Friday, February 25, 2011

Wearstler Brand is Ready to Wear in NYC!

It had to happen. The Kelly Wearstler brand has expanded into ready to wear.
 Ms Wearslter showed her collection this week in New York City
 to a group of selected fashion editors and buyers.


We can only hope it makes its way to the Australian shores, or online store here we come!


Here she is with all the goodies in tow!






Love the floor, love the wall, love the colour palette,
 love the skirt, love the shirt, love the boots, love the pants, love it all!
Can I somehow wear that floor?





Lovely swatches!





Thursday, February 24, 2011

MUSEUM OF OLD AND NEW ART - An Idiosyncratic Boys Own Adventure

The recently opened MONA sits on the River Derwent in the exotic end of the earth location of Tasmania.
Bunker down at MONA

The curved mirrored entry greets the visitor, who may have arrived by boat, and then the museum descends underground like a bunker.

MONA is the brainchild of gambling guru David Walsh, who is definitely not interested in playing it safe. He has amassed an eclectic, challenging, and sometimes confronting collection which ranges from Egyptian and Roman antiquities, Modernist Australian art, all the way up to contemporary works from all over the world. 
 The visitor will find no explanatory plaques, and the collection is in no specific order.  Walsh wants the viewer to just experience the work at first sight with no preconceived notions or influence.

One of the more controversial works, "The Holy Virgin Mary" by Chris Ofili, which features a collage of pornographic images and cow dung, has it's very own interesting history which includes being part of the iconic contemporary British show of 1997, Sensation, and later in 1999 being part of the scandal which included former New York City Mayor Guiliani suing the The Brooklyn Museum of Art for showing the work.
On this basis, the show was consequently cancelled from being shown at the 
National Gallery of Australia, and how appropriate it is that Walsh was
 finally successful in acquiring it!


'The HolyVirgin Mary' by Chris Ofili

Then there is the specially commissioned work by Wim Delvoye, which reproduces in "smell-o-vision" the human digestive system, sure to be a 'crowd pleaser'!

The German art star Anselm Kiefer can also be seen. The Kiefer Pavilion which houses his
 'Falling Stars/The breaking of the Vessels', is a sculptural work combining lead, glass and iron. 
The quote on the MONA web site, (I am not sure if it is from Kiefer himself or Walsh), best sums it up!

"We kind of like the idea that you have to come to the end of the earth, and then a museum on an island off the end of the earth, and then a pavilion at the far side of the museum on the island off the end of the earth, to see this German neo-expressionist masterpiece!"


ANSELM KIEFER sculpture "Falling Stars/The Breaking of the Vessels"



I think MONA without a doubt is destined to be an important contribution to the international art world.  I like that it's creator David Walsh has tried to push the boundaries in Australian terms, and not follow a 'cookie-cutter' approach to his collection and Museum.  I think the location is exotic and there is something so mysterious about Tasmania, in the world context, which I think would perfectly compliment the collection. 
 While you can see the usual suspects of Australian art history, Whitely, Nolan, Blackman et al, I am pleased and looking forward to being moved and confronted, after all, isn't that what art is about?

 I also look forward to staying in one of the luxurious Mona Pavilions which honour our Australian icons of art and architecture.  Art and a glass of wine from Walsh's Moorilla Estate, sound good to me!


The Robin Boyd Pavilion



The Walter Pavilion



the Roy Pavilion featuring the Wunderkammer cabinet of curiosities



Car Crash sculpture by Roman Signe



Grounds Pavilion




MONA Photo by Sean Fennessy via INDESIGNLIVE


All images via MONA & The Weekend Australian Magazine "Temple Of David" by Matthew Denham

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Love American Style - The Decorating Episode!

This wonderful book was published in 1975 and I find myself often flicking through its slightly yellowing pages.

I get so inspired when I see some of these interiors that feature incredible museum quality 20th Century iconic art, like the pics from the Scull Pop Art Collection and the interior by
  Billy Baldwin which features works by Jackson Pollock, Kenneth Nolan,
 and Helen Frankenthaler!

