A Panoply of Perquisites and Privileges

"I guess I should put the Mercedes in the garage." Such a statement was uttered by me only because one of my clients had generously loaned her car to me while I was between car purchases.  I usually park my car on the street, and I realized perhaps I should take extra care of the vehicle that was entrusted to me. A nice perk of being a designer is that you are privy to such luxuries.

The list of gifts received over the years is long and varied.  Certainly the use of second homes is especially appreciated, and the use of "fleet" vehicles on location, too.  Their generosity is touching.  For instance, while on project location in New Orleans recently, I had the use of the client's Prius. As I was picking up my daughter Emily to drive her to classes at Tulane one morning, she asked, "Where did that dent come from?"  I walked around to the front and was horrified to find a significant dent in the bumper.  Somebody must have backed into it the night before.  When I reported it to my client, with every intention of taking care of the repairs, she responded, "Don't give it another thought!  Those things are expected to happen in New Orleans!" 

And so it goes...my home is furnished with bits and pieces of my projects and the generosity of my clients.  Scraps of fabrics find their way onto furnishings of one sort or another. It's a good thing that I never specify anything that I wouldn't want myself! 

Instructions from my clients:  "We insist that you drink our wine, eat whatever is in the kitchen, drive our vehicles and otherwise make yourself at home!  Being in a relationship with this kind of client makes my job that much easier!  Who wouldn't want to do their very best with such trust and appreciation for my efforts on their behalf? 

Sometimes, when a client is moving, downsizing, or redecorating, I'm given things that don't fit into the new design plan.  Here you see this painting by Matt Walters that didn't fit into one of my client's new home.  She knew that I loved it, and gave it to me!

As a designer, you are also able to get first dibs on estate and tag sale items.  In this case, I got a set of four Emeco chairs at well below my original cost.  Such a deal!  A lot of times, my clients just give me whatever I want before selling to the public or putting things up for consignment.

I have been the happy recipient of all sorts of wonderful things:  bicycles, TVs, furniture and furnishings, rugs, clothing, foodstuffs, wine; just about anything that you can think of!  There are also invitations to dinner, parties, special events, and of course touching grateful client gifts at all times of the year.  My clients are THE BEST!  I am blessed to be showered with their appreciation for all that I do for them. I have to say, though I don't like a lot of frippery in my design work, this job does come with a few frills! 

Just Dandy!

Surely the sign that spring is finally here is the appearance of happy yellow dandelions.  I don't know why some people don't like them and call them weeds.  They are as pretty a flower as any, and the tender young leaves are good to put in a salad.

We had a few false starts this year, with temperatures in the high 70's.  Shorts and sandals were de rigueur.  The flowering trees burst forth their blossoms, fragrance filling the air - enough to put one's head into a romantic tizzy of optimism and promise!

And then the next days would bring inches of snow deftly defining shapes and outlines. The heavy winter artillery of hats, gloves, and boots had to be at close hand; there was no telling what extremes the weather had in store.

Miraculously, the trees and flowers were not harmed and the channel was changed back to a beautiful spring. Note the famous St. Louis brick.

The cathedral of blossoms beckoned seductively, once again.

Now I fear the party's over, and like so much of yesterdays confetti, the winds and rains have claimed the petals to decorate the ground.  Show's over for tree blossoms!





A beach side of petals surrounding sidewalk puddles makes for pleasing amorphous shapes.

With the appearance of tulips, it really is spring!  I know that there is more proof to come, but the color displays are everywhere around us.  I can't hardly pass a hyacinth without kneeling down to inhale its intense aroma, but the delicate magnolia is just as fine!

Although I was fooled a few times already this year, I do think that it is safe to pack away the heavy coats, etc.  It has been one of the coldest winters we've had in years, and there were many more snowfalls than usual.  I liked our winter though, because it was what it was supposed to be: cold and snowy.  Now we are experiencing a splendid spring, and it is just as it is supposed to be, too: resort temperatures and gaudy displays of flowers perfuming the air!

