FRANCE 1500 THE PICTORIAL ARTS AT THE DAWN OF THE RENAISSANCE

July 22, 2010 – 12:13 pm

FRANCE 1500: the Pictorial Arts at the Dawn of the Renaissance is an important show being presented in Paris, New York and Chicago by LES ENLUMINURES gallery and its founder Sandra Hindman, the leading expert and author of many books on medieval and Renaissance manuscript illumination. It is designed to complement a major international exhibition, “Entre Moyen Age et Renaissance France 1500″ organized by Reunion des musees nationaux (Paris) and the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Les Enluminures exhibition brings together 45 diverse works that include manuscripts, Books of Hours, single leaves and cuttings, coffrets with early xylographs and stained glass.  Among the artists are Jean Bourdichon, the Master of the Tres Petites Heures d’Anne de Bretagne, Jean Fouquet, Noel Bellemare, Guillaume Barbe, and many others.  Sandra Hindman says that the themes of the exhibition — French Humanism, the Dominance of Paris, the Influence of Italy and the North — encourage a re-appreciation of the flourishing of the arts at the dawn of the Renaissance.

While the Museum exhibition takes place in Paris at the Grand Palais Oct 6-Jan 10, Sandra Hindman has coordinated the three LES ENLUMINURES gallery shows on the subject to begin at Les Enluminures gallery in Paris Sept 9 – Nov 28; go on to New York from Jan 19 – Feb 5 and then move on to Chicago from April 21 – 23…when the Art Institute of Chicago will present the museum show from Feb 26 – May 30.

Dr. Hindman opened Les Enluminures at the Louvre des Antiquaires in Paris nearly two decades ago.  She holds a Ph.D in Art History from Cornell University and is Professor Emerita of Art History at Northwestern University where she taught for 18 years and twice served as Chair of the Department of Art History. She also taught for 11 years at John Hopkins University.

The primary focus of Sandra Hindman and Les Enluminures is on illuminated manuscripts and miniatures, but the gallery also presents works of art, such as sculpture, small-scale metalwork and ivories, as well as finger rings. Dr. Hindman consults with a number of experts and authors the annual catalogues Les Enluminures issues.

Sandra Hindman has provided important assistance to museums and private collectors who know the gallery’s reputation and have seen its exhibitions at some of the finest art and antiques shows including the Winter Antique Show in New York, the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show, the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris and the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht.

Among the many international clients of the gallery are the Musee de Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, the British Library, and the Getty Museum.

LES ENLUMINURES
Le Louvre des Antiquaires, 2 Place du Palais-Royal, 75001 Paris (France)
Tel: +33 1 42 60 15 58
info@lesenluminures.com
www.lesenluminures.com (virtual exhibit www.lesenluminures-france1500.com)

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVENT >>

Posted in General Interest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

TANSU THE CABINETRY HERITAGE OF JAPAN

July 12, 2010 – 8:01 am

Hosted by The Nippon Club July 13 – August 4 and by Shibui August 10 – September 30

As part of a celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the first Japanese diplomatic delegation to New York, Dane Owen and David Jackson of SHIBUI have curated a show that demonstrates “how TANSU chests evolved along with the social, technological and political changes in Japan over the last 150 years”

NEW YORK  May 17  2010  — The first diplomatic delegation of Japanese to arrive in New York comprised eighty Samurai diplomats and created one of the biggest spectacles of the time, on June 16, 1860.

One hundred fifty years later The NIPPON CLUB, the West 57th Street social and cultural club established in 1905 “to tighten the unity of the Japanese community and to develop a better relationship with the American People” is hosting a number of events to commemorate this historic development.

One summer exhibition, “TANSU: The Cabinetry Heritage of Japan” at The Nippon Club will be on view between July 13 and August 4 when co-curators Dane Owen and David Jackson show 20 important examples of Japanese TANSU chests that “define Japan’s cabinetry heritage, and reflect on 150 years of Japan’s economic expansion and influence.”  A special lecture in Kaidan Dansu, Tansu step chests, will be given by David Jackson.

It is altogether fitting to use TANSU chests to illustrate the cabinetry heritage of Japan.

David Jackson says, “This exhibit shows how Tansu evolved along with the social, technological and political changes over the past 150 years, and how Tansu played a subtle inspirational role in design almost from the time the first chests appeared in America.”

Co-curator, Dane Owen says, “Since the middle of the 19th century images of Tansu chests have captivated western audiences. From an 1886 book “Japanese Homes and their Surroundings,” to the architecture of Greene and Greene to contemporary interior design, Americans have shown a real fascination with Tansu.

“Japanese Samurai commanded the highest quality Tansu. They created sumptuary laws to maintain status over the rising wealth of the merchant class.  Lacquer workers might spend an entire year creating just the effect they sought. The most skilled metal workers had to reserve certain designs solely for Samurai-level clients and their work could be identified by the intricacy of the design and the high level of hand craftsmanship in its execution.”

Dane Owen and David Jackson literally ‘wrote the book’ on Japanese Tansu… JAPANESE CABINETRY: The Art and Craft of Tansu (David Jackson and Dane Owen, Gibbs-Smith 2002…available on amazon.com), describes the cornerstone of 18th and 19th century Japanese craftsmanship. It focuses on the artful blend of the skills of the expert joiner, blacksmith and finisher to create entirely hand-made, one of a kind chests essential to understanding the hierarchal life of townsmen and Samurai.

