I Know You Are, But What Am I?

I recently saw the Pee Wee Herman Show on Broadway. It was even more spectacular than I thought it would be! As a whole, the show was a hilarious, charmingly nostalgic production. Oh, and the set was pretty radical as well. When you think about it, some of Pee Wee's decorative preferences put a wacky twist on mid-century modern design, don't you think? His mondo bizarro home is laden with neon-hued elements of Americana, tiki motifs, and space-age eccentricity, drawn right out of the 1960's. I would totally model my own home after Pee Wee's insane digs if I didn't think that it would cause me to go blind.



I should also send a shout out to fellow SRT alum Miss Lexy Fridell a.k.a. Chairry. You were awesome, Lexy!

Birthday Cake, Rosemary and Thyme

Aside from being Guy Fawkes Day in the UK, November 5th just so happens to be the birthday of the legendary singer, songwriter, poet and actor, Art Garfunkel. Many happy returns, Art!

What's Gotten Into You, Baxter?

September 16th marked the 50th anniversary of the release of Billy Wilder's iconic, Oscar-winning film, The Apartment. This picture encapsulates the elegance of the early 1960's and bears an aesthetic that, despite the passing of fifty years, still remains contemporary. Wilder's charming tale exemplifies the ambience of the era and imbues the film with an air of sophistication.

Jerome Robbins' NY Export: Opus Jazz

Last night I caught the last 30 minutes of Opus Jazz on WHYY. Truly inspiring.

In 1958, Jerome Robbins’ “ballet in sneakers,” NY Export: Opus Jazz, became a smash hit when it was broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show and toured around the world. Set to an evocative jazz score by Robert Prince and abstract urban backdrops by Ben Shahn, the dance told the story of disaffected urban youth through movement that blended ballet, jazz and ballroom dancing with Latin, African and American rhythms to create a powerfully expressive, sexy and contemporary style. Now, the work comes full circle in a vibrant new scripted film adaptation, conceived by New York City Ballet soloists Ellen Bar and Sean Suozzi, and shot on location around New York City. This feature length film will premiere at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival, and have it’s broadcast premiere March 24 on PBS’ Great Performances.

See the trailer and learn more here.

Mad Men Barbies

Okay. So, I grew up loving Barbie. Sure, my self esteem probably suffered because of this—I'm fairly certain the Day-to-Night Barbie seriously impacted my inability/need to find a work life balance and "have it all." That being said, I justify my past with the plastic, anatomically impossible blond as being an early exploration in fashion (check out that flip around skirt!) and decorating (that Dream House didn't set itself up.)

Mattel's Barbie Collector Mad Men dolls manage to excite both the 5-year-old version of me as well as the 31-year-old. Can you imagine the furniture? Sigh. I might need a toy room...

Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles will be preserved

It's always good news when moves are made to preserve history.

The Los Angeles hotel that hosted a welcome-home party for the Apollo 11 astronauts and other historic events will remain standing under a deal reached between the mid-century landmark's owners and preservation groups that sought to stave off the structure's demolition.

Michael Rosenfeld, who leads the partnership that owns the glass and aluminum Century Plaza Hotel, said his group has agreed to preserve the crescent-shaped building, which it previously planned to replace with two soaring towers. The deal allows building on other parts of the nearly six-acre property.

"I think we found an opportunity to do something unique and special on this site," he said.

– LA Times, Jacob Adelman, Associated Press Writer, February 11, 2010

Read more here and here.

The Color of 2010

In December Pantone unveiled the color of 2010: PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise. I can't think of a poppier mid century throw back!
Arne Jacobson's 1966 Room 606 at the SAS House in Copenhagen.

The American Look (1958)

I apologize for the new year neglect. Hope this makes up for it:

A Single Man

Tom Ford's directorial debut, A Single Man, looks absolutely amazing! With the help of the design crew from Mad Men he has created a 1962 I long to live in (without all the isolation, of course.) Can't wait until February to see it!