Another Opening, Another Show

The Cole Porter lyrics of "Another Opening, Another Show" ran through my head when I thought of this art exhibit, only because it was on the heels of "Time Wounds All Heels".  But then, as I pulled the images together, I realized it was so very appropriate, because there were in fact two openings for Christina Shmigel's, "This City, Daily Rising".

How exciting to have a show transported from Shanghai, where Christina has lived since 2004, to St. Louis!  First, opening night or not, half the show, the main part,  got stuck in customs. The lyrics go: "It couldn't be worse - will it ever be right?  Then out of the hat it's that big first night!"  Second, opening night coincided with a blizzard.  In spite of it all, there was a large group of 400 die-hards who showed up.

Christina Shmigel, artist

"On with the show!"

The following shots show the show in its entirety, at the second opening the following Friday.  Once again, a great turn-out for a great show. I've been very interested in China lately, with all of its rapid development, so this was a timely show to see a western artist's response to being immersed in its culture, both popular and classic.   

"A Foreigner's Cabinet of Chinese Curiosities"

Christina Shmigel

The most prominent piece was this old apothecary cabinet, with nearly every one of 67 drawers filled with the flotsam and jetsam of Chinese living.  It is an interactive piece, inviting viewers to climb the steps and explore what is in all of the drawers.  Drawers are left open or closed, and voila!  A utilitarian piece of furniture becomes a sculptural work of art.    

As I examined the drawer contents, I was fortunate to meet a Chinese doctoral candidate from Washington University, majoring in engineering no less!  He patiently explained the commonality of the curious items, which though rich in color and texture, were mostly ordinary and mundane, and thoroughly  inscrutable to western eyes.  He could translate for me, so I really lucked out in making a new friend.  Unlike many engineers, he was intelligently curious and open-minded about art and its importance in everyday life. 

 

As an aside, a couple of years ago I was pleased to find an apothecary cabinet for a client who has traveled the world several times over.  It may not be the most practical piece in the world, unless you're a hoarder or have some hobby or other that requires lots of little drawer slots. It does make a nice graphic statement, however.

Back to the show:  the artist had numerous glass cases spread out over the floor and sometimes stacked, suggesting high rise buildings.  Inside this one were little blocks of styrofoam tied up in red string.  Dang it!  And I just threw out a bunch of small blocks recently, not having had my muse visit me and tell me what to do with them!

It was a children's paradise:  all sorts of interesting shapes, materials, and colors distributed around the gallery space.  Not so good for drunken louts...you had to be nimble! I marveled at Shmigel's creative courage; even wondered about some simple cans that were in the mix with little towelettes in them and varying amounts of a brownish liquid...turns out they were catching rain drops from the ceiling; remains of the previous week's snow.  Bruno should have put a price tag on them; who knows, they might have sold! 

You can see how the pieces become part of a colorful conversation; aptly listening and involved. They created a foreign landscape of cities that never end, that are so populous but can still be intimate.  Fast-growing bamboo was a material frequently utilized in these grid structures, and are perhaps a metaphor for fast-growing China.  I've heard that bamboo is used for building scaffolding; it's lightweight, strong, and certainly plentiful!

I never tire of bundles, lattices and ladders.  I never tire of the ingenuity of artists. Christina built a bridge that spanned half the globe. Made in China by an American: now there's an interesting concept!

A Dog of Flanders and Other Stories

When I arrived at my mother's to take her out to dinner last week, her first words were, "Oh, girl of Flanders, where is your dog?"  I knew instantly that she must have been making a reference to my wearing a new hat that she had not yet seen.  Her memory is remarkable for all sorts of strange accumulation, and I was sure that she was accurate in her illustration recall.  I pealed in laughter at her literary connection to my wardrobe.  My mother has advanced glaucoma, so I am astonished that she can see any detail at all!  Her mind, however is quite sharp.

When I got home, I pulled out my copy of A Dog of Flanders just to see how accurate her memory was.

She was spot-on correct!  Old Jehan Daas has on my hat, or I his, whichever way you want to see it. 

