition: unique piece
dimension: L 520 x w 290 x h 300 cm
engine: 2,2-liter diesel motor
performance: 90 kw / 3.500 tpm
torque: 360 nm / 2.000 tphm
material: aluminum, bronze, brass, european oak, faience (ceramic), swarovski crystals, hand blown glass, hand paintings, harness leather, high gloss pu coating, rubber ps 160, satin lining, silver leaf, smurray, stained glass, vlisco wax printed fabric, 2k alkyd hand painting, 24k gold leaf.

exterior>
– lamp holders with polychrome glass
– rugged terrain exhaust system
– mechanical door handles & faience grips
– crystal enlaid xl exterior mirror
– high-beam headlamp with candle
– high load imperial with smurray planks
– sirens in hand blown glass
– imperial mounted sound speaker
– aluminum & polished brass shock-absorber
– stained glass windows with peepholes
– aluminum casted tailor-made mudguard
– hand painted flags on pole (zimbabwe & congo)
– curtain rails & rings in wax printed vlisco fabrics
– mud flap holders with xl figurative rubber mud flaps
– crystal inlaid globe with belt drive & pulley system
– fuel system: hose, trumpet, grinder & barrel
– stick out tongue grill
– sex cake hub-cap
– bronze bull bumper
– charm chain
– capitol hub-cap
– colloseum hub-cap
– exhaust flame
– warning bell
– coach wheel
– high load tail gate
– gilded rhino hood horn
– rock mudguard & side
– exterior fire pan mirror
– thick toot
– porch roof fender
– cable reel & bracket

interior>
– crate of duvel
– barbed spare wheel & suspension
– classic steering wheel and knob
– low tech thermometer, leveler, timer & navigation- front seats upholstered in wax printed vlisco fabrics
– rear benches upholstered in wax printed vlisco fabrics
– car leveler
– sand timer
– dashboard clock
– mono radio
– rock handle & headrest
– french oak floor
– brass pedals
– heavy duty shift
– compass
– rock headrest

Museum of Arts and Design Announces Fall 2015 and Early 2016 Exhibition Program
Highlights include Wendell Castle, Japanese Kōgei, Ebony G. Patterson and Studio Job ( 22 March 21 August 2016 )

interview with sofa chicago director donna davies. sofa 2013.

Oct 31, 2013

donna davies

[DesignApplause] Donna, tell us a bit about your background. What kind of events do you attend?
[Donna Davies] I’ve been the director of SOFA Chicago since 2011. I was an art dealer for 15-years. My first job was Assistant Director of Contemporary Art at Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe. I moved on to Chicago and was the director of Marx-Saunders Gallery at River North, which is now Ken Saunders Gallery. And during that time I was an exhibitor at SOFA Chicago for 8 or 9 years.

So my background with SOFA Chicago goes back a number of years and is multi-faceted because I’ve been on both sides of the fence. I was on the management side and the exhibitor side. And I think, or I hope, that that brings a perspective that allows me to see the needs of all of our audiences. We have dealers and galleries who are exhibiting with us and I understand their goals and their needs. And I also have worked with those collectors and those visitors who attend the fair, so I’m very attuned to what they want and am able to facilitate that, being on the management side.

The third part of your question, what other events do I attend, and obviously I love attending art fairs. I attend as many as I possibly can. I love Miami Basel in December and all of the satellite fairs. And now New York going to Freize, and try to see as many fairs internationally as I can.

[DA] You’re a good fit and you enjoy this role to date.
[DD] It’s a lot of fun for me, and I think one of the key things about SOFA is that we’ve built a community, and really it’s a number of communities that are all interlinked. The common denominator is the art world, and the communities are the respective materials used in the art, the curators, the designers, the critics, the art groups’ board members. I’m happy to be a part of the evolution of these relationships for almost 10 years.

sofa 2012

[DA] What kind of a fair is SOFA?
[DD] This year is SOFA’s 20th year. And we’re very fortunate to be the longest continuously running art fair in the city, and now to be one of the longest running art fairs in the country. We’re very unique in that we’re focused on materiality. So we have a focus on glass, textiles, wood- materials that are rooted in the decorative arts, and the arts and crafts movement that has evolved over the years. It’s the reason why SOFA was created 20 years ago, to create a marketplace for these forms and mediums that, at the time, were not incorporated into museum collections, or readily visible as two-dimensional work. It’s not a fair where you find paintings. This is a fair where you’re going to find unique materials, unique one-of-a-kind objects and meet the artists who have created these pieces.