Summary of the Christopher Isherwood novel upon which the flick is based:

Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, A Single Man is the story of George Falconer, a 52 year old British college professor (Colin Firth) who is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner, Jim (Matthew Goode). George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters ultimately leads him to decide if there is a meaning to life after Jim. George is consoled by his closest friend Charley (Julianne Moore), a 48 year old beauty who is wrestling with her own questions about the future. A young student of George, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), who is coming to terms with his true nature, stalks George as he feels in him a kindred spirit. A Single Man is a romantic tale of love interrupted, the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition, and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life.

Jim Flora

Here's a look at the work of Jim Flora:

Vintage music buffs and eBay trawlers have long been bedazzled by bizarre, cartoonish record sleeves tagged with the signature "Flora." In the 1940s and '50s, James (Jim) Flora designed dozens of diabolic cover illustrations, many for Columbia and RCA Victor jazz artists. His world pulsed with angular hepcats bearing funnel-tapered noses and shark-fin chins, who fingered cockeyed pianos and honked lollipop-hued horns. In the background, geometric doo-dads floated willy-nilly like a kindergarten toy room gone anti-gravitational. Jim Flora wreaked havoc with the laws of physics, conjuring up flying musicians, levitating instruments, and wobbly dimensional perspectives. As he reflected in a 1998 interview, "I got away with murder, didn't I?"

Jim Flora jazzed up the world of commercial art in countless ways: magazine covers and interior illustrations; newspaper graphics; sales lit; ads; 17 children's books; and a catalog of unclassifiable artifacts. Jim Flora had fun making a living, and that sense of fun sizzles in his creations.

Read more here.

Flora's ABC cards:












































Covers designed for magazines:













































Sketches:
































Beautiful art:

























Covers for Coda, a monthly new-release booklet put out by Columbia records in 1943:








































And finally, album art:













































To see more of Flora's work go here.

Kodachrome Christmas by Jeff Altman

Found this video posted by Jeff Altman. It features his grandparents, aunts, mother and their neighbors in the mid to late 1950s. No sound, but beautiful color.

Kodachrome Christmas from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.

YouTube Holiday Find

Tribute to Irving Penn

In October the photography world lost one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century. Irving Penn passed away at the age of 92. Having studied under Alexey Brodovitch, Penn began shooting for Vogue during a defining decade in American fashion and editorial design—the 1950s. He continued working until his death leaving behind a body of work that will influence many artists to come.






For more information go here and here. To see a collection of Penn's portraits go here. To read the Vogue tribute go here.

Modern homes and the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is making moves to protect and preserve Mid Century Modern homes in the New Canaan, CT area. Sparked by the opening of the Philip Johnson Glass House and the demolition of the Paul Rudolph home—both in 2007—the Trust has made a commitment to making Modernism the latest protected architectural movement. By creating the Survey of New Canaan Homes—an online survey of the remaining 91 modern homes in the New Canaan area—steps have been taken to increase awareness of this great movement in architecture.

More information (photos of the houses, details about the architects, and notes about historical significance) can be found here.

iRetroPhone

Check it out here.

DesignPhiladelphia 2009

DesignPhiladelphia 2009 begins today. For a complete program calendar go here. Below I have listed the Mid Century focused events—I'm so excited about the Design Double Feature!

The Design Connection: African Classic and Early Modernism
October 08, 2009
5:00PM - 7:00PM
Twist | Algotform
1134 Pine Street

Description: Join us for a presentation and discussion focusing on Sub Saharan African and early to mid-20th century modernist textiles, art objects and furniture, linking two iconic eras in design.

Admission: Free
Design Double Feature: Glaser + Shulman
October 08, 2009
6:00PM - 9:15PM
Bossone Center
Mitchell Auditorium
3128 Market Street

Description: Design Double Feature Film Event. Enjoy both or just one. Intermission between screenings.

