LONG TIME NO BLOG

When I decided to write a blog I never intended to make it a daily journal however, I certainly intended to keep it up. I have failed to do that but in my defense, I have been busy with other pressing issues. Modlife is now on vandm.com and I am thrilled to report that we have over 80 items posted with various photos, accurate dimensions and detailed description of our inventory. In the past month we have sold dozens of vintage modern furnishings to various designers in New York. I was rather suspicious as to why all the clientele was coming out of New York and then I discovered an Apartment Therapy story on vandm.com which highlighted a pair of my Ward Bennett sleigh chairs (now sold) with a link to my storefront on the website. Lesson? Go global. There are those who like to see and feel the furniture, "kick the tires" if you will, but as we have become electronic consumers it does not seem to matter if we are buying shoes, soap, a television or a chair - we have come to trust buying online as a preferred way of shopping.

That being said, we have updated our website: http://www.modlifehome.com/ as well. We now feature, in addition to our inventory, a gallery page which displays vignettes of furnishings in our showroom complete with lighting art and accessories. We also added "Mod Makeover" which shows the "Before and After" images of reinvented furnishings including chairs, case goods, lighting, etc.

Finally, we have been fortunate to exhibit some local talent here in our showroom. Our 5 year anniversary in October (wow! it has been a long time since my blog updates) we sponsored "ARTiversary" a cocktail reception celebration featuring 3 Chicago artists; Paul Roberts, Mel Platzke and John Park. We completely sold out of Mel Platzke pieces but he has worked diligently to restock us with a few more pieces and they just keep getting more amazing.

Well that is all I have to report now but I promise to be more frequent with news, updates and mod stories.

Midcentury Modern Canvas Painted Wall Art Sculpture | VandM.com

Midcentury Modern Canvas Painted Wall Art Sculpture VandM.com

The Modern Wing, Art Institute of Chicago

"The Bathers," Henri Matisse

Chess Set by Man Ray

The Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago has opened this week after a 4-year anticipation and 294 million dollars in design and construction. The building designed by Renzo Piano extends the modern and contemporary art collection through the north wing of the Art Institutes's 130 year old classic design building. The sparkling modern expansion bridges the museum into Millennium Park and spills into the more flamboyant architecture of Frank Gehry's band shell.

The atmosphere of the modern wing is extremely tranquil and looks and feels modern in it's bright airy flow and environmental considerations in space and light. The roof garden provides natural noise and thermal heat installation, while the public gardens provide stunning views. The building was constructed with recycled and local materials where possible and is illuminated by photocell lighting. The towering steel and glass facades pay tribute to Chicago's hallmark architect, Mies Van Der Rohe, who also inspired the steel-rod suspended staircase for the Arts Club of Chicago.

As you enter the wing from either Monroe or the museum you are sucked into a bright, narrow minimalist hallway that offers nothing you would expect from a museum. The first floor houses rooms for temporary exhibits, (currently Cy Twombly) classrooms and The Modern Shop but absolutely void of any interest in it's corridor. Perhaps this will change as they curate sculpture for the main level or it was intentional for renting the space for events, but it feels more like a sterile office building than a museum.

Up the staircase - and if you get vertigo you may want to take the elevator - and you are on the second floor which displays several rooms of Contemporary Art, 1945 to 1960, and after 1960, much of which the museum never had room to exhibit. Another room of interest is Architecture and Design which displays tomorrow's classic modern contemporary furniture and lighting made by Capellini, Flos and Vitra, to name a few.

Up one more flight of stairs and you've arrived to what makes this whole expansion worth the visit; European Modern Art, 1900-1950. The museum is very proud to include in their collection Henri Matisse, "The Bathers by a River" a significant painting in size and in the cradle of cubism and surrealism and the story that follows in the works of Picasso, Juan Gris, Rene Magritte, Salvidor Dali, Mondrian and Man Ray. For me entering this room was like hearing Puccini while everything that led to it was merely the orchestra warming up.

I attended college at Columbia across the street and spent much of my 20's in the museum on Tuesdays (free day) getting inspiration or sketching paintings by Max Beckman or Giorgio DiChirico - so much of this collection is as familiar to me as an old friend. But to see it expanded and included with dozens of new acquisitions that contribute to the European Modern art genre is a special treat that will give me reason to revisit the Art Institute more often... that and the opportunity to dine at Tony Mantuano's Terzo Piano for lunch (always been a fan of Spiaggia) on the third floor.