[DA] Tell us about the last 5 years.
[DD] We’ve seen growth in the prices and demands for materials, especially in glass. The studio glass movement began 50 years ago, it started out with glass blowing, and the material really evolved. SOFA is an ideal venue to trace the evolution. Today there are many more artists, as well as techniques. Now glass is incorporated with other materials. For example, this year you’re seeing Colby Parsons, a young artist, who’s represented by Lacoste Gallery, using ceramics combined with video. The speed of change seems exponential.

[DA] How many galleries are exhibiting this year compared with last year?
[DD] The last year and this we have nearly 70 galleries.

connect | university of iowa installation

[DA] How does art and design interface at SOFA?
[DD] Art is the hook to hang onto here though some artists feel their creations are the result of design. One of our goals to celebrate our 20th year was to look ahead and see what’s coming in the next 20 years. To that end, we’re introducing design in the strict sense this year through our ‘Connect’ concept. We’ve invited five art & design university programs to each design an environment: a space with seating and lighting elements, a space for visitors to relax, but also learn what these design schools are creating. In Connect you’ll absolutely see an amalgamation of architecture, design, art and landscape design.

The fair has always been- one of our major missions has always been education. We educate our visitors, our clients, to have a better awareness of what they’re seeing and hopefully make an emotional investment. People are learning more about what they’re seeing, are a bit more intrigued to the point where something may really speak to them.

What’s interesting is the dealers, galleries and artists, all dealing with very unique pieces, are working hand-in-hand with architects and designers all the time on specific commissions, collaborating to create unique pieces for corporate and private spaces.

[DA] You mention earlier SOFA is niched in collectable sculpture and functional art. You also mention Design Miami which is niched in furniture and lighting though there’s a sprinkling of jewelry. The Connect concept is introducing furniture, lighting and landscape design. I see Barry Friedman at SOFA this year. I met Barry at Miami several years ago where I met Wendell Castle. Do you envision the design galleries presenting more furniture and lighting in SOFA’s future?
[DD] You know, all of the fairs have their niche with a sprinkling of integrating this or that. We are also always working to bring related objects. Many of the fairs have evolved from SOFA. I mean, Wendell Castle, George Nakashima, Joseph Walsh- those artists were selling here 20 years ago, 10 years ago. Wendell Castle is still showing at SOFA.

“untitled” | wendell castle | barry friedman ltd | 2013 [link]

We have Sam Maloof, icons of the design genre, which has evolved from the arts and crafts movement, which is what SOFA evolved from as well. So, it’s where we’re going. It’s something that I’m working on making a particular theme of the fair in the future. This year we have a wonderful offering of artists and galleries. And Barry again is showing Wendell Castle. Lewis Wexler is bringing Vivian Beer, Timothy Schrieber. And Sarah Myerscough is a new gallery, and her second year at SOFA, is bringing really fantastic UK, design pieces bring Gareth Neal and Michael Peterson, and Bill Zimmer is bringing Sam Maloof.

[DA] OK, we’ll just see where it keeps going, I thought SOFA last year was very, very good. Speaking of last year I came across an installation by the College of Fellows and I talked to an editor for American Craft Magazine and we are talking about limited editions versus commercial, craft versus design and art. The magazine was about to release an article on this topic as there’s a big debate the most successful path. Are you involved with any of those conversations?
[DD] It’s a fascinating conversation. You’re talking about the American Craft Council and the special exhibit that they presented last year. You’re probably going to hear that conversation on the floor this year too. Wendell Castle, for example, is making limited edition pieces, he’s moved away from some of those unique pieces that he made 20 years ago. And you see that more and more with the design artists making limited editions. Not so much with the glass and ceramics as that’s still a one-of-a-kind artform.

freedom-1 | latchezar boyadjeiv | habitat galleries | 2013 [link]

[DA] Any predictions on how this will evolve?
[DD] Well, it’s something that will be a part of the fair moving ahead as more and more of these artists incorporate other materials in their work. It may continue to develop as more and more design work is brought into the fair. It’s something that will be very relevant.