 

This then inspired me to dress up in my hat, a peasant type blouse, black pants, vest, and the wooden shoe (singular) that I found in the alley last year.  Here I am with Chewbacca, otherwise known as Chewy, surely the cutest dog in the world (Hollywood take note, because he is getting up in years).  He is striking a proud pose as THE Dog of Flanders.  At a strapping 65 pounds, he could surely pull a cart if he was so inclined to do.  Usually, he just pulls on the leash. Like the dog, Pastrache, who was abandoned,  I found Chewy as a puppy at a shelter.  He had been found wandering in an alley.  Oh, I would have adopted all his siblings, too, if I could have!

As my mother and I proceeded down the hall, I told her that I had just bought a new pair of shoes to wear for my third speech with Toastmasters.  She responded, "What good will the shoes be on your feet, if the audience can't see them?  Why not put them on your ears instead?  Then they can see them!"

Again, I knew she must be making a literary reference to a favorite childhood book, Little Black Sambo. I remember being fascinated at how the tigers  ran around the tree so fast that they turned into butter that was then used to make an enormous pile of pancakes, striped orange and black just like the tigers.

 I couldn't wait to see what the new shoes would look like on my ears.  Using a headband that my daughter, Emily, had concocted for some costume or other served as the tiger reference.  I think that the shoes would have to hang on my ears toes down, because my ears don't stick up like tiger ears do.  Charlie Sheen take note! 

My mother and I continued down the hall singing "Here We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder..." She can remember the lyrics to innumerable songs, poems, plays, and prayers.  I treasure every moment with her and marvel at how did I end up being as I am with her as my mother?

Well, I got fixated on dress-ups, never mind that I was no longer a child, but in spirit, YES!  Another recent purchase was a pair of high black leather boots.  What literary connection could that be other than pirates and swashbucklers?  As the only upbeat story of this trilogy, I thought of Puss In Boots, because that way, I could star one of my cats.

I had wanted to have Simon in this photo shoot, but he was prowling the neighborhood.  Howard, in his usual nap at home, was roused, and recruited.

Here we are, my mother and I, celebrating my recent birthday.  We always precede dinner with martinis, straight up, one olive. And may we have many, many more!  There are so many stories to share. 

Time Wounds All Heels

This was a fun art exhibit; one at which you could laugh out loud.  In describing his intent, the founder and director, Matthew Strauss said, "Very often, I'll go into an exhibition and see an isolated artwork and wonder if it was intended to be funny.  Usually it's not.  The humor is inadvertent.  But the frequency of that question in my mind - 'Is this supposed to be funny?  Is this a joke?' - led me to think it might be an idea for an exhibition."  The piece below was a large banner on the front of the gallery.  Given that White Flag Projects is a city gallery in a sketchy part of town, the text message was especially provocative.

Untitled Text Msg (Vicodin), 2010

Adam McEwen

inkjet print on vinyl, 154 x 154 inches

Courtesy the artist and Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, New York

Matthew says, "We've gone out of our way to select the most ambiguous, the most confusing, the most difficult-to-understand (pieces). I think that it results in a really cohesive and appropriately confused exhibition. I'm very happy with the results." I was, too!!!

Opening nights are always special, and I chose the right outfit:  tutu and combat boots!

There was a good crowd turn-out for the group show that also included artists Donelle Woolford, Jane Hammond, Edward Lipski, Richard Prince, Michael Williams, Jaime Pitarch, Erwin Wurm, and John Baldessari.

This piece was a compilation of household cleansing products. The spiral starts with the Big Bang and ends with the emergence of humans.

Theory of Evolution, 2009

Jaime Pitarch

Mixed media sculpture, 89 x 89 x 19 inches

Courtesy Spencer Brownstone Gallery, New York ($18,000)

  Here the dinosaurs make their appearance, but are snuffed out by the comet.

Nose/Silhouettes, 2010

John Baldessari

lithograph and screenprint

6 variants, 18 inches x 14 inches each, edition of 50

Courtesy Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles ($2,500)

A nose job.  This would be a good piece for a plastic surgeon's office.  Or maybe behind a perfume counter.

