I LOVED the recent art exhibition of Michael Muller and Sage Vaughn. I’ve been aware of Sage’s paintings for years, but I’ve never had the opportunity to see his work in person. This recent exhibit featured Vaughn’s painting over the photographic images of Michael Muller. Most images were 48″ x 60″ and some as large as 60″ x 90″, ranging in price from $16,000 – $22,000. I was elated to see so many red sold dots on the pieces.
Over the last decade Sage has had multiple solo shows, from New York to London to Germany and Geneva. There have also been several group exhibitions from Los Angeles to London, San Francisco to Belgium… it’s safe to say, Sage is everywhere. I wish I would have known about his work a decade ago, as it might have been a bit more affordable. But that’s what drives prices up: the international solo shows and a list of top notch collectors.
Below are a few more images of Sage’s work from his web site www.sagevaughn.com.
As an artist, I’ve been very enamored by Sage’s use of the Butterfly, combined with his drip paint technique. Below you can view a YouTube mural making video that I created in 2014 inspired directly by his paintings. I have no idea if he’s ever seen my work, but I do hope that he would be flattered and not offended by my interpretation of his beautiful fine art.
I’m thrilled to announce the debut of my new TV pilot Artful Living with Romi Cortier! The concept has been years in the making, inspired by my multiple DIY mural making videos on Youtube, of which I have over 1,500,000 views. Yes, that’s 1 1/2 million views!!
Artful Living with Romi Cortier is a celebration of Art, Architecture and Interior Design. As an artist and a purveyor of good taste, I want to focus on what’s right and beautiful in this world. There is so much to be explored, and that’s our concept for this show. Interviews with designers, artists, architects, scholars, all threaded together by the history of the built environment. Art Deco, Hollywood Regency, Post Modernism… they’re all words we’ve heard, but what do they really mean? I’ll help you understand that in my show, and I’ll also show you some fun DIY tricks for things that you can do around your own home.
And did I happen to mention that my co-host is the cutest white Pomeranian you’ve ever seen? Her name is Coco, aka Malibu Pom, which is the name of her Instagram page. (Hey, this is Hollywood and all the cool pups here have their own Instagram accounts). But what’s even more fun is that she actually LOVES riding around in the car with the top down, cruising Rodeo Drive and brunching at Villa Blanca. If there’s a camera around you can bet Coco has a smile on her face… and with that cute mug she makes friends everywhere she goes.
In this pilot episode you’ll learn a little bit about the history of Palm Springs and some of the hallmarks of mid-century modernism. You’ll also see a beautiful mid-century inspired table setting that I created, which was done in front of a mural that I’d painted earlier that day. The Mural was inspired by the drawings of Saul Lewitt whose work I’d seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I like to think of Op Art (optical illusion art) as an art movement that dovetails nicely with mid-century modernism, because it has it roots in the early 1960’s.
Here’s a close up look at a few of the details on the table. The plates with the platinum dots are from my personal collection of Bernardaud (fine china from France), and the crystal glass is by Reed and Barton available at Bloomingdales.
Here are our two cameramen making the magic happen while on set in Palm Springs: Willy Lazlo and Jacob Kelso… it takes a village, especially when it’s over 100 degrees!
And lastly, here’s a great photo from our wrap party with our editors Antone Hammers and Amanda Bliss Taylor. They were hands down an extraordinary duo. Antone was our story editor and created the rough cut, and Amanda created the finished product complete with a final polish. And most importantly, meet our producer Recio Carrington Young of Red Carpet Recio Productions. He pulled together this amazing team, spent countless hours with our editors choosing music, directing cuts, and creating the overall tone of the show.
We’d really love your support and hope you’ll check out the pilot while it’s available on Go Indie TV. Please follow the link below to watch the entire 22 minute pilot for free.
A spectacular desert MIRAGE, designed by Doug Aitken, sits just above Racquet Club Drive in Palm Springs. Nestled in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, this site specific public art installation is part of a larger project titled Desert X.
I discovered this installation oddly enough on Instagram while searching the hash tag Palm Springs, or #palmsprings. It was one of those… wait, what is this, moments. By the following weekend I’d found it’s location online and made a beeline for it first thing Sunday morning, before the day heated up. It’s remarkable how something so recognizable as a suburban home, can nearly disappear when clad with mirrors. To quote Aitken, I wanted to take that form and drain it… drain it of narrative, drain it of history…. take all of the texture, surface, history. His inspiration for this sculpture is the architecture you don’t remember. I was interested in what you had driven by thousands of times and you don’t even register its presence because it’s just so much a part of the pattern.
For me, it made me think of the sci-fi film Predator, where the invisible villain reflects it’s surroundings, only being visible when it moves. So much of this home simply disappears as you move around it, because it’s reflecting the landscape. And once you’re inside, it becomes a human scale kaleidoscope. It’s quite odd to traverse the interior, not quite sure of what you’re looking at. You have to move slowly and carefully to get your bearings. That said, there was an air of giddiness and complete joy, as people of all ages experienced this space plopped in the middle of a desert oasis. I hope to return again and again, so that I can experience the home in different types of light. That said, the hours are from sun up till sun down, there’s no access after dark. It’s rocky terrain and there are rattlesnakes, so be aware of your surroundings if you choose to visit.
This art installation will be open to the public until October 31, 2017, and is free to the public.
