Absolutely love this pair of standing lamps (1969) by Paolo Portoghesi (b.1931). They are made of white painted wooden rings. Porteghesi’s training as an architect can clearly be seen in the linear structure of these lights.
Galerie Fradin Labrosse, 13 rue de Lille, 75007, Paris.
In the small village of Rieupeyroux in Aveyron we happened upon a small family company of woodworkers, Atelier Milofourmos which goes back three generations. Jean Marty, whose father and grandfather preceded him in the family business, prides himself on finding and working with the finest raw materials and following the traditional methods of working. The combinations of wood were beautiful and Mr Marty’s obvious delight in explaining the woods with which he works was inspiring. In the cabinet above he worked with mahogany, Norwegian birch wood, sycamore and cherry wood – with Boa skin inlays in the outer cabinet doors. He explained that he had been inspired by his grandfather’s love of the beauty of wood and the skilful art of woodwork. The passing on of tradition in design through the generations keeps alive the original methods and aspirations, while adding a contemporary twist.
This beautiful chair made of solid oak and cherry wood has veneered wood in the seating slats so that the wood has more ‘give’ for the comfort of the sitter. Look at the beautiful leather details at the end of each slat. The pleasure Mr Marty took in explaining his craft reminded us of contemporary cabinetmaker Tony Konovaloff’s quote:
“The things I make may be for others, but how I make them is for me”.
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Detail of a console in solid oak and sycamore wood.
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Guéridon in solid oak and ash wood.
With the exciting momentum created by the innovation of digital design in our contemporary world, it is inspiring to see the older traditions co-existing to forge a valuable continuum.
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Atelier Milofourmos, 12240 Rieupeyroux, Aveyron.
There is an astonishingly theatrical feel to her work (Guo Pei is also an opera costume designer) with semi-sculptural elements.
You might have seen images of this stunning cape worn by Rihanna at the recent Met Ball.
The hand-done embroidery is meticulously crafted with a delicate beauty. A true work of art.
Guo Pei is currently showcasing her “Porcelain” collection at the New York Metropolitan Museum, as part of the exhibition “China: Through the Looking Glass”.
Definitely a talent to watch!
Sideboard by George Nakashima, Armchairs by Finn Juhl, artwork by Ellsworth Kelly.
We fell in love with a London-based weekly newsletter about art earlier this year. It’s called Sunday Reading and is produced by Susan Mumford, an American in London, who is the founder of two organizations that provide support to art world professionals: the Association of Women Art Dealers (AWAD) and Be Smart About Art.
Susan has been spending more and more time in New York in the recent years as AWAD is becoming established there to great success. Recently this group has started opening up to collectors who are interested in learning more about the art market.
We thought that her expertise garnered over years of experience in the professional art market (She was an advisor and gallerist before founding AWAD.) would offer some interesting insights to you as collectors and enthusiasts of collectible design.
Q&A with Susan Mumford
As someone who is in constant contact with the entire spectrum of professionals (artists,gallerists, dealers, advisors….) in the fine art world, can you offer 5 tips about the professional arena that could enlighten potential collectors in art as well as design.
*This is the first time a work of art sells.
What are your top 5 guidelines for people just starting to collect?
Are advisors worth the investment? Why? And do you have advise about choosing One?
Needless to say, it depends on the advisor. They work at all levels of market, from bottom to high end. What can be surprising is that they can often get you the best price and sometimes even save you money. There’s no doubt that they can advise as to whether or not your budget is realistic for what you want to purchase, and they will also know where and how to source to save you time and effort. As with so many things in life, you get what you pay for.
What is a fair pricing structure for this service?
There are so many different services offered by advisors that this could be a long answer!
Take note that they should not be charging commission on top of acquisition prices. They should take commission from the seller (whoever that is, artist or dealer), not from both ends.
If there’s going to be ongoing work for a client, they might charge a monthly retainer or bill monthly based on time worked. Some advisory firms have collectors pay a set amount into a client account in order to come onboard, from which their services and sometimes acquisitions can be paid.