Preview Mod

Hidden in an unsuspecting strip mall of A1A in Ft. Lauderdale is a most impressive 20th century modern home furnishings showroom called Preview Mod. The proprietors, Stan and Nikki hail from their British roots and find Ft. Lauderdale their home and an ideal home base for their store when they are not travelling to New York for an antique show or to buy and sell in Europe for the summer.
I first met them in their former location in Delray Beach and was impressed by their merchandise as well as their lovely manner. They seemed to have a great deal of knowledge of their inventory and it's creator, dates, value, etc., which is essential in this business especially when you are dealing in pieces that are not commonly familiar. And in a town where lucite lamps are abundant and Milo Baughman chairs are a dime a dozen, it's a breath of fresh air to find a dealer bringing something new (well, different at least) to the table.

For example, in a recent visit they display a Norman Foster "Nomos" table/desk designed in 1987 (yes, we are beginning to see 80's design in the vintage modern genre... sort of makes you feel old doesn't it) for Tecno, Italy $3,700. What makes this table so special is that (Sir) Foster designed only a few furniture items, this being the most interesting, while focusing his career as a highly praised architect of bridges, museums, airports and British courts.




Another item of interest in Preview Mod is this stunning "Sphere" dining table and 4 lucite/chrome chairs by Boris Tabacoff, France 1969, $9,500. What makes this set so special is both the condition and the rarity that it all survived the years together. It is shown with a Castiglioni "Frisbee" hanging light fixture and is back-lit by a Gio Ponti "Pirellone" floor lamp for Fontana Arte, 1967, $2,700.

This all makes for a lot of name dropping in copy but if you visit the store and preView these pieces in person, you would find Stan and Nikki anything but pretentious and consider calling your bank and your shipper to arrange to take these items home.

You can visit the showroom at 3321 NE 32nd St., Ft.Lauderdale (A1A & Oakland Blvd.) or on the web at previewmod.com Call ahead in case they are on the road or abroad: te. 954.565.1645

m.a.d.e. in miami

M.A.D.E.

One of my favorite reasons for visiting Florida, outside of getting out of Chicago in the winter, is for the many great places to scout out vintage home furnishings. And when in Miami, you can do no better than Biscayne Boulevard where you can hit dozens of dealers within 40 blocks of each other that specialize in 20th century furnishings, art and lighting. Most of them specialize in American and Hollywood Regency designs from the mid century but the last few years has attracted a growing number of European dealers as well, specializing in American, Italian and French modern furnishings.

Before I became a dealer in 20th century furniture and art, I visited a store in this area called Belvair owned by Jeffrey Ligan. The space itself was incredible; a restored vintage building with soaring pillars, ornamental ceilings and mid century modern room dividers made from exterior building facades. As for the inventory - simply amazing. He was one of the first dealers I saw who where truly reinventing pieces - not just buying and selling. Metal lamps by Rembrandt where flawlessly replated in brass or nickel and brought up to date with decorative shades. Kent Coffey dressers where relacquered and hardware was restored to it's original luster. Parzinger casegoods and lamps looked as if they where just produced or preserved for the last 50 years.

Inspite of the falling home prices and rising home foreclosures in south Florida there are still a significant amount of dealers in the Miami area and more are attracted to the area as well as in Palm Beach. And for those who don't want the responsibility of operating a store, there is the Miami Antique and Design Expo. (M.A.D.E.) at 8330 Biscayne Blvd. In my last visit I was surprised to find that Belvair had moved into this multi-dealer space and sold his building to a New York dealer. M.A.D.E. is owned and operated by New York natives and brothers, Robert and Carl Massello. It did not take long for this store to catch on and it does not take long for the merchandise to move.. yes, even in this economy. The only thing better than M.A.D.E. is the addition of Belvair which makes M.A.D.E. Modlife's pick for Miami's best destination for mid century modern furnishings. You can find there inventory on 1stdibs.com

Next stop: Ft. Lauderdale.