Owen says, “Tansu come in many forms and designs and range from modest to very grand.  During the late Edo (1603-1868) and Meiji Periods (1868-1912) their design reflected not only the skills of the cabinet maker, lacquer master and iron monger but also the status and political power of the Tansu buyer.  Tansu were as useful as they were beautiful. Some of the most elaborate served ship captains and merchants while others were designed to protect Kimono; hold kitchen ware or allow peddlers to carry their goods from town to town.

“We are respectful of the talent and time that went in to producing these unique pieces. Elaborate configurations were devised to provide the most appropriate storage for kimonos, lacquer, tea ware, swords, books and the inventory of the thriving merchant classes, as well as sea captains, apothecaries, and peddlers.”

In their book Owen and conservator David Jackson, say Tansu are seen as “the realization of several revered craft traditions using select woods, hand-forged iron and opaque and transparent lacquers.” The authors say Tansu “were the receptacles of an age of economic expansion.”

The curators are using images of woodblock prints, picture books, antique maps and photographs from their personal collections in this special Tansu exhibition.

Dane Owen became fascinated by Tansu while still a student at St John’s College in Santa Fe. 15 years ago he founded the Shibui gallery (www.shibui.com) there. He travels to Japan for a month at a time, largely to out of the way locales where he has come to recognize the regional style of  noteworthy Tansu metalworkers, woodworkers and lacquer masters who created 18th and 19th century Tansu. His long time clients appreciate both his sensitivity to maintaining the original patina and historical integrity of the Tansu he imports, and his aesthetic eye.

In December Dane Owen relocated SHIBUI to New York and is showing his Tansu and Japanese folk art collections from Shibui’s new DUMBO district warehouse, at 306 Water Street (between Gold and Hudson 718 875 1119) while searching for a suitable shop in SOHO.

“The concept of ‘shibui’ is simple, subtle elegance.  Shibui is the highest level of beauty. The Tansu I offer in my gallery reflect that ideal. We gently restore the furniture, and avoid refinishing whenever possible.”

Shibui’s huge new warehouse-gallery on Water Street is just a block from ‘The Commandant’s Mansion’ in Vinegar Hill, nearby the Old Brooklyn Navy Yard, once the home of Admiral Matthew Perry, who coincidentally helped open Japan to trade in 1854.

David Jackson has been conserving and researching Tansu for many years and authored a recent feature article on the history of Tansu step-chests – kaidan dansu – in issue #61 of Daruma magazine.

“From a practical standpoint,” he says, “Tansu are ideal for 21st century audiences. The Japanese made the chests in sections and most can easily be broken down to ease installation. The Japanese gave their Tansu side handles to make them portable, and often stored them in outside fireproof structures called ‘kura.’ It was all about adapting to your environment and being flexible about choosing furnishings that suited your family and lifestyle and the necessity of being organized. In that regard Tansu remain as useful now as they were then, and as beautiful.”

Owen adds that “The Japanese adopted the basic open space that we think of when we think of a Japanese room. But at the time their motivation was not completely aesthetic. They actually were trying to avoid a big tax on their house. Storehouses were not taxed. So the Japanese learned to deal with interior spaces very efficiently. With an open space, the Japanese could use the same room as a bedroom, an office or dining room, simply by removing furnishings from Tansu when they were needed. This lesson in using space and storage ingeniously is very applicable to NY living. The right sort of storage for the right objects creates space.”

IF YOU GO

TANSU: The Cabinetry Heritage of Japan
July 13 – August 4
at The Nippon Club
Hosted by The Nippon Club
Supported by J.C.C. Fund of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York

OPENING RECEPTION JULY 14 FROM 6 – 8 PM

145 West 57 Street
(between Sixth and Seventh Ave)
F train to 57 St and 6th Avenue
N, Q, R, W trains to 57 St and 7th Avenue
10-6 Mon-Fri 10-5 on Sat free admission
www.nipponclub.org
212 581 2223
curated by David Jackson and Dane Owen

Co-authors JAPANESE CABINETRY: The Art and Craft of Tansu
(David Jackson and Dane Owen, Gibbs-Smith 2002…available on amazon.com)

and August 10 – Sept 30
at new Shibui gallery
SHIBUI 306 Water Street, Vinegar Hill, Dumbo, Brooklyn NY
“F” train to York Street, upstairs….go right down hill 2 blocks to Water Street, turn right again
www.shibui.com
718 875 1119
Mon-Sun  11 – 6

Posted in General Interest | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (3)

POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY EVENING AUCTION AT CHRISTIE’S REALISES $68.6 MILLION

July 6, 2010 – 12:09 pm

• Strong Results from Global Marketplace for International Artists
• Six Auction Record prices established for Jules de Balincourt, Alighiero Boetti, Glenn Brown, Chapman Brothers, Chris Ofili, Sean Scully
• Market Confidence Remains as 16 works sell for over £1 million / 19 for over $1 million
• Iconic Silver Liz, 1963, by Andy Warhol sells for £6.8 million / $10.2 million / €8.3 million

London – The Post-War and Contemporary Evening Auction took place this evening at Christie’s and realised £45,640,200 /$68,642,861/ €56,091,806, selling 84% by lot and 85% by value.