[DA] How does SOFA partner with the city of Chicago?
[DD] We’re always looking to maximize our partnerships and our sponsorships with the city. It’s a continuous conversation. Sponsorship money- those are long discussions that are worked out many, many months in advance of the fair. Especially with Connect. This is our first year for Connect, and it was very important to have local participation. We’re very pleased that we have Illinois Institute of Technology. And for next year we would like to have more local involvement. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College. Harrington College reached out to us this year, so, certainly working with the local schools, working with the city is something that’s very important to us.

[DA] It seems online exposure and sales is growing. Some of the sites have partnered with the galleries. How does this business model impact SOFA?
[DD] We’re definitely aware and talking about that business model. It’s already happening. Not necessarily through a partnership just yet. We still produce a physical catalogue at the fair. But we moved quickly, for a number of years, to an online catalogue. You can actually go through the online catalogue before you get to the fair, and get a sense of who’s bringing what, seeing the images that are available. We can put more images online than we can put in the physical catalogue, and the feedback we’ve gotten from the dealers is important. So in a way we’ve already been doing it ourselves without a partnership. With the contact information, the offerings, many pieces are sold before folks even get to the fair, which is great.

[DA] Is there anything that we didn’t talk about that you want to bring up?
[DD] There is something else new to the fair this year which might be of interest: We’re introducing SOFA Selects. We’ve reached out to a number of art and design professionals, museum curators, designers, interior designers, architects and critics, to make their picks, the pieces they’re excited to see. So, when you get to the fair, for example, you’ll see that David McFadden from the Museum of Art and Design, chose a particular piece and why. It was a way to further engage the audience. When you’re here you’ll see these curators and these people walking around the show floor, but if you aren’t able to have a personal conversation with somebody, here’ a way in a sense, to get inside that person’s head. Why did this critic, curator, designer or architect choose that piece?

Maybe you’ll see that we’ve invited David Blaine, who’s a New York architect. He’s made his SOFA selection, and maybe you’re a new collector and you’re thinking about building a house and you like a particular piece, and you see that David Blaine has chosen this particular piece and you maybe feel like you share an aesthetic. Or maybe you see Suzanne Lovell has chosen a particular piece and you like the way her eye and sentimentality and maybe you’ll work with Suzanne.

We’re also really excited to have Jack Lenor Larsen coming to the fair this year. Jack is at SOFA for the first time, making his choices for the LongHouse Special Recognition Awards for Best in Show, which will be for best artwork and best booth design.

[DA] I really like the Select concept. There are so many offerings it can be overwhelming and the Select concept can serve as an organizer. Question, these selected pieces, are they earmarked at a respective booth or in an installation?
[DD] You will see them in the Select booth. You will also see signage calling out those pieces in their respective booths.

You know, we’re excited that it’s the 20th year and we’re hoping it’s one of our better fairs. We always try to improve it each time. Out of the 70 galleries this year there are 18 galleries from around the world, much higher than in previous years. So I think it really speaks to the importance of Chicago as an important marketplace.

event> sofa chicago 2013
venue> navy pier | chicago
preview> 31 october 2013 | 7>9p | tickets $50 [link] public viewing> 1>3 november 2013

