Modern Art: A Mixed Bag

Our designer Luis invited Big N and me to a silent auction at MOCA's Geffen Center downtown. The museum is in dire straights due to a shrinking endowment. Over a hundred artists donated works to be auctioned off as part of MOCA's annual fundraiser. The auction closes Saturday.

We're in the market for a couple of pieces to complement our modern house so we decided to peruse the collection. To me modern art is a mixed bag; some works are truly beautiful, while others I simply don't get. Take for example this work donated by renowned LA artist Christopher Williams. The 'art' was half a picture of somebody in a shower, presumably, stuck to a green 8 1/2 x 11" sheet of regular paper with scotch tape, and valued at $7,500. Or this work by Rodney McMillian valued at $2000. Yes, the artist wrote "free beans" using a sharpie, that's it. So call me crazy but, while these types of pieces may qualify as 'art' in the loose sense of the word, they're not what I want to look at on a daily basis.

On the other hand there were several works that I loved, including this abstract Kandinsky-esque painting by Shell Cardon. Or this mixed media piece by Brian Wills which was made by wrapping what seems like millions of pieces of rayon thread around basswood posts.

Or finally the piece below at left by Annie Wharton, a beautiful swirl of pinks and greens on mylar. This is the type of art that I find beautiful because I know I'll see something unique in it every time I look at it. I might try to snag at least one of these.

Of course, art is subjective, and while the pieces above did draw a reaction from me, and maybe that's the point, I don't want to spend my money on something that will draw that reaction just once. I want to know that in the years to come I'll still be able to look at the piece and find it interesting or beautiful. And call me crazy, but to entice me to spend thousands of dollars the piece needs to be something I can't just go out and make myself. Even I can manage wielding a sharpie to write "free beans" or taping an ordinary picture to a piece of green paper. I wonder if somebody would pay me $7500 for such a masterpiece.

Interior Design: Buying Good Taste

Though Big N and I purchased our home in September, it wasn't until recently that we decided to buy some furniture. So we devoted a whole Saturday to the task, naively thinking that we'd score the perfect sofa, bed, or dining room table in just the day. Of course we realized pretty quickly that we were *way* out of our league when we spent most of the day just trying to find a store that didn't sell the Tuscan/Euro/Revival furniture that really isn't what we're going for (e.g., above at right, no offense if you love this stuff).

As two busy professionals who don't want to spend every weekend scrounging for furniture, we gave up and hired a designer. We interviewed a few but knew instantly that Luis Ortega was the one for us: he's experienced, Cuban, and oozes effortless style. He implicitly understood our vision of starting with contemporary furniture with clean lines in neutral tones to complement our modern home but to add natural organic elements to create warmth and comfort. (Eg., this brilliantly designed NYC flat by Rose Tarlow, architect Richard Meier, from last month's Architectural Digest). Plus, Luis said he'd take me shopping, HIRED!

Yesterday Luis took us on a speed shopping trip around Beverly Hills and in the Pacific Design Center- Awesome! We met Luis at his Beverly Hills studio where he showed us pictures of some of the ideas he has for pieces in our home; then we hopped in his car for a whirlwind tour of 8 showrooms in under 2 hours. The man was *efficient*. We saw countless tables, chairs, sofas, rugs, and pieces of art. We found inspiration in a store called D.A.O (Design Around Objects, love the double entendre), which had very cool wood pieces including petrified wood end tables and tree root coffee tables. We also saw original Eames loungers and a few rare impeccably designed Brazilian chairs from the early 60's. And we saw a few sofas with the clean lines in neutral tones that we'd been envisioning. I realized that designers make their money simply because they know the right places to go to get the stuff, that and their wholesale discount.
Convinced that Luis was the right choice, we gave him the go-ahead to put a design plan together. With a little luck, we should have a brand new home in 3 months. I'll post before and afters for your viewing pleasure.

Hearst the Collector

Last night Big N and I attended LACMA's exhibit Hearst the Collector. The exhibit displayed several works collected by William Randolph Hearst, including knight armor, pottery, charcoal drawings, drawings of Hearst Castle from the architect that designed it, antiquities, and paintings. My favorite piece from the exhibit was the Canova sculpture of Venus. The sculpture was flawless. It didn't dawn on me until later that the reason it appealed to me is because I adore another of Canova's famous sculptures, Cupid and Psyche, which I gawked at for nearly an hour at the Louvre.

Another amazing piece was this one of Santa Barbara. A smaller sculpture in person but equally captivating.

The exhibit inspired me to save money to buy art. According to KCRW art critic Edward Goldman, who gave a lecture before the tour began, buying art makes you live longer and healthier. That's reason enough for me.