Farewell: Eva Zeisel + Sori Yanagi

Passing away this past week were two of the Modern Movement's greatest champions of fluidity and grace. Eva Zeisel leaves us at 105, Sori Yanagi at 96.

The beautiful first photo is from Talisman, via ifitshipitshere.

Look+Listen: Zooey Deschanel+Joseph Gordon-Levitt: What Are You Doing New Years Eve?

Zooey and Joseph reunite for a charming duet.

Look+Listen: Ben Howard: Old Pine

A beautiful duet to close out the year.  Enjoy.

Icons: Santa x John + Marilyn Neuhart

Marilyn Newhart recounts the story behind their giant Christmas card:

I had the bright idea to make a giant card for Christmas 1969. John was not noticeably enthusiastic but he went along with the idea, so I drew the Santa, cut some screens and John did the type. It took both of us to pull the squeegee because of the large amount of ink required for a poster of this size. That didn’t work very well, so I got behind John and held on to his belt while he gave a mighty pull. That made him even more unhappy. John rigged a clothesline to hang the wet sheets on. The fumes really built up after a bit so John opened the garage door, causing the sheets to blow into each other and get smudged. By this time he was openly hostile, and kept saying “Why didn’t you think of that?” We started with 150 sheets, a number that rapidly dwindled to our final edition of about 75. We were divorced at least six times during the process, which was normal for this type of project.

Via okgreat.

Have a great holidays everyone!

RB

Icons: Charles-Edouard Jeanneret

a.k.a. Le Corbusier.

"A hundred times have I thought New York is a catastrophe and 50 times: It is a beautiful catastrophe."

Via Black Watch.

Look+Listen: Erik Omen: Payhone (featuring Holiday Sidewinder)

Front to back delight from lo-fi Sydney duo Erik Omen. Buoyed by a haunting vocal assist from Bridezilla's Holiday Sidewinder and available now as a limited 12" via Midnight Juggernauts imprint Siberia Records.

Director - Erik Omen
Motion Graphics / Designer - Mel Pragassen
Producer - Al Morrow

Via pedestrian.

Daily Dose: Wegner x Knoll

The Hans Wegner collection, distributed by Knoll from 1970 to 1978. From the Knoll Archives, via Knoll's facebook.

Look+Listen: Dance like no one is watching

Feeling down? This should cheer you up. Angela Trimbur dances like nobody’s watching to Lykke Li’s “I’m Good, I’m Gone” at a laundromat in Echo Park.

PLACE: Laundromat in Echo Park, CA.
SONG: LYKKE LI- I'm Good, I'm Gone.
WHY I CHOSE THIS SONG: I just went through a bum of a breakup. I've been mega sad/low. This title caught my eye as I scrolled through- it's fitting!"
LYRIC I LOVE: "Yeah, I know I'll get it back. Yeah, I know your hands will clap."

Daily Dose: Mobilier National

An installation view of the “Mobilier National” show at Demisch Danant gallery in New York, featuring select works by French masters Olivier Mourgue, Pierre Paulin, Andre Monpoix, Etienne Henri Martin, Michel Boyer, Henri Lesetre, Claude Lalanne, Rene Jean Caillette, and Alain Richard.

Photo: Oliver Christie, courtesy Demisch Danant. Read the full article at AD.

Spaces: Karen + Christian Boros: Berlin Bunker

Freunde von Freunden takes us on a tour of art collectors Karen and Christain Boros incredible home, formerly a WWII bunker. Complimenting the art collection is an equally impressive collection of 20th Century design, including works by Florence Knoll, Warren Platner, the Eames, Oscar Neimeyer, Hans Wegner, Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner, and many more.

In the Boros residence – a former Second World War air raid shelter built in 1942 in central Berlin – visitors can easily lose their way in the maze-like corridors of bare concrete.   There, Christian and his wife, Karen, live with their son amidst paintings by Elizabeth Peyton and a series of installations by groundbreaking artists such as Olafur Eliasson. It is a dream home that once seemed impossible to realize, but has now become an art manifesto for Berlin’s historical Mitte district, where change is the norm.  The whole interview and all pictures will follow in 2012. In the meantime you find the best pictures in our book freundevonfreunden.com/book/

Video by Christian Fussenegger and Maren Sextro.