[ exhibitors ]
Aaron Faber Gallery
Abmeyer + Wood Fine Art
Ann Nathan Gallery
Armaggan Art & Design Gallery
Barry Friedman Ltd
Berengo Studio 1989
Blue Rain Gallery
Bullseye Gallery
Charon Kransen Arts
Clark Priftis Art
Craft Scotland
CREA Gallery – Contemporary Fine Craft
Cultural Connections CC Gallery
David Richard Gallery
Diehl Gallery
Donna Schneier Fine Art
Duane Reed Gallery
flow gallery
Galerie Elca London
Gallery FW
German Pavilion – German Arts & Crafts
Glenn Aber Contemporary Art/AIBO Fine Asian Art
Habatat Galleries
Hawk Galleries
Hedone Gallery
Heller Gallery
Hive Contemporary
Ippodo Gallery
Jane Sauer Gallery
Jason Jacques Inc.
Jean Albano Gallery
Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections
John Natsoulas Gallery
Judy A Saslow Gallery
Kirra Galleries
Korea Craft Design Foundation
Lacoste Gallery
Lindsay Gallery
Litvak Gallery
Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery
Mattson’s Fine Art
Maurine Littleton Gallery
Mayer Fine Art
Mindy Solomon Gallery
Next Step Studio & Gallery
Officine Saffi Ceramic Arts Gallery
Oliver & Espig
Option Art/Galerie Elca London
Orley Shabahang
Palette Contemporary Art and Craft
PISMO Gallery
Pistachios
Pistachios
Ruth Lawrence Fine Art
Sarah Myerscough Gallery
Schantz Galleries Contemporary Glass
Scott Jacobson Gallery
Shabahang Persian Carpets
Sherrie Gallerie
ten472 Contemporary Art
Thalen & Thalen Sprl
The K. Allen Gallery
The Pardee Collection
Thomas R. Riley Galleries
Wexler Gallery
William Zimmer Gallery
Yvel

Leap of faith: wendell castle. Carpenters workshop gallery.

Oct 8, 2013

wind cries | 2013

Every angle of a Wendell Castle piece reveals new information. Viewed from afar, these hybrid forms seem to defy categorization. The voluminous organic curves that appear to grow from the floor itself are at once inviting and perplexing – what is our relation to the piece?

In his latest series, Leap of Faith, Wendell Castle revisits the paradoxical relationship of formal innovation to function, continuing his exploration of stack-lamination, a technique that simultaneously acknowledges the inherent characteristics of the material while creating boundless work, surprising sculptural pieces, devoid of any pre-conceived notions of form.

Leap of Faith capitalizes on Castle’s most recent trajectory – incorporating increasingly complex volumes into his additive process. As he explains, at the beginning of my career “I did it the way a sculptor would do it, like carving it out of a big lump of wood. But since that big lump of wood wasn’t readily available, I constructed a lump of wood using stack-lamination.” This early interest in building volumes by gluing together multiple timbers into large, monolithic blocks is taken to a new level as today, he further joins these blocks into large, multi-dimensional bodies. The recent works reveal greater scale and new forms that, despite their often-organic shapes, would be impossible in nature.

Although the functionality of the pieces is often obscured by the flowing complexity of their forms, the consistent wood surfaces, fastidious craftsmanship of the lamination, and interconnectedness of the design, allows each work to retain its identity as a singular piece of furniture.

night picture | 2012

night picture | 2012

long night | 2011

wendell castle

venue> carpenters workshop galler | marais | 54 rue de la verrerie | paris
dates> 26 october > 1 february 2014 | paris opening saturday 26 october / 4 > 9p

[ wendell castle ] [ carpenters workshop gallery ]

Design miami 2012. Preview 2.

Nov 29, 2012

unique black painted wood with gold necklace | louise nevelson | c 1960s | didier ltd.

“One of my favorite pictures of Louise Nevelson is the Richard Avedon photograph of her from 1970s wearing a black festooned hat and cape and layers upon layers of handmade necklaces. I love the idea that she made and wore her own jewelry and that it went hand-in-hand with her sculpture making process. The photograph of her is fearless, and her necklaces act as both her shield and badge of honor.

