The Changing Face of North La Brea

July 11, 2014 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

636 N. LaBrea, Photo Romi Cortier — 636 North La Brea, Photo Romi Cortier

1145 N. LaBrea, Photo Romi Cortier — 1145 North La Brea, Photo Romi Cortier

LaBrea at Santa Monica Blvd, Photo Romi Cortier — La Brea at Santa Monica Blvd, Photo Romi Cortier

Unless you’ve been living on another planet, it’s been hard to miss The Changing Face of North La Brea. After a torturous year or two of lane closures and nonstop construction, things are really starting to come together, and fortunately in a good way. As you know, not all facelifts are for the better, especially in this town.

I’d been avoiding going anywhere near La Brea, regardless of the time of day or night for ages. And then, one evening without thinking, I drove north from the 10, yes the 10, not the I-10. I felt disoriented as I crossed over Wilshire Blvd into a whole new world. It was as if La Brea had become the new Sunset Strip, the Sunset Strip minus the star seeking tourists and double parked limo’s. It was bustling in a new fun way, a way that made me feel old and out of the loop. It was time to get my groove on and start spending some time there.

I love the Streamline Deco inspired 636 N. La Brea with it’s porthole windows and saturated pastel tones. The tropical tones remind me of South Palm Beach in Florida. Happy. Playful. Spirited. I just hope the graffiti ‘artists’ leave it alone. This is also the kind of Art Deco inspired building that we should be seeing in the Miracle Mile, not the crap we’ve been getting sold as Deco that’s nothing more than communal architecture trying to please everyone. (do I dare name names?) My research shows that this may be the new residence of the Olympic Rehabilitation Center (please correct me if I’m wrong). It would make sense, as there’s a large parking lot in the back with a private walled off entrance. Additionally, their web site uses the same tones as this particular building, so they’re branding seems to be intact.

As for 1145 N. La Brea, It’s quite cool. Initially when I drove by I thought it looked like a dilapidated Guggenheim Museum. Then I realized the facade is just that, a facade, completely non structural. I also love the laser cut metal skin with the aqua walls behind it. They’ve also done a spectacular job of incorporating vertical florescent lights that seems to be a nod to the work of Dan Flavin. I remember seeing his Retrospective at LACMA in 2007 and loving the high impact of his work made from commercial lighting materials. According to wehoville.com this is a five-story 32-unit building of affordable housing, paid for through federal HUD funds and the City of West Hollywood’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Bravo for affordable, yet chic, housing.

And that interesting building on the corner of La Brea and Santa Monica… I was calling it the ‘eyelash‘ building until I snapped a couple of photos. Then I thought hmmm, looks a bit more like, well… like a Vajayjay to quote Opera. Wehoville.com reports this as a six-story, mixed use project with 12,800 square-feet of retail space and 184 apartments, 36 of which will be affordable housing units as well. (I’m curious to know what qualifies as ‘affordable’ in the city of LA and West Hollywood).

Lastly, I have to say that I love the use of Yellow on these commercial projects, its a nod to happier times and is a great color for sunny southern California.

Architecture, Decorative Arts

The Gilded Monuments of Paris

July 10, 2014 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Courtyard at Palace of Versailles, Photo T. Zeleny — Cour d’honneur, Palace of Versailles, Photo T. Zeleny

Palace of Versailles, Court Yard Detail, Photo Romi Cortier — The Mask of Apollo Clock, Palace of Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier

Les Invalides, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier

Pont Alexandre III, Bridge Detail:Pegasus Being Led by Fame, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier

Paris Opera House Detail, Photo Romi Cortier — Paris Opera House Gilded Detail La Poesie (Poetry) , (Charles Gumery) Photo Romi Cortier

Paris, Bridge Detail, Photo Romi Cortier — Pont Alexandre III, Bridge Detail: Pegasus Held by the Fame of Combat, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier

Palace of Versailles, Gate Detail, Photo Romi Cortier — Royal Gate, Palace of Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier

The Gilded Monuments of Paris are easy to see while visiting the City of Lights, however, finding their proper names is a far more difficult task. It’s taken several hours of research to find the proper names for these exquisite works of art, that I so easily photographed while visiting in 2011. The good news is what I’ve learned while doing research.

The Royal Gate, which stands at the entrance to the cour d’honneur at Versailles, was replaced in 2008. At a price of 4 million British Pounds (about 7 million US Dollars), this replica took two years to recreate. Weighing 15-tons, it took a plethora of historians and top craftsmen to recreate Jules Hardouin-Mansarts original masterpiece from 1680 that was destroyed during the French Revolution.

Louis XIV (the 14th) who resided at the Palace of Versailles, was known as the Sun King. If you’ll take a closer look at the clock presiding over the cour d’ honneur, you’ll notice what looks like a face, framed by the sun. This was a reference to Louis XIV. Known as the Mask of Apollo, this clock marked the rhythm of the time with 3 bells that weighed from 209 pounds to over 2500 pounds. The bronze and embossed copper were regilded in 1999, with a newly approved ‘Royal Blue’ background approved by Versailles archives.

Les Invalides, officially known as L ‘Hotel national des Invalides (The National Residence of the Invalids) contains museums and monuments relating to the military history of France. The most famous detail about this building is who’s buried there. Napoleon Bonaparte, known as Napoleon I, was the Emperor of the French from 1804-14, and again in 1815. Napoleon died 6 years later of ‘stomach cancer’ while in exile. In 1840 his remains were moved to Les Invalides and encased in a tomb sculpted from blocks of red quartzite, in an open rotunda about 2 stories below street level. Therefore, when you walk into Les Invalides and look down over the railing… you’re quite literally bowing down to Napoleon in death.