Flashback: 1994: Portishead: Roads (Live)

speechless

Favorite Picks: Christies: Important 20th Century Decorative Art & Design

Some of the best auctions of the season are approaching, bringing with it some of the most important works of 20th Century Design to the market.

December 17th is Christies upcoming Important 20th Century Decorative Arts & Design auction. These are my favorite picks:

A glamorous 70s Nuage coffee table in brass and smoked lucite by Guy de Rougemont.

An Ado Chale occasional table in malachite, resin, and steel.

Brass and glass Micro wall lamps, and an illuminated wall mirror, both by Max Ingrand.

A freeform burl Minguren table by George Nakashima.

A pair of lounge chairs and wall mounted dressers, both by Gio Ponti.

Lyrical Bouquet wall lamps by Jean Royere.

A surrealist plaster side table by John Dickinson.

A rare Jean Prouvé Bridge Direction arm chair.

Massive bookcase by Charlotte Perriand.

A 4-arm articulated wall lamp by Serge Mouille.


The auction takes place December 17th, see the full preview at Christies.

Listen: Chromatics: Tick of the Clock

► CHROMATICS / TICK OF THE CLOCK (Original "NIGHT DRIVE" Version)

Written by Jonnhy Jewel from the 2007 album Night Drive (and also appearing on the Drive soundtrack).

Barbara Palvin by Zoltan Tombor

Smoldering excerpts from a shoot by Zoltan Tombor. See the rest of the shoot at fashion gone rogue.

Spaces: Azzedine Alaïa Executive Suites: Paris

One of three executive suites in Paris, designed by legendary fashion-turned-interior designer Azzedine Alaïa.

From an article by Laura Bradley:

The mark of a good designer, or in fact any creative, is a strong, recognisable signature. Azzedine Alaïa has plenty: a monochrome palette, second-skin dresses, accentuated waists, laser-cut accessories. So it seems only right that the Tunisian designer who opened his first Parisian atelier in the 1970s, now turns his hand to interior design. As well as designing and producing four collections per year, and personal orders, Alaïa has overseen the conversion of a 300 sqm loft in a traditional 17th century building located in the Rue de Moussy of Marais district of Paris, into three exclusive suites. Better still, the building is located next to his boutique, atelier, showroom, warehouse and private dwelling – guests who stay will enjoy breakfast from Alaïa's private kitchen.


The apartments feature a wealth of 20th Century modernism, including works by Jean Prouve, Charlotte Perriand, Serge Mouille, Pierre Paulin, Harry Bertoia, Osvaldo Borsani,  Kwok Hoi Chan, Arne Jacobsen, Sori Yanagi, Elenora Peduzzi-Riva and Gianfranco Frattini.

Photos by Alexandre & Emilie, personaproduction.


Via AnOther, Yatzer, and Charlie & Lee.

Favorite Picks: Sotheby's: Important 20th Century Design

Some of the best auctions of the season are approaching, bringing with it some of the most important works of 20th Century Design to the market.

December 15th is Sotheby's New York upcoming Important 20th Century Design auction. These are my favorite picks:

An important prototypical chair by Isamu Noguchi for the Burden Residence. This chair, and a set of andirons, were the only things that survived the fire that consumed the masterpiece home in 1999  (a rather amazing story you can read here).

A unique and important table by Marcel Coard, entirely sheathed in an exquisite eggshell inlay.

A rare 1950's produced rosewood LCW by Charles and Ray Eames.

An extremely rare model coffee table by Harry Bertoia, produced by Knoll Stuttgart.

A superb monumental Conoid dining table and chairs by George Nakashima.

Bamboo and leather wall lamps by Jacques Adnet.

Jean Prouvé wardrobe in oak and steel.

Massive bookcase by Charlotte Perriand.

A sculptural brutalist coffee table by Paul Evans .

A constructivist aluminum and glass occasional table by Louis Sognot.


The auction takes place December 15th, see the full preview at Sothebys.