The Nevelson necklace offered at Didier has this same kind of resonance. It is a unique necklace composed of separate painted wooden parts contained in a gold framework. The necklace mixes unorthodox materials in the refined vocabulary of a fine jewelry setting. It is both elegant and bohemian, and when I tried it on I felt fearless and privileged to walk for a moment in the artist’s shoes.”

Sharon Coplan Hurowitz, Curator & Collector

mutation lounge | maarten de ceulaer | 2012 | industry gallery

“I like the mutation lounge by marteen de ceulaer, because of its pleasant organic forms, its function and its material: rubber. As a mother of three kids ages 4,6 and 8, this kind of child friendly but design driven furniture speaks to me – at the moment.”

Nadja Swarovski, Creative Director, Founder of Swarovski Crystal Palace and Member of the Swarovski Executive Board

linelight | johanna grawunder | 2012 | carpenters workshop gallery

“Johanna’s work always confounds expectation. She delights in upturning convention and creating work that prompts a response from the user. Linelight is no exception. At once poetic, I love the atmospheric play of light created between the panels, which both reveal and conceal the light source behind.”

Zoë Ryan, John H. Bryan Chair and Curator of Architecture and Design, The Art Institute of Chicago

bookshelves | charlotte perriand | 1963 | galerie downtown – françois laffanour

“The upcoming Design Miami Fair will present a lot of fascinating pieces of furniture, that being said I guess my taste is somewhat dated. I choose the book shelves by Charlotte Perriand as my favorite work, for the simplicity of the design and it’s place in history as a design classic.”

Richard Meier, Architect

desk | giò ponti | 1955 | galleria rossella colombari

“I’m always attracted to functionality so I can appreciate this desk. The use of different materials such as the red plastic laminate and brushed brass on steel worked really well for me as well”

Pharrell Williams, Artist

red and blue chair | g.t. rietvelds | 1918 | this is a reproduction | galerie vivid

“The Red and Blue chair is perhaps one of the most iconic design object of the twentieth century. They way the wooden members appear to ‘slip’ past one another while floating effortlessly in space, the way the primary colors suggest a spatial extension into a larger environment, the way it single-handedly embody the idealism of the De Stijl movement, is as refreshing and current today as almost a century ago since its inception.

What makes this particular Red and Blue chair especially intriguing is seeing it alongside its original crate; an object reminiscent of another furniture series by Gerrit Rietveld, designed slighter later, slightly less well known, but equally revolutionary: the Crate system furniture. Made from the recycled packaging material crate wood; Rietveld responded to economic crisis of the 1930’s with the Crate series that could be sold as a kit, easily shipped, affordable, and of utmost simplicity and beauty.

Together, the Red and Blue chair and it’s crate turns into an art object of its own; one that encompasses two ends within spectrum of design – one abstract and ideal, paradigmatic and heroic; the other concrete and everyday, pragmatic and anonymous – ethos that were important at the dawn of twentieth century design as they are today.”

Mark Lee, Architect and Collector

coffee table | wendell castle | 1966 | r 20th century

“I’m really drawn to this Wendell Castle stack-laminated coffee table. Beyond it being one of his pioneering simultaneously functional and sculptural works, the beautiful biomorphic lines remind me of a favorite piece of furniture from my childhood home in Argentina: an almost-sculptural squat wrought-iron tractor seat bench from an unknown designer from San Antonio de Areco, a small town in the Argentine pampas, who created beautiful organic furniture objects from parts of discarded farm machinery he found in that rural farmland region of Argentina. I can’t help but think of the similarity between that region of Argentina and the rural farmlands of Castle’s native Kansas, and how growing up in that region must have been a source of inspiration for the timeless organic forms in Castle’s work.”

Sebastian Cwilich, President and COO Art.sy

kangourou lounge chair | pierre jeanneret | 1960 | galerie patrick seguin

“Even though this Jeanneret chair is a work of clasical modernism, it is still atemporal…”

Fernando Romero, Architect

swan chair | datyendra pakhalé | 2012 | gabrielle ammann gallery

“We love the Swan chair and stool in marble from Gabrielle Ammann gallery – simply sublime and very poetic. One of our favorite things about the “Swan”chair is its simultaneously contradicting and complementary features. The seat flows and curves organically, appearing supple and soft, yet is of unyielding marble. Those same organic lines are themselves complemented by the regularity of the rectangular back, which forms a natural contour of one’s back.”

