Todays Design Diary entry goes inside Frank Gehry’s Schnabel House. As I mentioned previously, the home was open to the public this past Sunday for a rare open house. Homes priced in the $12 Million range are usually seen by appointment only, therefore, I wasn’t about to less this golden opportunity pass… have iphone will travel.
When most of us think of multi-million dollar estates, we think of luxurious sprawling rooms with beautifully appointed details. You won’t find any lavish crystal chandeliers, silk drapes, 12 inch high moldings or Venetian plaster walls here. No. This home has been deconstructed. Open ceilings expose beams and joists with all of their respective hardware. If you’ve ever wondered how something was built, this is your answer. And it may very well be the beginning of the loft living movement that seems so common place today. Remember, this was built in 1989, over 25 years ago. I’ve toured many newly built residences during the last decade, and this deconstructed concept is in full swing. I often chalk it up to developers just wanting to save money and lower costs as opposed to making an artistic statement.
The one luxurious interior detail that almost goes unnoticed, is the copper trimming the entrance to the master bedroom pavilion. You may not realize it from the previous post, but that same copper treatment was used extensively on the exterior. As you know, copper patina’s over the years and changes colors, just like a copper penny. I wonder what it would be like to be inside this home during a massive rain storm, especially the home office with the sphere on top. The rain pounding down against all of the homes copper siding could be rather ‘musical’ to say the least. And speaking of music, look at the evolution of Gehry’s work just 14 years later. Completed in 2003, the Disney Concert Hall has been praised for its acoustics.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, Photo Courtesy Discovery Los Angeles Blog
It has been said that Gehry’s buildings are juxtaposed collages of spaces and materials that make users appreciative of both the theater and the back-stage, simultaneously revealed. I think it’s a fitting quote that beautifully describes his process. There’s nothing more provocative then seeing one of his sculptural structures from the outside, and then walking inside and being able to see so many of the construction details that made it possible.
To learn more about this home, please visit Elliman.com
Frank Gehry’s Schnabel House is once again for sale. It’s hard to believe that a home listed for nearly $12 Million would actually be open to the public… but it was. I doubt many of us who walked through it’s doors this last Sunday would even qualify for that kind of loan, but who cares. That didn’t stop dozens of architectural enthusiasts like myself from wandering the sprawling Brentwood compound, enjoying the mastery of Post-Modernist architect Frank Gehry. I ended up with so many smashing photos from the public showing, that I’ve chosen to do two blog posts about it. This post focuses primarily on the exterior metal aspects, and the next post will focus on the interior living spaces. When a home has this many spectacular angles and textures, it’s pretty easy to walk away with dozens of amazing photos.
Most of us know Gehry for his commercial structures, such as LA’s Disney Concert Hall, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain. However, he’s also responsible for designing 28 single-family homes, including the Schnabel House above. Built in 1989 for Rockwell Schnabel, a former ambassador to Finland – and his architect wife Marna, the home includes four sections divided up into cubes and pillars. The structure with the sphere on the top is a freestanding office, and was inspired by the Griffith Observatory. Behind it to the left, you’ll catch a glimpse of what appears to be a very long lap pool. The lower level water feature is a reflecting pond that surrounds the master bedroom pavilion. I couldn’t help but wonder what my Fend Shui instructor Dr. Simona Mainini Ph. D. would have to say about a room wrapped in copper, while also being surrounded by water. According to the scientific Feng Shui principles she teaches, those are the two most effective elements that can dramatically influence a home’s electromagnetic field. Water holds chi, thus raising the energy around a home, as does metal.
Good Feng Shui or not, this home continues to appreciate in value. The five-bedroom, five-bathroom structure sold for $9.5 million in 2013 to Film Producer Michael LaFetra. Previously it was owned by Producer Jon Platt, who’d restored and renovated the house with Gehry’s guidance. I was bit surprised when I read that because I was thinking as I walked through the home that the bathrooms could use a little updating. The materials for the cabinets, tile and sinks seemed pretty basic considering todays luxurious aesthetic. But I suppose a home such as this is a work of art in it’s own right, so any alterations have to be done very wisely.
In the event that you’re interested in this home, you can contact realtor Cory Weiss at cory.weiss@elliman.com or contact Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
Hollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi CortierHollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi CortierHollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi CortierHollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi CortierHollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi CortierHollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi CortierHollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi CortierHollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi Cortier
Viewing the Hollyhock House at Night was a rare opportunity, and I for one wasn’t going to miss it.
On February 13th, 2015, after a four year restoration at a cost of $4.5 million, Frank Lloyd Wrights iconic home in Barnsdall Park reopened to the public. In the spirit of giving back to the community, the nominal entry fee of $7 was waived, and the home was open to the public complimentary for a full 24-hour period. And best of all, photos were allowed! This is what kept running through my mind as I stood in line… for three, yes three very long hours. Otherwise I would have gladly come back at another time. Yes, I have photos from an earlier visit to the home in 2005, but it’s never open during the night. Wisely, there was a Girl Scout with her wagon of cookies working the extensive lines wrapping around the estate. I think her box of Do-si-dos saved my life, or the lives of those around me… low blood sugar is never my friend.