6:00 PM - 7:15 PM: Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight

7:45 PM - 9:15 PM: Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman



Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight
Director: Wendy Keys; Producers: Wendy Keys and Edgar B. Howard

For many, Milton Glaser is the personification of American graphic design. Best known for co-founding New York Magazine and the enduring I ♥ NY campaign, the full breadth of Glaser's remarkable artistic output is revealed in this documentary portrait, MILTON GLASER: TO INFORM AND DELIGHT. This documentary offers audiences a much richer appreciation for one of the great modern renaissance men whose work includes: newspapers, magazine designs, interior spaces, logos, brand identities, prints, drawings, posters, and paintings. Artfully directed by first time filmmaker Wendy Keys, the film glances into everyday moments of Glaser's personal life and capture his immense warmth, humanity and the boundless depth of his intelligence and creativity.



Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman
Director: Eric Bricker; Producers: Eric Bricker and Babette Zilch; 
Executive Producers: Lisa Hughes and Michelle Oliver

Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, VISUAL ACOUSTICS explores the monumental career of architectural photographer Julius Shulman, who passed away this July at the age of 98. Populating his photos with human models and striking landscapes, Shulman combined the organic with the synthetic, melding nature with revolutionary urban design. The resulting images helped to shape the careers of some of the greatest architects of the 20th century, with Shulman documenting the work of architects Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, Pierre Koenig, John Lautner, Frank Lloyd Wright, and many others. Taking its aesthetic cues from Shulman's own sensual and nuanced photography, the narrative of VISUAL ACOUSTICS is built from a blend of Shulman's own images, as well as in depth interviews with architect Frank Gehry, designer Tom Ford, artist Ed Ruscha, actress Kelly Lynch, writer Mitch Glazer, publisher Benedikt Taschen, Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Dante Spinotti, and a host of others. Through the exploration of both Shulman's art and uniquely individualistic life, the film offers an unforgettable portrait of Modernism's most eloquent ambassador. 



Admission: Free

Gilbert Rohde: Innovations for Modern Living
October 08, 2009
7:00PM - 8:30PM
Center for Architecture
1218 Arch Street

Description: Phyllis Ross will speak on her monograph, "Gilbert Rohde: Modern Design for Modern Living", published by Yale University Press in March 2009, which presents the first comprehensive appraisal of Rohde's career.

Gilbert Rohde (1894-1944), an American modernist furniture and industrial designer, who specialized in designing mass-produced furniture, was recognized as one of the leading designers of his era. Widely published, both in America and overseas, his designs were shown at important fairs of the 1930s, beginning with Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition, and in industrial design exhibitions, such as those held at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Rohde introduced modern design at several companies. Foremost in significance was his work for the Herman Miller Furniture Company, where from 1932 until his death in 1944 he served as their lead designer, and launched the company's identity as a leader in innovative modern furniture. Rohde's promotion of modular furniture, biomorphic design, and his pioneering office furniture system, anticipated trends that took hold in the post-war era. Aesthetically, his work encompassed French Moderne and the spare lines of the International Style, adapting European design influences for an American lifestyle. His work contributed to the emergence of a distinctive American design expression in the post-war era.

Opening Reception: Early Furniture by George Nakashima
Category: Event
October 09, 2009
6:00PM - 9:00PM
Moderne Gallery
111N. Third Street

Description: The opening reception for "Early Furniture by George Nakashima" is hosted by Moderne Gallery Owner/Director Robert Aibel, a recognized aesthetic historian in the field, with special guest Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, George Nakashima's daughter, a renowned woodworker in her own right. This much anticipated historic exhibit of early works by legendary furniture craftsman, George Nakashima, 10 years in the making, includes rare and seldom-seen works drawn from private collections as well as loans from museums and the Nakashima family. Furnishings on display reflect Nakashima's years working in Japan, India, and eventually New Hope, PA, and show the evolution of his thought processes and designs. Many pieces will be available for purchase.

