Category Archives: Art

Art, Automotive

Precious Metal at the Peterson Automotive Museum

January 19, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

1938 Hispano-Suiza, Dubonnet Xenia, Peterson Automotive Museum, (Collection of the Mullin & Peter Mullin Automotive Museum Foundation) Photo Romi Cortier

1933 Duesenberg, Model SJ Arlington Torpedo Sedan, (The Nethercutt Collection) Photo Romi Cortier

1937 Horch, 853 Sport Cabriolet, (Collection of Robert M. Lee Trust) Photo Romi Cortier

1937 Horch, 853 Sport Cabriolet, (Collection of Robert M. Lee Trust) Photo Romi Cortier

1937 Horch, 853 Sport Cabriolet, Peterson Automotive Museum, (Collection of Robert M. Lee Trust) Photo Romi Cortier

Precious Metal at The Peterson Automotive Museum is a special exhibit focusing on the luxurious use of silver for the creme de la creme of cars. These gorgeous beauties above were my favorites of their collection.

The 1938 Hispano-Suiza was custom built by Andre Dubonnet, heir to the Dubonnet aperitif fortune. Dubonnet, a French flying ace and race car driver, built this to showcase a new suspension of his own design called the Xenia. The avant-garde tear drop body was designed by Jacques Saoutchik and features an aircraft inspired interior. I must point out how stunning the chrome tipped exhaust is, as well as the hinged drivers door windows that open outwards.

The 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ Arlington Torpedo Sedan was an extraordinary car for it’s time, and has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. Built for the 1933 Century of Progress exposition with the sole goal of outclassing every other car then available, it featured sleek Rollston coachwork with a staggering price of $20,000 at the height of the Great Depression. Todays equivalent would be a price point of $359,000. That said, current auction records put this stunner at a value of about $1,410,000. If you had ‘Twenty Grand’ in 1933, this would have been a great return on your investment.

The 1937 Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet by Voll & Ruhrbeck has to be one of the sexiest, and also one of the most elegant cars of it’s era. Its proportions are both streamlined and voluptuous with extraordinary chrome details. Horch merged with DKW, WAnderer and Audi in 1932 to form the Auto Union conglomerate, whose four-ring emblem can be seen on both this car, as well as the modern Audi.

My next post will feature the glamorous Delahaye’s of the Peterson, more elegant cars from the late 1930’s.

Precious Metal at the Peterson Automotive Museum

Art

Picasso Sculpture at MoMa

December 5, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Sheet Metal Sculpture, Pablo Picasso, MOMA, NYC, Photo Romi Cortier

Pablo Picasso Sculpture, MOMA, NYC, Photo Romi Cortier

Pablo Picasso, Sheet Metal Sculpture, MOMA, NYC, Photo Romi Cortier

Pablo Picasso Sculpture, MOMA, NYC, Photo Romi Cortier

I’m not usually into sculpture, but I knew that I didn’t dare miss the Picasso Sculpture exhibit at MoMa while visiting New York this last October. My instincts were right, the show was beyond extraordinary. Over 150 pieces filled room after room after room at MoMa. This is only the second time that this large of an exhibition has ever been assembled to celebrate this lesser known side of Picasso’s unending talent. Hommage a Picasso was a large Paris retrospective in 1966 that introduced the sculptures to the public. Until then, his experimental pieces had been kept in his private collection throughout his lifetime. In 1967 The Museum of Modern Art organized The Sculptures of Picasso, which until now was the first and only exhibition on this continent to display a large number of the artist’s sculptures.

As I walked from room to room it was easy to associate specific works with his paintings. The Guitar sheet metal sculpture nearly stopped me in my tracks. I could have spent an hour studying it. The shadows created by the lighting were sublime. I felt like I was participating in a cubist painting in the making, seeing the object from multiple points of view. The experience was luxurious. I have to give huge props to the curatorial staff and the lighting designers. The shadows cast by the sculptures were equally as interesting. The bronze goat with all of its texture, the smooth bronze woman in the bustle dress that made me think of the Victorian Era, the woman pushing the stroller who felt like someone out of the 1940’s. Such richness in detail. So personal. So beautifully crafted. Why have these been kept out of the public view for so long? The curators say that this will probably be the only time in our lifetime that these precious objects will all be brought together on such a grand scale. So if you’re anywhere near New York City, you must make time to see this show.