Robert Couturier, Interior Architect

rough sea | taher chermirik | 2012 | galerie bsl

“I love it. Architectural like Lapidus. Sculptural like Bertoia. Precision of a jeweler.”

Al Eiber, Collector

float | snarkitecture | 2012 | volume gallery

“Snarkitecture is a New York-based firm by architect Alex Mustonen and artist Daniel Arsham. Together they explore, push, and challenge the boundaries of material, scale, and space. Not only are they designing this year’s entry pavilion for Design Miami/ but Volume Gallery is also showing one of my favorite pieces by them: “Float”, a 450 lbs., 1 1/2 x 5 ft. bench-like construct made of cast marble dust.”

Felix Burrichter, Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director, PIN-UP

[ main gallery program ]
Caroline Van Hoek/ Brussels
Carpenters Workshop Gallery/ London & Paris
Cristina Grajales Gallery/ New York
Demisch Danant/ New York
Didier Ltd / London
Gabrielle Ammann // Gallery/ Cologne
Galerie BSL / Paris
Galerie Downtown-François Laffanour / Paris
Galerie Jacques Lacoste/ Paris
Galerie kreo / Paris
Galerie Patrick Seguin / Paris
Galerie VIVID / Rotterdam
Galleria Rossella Colombari / Milan
Gallery SEOMI / Seoul
Hostler Burrows / New York
Industry Gallery / Washington DC & Los Angeles
Jason Jacques Inc. / New York
Johnson Trading Gallery / New York
Jousse Entreprise / Paris
Magen H Gallery / New York
Moderne Gallery / Philadelphia
Mark McDonald / Hudson
Nilufar Gallery / Milan
Ornamentum / Hudson
Pierre Marie Giraud / Brussels
Priveekollektie Contemporary Art|Design / Heusden
R 20th Century / New York
Venice Projects / Venice

[ design on/site ]
Antonella Villnova / Florence presenting Delfina Delettrez
Booo / Eindhoven presenting Front
Carwan Gallery / Beirut presenting India Mahdavi
Design Space / Tel Aviv presenting Michal Cederbaum and Noam Dover
Erastudio Apartment- Gallery / Milan presenting
Victor Hunt Designart Dealer / Brussels presenting Slyvain Willenz + CIRVA
Volume Gallery / Chicago presenting Snarkitecture

[ schedule of events ]
public show | 5 > 9 december 2012
preview day | 4 december | collectors preview 12 > 6p | vernissage 6 > 9p
Design Miami’s cultural programme, including Design Talks, Design Performances, and Design Satellites, as well as the 2012 Designer of the Year, will be announced in the coming weeks.

[ about design miami/ ]
Design Miami/ is the global forum for design. Each fair brings together the most influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators and critics from around the world in celebration of design culture and commerce. Occurring alongside the Art Basel fairs in Miami, USA each December and Basel, Switzerland each June, Design Miami/ has become the premier venue for collecting, exhibiting, discussing and creating collectible design. [ design miami/ ] [ design blog ]

Living contemporary auction. Wright.

Sep 16, 2012

click > enlarge

Opening the fall auction season is Wright’s Living Contemporary sale, a thoughtfully edited auction comprised of functional and non-functional 20th and 21st century design paired with post-war and contemporary art. This sale features an outstanding selection of works by American, Argentine, Italian, Danish, French and Japanese designers.

An iconic painting by the American artist, Roger Brown, figures prominently in the auction, as does two Bertoia sculptures: a rare Dandelion and a large Spray sculpture. Exceptional works of art include those by Sam Francis, Louise Nevelson, Franz Hagenauer, Marino Marini, Matt Leines, Luciano Gaspari, Robert Loughlin, Conrad Marca-Relli and Ray Potes. An important painting by Victor Vasarely, a steel sculpture by Australian sculptor Clement Meadmore and a wrought iron and glass vase by Andre Dubreuil are also among the most highly anticipated lots of the sale.

