Yesterday Style.com posted a sneak peek of designer Antonio Marras’ journal filled with sketches and drawings and inspiration. I’m 1,000 percent obsessed and cannot stop staring and thinking about it. I want to be a part of his world. I want to be his friend. You can see more here.
Kneeland Mercado will be having an Open Studio this Saturday, April 20th from 12 – 4. If you’re in LA, I hope to see you there!
You know those things in life that you wish you owned? Like a vintage Mercedes, Goyard luggage, and the perfect vintage Chloé dress with the perfect print that Karl Lagerfeld was responsible for designing? Ok, so that’s part of my list, and in addition to those mentioned would be pottery by Pablo Picasso. It is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite pottery. Looking at it makes me happy, and I swear to the pottery gods that if I were lucky enough to own a piece I would cherish it every. single. day. I want to be this pottery.
Filed under Art
One of my dreams is to stumble upon a hidden treasure of textiles in a remote part of the world that no one knows about. I could sit for hours and rummage through forgotten art and bring back my finds. I’ve had similar experiences in little villages outside of Turkey, but I’m talking about something like a cemetery of forgotten textiles. Browsing through the Power Museum’s Electronic Swatchbook made me think about my dream recently, especially these swatches in particular.
Filed under Art
A few weeks ago I went on a business trip to Portland and it was my first time to visit the city known for food, vintage, and of course Portlandia. I was only there for 2 nights so I really packed it in, and I had some spots on my list that were must-visits and did not disappoint. I had an epic dinner at Luce with lovely Giovanna and her husband John (who is behind both Luce and Navarre), two restaurants that are very European in style and food. It was magnificent. I also visited Giovanna’s store, Una, where I picked up a gorgeous ceramic piece and some pants for my husband. I checked out Stand Up Comedy and Nationale, both fun to explore for their carefully selected merchandise and artful arrangements. I stayed with my good friend (who just moved from LA) in her new house which nearly brought me to tears when she told me how much she paid for it. When you hear figures like that you start to wonder a tiny bit why you so desperately want to own a home in LA. The price difference is staggering, which of course I knew but to actually hear it from someone you know is a big reality check. I did a little bit of vintage shopping but didn’t find much, although there were a few vintage shops I didn’t check out due to lack of time and I can’t help but wonder if those were the gems. And speaking of gems, one of the most inspiring shops I’ve ever been to is in Portland. Monograph Bookwerks & Objects is a fine art and object bookstore owned by artists John Brodie and Blair Saxon-Hill and was opened in 2010 “to provide a place in Portland for artists and the public to study, explore and purchase the best contemporary art books being published today.” Rare, new and used art books mingle with pottery and sculptures, and the design and curation of the store is unique, inviting, and piqued my curiosity so much that I left with three very special books. My experience at Monograph was beyond inspiring and made me feel hopeful for the publishing industry and for print. There is just too much beauty in both for them to disappear completely. I’m already looking forward to my next Monograph Bookwerks visit, and hopefully that Le Corbusier book I wanted so badly will still be there waiting for me.
I’m a huge fan of artist Laura Owens and I just bought her book, Clocks, out from Karma Press. Only 1,000 copies were printed, so I felt it necessary to buy immediately! I have yet to see her show in Los Angeles but I’m hoping to check it out this week. Her paintings remind me of abstract expressionism combined with the ’80s and old school graphics, with a little bit of Le Corbusier and a color palette that makes my heart skip a few beats. I love how “chunky” they look with big brush strokes and layers of paint.
All images from Laura Owens website
Filed under Art