“We curated this sale very carefully, offering a diverse range of works that were exciting and fresh, had great energy, and were of excellent quality. As a result, the market responded with real enthusiasm” said Francis Outred, Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s Europe. “The signature work in the sale was arguably Mappa by Boetti; it acted as a symbol as a global audience competed for international artists and achieved £1.8 million, double its low estimate. Younger artists shone alongside the established names and the results demonstrate a continued desire to acquire Post-War and Contemporary Art.”

The top price was paid for Silver Liz, 1963, by Andy Warhol (1928-1987), one of only two paintings by the artist to depict the celebrated actress and Hollywood icon with her legendary violet eyes. It sold to an anonymous bidder for £6,762,150 / $10,168,920/€3,354,248. Further highlights of the evening included Loopy, 1999, by Jeff Koons (b. 1955), showing childhood motifs from the artist’s Easyfun series, which sold for £3,401,250/$5,115,480/€4,180,136 (estimate: £2.5 million to £3.5 million), a record for a painting by the artist.

Mappa, 1989, by Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994), an exceptional work of art from the celebrated series by the artist which predicted the power of globalization, sold for a new auction record for the artist at £1,833,250 $2,757,208/ € 2,253,064 (estimate: £900,000-1,200,000).

Roy Lichtenstein’s Collage for Nude with Red Shirt sold above the pre-sale estimate of £600,000-800,000 for £2,729,250/$4,104,792/€3,354,248. The work really excited the audience and bidders took it to a new record price for a work on paper by the artist.

Works by younger generation artists also performed well including US World Studies II by Jules de Balincourt (b. 1972) which opened the sale and quickly sold for a world auction record price of £277,250 /$416,984/€340,740 (estimate: £40,000-60,000).

A group of works by the YBAs (Young British Artists), all offered from different vendors, included three works exhibited at the Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1997. Highlights
included Glenn Brown’s (b.1966) Dalí-Christ (after ‘Soft Construction with Boiled Beans: Premonition of Civil War’ 1936 by Salvador Dalí) By kind permission of the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, Spain, an iconic work of Young British Art which sold for a new auction record of £1,441,250/$2,167,640/€1,771,296 (estimate: £700,000 to £1 million); Jake and Dinos Chapman’s (b.1966and 1962) Übermensch, which has been exhibited throughout the world at most of the major surveys of this groundbreaking movement, sold for a record £241,250/$362,840/€296,496 (estimate:£250,000-350,000); and Orgena, 1998, by Chris Ofili (b.1968), a glorious celebration of African Womanhood bathed in rich golden glitter and droplets of paint in a rainbow of colours, which also realised an auction record of £1,889,250/$2,841,432/€2,321,888 (estimate: £700,000-1,000,000).

Azulejões-Cacho & Arabesco Dormindo (Tiles-Bunch and Sleeping Arabesque) by Adriana Varejão (b.1964) was the first of the artist’s works to be offered at a Post-War and Contemporary Evening auction. It realised £169,250/$254,250/€208,008 against a pre-sale estimate of £70,000-100,000.

Artist records were established this evening for Jules de Balincourt; Alighiero Boetti; Glenn Brown; Chapman Brothers; Chris Ofili, a painting by Jeff Koons and a work on paper by Roy Lichtenstein.

Buyer breakdown (by lot / by origin) were 58% Europe with UK, 30% Americas and 4% Asia, 5% Other. The Post-War and Contemporary Art day sale continues tomorrow morning at Christie’s King Street.

Full results of the sales can be found at the following link:  http://www.christies.com/results/

Photos courtesy of Christie’s

Posted in General Interest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

RETURN OF THE SEEKER

June 14, 2010 – 4:09 pm

By Joseph Lawrence for Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA

Brussels, Belgium, circa 1966. The challenge had come without warning. On one side of the board sat a handsome, somewhat mysterious man, a self-proclaimed chess champion from the birthplace of the game itself. On the other sat René Magritte, the famous Belgian Surrealist artist. Perched on an easel in the background was Magritte’s seminal image of a pipe, Ceci n’est pas une Pipe. According to a recounting of the event, the match did not last long, as Magritte proceeded to quickly checkmate his young visitor.

At the time, the art world, and the world at large for that matter, was already familiar with Magritte, whose intriguing paintings would eventually be worth millions. But who was the man from India for whom serendipity had arranged this contest?

He, as it turned out, was also an artist, part of a small group of Indian modernists in a still fledgling movement. Unknown to him then, he too was about to make his mark in the art world. He would remain friends with Magritte until the Surrealist’s death some months later.

Sohan Qadri, by all accounts, has had a fascinating journey. An acclaimed artist, published poet and tantric Buddhist yogi, Qadri is known for his stunningly beautiful dye-infused works inspired by his spirituality.

Qadri was born in the Sikh homeland of Punjab in Northern India. His own religious indoctrination however, took a different path, as the young Sohan would be inducted into the practice of Tantric-Vajrayan Buddhism at age seven. The boy also drew spiritual guidance from a Sufi, a man who lived on his family’s farm.