Built in 1921 for Bohemian oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, this 11-acre site known as Barnsdall Park, sits on a hill overlooking Hollywood with spectacular city views. The first of several Mayan concrete block structures created by Wright in Los Angeles, this home was inspired by Ms. Barnsdall’s love of hollyhock flowers. I’ll admit I didn’t know what a hollyhock flower actually looked like until now, so here it is.
You can see how the vertical spine of the flower inspired Wright’s concrete panel below, which is seen throughout the home. It appears that the lush color of the flower also influenced the color palette for both the Library and the Dining Room. And take a closer look at the chairs in the dining room. You’ll see that geometrized floral pattern appearing there as well.
Hollyhock Panel from Hollyhock Home, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi Cortier
The exterior Colonnade below is another version of the Hollyhock panel stretched out, offering structural support for the roof. This is such a perfect example of utilizing a design motif in multiple ways, thus creating the visual rhythm for the space. All it takes in money, and lots of it. Even an oil heiress can get fed up with cost overruns and fire her architect, which is exactly what happened here. It’s hard to believe Ms. Barnsdall never actually lived in the home.
Hollyhock House, Barnsdall Park, Photo Romi Cortier
According to curator Jeffrey Herr, his devoted team spent countless hours returning the Hollyhock House back to its 1920’s glory, from the wall moldings to the bas-reliefs to the paint color. It seems the original forest green walls have chemicals banned by California, so they engineered a chemical formula that exactly resembled it… but safer of course. And for the golden glisten on top, they crafted a formula of mica, suspended in alcohol. According to Los Angeles Magazine, Herr hopes that viewers will walk in and go, This is great, what did they do? For him, that’s the sign of a good restoration. From my point of view, the home was impeccable. As everyone said as they left the home, it was worth the wait. And it was.
Karl Benjamin,#44, Oil on Canvas, Lot 311, Image Courtesy LAMAMurakami, Lot 120, Image Courtesy LAMAWayne Thiebaud, Lot 262, Image Courtesy LAMAJulian Schnabel, Lot 424, Image Courtesy LAMADamien Hirst, Lot 222, Image Courtesy LAMAJohn Baldessari, Lot 061, Image Courtesy LAMAJosef Albers, Lot 302, Image Courtesy LAMALari Pittman, Lot 430, Image Courtesy LAMAJoan Miro, Lot 167, Image Courtesy LAMAJun Dobashi, Lot 156, Image Courtesy LAMAPablo Picasso, Lot 140, Image Courtesy LAMA
Here’s a few of my favorite images from the upcoming Los Angeles Modern Art & Design Auction. The images that I’ve chosen to feature here on my Design Diary are primarily prints, however, this isn’t the full breadth of the upcoming auction.
To quote Los Angeles Modern Auctions: The March 1, 2015 Modern Art & Design Auction will feature an important and monumental Harry Bertoia sculpture, paintings by School of Paris masters Massimo Campigli and Antoni Clave, sculptures by De Wain Valentine, George Rickey, and Peter Alexander, in addition to works by George Condo, Billy Al Bengston, Roy Lichtenstein, Oskar Fischinger, and Bruce Conner.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing major exhibitions by nearly all of the artists shown above, which is why I can relate to their work. That’s not to say that just because I’ve seen their works, I automatically love and resonate with everything that artist does. On the contrary. What it does do, is give me perspective on their work and a point of reference. That is why I’m such a huge advocate of seeing as much art as you have available to you, regardless of the venue. Auctions, Museums Shows, Gallery Exhibitions… and even flea markets or thrift stores. An educated eye can find the needle in a hay stack, which is an amazing thrill. Case in point, a decade ago I was driving by a garage sale when something caught my eye. I circled, parked, and found an amazing piece of art for about 20 bucks. I later had it appraised for $1800, and ultimately sold it at auction for a few hundred when I needed a little extra cash.
Karl Benjamin, #44, Oil on Canvas. Estimate $20,000 – $30,000. I first became aware of his work at the Birth of the Cool exhibit in Orange County Museum of Art, 2007. Since then I’ve seen his work for sale at several Southern California venues.
Takashi Murakami,And Then, And Then And Then and Then (4), Offset Color Lithograph on Paper From the edition of 300, Estimate $4,000 – $5,000. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA Los Angeles had a massive exhibit of Murakami’s works in 2007. I was both spellbound and speechless at the scale and depth of his work. You might say he’s the Japanese equivalent of Jeff Koons, working in multiple mediums, blurring the line between high and low art.