Who knows whose nose this is?

There were two special events held.  One was a reading by poet and humorist Jeremy Sigler, and stand-up comedy by Comedians You Should Know. At the stand-up comedy session, there were whoopee cushions on each seat like a party favor. Wouldn't it have been funny if they had all been blown up and everyone was instructed to sit down at the same time? I love shaking up the sanctity of the art gallery and museum! It was very well-attended; 200 people showed up. Goes to show that humor and art are a great combination.

Designing Dinosaur

Quick! What's the first technological invention?

Let Dino the dinosaur put you to the test!

Dino

If you guessed either the wheel or fire, you're right!  It's unclear what came first.

Roll Fire

Conmoto and Sieger Design

Ameico

 Now you can have your cake and eat it, too, with this portable fireplace.  It has tempered glass so that you can see through; how cool is that? And an added bonus is that you can hang it on the wall.  All for $3800, it measures 25.5" diameter x 9" wide. I think it is a bargain as you can take it with you wherever you move, whether cave or castle.

Lascaux Cave, France

Who hasn't been fascinated with caves?  I've always enjoyed exploring caves and it was one of the highlights of my life to visit this prehisotoric cave a few years ago.  Although we're about 35,000 years beyond the cave dwellers of Lascaux (65 million years since the dinosaurs), I feel an affinity for cave decor. Must be the collective unconscious that Carl Jung described.  Whether I'm dragging home a tree stump or a rock to use as furniture, I enjoy making connections with our pre-history. Caves are regarded as places of safety, security and refuge. They can also be mysterious, unexplored parts of ourselves, awaiting personal discovery. 

Maartje Lammers

Interior Design

Here's a contemporary interpretation of the cave as refuge. It has a nice, organic feeling, not a straight line in sight!  I like the 1948 Charles and Ray Eames chairs, but personally I can do without the animal furs.  I think faux throws and animal print fabrics are more politically correct in this day and age.

Petrified Wood

Various sizes

Hudson

Tree stumps are always good for a natural connection with Mother Earth.  These would be a nice foil to both antique and contemporary furniture pieces.

Renee Celeste Flanders

Interior Designer

I like to design with logs, sticks, bones and cast-off horns. I also am a rock hound. Let's just say I am a graduate of the School of Rock and Roll.  Actually the "rock" on this table is called slag, a by-product of coal. There is a chunk of white marble below the windows, and on top of the sideboard, do you see the three black rocks? Surprise - they are Styrofoam! I carved and sprayed them with faux granite paint. They defy the rules of physics!

Renee Celeste Flanders

Interior Designer

It seemed like the right thing to put rocks in the fireplace for a textural look.  They're hot glued onto a board that can be removed when the winter season sets in and you want an actual fire.

While we're on the subject of cave-inspired interiors, I must mention hammocks.  If space allows in a bedroom or family room, do consider including this indescribably relaxing invention.  It can hang nicely against the wall as a soft sculptural element when not in use.  This is always a very popular item for a teenager's room.

Third Chinese horse

Painting on rock.  Black pigment: manganese oxide.

Lascaux Cave, Motignac, Dordogne, France

Of course, we must not forget the art.  One would expect to see this level of artistry in the Louvre.  Have we really come so far?  It's hard to do better than those artists of 35,000 years ago!  Makes me want to do some paintings on my masonry basement walls.  Who knows what iconographic or metaphorical images might present themselves?  I would start with vine charcoal, a slender twig that never fails to put me in touch with my primitive relatives from so long ago!

Pablo Picasso

Picasso has a style that reminds me of the cave paintings. Lyrical and beautiful renditions of animals.

Lepanto I
Cy Twombly

1996

One of three cardboard plate engravings printed as monoprints on Japanese paper

28.4"  x 20.1"

Edition by Julie Sylvester

Twombly is another artist that comes to mind when I think of cave art.  His scratchings and gestural expressionism are epic narratives of ancient myths.  End of story:  let's not limit ourselves when  designing our homes and businesses. Try getting in touch with your inner caveman for some truly enduring design and rock on!