This is my second post about Seattle’s Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum which I had the pleasure of visiting in February of this year. Bright colors like this make me happy and help to transport my spirit to a better place. The metaphor of a boat filled with Chihuly glass couldn’t be more poignant at this time. The word Chihuly starts with chi, which in Chinese culture can be interpreted to mean ‘life force’. Therefore, I’m hopping aboard this little boat full of life force that’s traversing a black sea, taking me to places unknown with a whole lotta faith. And faith is what is needed in light of the recent presidential election here in the states. It left half our country feeling completely devastated, as well as some countries abroad. We’re in a time of transition and it’s anyones guess where we’ll end up.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and spent ten years living in the downtown area of Seattle, moving to L A in the mid 90’s. Chihuly has always been part of the local vernacular there. I had clients who owned pieces of his work, and downtown office buildings have permanent installations of his blown glass in their lobbies, such as the one below. Plus, there were always frequent gallery openings or museum shows that anyone could attend. It was just one of those things you sorta took for granted. But now that I live in earthquake country, I appreciate his work even more. My own small blown glass collection made from Seattle glass blowers, which I love tremendously, remains in storage for safety reasons.
The other thing that I’m reminded of when I think of my time in Seattle, is how I was perceived as ‘other’. With my black hair and olive skin, I was constantly asked my ethnicity. Are you Egyptian, Mexican, Persian… I was oddly exotic in those days. Then I moved to Los Angeles and all of that changed. I was stunned and excited at how remarkably diverse the culture here was. It was rather mind blowing to me that people came to this little plot of land from all over the world, to share in the California dream. At that point, I became much more aware of how white I actually was, and that I was also a minority here in a completely different way. If I were living on the westside, say Santa Monica or Brentwood, then I may have blended in more. I never gave it much thought, it was just the way LA was… a melting pot of really interesting cultures from all over the world. And now, with my silvery white hair and paler skin, I feel like the old waspy white guy. Wow, how did I get here in 25 quick years.
The reason that I bring this up is because most of us in white america never know what it means to be ‘the other’. For a period of time, I did. I think that is why so many of my friends here in Los Angeles, as well as my clients at the salon, feel completely devastated by this election. Some of them truly fear for their safety when they travel outside of our diverse little L A bubble. Honestly I’d never given white privilege much thought, until I discovered that I’m actually pretty white. My very handsome fiance is black, which also helped shifted my point of view, opening my eyes to the challenges he and his family have faced over the years. For me, people are people. Color has never been an issue. In fact, I’ve always thought people with darker skin than me were much better looking… maybe it’s the artist in me. And at my salon, I’m hearing interesting points of view from my clients who’ve immigrated from Ireland, England, Iran, Paris and Armenia. Even though most of them pass for ‘white’, they’re still concerned at what all of this rhetoric from our new president elect may mean for them.
As a progressive guy, I was very excited about the possibility of a female president, regardless of her baggage. To me, she was the most prepared for the position. I’ve since learned that over half of our country doesn’t feel included in the current american dream, and was willing to shake things up in an unprecedented way. Since the Donald is a complete wildcard, it’s anyones guess what the next four years will bring. This forced me to look deep into myself and ask myself what was important for me. It helped me to get clear on my soul purpose once again. Below is what I shared on my facebook page the day after the election.
Today I am a citizen of the world. I renew my commitment to focus on what is beautiful and right in this world, and will do my best not to go down the rabbit hole of fear, hatred and anger. I will continue to celebrate that beautiful piece of art, or a glorious piece of architecture that came from our higher source. I will celebrate man made elements that reflect our better selves, holding us to higher standards born out of our infinite source of creativity. To me, that is being godly, while staying connected to this world in a way that serves us all. #LoveWins
Thank you again for joining me on this journey of art, architecture, interior design, and anything else I find worthy of sharing with you. I really appreciate having a forum to think out loud, hopefully bringing a new perspective to things. Besides, beautiful things never go out of style.
Michael Sanville is without a doubt one of the finest photographers I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting with.
I first met Michael in the mid 1990’s after moving to Los Angeles. He was part of a larger circle of friends that included actors, artists, writers and producers. If I recall correctly it was my acting teacher Leigh Kilton- Smith, part of the hill posse, who referred me to him. This cast of successful people lived on a hill overlooking Laurel Canyon, which is where Michael still resides to this day.
I’d had several head shots taken while pursuing acting in the 90’s, but the one taken below by Michael, was always my favorite from that period of my life. I’ll never forget showing it to a friend in Seattle who said wow… that’s a very flattering photo. Hmmm, I thought to myself, are you trying to tell me I don’t look that good in person? Who cares if I really look that good in person, or not. It’s all about finding someone who sees us the way we want to be seen, or who can help us see ourselves in a more flattering light. One of the things I’ve come to love about this photo is the smattering of gray that’s just starting to creep into my hair… and maybe I also love my slightly lower hairline.
About a year and a half ago, I decided I needed some new upscale photos of myself to use for press and other projects that I had in the works. I knew Mr. Sanville was the man to make it happen. It seems our world is increasingly image oriented thanks to social media, so if you’re gonna do it, you might as well do it right. You can only do so much with an iphone and silly selfies. It takes a seasoned photographer to know which lense to use, how far away to stand, where to position the lights, and most importantly, the story you’re trying to tell. Additionally, It’s always a treat to visit Michaels hillside home. The environment is peaceful and quiet in a way that’s becoming increasingly hard to find in LA. Taking photos in the studio is such a pleasure as you gaze out at the Hollywood sign in the far off distance, or catch a glimpse of the hawks and ravens as they glide by the balcony at eye level.
Michael was recently written up in VoyageLa.com, which was a great read. His oeuvre has grown from head shots, to include portraiture and fashion photography. If you’re in the market to have superb photos taken I’d highly recommend checking out Michael, he’s one of my favorite people in tinsel town.