By the way this apartment was owned by S.I Newhouse Jnr, media tycoon and Chairman of Conde Nast!

Wow! Oh for the privilege of working an interior around such modern masterpieces!

Please enjoy the following images from "Decorating American Style" by Jose Wilson
and Arthur Leaman!


The Scull Pop Art Collection featuring the James Rosenquist and French Provincial Dining



Jasper John's "Flags" with sculpture by Claes Oldenburg



Pumpkin Vinyl walls with black and white floor by Richard Ohrbach



Billy Baldwin interior for SI Newhouse featuring the Jackson Pollock, Kenneth Nolan and
Helen Frankenthaler



Michael Taylor all white interior with tv and red abstract!
Adore the white artwork to the left!



Mickey Mouse bedroom by Arthur Leaman



Jasper Johns "Target" and lifesize George Segal sculpture owned by Henry Geldzahler



Scull collection with Andy Warhol faces of Ethel Scull  and Roy Indiana painting with "Stove" by Claes Oldenburg



Wall to wall red Kartell storage units 



Interior with Morris Louis painting



David Eugene-Bell blue and white extreme!



Sublime Michael Taylor all white room



70's does thirties interior with cactus by Richard Himmel



Shades of Grey by Barbara Darcy of Bloomingdales



The cover of Decorating American Style by JoseWilson and Arthur Leaman

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Jaime Hayon - Shiny Happy Camper People!



The first time I laid eyes on one of Hayon's clever designs was in Wallpaper magazine, around 2006!

I could not believe it when I saw this masterful range of bathroom pieces, starting with the piece which is essentially a sink, vanity, and lamp all in one moveable piece of elegant design.  The traditional, refined, hand carved aesthetic of these pieces had never been seen before in bathroom ware.

The AQ Hayon Collection featured a modern take on the tapered Louis leg.  The freestanding bath with its ceramic compartments to hold anything from fruit, champagne, face washers to a floral specimen vase was a design revelation!

The following images are from one of my favourite weekend reads/flick through books, Spanish designer,



Part of The AQ Hayon Collection for bathrooms.  Love that the lamp is in all one piece with sink!


Freestanding bath, wall light, and wall vase from the same range

Love the compartments and specimen vase!

Showtime Collection Poltrona

Vanity from AQ Hayon Collection with built in optional Make- up mirror



La Terraza del Casino in Madrid


Beautiful blue glass panel door treatment

Jaime Hayon - the "Fred Astaire" of contemporary design





Foyer to La Terrazo del Casino Madrid


Sculptural "Cacti" from the Mediterranean Digital Baroque show




Digital Baroque installation at Art Basel 2006 at the Ritz  Carlton, poolside South Beach Miami

Camper store interior


Camper store

Stunning red Showtime poltrona at Camper

Wonderful ice bucket designed for Piper-Heidsieck champagne



Friday, February 18, 2011

Urquiola Carribean Island Retreat

Spanish born architect Patricia Urquiola has created an innovative, and relaxed, natural retreat for
W Hotel Resort & Spa Vieques Island, just off the south east coast of Puerto Rico.

  The resort features Urquiola's signature range of casual cane furniture she has created for B & B Italia together with a wonderful array of lighting that is seen throughout the retreat. She has also selected a range of photographic works from local Puerto Rican artists and combined them with  eclectic pieces from other design stars such as Marcel Wanders and Tom Dixon .

Urquiola, who is is based in Milan these days, has worked and continues to design for  the icons of
 20th Century design houses such as Alessi, Cassina, Kartell,
Cappellini, and Knoll.

Feast your eyes on some wonderful pics by one of my favourite photographers, Manolo Yllera whose work features constantly in AD Espana.
 This is  from the December 2010 issue of Architectural Digest Espana!




Loving the chandelier and stunning photograph by Cristina Leon



Interesting Lighting installation by Patricia Urquiola for Flos at the bar!









Patricia Urquiola


The "Crinoloine" chair part of the range designed for B & B
It's the new take on the 1960's Peacock chair!  

Images from AD Espana & decorahoy.com

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