The exhibit closes February 7, 2016.

Picasso Sculpture at MoMa

Art

Feeling Blue at LAMA

October 9, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Lot 446, Laddie John Dill, Untitled, $1,500 - $2,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 446, Laddie John Dill, Untitled, $1,500 – $2,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 440, Ettore Sottsass, Spool Vase, $1,200 - $1500, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 440, Ettore Sottsass, Spool Vase, $1,200 – $1500, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 355, David LaChapelle, 1000 B.B., D&G, New York, $5,000 - $7,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 355, David LaChapelle, 1000 B.B., D&G, New York, $5,000 – $7,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 338, Yunhee Min, Events in Dense Fog #3, $8,000 - $12,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 338, Yunhee Min, Events in Dense Fog #3, $8,000 – $12,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 311, Roy Lichtenstein, Modern Head #4, (From Modern Head Series) $15,000 - $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 311, Roy Lichtenstein, Modern Head #4, (From Modern Head Series) $15,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 305, Robert Dowd, Untitled (Dollar Bill) $2,000 - $3,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 305, Robert Dowd, Untitled (Dollar Bill) $2,000 – $3,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 255, Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Green Crystalline Glazed Bowl, $3,000 - $5,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 255, Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Green Crystalline Glazed Bowl, $3,000 – $5,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 231, Jeff Koons, Ballon Dog (Blue), $15,000 - $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 231, Jeff Koons, Ballon Dog (Blue), $15,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 202, David Hockney, Celia with Green Hat (From Moving Focus Series) $15,000 - $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 202, David Hockney, Celia with Green Hat (From Moving Focus Series) $15,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 177, Ken Price, Big Wave II, $17,000 - $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 177, Ken Price, Big Wave II, $17,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 111, Roland Petersen, Fall Cloud Shadow and Fields, $15,000 - $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 111, Roland Petersen, Fall Cloud Shadow and Fields, $15,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 89, Pedro Friedeberg, Three Leg Table Clock, $3,000 - $5,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 89, Pedro Friedeberg, Three Leg Table Clock, $3,000 – $5,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 50, Herbert Bayer, Owl People, $4,000 - $6,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 50, Herbert Bayer, Owl People, $4,000 – $6,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

Lot 45, Oskar Fischinger, Stippled Cosmic, $5,000 - $7,000, Image Courtesy LAMA — Lot 45, Oskar Fischinger, Stippled Cosmic, $5,000 – $7,000, Image Courtesy LAMA

One of my favorite auctions of the year is coming up at LAMA (Los Angeles Modern Auctions). The Modern Art & Design auction will be happening this Sunday, October 11, 2015, at 12 pm.

I would give nothing more than to preview this auction and see these gorgeous works in person, however, I’ll be in New York for the weekend, celebrating my sisters 50th birthday. We have tickets to see Wicked as well as reservations at The Boathouse on Central Park. I know I’m jumping ahead of myself here, but I’m hoping to have lots of great things to share on future Design Diary entries.

Back to feeling Blue. It’s always been one of my favorite colors, and apparently I’m not the only one. It also appears to be the worlds most popular color, from denim jeans to corporate logos. Dark blue signifies trust, dignity, intelligence and authority. Bright blue indicates cleanliness, strength, dependability and coolness. Light blue suggests peace, serenity and infinity. Did you know that 53 percent of the flags in the world contain blue? And aristocracy is blue-blooded in all European languages. It seems that blue is sharply refracted by the eyes, causing the lens to flatten and push the blue image back, therefore, we perceive that blue areas are receding and smaller.

If I could have any of the works above, I would choose Roy Lichtenstein’s Modern Head. The contrasting shades of blue, separated by solid black lines and black dots, are striking and strong. I’d love to see it hanging in a room with a black chair by Viennese secessionist Joseph Hoffman. They’re certainly from different era’s, but unexpected pairings make for great interior design.