Qadri’s formal education began at the College of Art in the British enclave of Simla. Here he was trained in the classic techniques of oil painting by a faculty that included Satish Gujral, who had spent time in Mexico with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. But Qadri was uninspired by convention. Instead, it was the burgeoning modernist movement fueling artistic expression in cities like Paris that excited him most. Ultimately, it was Qadri’s lifelong spiritual beliefs that would lend unique character to his pieces and define his art. “Art can have the same effect as meditation,” he said, “but only if we drop our constantly interpreting mind and learn to simply see.”

In the 1970s, the itinerant seeker finally settled in Copenhagen. Stylistically, his work transitioned from paint on canvas to ink and dye on rag paper, a move that revolutionized his aesthetic and, on a more practical level, allowed him to meditate without inhaling paint fumes. It was also during this period Qadri met one of his most important patrons, the Nobel Prize winning writer, Heinrich Boll, who subsequently included the artist in his writings.

On the deepest level, Qadri’s work could be described as a yogic diagram of the cosmos, a sacred roadmap for the practice of tantra. But Qadri puts aside such interpretations in favor of a pure, life-affirming aesthetic. As the renowned Buddhist scholar Dr. Robert Thurman commented, “Qadri swims in a world of beauty. His works unfold the world he wills for us to discover, explore, enjoy.”

Now in the twilight of his life, Qadri sees his creative technique of color absorption as a metaphor for something he has been preparing for since age seven: his own absorption into the infinite absolute.

Exhibition now through July 12, 2010 at:
Sundaram Tagore Gallery
9606 Santa Monica Blvd.
Beverly Hills, Ca.  90210-4427
310-278-4520
joseph@sundaramtagore.com

Sundaram Tagore Gallery recommends:  House of An www.houseofan.com for Euro-Vietnamese Cuisine and Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive, www.luxehotelrodeodrive.com 

WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR ANY MODERN INDIAN WORK OF ART

CHRISTIE’S LONDON, June 10, 2010
(and also World Auction Record for the Artist)
Property from a Private Collection, France
“SAURASHTRA” by Syed Haider Raza (b.1922)
Signed and dated “RAZA ‘83″
Acrylic on canvas
78 3/4 x 78 3/4″ (200cm x 200cm)
Estimate: £ 1,300,00 – £ 1,800,000
Sold:  £ 2,393,250/ $3,486,965

Photo Courtesy Christie’s

Posted in Art, General Interest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

London Simmers – July 2010

May 19, 2010 – 10:49 am

By Carolin C. Young

LONDON SIMMERS – July 2010

London will be buzzing in June with antiques and art shows – but July has plenty to offer as well.  Here are a few of the highlights:

AUCTIONS:

CHRISTIE’S
Works of Art from the Spencer Family Collections.
The Trustees of Althorp Estate have enlisted Christie’s to sell items from Althorp —the Spencer family’s ancestral home — as well as from Spencer House, their London residence until 1924, which has since then been leased out. Although the eighteenth-century core of their collections will remain at Althorp, the paintings and objects on offer include many exceptional pieces, acquired by later generations of the family. A Commander being armed for battle by Sir Peter Paul Rubens and King David by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri will star at the evening sale of Old Master paintings. The single-owner sale at King Street includes English and French furniture, porcelain and objets d’art, much of which was specifically designed for Spencer House between 1755 and 1791. The two-day ‘carriages and attic’ sale at South Kensington, featuring nineteenth-century horse-drawn carriages, coachmen’s livery, butler’s trays, and copper batteries de cuisine, provides a revealing glimpse into the family’s history.

Old Master Paintings and Nineteenth Century Art Evening Sale
July 6th, 7:00 p.m.

Works of Art from the Spencer Collections the Spencer
July 8th, 2:00 p.m.
Christie’s, King Street, London

Works of Art from the Spencer Collections
The Spencer Carriages and Attic Sale
July 8th and 9th
Christie’s South Kensington, London
www.christies.com

SOTHEBY’S
A Magnificent Turner
Sotheby’s features Joseph Mallord William Turner’s Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino at its evening Old Master sale.  This monumental work was the artist’s final painting of Rome and revels in the ethereal luminescence, for which he is renowned.

Originally purchased by Turner’s patron and friend Hugh Munro of Novar from the artist’s Royal Academy exhibition of 1839 and then sold in 1878 to the 5th Earl of Roseberry and his wife, Hannah Rothschild, whose descendants have owned it ever since, the piece is as exceptional in its provenance as in its aesthetics. Boasting impeccable condition to boot, its £12—18 million ($18.5—27.7 million) estimate seems modest if one considers that in 2006 Turner’s Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio set the record for the artist with a price of £20.5 million ($35.9 million).