Vagabond Ways

Born December 29, 1946, Marianne Faithfull grew up in London's swinging mod scene and began her career in the 1960s with the hit, "As Tears Go By" written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The Rolling Stones were the most popular band at that time, along with the Beatles, and their music gained recognition in households across the globe. Marianne, however, found her way into the hearts of a smaller audience, but her career was large. She would go on to become an award-winning singer, songwriter actress and poet.

She vanished from the spot light and a tumultuous relationship with Jagger and excessive drugs after the her hit song Sister Morphine and returned to the scene in the late 1970's with a hit album, Broken English. This followed an even bigger album, Strange Weather, which was my original acquaintance with the British pop icon. With tracks like Times Square and the disco attempt of Sweetheart, I was hooked on her raspy hoarse vocals and her biting poetic lyrics.

She enhances her body of work with numerous scores for films including her hit, "Ballad of Lucy Jordon" and "Trouble In Mind" which contains one of my favorites, "The Hawk" featuring Mark Isham.

I did see her once in concert. In fact I was standing outside the Park West Theater in Chicago waiting for my guest to arrive when Marianne Faithful pulled up in a taxi to the front door, paid the driver walked up to the entrance, alone - no posse - looked at me and smiled as I held the door open for her. She nodded and thanked me in her raspy voice - which by the way is absolutely angelic in person. I was impressed by her lack of pretense. What class!

Her album Vagabond Ways is an autobiographical one and one, along with the above mentioned, I highly recommend. She may be a cult classic but she's truly Aces in my book... or blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWT23s94Eqo

What Is In A Name?

This is a story about a ghost artist invented by two men who began a business entity specializing in decorative arts made mostly of metals. Over 40 years ago, Jerry Fels operated Renior of California; a jewelry house that designed and produced collections of copper jewelry. Teaming up with Kurt Freiler, they began a company which designed a variety of home accessories including wall sculptures, andirons, portrait busts, lamps, etc., and made from various metals including copper, steel, brass, bronze and other mixed medias. Combining their two names Jerry and Kurt, they created the fictitious art mark Curtis Jere (pronounced Ger' ray) which is displayed on all pieces.

It is not uncommon for an art house with more than one artisan to produce under a signature. Lee Reynolds was the signature of multitudes of "original paintings" and other decorative arts that was produced for three decades by Vanguard Studios. Certainly, any art house that gains national and international appeal and produces mass quantities could not be created by the individual who signs it. In fact, the "Curtis Jere" stamp always bears the same signature in black, "c.jere" followed by the copyright symbol and the year it was produced. I suppose a name that suggests a European background would be considered far more avant garde than using the names of an unknown team or company such as the name Artisan House, which is the company Curtis Jere pieces are still produced.

If you think the explanation of who C. Jere is somewhat complicated, try calculating the value of the works. Five years ago, I began collecting pieces uncovered from antique malls and ebay auctions all across the country, fetching anywhere from as low as $5 for a tabletop metal sculpture from the 1980's to $500 for a wall sculpture from the 1970's. Today, you can find the identical pieces listed on 1stdibs.com (a web host of antique retailers) for as low as $700 and hovering well over $5,000 for the sought after"raindrops" wall sculpture.

Now a retailer can ask $10,000 for their C. Jere but it doesn't mean it is worth it or they will ever get it. The piece is only worth the most recent of auction records which is largely relative to the collectors bidding, the demand and economy at the time of the auction. The most sought-after Jere pieces tend to be the copper and chrome abstract (starburst, raindrops, etc., ) and organic shaped (leaves, trees, etc) wall pieces, lamps and tall scultpures produced in the 60's and 70's. The more tourist-scene pieces such as the "Paris Cafe" or bird sculptures fetch far less amounts generally under $100 on ebay. So the value of a C. Jere greatly depends on where you buy it and what it represents.

Buyer Beware: A retailer may attribute their piece to C.Jere just because it is made of metal. I've seen this happen very often, in fact, there are C. Jere attributions currently on 1stdibs that clearly are not but there is no law against false attributions on these web hosts, including ebay. I've sold pieces that exceed the quality of any "C.Jere" production but sometimes, for some it's all in a name, albeit a fictitious one. If that is how you roll than be sure to identify a signature, every authentic piece will bear it, unless it has been replated.