Sitzmaschine Armchair in Black, Joseph Hoffmann, Image Courtesy Wikipedia

I hope everyone has an amazing week, and I’ll look forward to sharing whatever crosses my path in Manhattan very soon.

Check out Los Angeles Modern Auctions to see the full catalogue of items up for auction this weekend… and by the way, they’re not all blue.

Art, Decorative Arts, Interior Design

The Coco Chanel Room at Bullocks Wilshire

September 3, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com 4 Comments

Entrance to Coco Chanel Room, Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, Photo Romi Cortier

Coco Chanel Room, Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, Photo Romi Cortier

George DeWinter Mural,1929, Coco Chanel Room, Bullocks Wilshire, Photo Romi Cortier

There’s so much to love at Bullock’s Wilshire, including the stunning Coco Chanel Room. Initially it housed ‘fine accessories’ and was known as La Chinoiserie, later becoming the famed Chanel Room guarded by her trademark bronze monkey’s. I was particularly smitten with the 4 delicate wall murals painted by George DeWinter. They’re so exquisite that I have to wonder if they’re ever been restored, or if they’re completely original.

Built in 1929, the Bullocks Wilshire Department Store was the premiere Art Deco shopping destination in Los Angeles until it was converted into the Southwestern Law School in 1994. The building is not open to the general public, however, once a year the building is open to the public for a special open house. And that, is when I made my entrance, scouring every corner of the building during the course of several hours. You’ll see several posts during the coming weeks from my tour. I regret that I couldn’t get this post published to celebrate Coco Chanel’s recent birthday on August 19th, but I’ve been in the throws of moving to a new residence… and we all know how daunting that can be.

This room is Stop #20 on the Self-Guided Tour, and is described as French Rococo Design. I have to take argument with that statement, as I think the room is actually French Neo-Classical Design. Everything about the room is so delicate, from the thin gold trimmed wall panels, to the very refined garlands above the mirrors. Rococo design is much heavier in overall appearance, with an emphasis on asymmetry and shell like curves. That said, Chinoiserie (Chinese-like) was popular during the Rococo era, so I can see why that association was made. Regardless, the Coco Chanel Room is what dreams are made of. Can you imagine your own walk-in closet with this sort of remarkable craftsmanship, it would be the epitome of refined elegance.

Art

Vegas’s Neon Museum

August 11, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com 1 Comment

The Neon Museum, Las Vegas, Photo Romi Cortier

Enter the world of The Neon Museum, where the aging and outdated signage of Vegas past, goes to retire. I recently joined my sister there for a 10 am Sunday morning tour in the middle of July… #Hot. But don’t worry, they have complimentary umbrella’s to help protect you during the 1 hour tour. I was so thrilled my sis chose an early tour, because later in the day may have been to much for me. That said, I’d certainly love to go back for one of their evening tours to see the glow of the signs that have been restored, as well as the ambient lighting around the bone yard.

I can’t say enough good things about our tour guide. She far exceeded my expectations and was an encyclopedia of knowledge knowing where every sign fragment came from, the type of neon and gas used to create its color, the mob stories behind the specific casinos, the psychology used to create the sign, the list goes on… it was beyond remarkable. I can’t imagine the training program to be a docent here. Additionally, they had a ton of fun items for sale in the lobby and I found myself throwing down a few bucks for one of their T-Shirts to support the restoration of the signs, as well as to raise awareness about the museum. I’m happy to say that I’ve already received several compliments on the T-Shirt.

The museum has a dedicated FACEBOOK page, as well as a dedicated website: www.NEONMUSEUM.org. Currently they’re working on a fundraising campaign to repaint the Desert Rose sign, so please click either link to contribute. The museum is also available for special events and weddings. Call 702 387-6366 to learn more.

You’ll know you’ve arrived at the museum when you see this amazing Paul Williams building, #GoogieArchitecture, just across the street from The Neon Boneyard Park. A little time spent here is a great reprieve from the slot machines that are the equivalent of gas guzzling SUV’s from the 80’s. I promise you this is $25 well spent. Viva Las Vegas!

Where Art Inspires Beauty