Evening Sale of Old Master and Early British Paintings
Sotheby’s, London
July 7th, 6:00 p.m.
www.sothebys.com

EXHIBITIONS:

THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Italian Renaissance Drawings
The British Museum marries fifty Italian Renaissance drawings from the Uffizi’s staggering collections to a similar number drawn from its own formidable holdings. Focusing on the development of drawing in Italy between 1400 and 1510, the exhibition incorporates works by Fra Angelico, Jacopo and Gentile Bellini, Botticelli, Carpaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Filippo Lippi, Mantegna, Michelangelo, Titian and Verrocchio. From preparatory sketches to highly finished masterworks, the show examines the myriad meanings and uses of drawing in the Early Renaissance.
A catalogue by Hugo Chapman and Marzia Faietti accompanies the show, which will open at the Uffizi in Florence in February 2011.

Fra Angelico to Leonardo: Italian Renaissance Drawings
The British Museum, London
through July 25th
www.britishmuseum.org

Posted in Antiques, Art, General Interest, Museums, Shows | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)

London Simmers – Summer 2010

May 10, 2010 – 8:32 am

By Carolin C. Young

LONDON SIMMERS

This summer London hosts three major fine and decorative art fairs spread through the month of June. Just over a week later its auction houses unfurl their important old master paintings and decorative arts sales. In the midst of this swirl,  dealers and museums alike host a plethora of exhibitions intended to lure visitors through their doors. Can London sustain so much activity in the midst of a fragile economy?

FAIRS:

The heightened curiosity about this summer’s London season resulted from the much-publicized demise of Grosvenor House, which had long served as the axis to the myriad events that sprang up around it.  Even before the announcement last summer, David Lester inked a deal to manage the Olympia summer show, which he has renamed the London International Fine Art Fair. So too, the Haughtons quickly expanded the scope of their Ceramics Fair to incorporate other collecting areas. However, when a group of Grosvenor House’s former committee received permission this past February to erect a temporary pavilion in the former Chelsea Barracks, a third show, Masterpiece, entered the field. In spite of its delayed confirmation and that it will occur last, its superlative quality and powerhouse organizers make it a strong candidate to inherit Grosvenor House’s mantle.

LIFAF
Olympia Renamed and Reconceived.
First up is the London International Fine Art Fair at Olympia, which, in spite of its new name, is, at thirty-seven years old, now the oldest of London’s fairs, and, with approximately 180 exhibitors, also the largest. The show includes high-end dealers such as Pelham Galleries (English and French furniture); Vanderven & Vengerven Oriental Art; and Hancocks (jewelry). However, they are among sixteen who will also show at Masterpiece, an indication that they’re hedging their bets. Finch & Co.  (ethnography, European works of art, natural history) and Raffety & Walwyn (clocks, barometers and English furniture) will exhibit at the Haughton Show in addition to LIFAF.

Detractors worry that LIFAF is neither fully top-tier, nor as “fun,” as it was in its heyday.  They also wonder whether people will come at the beginning of the month, when so much else is slated to happen later on.

London International Fine Art Fair – Olympia Exhibition Centre, London
Preview June 3rd; fair June 4th-13th
www.lifaf.com

ART ANTIQUES LONDON
The Ceramics Fair Expands.
A few days after LIFAF, Brian and Anna Haughton debut their expanded version of the Ceramics Fair, which they started twenty-nine years ago. They’ve timed the show, which will take place in Kensington Gardens across from the Royal Albert Hall, to coincide with the opening of the second half of the nearby  Victoria and Albert Museum’s new ceramics galleries (fair-ticketholders will be invited to attend the V&A’s preview). Ceramics remain at the show’s core but it now also includes fine art, furniture, objects, and jewelry. Three dealers — Sandra Cronan Ltd. (jewelry), Susan Ollemans (Indian jewelry and objects), Maconnal-Mason, and Adrian Sassoon (contemporary ceramics) — and Potterton Books, will also exhibit at Masterpiece. With only sixty exhibitors, Art Antiques London is modest in size, although serious in intent and content. The ceramics seminar connected to the old Fair returns as a lecture series that similarly branches into other specialties, while remaining as top-notch as ever.

Art Antiques London – Albert Memorial West Lawn, Kensington Gardens, London
P review June 9th;; fair June 10th-16th
www.haughton.com

MASTERPIECE
The New Fair in Town.
Last but by no means least, Masterpiece London incorporates much of the best of Grosvenor House with a fresh approach. If many exhibitors such as A La Vieille Russie, Mallet, and Koopman Rare Art are familiar, the new show embraces classic cars, wine and contemporary jewels. Harry Apter of Apter-Fredericks Ltd., one of the founding partners, explains that the intent is to present traditional objects as part of an entire lifestyle of fine living. The Fair includes approximately 120 exhibitors—thirty more than could be accommodated in the cramped quarters of Grosvenor House. However, standards remain as rigorous as ever.

Fair design and catering have been given careful attention. Apter hopes that Masterpiece will be “something to spend the whole day at, with lunch and dinner, and [that] the whole experience will be uplifting.”

He emphasizes that it is “a show by dealers, not a company making money from dealers.” Certainly, dealers globally are watching it carefully.

Masterpiece London – Chelsea Barracks, London
Preview June 23rd; fair June 24th-29th
www.masterpiecefair.com

EXHIBITIONS:

KOOPMAN RARE ART
The Classical Ideal
Koopman Rare Art (whose June show, The Classical Ideal: English Silver, 1760—1840, was previewed in January’s Antiques) is not alone in holding a special exhibition aimed at summer’s influx of collectors. A growing number of dealers are banding together to entice visitors into their galleries.