The Palais Garnier, or Paris Opera House, was built by Charles Garnier during the Second Empire (1861-75). World famous for it’s opulence, this monumental structure is considered ‘typical’ Beaux-Arts. The gilded figure La Poesie (Poetry) sits atop the right Pavillion of the Opera House, and is matched by L’Harmonie (Harmony) on the left. Both are made of gilt copper electrotype.

And lastly, those gorgeous gilded statues known as “Fames” on Pont Alexandre III. Besides looking stunning, they’re very important stabilizing counterweights that support the bridges arch, without interfering with the views. There’s a total of 4, one for each corner, and they sit atop massive masonry socles. Watch the video below to learn more about this elegant bridge.

Art

“Transitions: Works by Francoise Gilot”

July 9, 2014 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Francoise Gilot 'Applause' Oil on Canvas — Francoise Gilot ‘Applause’ Oil on Canvas, Photo Romi Cortier

Francoise Gilot, Oil on Canvas, Photo Romi Cortier

Francoise Gilot, 'Sea Goddess', Oil on Canvas, Photo Romi Cortier — Francoise Gilot, ‘Sea Goddess’, Oil on Canvas, Photo Romi Cortier

“Transitions: Works by Francoise Gilot” was a remarkable exhibit that I had the pleasure of seeing at the Oceanside Museum in the summer of 2011. It was curated by Mel Yoakum Ph. D, author of ‘Monograph 1940 – 2000′ Francoise Gilot: Painting – Malerei and Stone Echoes: Original Prints by Francoise Gilot – A Catalogue Raisonne.

Mel’s knowledge of Gilot’s work is extensive, especially with their 20 plus years of collaboration which began in 1987. His lecture was rich in detail, and was one of those moments in story telling that you never wanted to end. The exhibit began with her Labyrinth Series and included important works into the 21st Century. Had I of known I’d be writing this blog post, I would have taken greater care to to get clearer images with the proper dates and titles. The images above were my favorites, and I snapped the photos for my own personal reference. However, they do not begin to capture the remarkable depth of this exhibit.

Due to its resounding success, the ‘Transitions‘ exhibit was taken to the Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College in the summer of 2012. To learn more about Gilot’s work, go to francoisegilot.com.

Architecture, Decorative Arts

Gates in the Hollywood Hills

July 8, 2014 romicortier@yahoo.com 2 Comments

Gate with 4 Diamonds, Photo Romi Cortier

South Western Styled Gate, Photo Romi Cortier

Photographing Gates in the Hollywood Hills was a passion of mine in the mid 1990’s. I lived in the Los Feliz section of the Hollywood Hills when I first moved to Los Angeles. I was so enamored by the gorgeous gates I’d see on my evening walks, that I thought I’d try photographing them with an old canon camera I got from my sister. One after another, my collection grew. Then I thought, why not publish a book?

As I talked to people about my idea, the reasons for NOT publishing a book were many: you need the home owners permission, you need the architects permission, you need the designers permission, coffee table books don’t make money anymore, they no longer make black and white film, everything is digital now. The list goes on, and the photographs get older. But what I find fascinating is that every time I pull these images out and look at them, they’re still exciting. There’s also something very refreshing about seeing these images in Black and White. It reminds me of Hollywoods Golden Era when things were more glamorous and less pedestrian.

I’ve heard rumors over the years about what celebrity might live behind which gate, but that’s irrelevant to me. What’s more interesting is Los Angeles’s culture of the gate. It’s like a calling card for the home, possibly indicating what you might find on the inside. Yet they always achieve the same thing, keeping unwanted guests out and giving homes perched on the edge of a cliff a modicum of privacy. I’ve shared a few of my favorites here, and I hope you enjoy them. If by chance you’re reading this, and one of these belongs to you and I’ve broken some law or crossed the line, please let me know. Otherwise I invite you to enjoy the beauty of these ‘total works of art’. Bravo to these amazing designers and architects.

Art

Pool time in Palm springs

July 7, 2014 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Orange Striped Towel, Photo Romi Cortier

Pool time in Palm Springs is my favorite time of year. If you’ve ever spent a summer in Palm Springs, then you know how hot it gets. I have a home there and nothing feels better then jumping in the pool when the temperature hits 115. Splash. Submerge. That big ahhh as my body temperature drops. Every thought squeezed from my mind. Relaxation at its finest.

I’ll never forget the moment I was floating in the water, looked at the towel hanging over the edge of the pool and thought, hey there’s a painting there. I got out, snatched my camera, waded back in, and spent the next few hours photographing the towel, the ball, the pool toys, the shadows from the palm trees. I was lost in the artists zone of making art. Each weekend it became my obsession as my collection of photos grew. I came to view my simple back yard as a total work of art. The stainless steel fence, the agave plants, the palm trees, the colored river rock, they all held a story that needed to be told. Was is it sun stroke, or was there really that much beauty in the simplest of details.

The Palm Spring nights take on an equal amount of beauty from the pool. Looking up at the stars and the moon, feeling the warm breeze, enjoying the nothingness of it all, yet feeling so content. Wondering how many eyes have looked at those same stars over the years, seeing what I’m seeing. It’s no surprise so many of us dash to the desert for the weekends. To decompress. To reconnect. To feel the pulse of nature and find our own pulse again. This is the less celebrated side of life in the desert, but for me, it’s what keeps me coming back.

Where Art Inspires Beauty

The Changing Face of North La Brea

The Gilded Monuments of Paris

“Transitions: Works by Francoise Gilot”

Gates in the Hollywood Hills

Pool time in Palm springs

A Design Diary by Romi Cortier