Between the Lines

Cindy Allen -- Interior Design, 8/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

How many times, in how many of our annual "art issues," have we shown you beautiful spaces with beautiful white walls and beautiful epoxy floors—and on those walls or on those floors a major contemporary painting or sculpture? (You don't have to answer that one.) August '07 is different from previous art portfolios because, although we do cover some "real" art, this time we blazed another path, focusing on the many ways in which art and interior design engage each other when it comes to structuring, teaching, using, or plain old experiencing. It's more than my usual yearly commentary on the blurring of art and design. We approached our art from the designers' point of view. . .and for their benefit.

In fact, designers can now bill themselves as bona fide artists. With little more than a few fluorescent tubes at his disposal, Rand Elliott out-Flavined Dan Flavin in a system of tunnels deep below Oklahoma City. Up high in Miami Beach, Luis Pons made wall sculptures out of everything from magnets and metal mesh to cardboard and glue. And did Philip Johnson ever dream he'd one day collaborate on choreography by Merce Cunningham?

Our stories prove it—just turn the page, and continue. It's all there.—Cindy