The Classical Ideal: English Silver, 1760-1840 – Koopman Rare Art, London
June 3rd-25th
www.koopmanrareart.com

KENSINGTON CHURCH STREET
Kensington Church Street Heritage and Culture Month
The sixty antiques dealers who sprinkle Kensington Church Street have declared June “Kensington Church Street Heritage and Culture Month,” with special exhibitions and events up and down the road. David Brower, for example, is Celebrating 300 Years of Meissen Porcelain, while Patrick Sandberg Antiques suggests contemporary uses for eighteenth and nineteenth-century English furniture at ‘The Twenty-First Century Library.’

Kensington Church Street Heritage and Culture Month · Kensington Church Street, London
through June 30th
www.antiques-london.com

Posted in Antiques, Art, Ceramics, Dealers, Events, Shows | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Andre SORNAY – An Introduction by Alain Marcelpoil
Galerie Alain Marcelpoil, Paris, France

April 19, 2010 – 10:06 am

André SORNAY (1902 – 2000) was only seventeen years old when his father died.  He took over the family business completely revolutionizing its production from copies of classical furniture to creating furniture with resolutely modern lines. 

Influenced by Bauhaus and the Stijl movement, where the synthesis of art and architecture was a permanent quest, SORNAY belonged to a group of architects, artists and  decorators wishing to design new forms perfectly suited to modern life.  Known as the Union des Artistes Modernes ( an association of modern artists) these avant-garde designers eager to break away from traditions and democratise art, included Pierre CHAREAU, Francis JOURDAIN, LE CORBUSIER,  and Charlotte PERRIAND. 

SORNAY’s creations are characterized by pure and geometric lines, harmonious proportions and huge practicality. The materials used combine tradition and modernity: precious woods, permatex products, rubber, Duco lacquer, metal.  His extremely sharp vision of the use of interior space also led him to become an interior designer for his customers. 

André SORNAY’s first patent was registered in 1932 and  featured a new assembling technique- the “cloutage”, enabling the assembly of fine wood veneered panels onto the structure of a furniture item.  The aligning of studs became his signature as well as an element of decoration.  This patent led to the manufacturing of “clouté furniture”, distributed in small series, and accessible to most.  Patents followed after the Second World War: a first in 1945, followed by a second in 1953 for the “tigette SORNAY” (the SORNAY rod), a “combinable and removable part for the furniture and construction trades”. 

André Sornay (1902 – 2000) Pair of « sledge » armchairs Mahogany veneer with brass nails and solid mahogany Circa 1937

SORNAY’s work was primarily exhibited at the Lyon autumn fairs, but he did take part in two Parisian exhibitions.  In 1925, his work was exhibited at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs Industriels et Modernes (International Exhibition of Industrial and Modern Decorative Arts), but at the time his work did not seem yet to be fully understood.  His contemporaries were still drawn to French Art Deco artists of the 1920’s such as RUHLMANN, JALLOT, SÛE and MARE.  However,  twelve years later in 1937, he was awarded the bronze medal for the display of his own personal study at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (International Exhibition of Arts and Techniques in Modern Life ). 

André Sornay (1902 – 2000) Dining table with 2 extensions Mahogany veneer with brass nails and solid mahogany Circa 1936

Galerie Alain Marcelpoil gallery, is located at 15, rue de Miromesnil, Paris.  Mr. Marcelpoil is an expert on André SORNAY’s work as well as other 20th century artists from Lyon, of which he himself is a native.  This year for the first time the galerie will be exhibiting at the world famous ‘Biennale des Antiquaires’ at the Grand Palais  in Paris.  From September 15 – 22, 2010, Galerie Alain Marcelpoil, will be displaying a strong modernist stand featuring the very best items of this remarkable French designer.  It will also be the first presentation of  his book on the artist with a preface written by SORNAY’s daughter Annik Béras Sornay and one by Emmanuel Bréon, Curator of the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris. 

To know more about Andre’ SORNAY, please visit Galerie Alain Marcelpoil > 

Crédit photographique : Michel Goiffon

Posted in Furniture, General Interest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN– IT’S NOTHING NEW
By SUSAN AIELLO, INTERIOR DESIGN SOLUTIONS

April 7, 2010 – 11:20 am

Because I specialize in sustainable design, I regularly receive calls and emails from vendors claiming that their furniture and building products are “green.” Unfortunately, these claims are often only partially true, especially when it comes to home furnishings. For instance, a chest of drawers that is made of bamboo can contain added urea formaldehyde and glues and finishes that are relatively high in VOCs. While I am able to evaluate these claims, most people buying furniture (and, for that matter, most interior decorators) are not.

One of the best ways to “go green” with interior design is often overlooked. Design that stands the test of time eliminates the need to replace things, and even if the original owner’s circumstances or desires change, classic furniture can always find another good home.

Antiques are particularly “green.” since by definition they are being reused and very unlikely to off-gas harmful chemicals.  Glues, finishes, etc. only give off VOCs for a certain period of time, and even when antiques are refinished, the materials used are normally less toxic than the finishes in much new furniture.