Wayne Thiebaud, Eight Lipsticks, 1 of 7 unnumbered Trial Proofs, Estimate $25,000 – $35,000. The Palm Springs Art Museum had a recent retrospective of his work in 2009, covering 70 years of the artist works. I loved his more recent abstract landscapes, as well as his famous Cake and Dessert still life paintings. At nearly 95 years of age, he’s still making art.
Julian Schnabel, Color Screenprint on Arches paper, #125 of 250, Estimate $1,500 – $2,000. Sadly I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing a major exhibition of his work. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s also an award winning filmmaker. Think Before Night Falls and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Damien Hirst, Silkscreen with bronze glitter on Somerset Tub-Sized 410-gram paper, #101 of 150. Estimate $6,000 – $8,000. I’ve seen his work at several venues, including the recent Los Angeles Art Fair. If you’ve seen my Butterfly Mural DIY video, I make reference to him and his famous Butterfly piece I Am Become Death, Shatterer of Worlds.
John Baldessari, Photogravure, aquatint, and sanding on torn Rives BFK paper, #3 of 35, Estimate $4,000 – $6,000. In 2010 LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) had a retrospective of his work titled Pure Beauty. I was quite surprised to see his 1977 series Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line, which reminded me of my own Red Ball oil paintings.
Josef Albers, Encircled, Woodcut on Paper, Estimate $5,000 – $7,000. I love this piece because it’s so not what Albers is famous for. Homage to the Square is a massive series of mid-century works, with yep, you guessed it, variations of squares set into bigger squares and even bigger squares. I recently bought one of these pieces at an Estate Sale, Homage to the Square in Black.
Lari Pittman,Untitled #27, Acrylic on paper, Estimate $5,000 – $7,000. Nearly 20 years ago in 1996 I saw a Survey of Lari Pittman’s work at LACMA. It was so bold and inventive that I never forgot it. The show was referred to as a Defining Moment in his career.
Joan Miro, Untitled, Etching and aquatint on Rives paper, #23 of 50, Estimate $2,000 – $3,000. Miro is a name that’s synonymous with Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike… It makes me think of a re-occuring nightmare I had as a child that featured an inner tube, a needle and thread, and floating sensations. I still have no clue what the dream was really about.
Jun Dobashi,La Priere au Balcon, Oil on canvas laid down on board, Estimate $2,000 – $3,000. I’ve never seen the work of this artist before, but I love the composition of this piece and his use of black. Divided into 4 regions, light on one side, dark on the other, it feels religious, as if someone is in a state of prayer.
Pablo Picasso,Femme regardant par la Fenetre, Color linocut print on Arches paper, #43 of 50, Estimate $18,000 – $25,000. Nearly every major museum in the United States has some form of Picasso’s work, so it’s hard not to have seen something from the epic career of one of the most important artists of the 20th Century. I love how the subject of this piece leans forward to open the drape, letting the light into the room. The use of off white is so effective and powerful.
Photographer Stephen Wilkes Exhibition Day to Night, Photo Romi CortierPhotographer Stephen Wilkes Exhibition Day to Night, Photo Romi CortierPhotographer Stephen Wilkes Exhibition Day to Night, Photo Romi CortierPhotographer Stephen Wilkes Exhibition Day to Night, Photo Romi CortierPhotographer Stephen Wilkes Exhibition Day to Night, Photo Romi CortierPhotographer Stephen Wilkes Exhibition Day to Night, Photo Romi Cortier
Photographer Stephen Wilkes exhibition Day to Night at The Peter Fetterman Gallery just closed January 4th 2015. I’d seen his work online and was thrilled to discover it at the Bergamot Station Art Walk December 16th.
Working from a fixed camera angle, Wilkes captures the fleeting moments of humanity and light as time passes. After 15 hours of photographing, and over 1500 images taken, he selects the best moments of the day and night. He states: Using time as my guide, all of these moments are then seamlessly blended into a single photograph, visualizing our conscious journey with time. Photography has historically been defined as a single moment, captured in time. Years ago Wilkes imagined changing time within a single photograph, compressing the best moments of a day and night into a single image. Photographic technology has evolved and allowed his dreams to now become reality.
If you missed this groundbreaking show, you’ll be able to see more of Stephens Wilkes work at the Annenberg Space for Photography.Sink or Swim – Designing for a Sea Change opened December 13, 2014 and will be on view until May 3, 2015. Curated by architecture writer and radio host Frances Anderton and the Annenberg Space for Photography, this newly commissioned show includes work by other photographers such as Iwan Baan, Paula Bronstein, Jonas Bendiksen and Monica Nouwens. The show focuses on the problem of climate change in densely populated coastal regions, with an eye on contemporary design as a means to navigate the changing landscape.
If you’ve never been to the Annenberg Space for Photography, I highly recommend it. It’s an intimate space located in Century City (2000 Avenue of the Stars) that’s also free of charge. Therefore, you have no excuse not to immerse yourself in a little bit of LA’s evolving art scene. This is top tier photography at it’s finest, so grab a friend, grab brunch, and go.