As a general principle, consulting fees pay for advisor costs and expenses, and commission on sales that they successfully broker is where their profit lies. The art world is unregulated and there are numerous scenarios as to how advisors arrange terms. Make certain it’s fair, do your research prior to proceeding and pay attention to your gut instinct.
Where is a good place to start learning about art or design?
Soak in a lot of it! See local shows, attend fairs and make it to some of the major ‘art weeks’ and events, close to home and internationally. Important events include Miami Art Week / Art Basel (Miami, Switzerland and Hong Kong), Armory Week, Maastricht and Frieze Week (London and New York). After looking a lot, you’ll start to understand your own eye.
(We would add a few more events that are specific to design: Design Miami in Miami and Basel, Switzerland, PAD Paris and London, the Biennale in Paris, and Collective Design, NY just to name a few …)
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If you found this interesting we encourage you to subscribe to Susan’s blog.
Also, Be Smart About Art is fundraising the self-publication of the top 100 posts from the first two years of the ‘Sunday reading’ series. Each story will be accompanied by the original accompanying image, a visual interpretation of the concept. With a distributor already on board, the book is destined for the shelves of museums, galleries and book shops.
“Like the rest of Be Smart About Art’s work, Susan Mumford’s weekly blog takes a fresh, down-to-earth approach to the business of art. Always a great read, it answers the vital questions that you didn’t even know you wanted to ask.” -Ivan Macquisten, former Editor, Antiques Trade Gazette
They’re asking for your support: Watch the 2-minute video discover full details and pre-order a copy of the printed publication at http://bsaa.co/sundayreadingtop100
Susan Mumford and Lennox Cato – antiques dealer debate on whether physical galleries are still necessary at Olympia Art and Antiques Fair. 2011 Hosted by Antiques Trade Gazette. Antiques Trade Gazette
Susan giving a Periscope tour at ‘Mapping Time’ (Joanna Bryant Projects + Julian Page) at #bsaaff Be Smart About Art First Fridays (June 2015)
Susan presenting professional development workshop at Four Corners Film Production, London.
Don’t miss the exhibition of French designer and editor Jacques Biny’s work which just opened at Galerie Pascal Cuisinier in St Germain de Près. Biny (1915-1976) first exhibited at the Foire de Paris in 1950 and created the mason d’edition de luminaries Luminalité in 1953 where he promoted and edited the work of young designers (Michel Buffet, Gustav Gautier, Louis Baillon) as well as his own pieces. His work was characterized by its inventiveness and a bold use of materials (perspex, perforated metal). A man of many talents, Biny was also artistic director for the couture house, Madeleine Vionnet.
Five table lamps produced by Luminalité:( left to right) lamps 258 & 259 by Jacques Biny. Lamp 316 by Jean Boris Lacroix. Lampe 201 & 210 by Michel Buffet. Lamp 316 (1958).
All images courtesy of Galerie Pascal Cusinier.
Exhibition open until 12th September 2015.
Galerie Pascal Cusinier, 13 rue de Seine, 75006.
Tables modulable ‘Bouts de canapé’ (2015) by MAJD BAZERJI (2015). H60 x W60 x L40cm.
Here’s an interesting roundup of articles about Design Miami/Basel earlier this month. Enjoy!
A Forum for design: Design Miami/Basel 2015 Show Report – Wallpaper
Design Miami/Basel 2015 Highlights – ARTINFO UK
Highlights from Design Miami/Basel – Architectural Digest
Seven of the Best in Design Miami Basel’s 10th Edition – The Art Newspaper
Fun Rules at Design Miami/Basel with Whimsical Furniture, Lamps and Livable Sculptures – Artnet News
Design Miami celebrates its 10th Anniversary in Basel – InCollect
Tightening Supply in French Mid-Century pushes Design Miami dealers into new Territory – Artsy
Here are the dates for Design Miami and next years Design Miami Basel. Hope to see you there!