Antique and semi-antique carpets are made of natural fiber using vegetable dyes, so they are a healthier alternative to newer floor coverings.  But people with severe allergies are often better off avoiding all textile floor coverings.

Because antiques retain their value, there’s little chance of them ever winding up in landfill.  They also lend themselves to different uses.  For instance, in these rooms sugar bowls and creamers are used as vases, vases and candlesticks have been turned into lamps, and an antique print has been incorporated into a coffee table.

Although “organic” and “green” are not necessarily synonymous, natural materials such as cotton, linen, silk and wool normally have fewer harmful additives than synthetics.   And when natural materials such as those used in these rooms are finally disposed of, they decompose rather than remaining in landfill for many years.

Building elements that are classic in design are inherently green, because they never go out of style.  For instance, in the living room photograph it’s difficult to tell that I designed the mantle and bookcases, since their classic Georgian style has been popular for hundreds of years.  I believe that architectural details such as these are less likely to be removed when a home is sold than modern, trendy additions would be.

Furnishing our homes as prior generations did, with lovely things that can last more than one lifetime, is actually more sustainable behavior than buying anything that claims to be “the latest and greatest in green design.”

Interior Design Solutions: http://www.idsny.com

Posted in Antiques, Design, Furniture, General Interest | Tagged , | Comments (2)

PERSIAN CARPETS – HISTORY & DESIGN
By ORLEY SHABAHANG

March 24, 2010 – 11:16 am

Recently, I visited with my friend, Geoffrey Orley.  He and his business partner of 37 years, Bahram Shabahang, sell a premier collection of antique carpets – and contemporary carpets designed by Bahram.  Hopefully you will find this introduction to the history and process of carpet weaving as fascinating and interesting as I do. Geoffrey and Bahram are extremely gracious – and are always ready to share their knowledge!

In 2001, Bahram set out to create his own signature Persian carpets. Faster, mechanized ways of production have threatened the authenticity and quality of this art form and the techniques once used to create the masterpieces we associate with antique Persian carpets.  Bahram’s interest and knowledge is an extension of a long family tradition. His family has been purveyors of carpets starting with his ancestors who oversaw the work of the rug weavers in the royal workshop of King Tahmass Safavieh in the 16th Century. Taking on the challenge of reintroducing the lost art of carpet weaving, from cultivating the right materials to integrating ancient artistic methods with  contemporary design concepts, Bahram manages every step of the process to create truly functional art. 

Pedigreed sheep are bred specifically for weaving carpets.  These sheep are valued for their fine wool and are raised in the most suitable conditions throughout Iran’s Ghashghai region.  The four-season climate of this region creates a wool that has superior tensile characteristics and color absorption.  The best wool is very long-stranded, and has exceptionally high lanolin content. This lanolin-rich wool maintains a natural sheen that enhances the color over time.

Wool is spun using traditional techniques that require every step to be done by hand.  While this process is very labor intensive and far more expensive than machine-aided approaches, the resulting quality is far richer.  The hand spinning twists the wool uniquely, resulting in an uneven diameter.  This method also causes the density of wool to change throughout the ball of yarn.  This asymmetry absorbs color differently, creating striated color, called abrash, while maintaining the wool’s integrity.  The irregular coloration produces a carpet pile that is more textural and color that is more profound, while maintaining the wool’s integrity.

Colors for the carpets come from natural resources: flowers, roots, fruit, bark and other  ingredients found in the Persian countryside. The wool is then boiled and dyed in large inground copper tubs with mordants added to cause the wool to be more receptive to the dye.  The dye becomes one with the wool rather than a colored skin that sits on its surface. This process facilitates this natural reaction without destroying the lanolin, unlike a chemical treatment.  Afterwards, the wool is placed in a river current to help set the colors and then laid in the sun for further natural curing. This traditional technique ensures deep color intensity while slightly varying from strand to strand.

Weaving is a craft that is deeply connected to the culture and the customs of the people of Iran.  Passed down from generation to generation, weaving is solely done by women and is not easy to master.  Only a gifted weaver can create a carpet with a fluid design translated from a two-dimensional pattern.  Carpets are woven house-to-house, village-to-village, throughout the regions of Iran best known for their specialized types of weave. The looms are usually located in a weaving room in the home, integrating craft and daily life.  The finished carpet is baked in the sun to enhance and stabilize the colors.

Orley Shabahang strives to be the most original creators of Persian Carpets in the world.  Bahram Shabahang finds his strongest inspiration in nature: flora, fauna, and landscapes, as well as Persian architectural elements.  It is his original eye for color and shape, along with the techniques and materials used that set Orley Shabahang carpets apart from the rest.  Here are some samples of the finished product:


View more carpets from Orley Shabahang >

Posted in Carpets, General Interest | Comments (1)

BRUSSELS in 72 HOURS: DAYS 3 & 4

March 8, 2010 – 10:47 am

Day 3:

A perfect day for museums…drizzly and overcast.  Grabbing umbrellas from the hotel we headed to the new Magritte Museum, www.musee-magritte-museum.be which just opened in June of 2009.   Part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and located at the Place Royale, the museum is totally dedicated to Belgium’s greatest 20th century artist, surrealist painter, Rene Magritte.   It contains more than 200 works, including vintage photographs, paintings, drawings, advertising posters, music scores and films.  Interestingly, the works on display are not the most well known, but the images that we associate with Magritte are ever present:  the little bell, the curtain, the sky, the pipe, men in bowler hats and women. Tracing his development as an artist, the museum is broken into three floors, starting from top to bottom.

pianoOur next stop, the Musical Instruments Museum(MIM),www.musicalinstrumentsmuseum.com , is located just across the street from the Magritte Museum.  This museum turned out to be a favorite among the group.   Built in 1899 by architect, Paul Saintenoy, this wonderful art nouveau building was once home to the Old England department store. The MIM is a must for anyone with an interest in music.  There are over 1200 musical instruments ranging from tribal drums to harps.  The displays and descriptions are beautiful and easy to follow.  A special touch are earphones that play music as you move around the museum.

A short walk from the MIM, at the Centre for Fine Arts, or as it is known, BOZAR, was an exhibit of twenty six paintings from 1927-1944, by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).   Ms. Kahlo’s paintings are the story of a strong and creative woman  whose life was tragic and tormented.   I found the exhibit to be both moving and disturbing.  It will be at the Bozar until April 2010.

Out on my own for a few hours, I went back to the Sablon, just a few blocks from the museums.  My route led me to a fantastic classical music shop “ut picture musica,” www.outhere-music.com.   After an hour of listening to music with the store manager, I decided on a collection by the German Baroque composer and musician, George Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), and a CD by the Belgian born composer, Andre-Modeste Gretry (1741-1813).  This shop was a real find!

Next stop, lunch at the well-known and trendy restaurant, Au Vieux Saint-Martin.  My original intention was to have a Belgian waffle – but it was still lunch time and the waiter made it clear that a waffle would be fine…after I ate a real lunch!  An appetizer of ham was big enough for four, and included a salad and bread. There wasn’t much room for a waffle after, but there was room for a piece of delicious dark chocolate from Pierre Marcolini just a block away.   A nice walk with a few stops along the way brought me back to the hotel with only an hour before meeting up with everyone and moving on to the evening events!

bedroomIt was hotel night, and our first stop was The Conrad www.conradhotels1.hilton.com, a full service luxury hotel located on the fashionable Avenue Louise.  The Loui Lounge and Bar is a favorite place to unwind after a day of work …or shopping. A few blocks from Avenue Louise is the Vintage Hotel www.vintagehotel.be, a small hotel that takes great pride in its individually appointed rooms using original vintage furniture and accessories.  Prices here are far lower than others in this neighborhood.  It was a pleasant surprise to find the hotel much nicer in person than it looks on the internet.

Dinner at Odette en Ville www.chez-odette.com was a real treat!  Located in the Chatelain quarter, this is a very chic restaurant with delicious food and a wonderful ambiance. I highly recommend it!  If you drink too much wine, don’t worry, there is a hotel located upstairs from the restaurant with eight beautiful rooms available…ask for the room with the terrace!  Both the restaurant and the hotel earned a high rating from our group!!   If you are travelling to France from Belgium, close to the border in the small village of Williers, France, is the original property owned by this group, Odette.

Day 4

hergeThe last day in Belgium took us outside of Brussels beginning with a visit to the new Herge Museum, opened in June 2009 www.hergemuseum.com. Herge the pen name for George Remi (1907-1983), created the famous comic strip character Tintin.   Tintin, is a young Belgian reporter, forever on adventures around the world, accompanied by Snowy, his faithful fox terrier. Other characters include: grumpy, rum loving, Captain Haddock; the brilliant but out of touch with the real world, Professor Calculus; and the totally incompetent, but loveable detectives, Thomson and Thompson. The museum has the largest collection of original drawings from the Tintin series, as well as other works by Herge. It must be noted that much of the humor and political satire in The Adventures of Tintin were – and still are controversial. A trip to this museum is well worth the time.

books

Although we didn’t visit the Curtius Museum, www.grandcurtiusliege.be as originally planned, we did have lunch in Liege at Bistrot d’En Face – a very nice restaurant serving traditional Belgian fare.

stadiumOur final destination before heading back to Brussels was the new Liege-Guillemins  Station. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava the train station is something to see whether you are taking the train or not! trainSleek and modern with filigree architecture – and looking a bit like a spider’s web with a roof – the station is one of the stops on the Thalys train route and connects Liege with cities all over Europe. Travelling at approximately 186 mph, the high speed trains reflect the future of train travel. While the main floor of the station is enclosed and the floor is heated, the train platforms are upstairs and are completely open.. so dress warmly if you are travelling during the winter.

smurfBack to Brussels in time for our “farewell dinner” at Cospaia  www.cospaia.be …another wonderful, restaurant. You may ask how we could possibly eat one more meal…and I asked myself the same question…but we managed. After many toasts to a wonderful trip, we each received a little “reminder” of our trip to Belgium – Les Schtroumpfs…or as we know them…“smurfs” …and  yes, smurfs are Belgian.

http://www.visitbelgium.com

Posted in Antiques, Art, Ceramics, Contemporary, Design, Food, Furniture, General Interest, Hotels, Museums, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (6)