Admission: Free

Modernism in America's Oldest Neighborhood
Phila. Preservation Alliance
October 10, 2009
2:00PM
Meeting Location TBD

Description: A special guided tour, with visits inside several private residences representing great modern architecture that co-exists alongside restored 18th- and 19th-century buildings in Society Hill Philadelphia. Learn how modernism and historic preservation were thoughtfully integrated in one of the greatest examples of mid-century urban renewal.

Presented by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia in conjunction with DOCOMOMO North America Tour Day, highlighting modern architecture throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.

*Cost: $20 general public; $10 Preservation Alliance members. Advance registration required.

Admission: Cost* RSVP required

Russel Wright Retrospective: Emphasis on Dinnerware
October 10, 2009
3:00PM - 7:00PM
144-146 N. 3rd Street)

Description: Russel Wright as a designer paved the way for a shift to the modern taste. Beginning in the 1920's and continuing through the 1960's, Russel Wright designed items for the modern home ranging from dinnerware to appliances. The emphasis of the current exhibit at More Than Old is on dinnerware with special attention to the range of color and form that brought the American public to the modern era. This exhibition will run October 10th through October 17th. Light refreshments will be served.

Admission: Free

Dialogues on Design: Robert Aibel and Mira Nakashima-Yarnall
October 12, 2009
6:00PM - 7:30PM
Center for Architecture
1218 Arch Street

Description: "George Nakashima: From Architect to Designer"
"The past is prologue" in this joint presentation by Robert Aibel, owner/director of Moderne Gallery, renowned for his exhibits and scholarship on the vintage work of legendary craftsman, George Nakashima, and Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, George's daughter, a distinguished designer and woodworker in her own right. Together they tell the inside story of her father's evolution from a young architect and woodworker to an iconic figure of 20th-century design and discuss the aesthetics of this transition. Q and A follows.

Admission: Free

Even Betty Draper is redecorating

Get an inside look at some of the Mad Men props and furniture choices. Andrew Wagner, editor-in-chief of ReadyMade and founding managing editor of Dwell, makes his personal picks regarding iconic pieces from seasons past here.

Mad Men Vanity Fair Shoot

Has everyone seen the new Vanity Fair Mad Men article?!
Photography: Annie Liebovitz
Styling: Michael Roberts
Writing: Bruce Handy

Merce Cunningham, April 16, 1919–July 26, 2009

Merce Cunningham, a pioneer of modern dance, passed away last week. He formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1953 and choreographed nearly 200 works for it.

A little history brought to you from the BBC news:

Born just after World War I in a small town near Seattle, Cunningham loved to dance as a child.

From 1939 to 1945, he was a soloist in the company of Martha Graham, regarded at the time as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance.

He presented his first New York solo concert in April 1944, with music from composer John Cage, who became his life partner and frequent collaborator until Cage's death in 1992.

In a radical move, the couple decided to end the traditional marriage of movement and music, saying that both arts should exist independently even when sharing the same space.

Cunningham also abandoned conventional storytelling through ballet to focus entirely on the poetry of dance.

He even tossed coins or threw dice to determine steps, saying the use of chance was "a present mode of freeing my imagination from its own cliches".

He was hugely admired by other dancers and worked with visual artists such as Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol.

Cunningham's work has been presented by the New York City Ballet, Zurich Ballet and the Rambert Dance Company among others.

Among the accolades he received over his long career included the Kennedy Center Honors in 1985 and the National Medal of Arts in 1990.

For more information about Cunningham and the company he founded go here. To see some inspiring footage of the dancer at work go here.

In My Backyard

Of course when you live somewhere you tend to overlook what's happening around you. Well, since May the Philadelphia Museum of Art has been showing a collection of twenty-three twentieth-century chairs. Judging from what I've seen online, I need to get over there before the exhibit closes on September 20. I also need to pay a little more attention.