Design Miami/
November 29 (Preview Day)
November 30 – December 4 2015.
Design Miami/ Basel
June 13 (Preview Day)
June 14 – 19 2016.
“There are many different colors in birch bark– grey, blue, rose, green” says Sophie Gallardo as she picks up a piece of bark in her studio in Les Puces de Saint Ouen. She points out many subtle hues and then starts to explore the knots and striations and her imagination takes flight. It is clear that her Birch Bark project is a labour of love.
The objects she creates weave together her interest in nature and antiques to tell a story that is poetic and even magical. Launched in 2011 her work has already been spotted by the interior designer Jean Louis Denoit, who acquired pieces for one of his projects. And Galerie Perrotin has purchased from them as well!
“Our work is creativity born of necessity, says Sophie’s partner George-Guillaumme Cassan. Both have long and interesting careers in antiques and furniture making in Les Puces and together they felt compelled to create something new in this market while respecting the world of antiques in which they live.
Taking inspiration from their many walks in the woods with their dog Tindalos and, importantly, the enrapturing work of cult figure Janice Janet, they conceived of this idea to re-imagine furniture covered in birch bark marquetry. Unlike the rustic Adirondack furniture found in the US, which is covered in this bark and goes further by incorporating entire branches as structural elements, Sophie began experimenting by acquiring antiques chest and tables in Les Puces. She and George-Guillaumme choose pieces such as consoles, cabinets and frames that speak to them – objects with soul and wonderful solid construction. They take these existing objects and give them a new story.
Sourcing and preparing the bark is a labor-intensive process. The bark is sourced from fallen trees in the forests around Paris. Sophie notes that unlike most other plants in the forest, insects do not eat birch bark; and it is waterproof. Therefore, it survives long after the tree has fallen and naturally creates a durable material for use in decorating furniture.
She has created a special glue formula that is placed on the back of the bark once it has been cleaned. This makes the bark stronger and pliable. She hammers each piece of bark to make sure that it is strong and that no pieces will break off. “This furniture is built to last.”, remarks George –Guillaume.
Then the fun really begins. You can see Sophie’s creativity and talent emerge. “It’s like couture.” says George-Guillaumme. She starts fitting disparate pieces together and pointing to mountains, lakes and animals such as owls in the bark. She creates a story with the bark that will envelope the structure.
Amythyst, rock crystal, labrodite and other precious stones in their natural form protrude from the objects surface, as glorious exclamation points to the natural beauty of the birch bark.
The partners declare, “Nature is the real artist. We serve nature.”
There work will be presented at Revelations – Le Salon des Métiers d’Art et de la Création at the Grand Palais in Paris, 10-13 September 2015.
All photos courtesy of www.birchbarkfurniture.com or taken by Artecase/Design Link
If you’re in Paris this July, make time for a stop at the Fradin Labrosse gallery on the left bank. This beautiful gilded bronze standing lamp (1970) by French designer Rene Broissard with its stylized heron base stopped us in our tracks. Supremely elegant, the smoked altuglas floor base serves to anchor the soaring heron. Just glorious!
Also spied at the gallery was this fabulous Italian mid century sofa by Frederico Munari (1950). Sometimes referred to as the ‘canapé haricot’ due to its shape, it is large, imposing and spectacular! (L230 x H80cm). We loved the refined, sweeping curve and the beautifully positioned legs. Just oozing elegance and sophistication, this would be a true statement piece.
At the Musée des Arts Decoratives this week we were lucky enough to view Guo Pei’s spectacular couture collection. This was her first showing in Paris. She established her Rose Studio Workshop in Beijing in 1997 and her work continues the centuries-old traditions of embroidering and painting in China – with of course a modern twist and an eye on contemporary innovation. What is so intriguing about her work is that texture, fabric and shape resonate with meaning and tell the stories that painting and embroidery have told throughout the ages in China.