Unparalleled craftsmanship is the hallmark of American pieces featured, such as JB Blunk’s organic-form coffee table carved from solid buckeye burl, an outstanding wall-mounted cabinet of welded and patinated steel by Paul Evans, a monumental hand-carved cabinet by Phillip Lloyd Powell, and a Conoid dining table crafted of American black walnut by George Nakashima. Extending the legacy of modern craftsmanship into the new millennium are contemporary works such as the Modern Primitive Chair by the New York based creators arandalasch, exhibited at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale, and three designs by the architect Steven Holl, including a stellar prototype cabinet of walnut, rubber and anodized aluminum. Works by international designers include a cast bronze and mosaic coffee table by Grillo Demo and a Delfi dining table by Carlo Scarpa and Marcel Breuer.

All lots are available for preview online at [ wright ] or through our catalog. Gallery preview 20>26 September, 10a>5p Monday > Saturday and Sunday by appointment. Wright | 1440 West Hubbard Street | Chicago. For additional information about this sale, please contact us at 312 563 0020 or email us at press@wright20.com.

Biennale des antiquaires 2012. Carpenter's workshop gallery

Sep 15, 2012

14 > 23 september 2012 | grand palais | booth mn 04/05

[ carpenters workshop gallery ] presents: wendell castle, ingrid donat, lonneke gordijn & ralph nauta, marc newson, pablo picasso | wendell castle and marc newson | click > enlarge

biennale des antiquaires
grand palais, paris
3 avenue du général eisenhower

14 > 23 september 2012 | 11am > 8pm
until 11pm on 18/20/22 september
until 4pm on 23 september

Chat with designer wendell castle. Design miami 2010.

Nov 3, 2011

[DesignApplause] It’s late afternoon and the crowd has thinned out a bit in the Design Miami pavilion where ten design galleries are set up. Having just arrived I am at the moment in the Barry Friedman gallery space. Barry knows I would like to talk to a designer and introduces me to Wendell Castle who walks into the space because he and Barry are going to dinner.

click > enlarge

[Wendell Castle ] I’m Wendell Castle and I’m here at Design Miami right in front of four pieces of mine, two what I think of as stools and two are huge rocking chairs. I’ve really been into rocking chairs last year, about a dozen in this series that all have these very long rockers, where often you don’t know where the ideas come from for things or references, but then sometimes you do.

In this case I do. They’re automobile references, references to speed, references to a bucket seat, and references to the type of camber that early sports cars had. Where the wheels aren’t being parallel and where the bottom of the wheels are being closer together than the top of the wheels. And I also like the fact that the color of the pieces, I’ve sort of taken the natural color of the wood away, and one of them is stained black and one is stained white, which to me are very pure colors.

The little stools are like walking stools. These pieces have names and I forget their names and I have to read the labels. I don’t remember names, but the little stools are a small edition so we’re going to make more of those. But the rockers are unique. And that’s what I’m involved in on a daily basis, making furniture as art.

[DA] Where did you grow up?
[WC] Rochester, New York. Actually just outside Rochester in a little village called Scottsville.

[DA] That’s were live now?
[WC] As a matter of fact, that’s where my studio is. Though we also live part-time in New York City. And my gallery, Barry Friedman, is in New York City.

[DA] Well, I love your work. These rockers are very playful. I did think of a vintage Talbot-Lago when I look at the rockers. The wood finish is remarkable.
[WC] Thank you.

[DA] That was all the time I had with Wendell but now I recognize his work. I am a bit late with posting this chat however I was prompted as Wendell is opening a show 4 November at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London. The name of the gallery certainly alludes to the craft of Wendell for sure. And as he mentions there are over a dozen rockers out there, I’ve inserted others that were not in Miami in this post.

[ wendell castle collections ] [ 4 November | Carpenters Workshop Gallery | London ]