Cindy's Salon

November 19, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

Sanford Smith’s Modernism Show, which took place this past weekend at the Park Avenue Armory, is an annual bellwether of the modern design market. For much of the past year, this market has been moribund, if not flat lined. I thought the story this week would be about realistic expectations, cautious selections, moderated pricing, and a general attitude of perseverance and stoicism among the dealers. I also thought I would find some interesting vignettes to shoot, as there is always much of visual interest at this show.

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November 12, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (3)

The traveling exhibition “Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future” made its long-awaited New York debut Monday night at the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), and the event had the look and feel of a Broadway opening. Given the visual confluence between Saarinen’s mid-century interior aesthetic and that of a certain top-rated TV series, the show could have been "Mad Men." Some 1500 visitors packed the museum’s galleries at the opening gala, including architects, designers, socialites, and three Saarinens.

Eero Saarinen has been part of the ...Read More

November 5, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (5)

“My effort was to find a way to link that ritual of rocks which comes down to us through the Japanese from the dawn of history to our modern time and needs.” -Isamu Noguchi

First, the disclaimer: as one of the preeminent artists and designers of the 20th-century, Isamu Noguchi has been written about extensively, and there is little I hope to add to this conversation. Still, for someone familiar with his work for at least 20 years, I was excited and inspired by a book I picked up at a thrift shop last week, Sam Hunter’s "Isamu Noguchi". Published by Abbeville in 1978, this ove...Read More

October 30, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (5)

The Alpha Workshops hosted their 4th annual Masquerade Ball last night at the New York Design Center, and once again the combination of Kenneth Wampler of Alpha and Jim Druckman of the Design Center staged a winning celebration. The theme this year was “C’mon Get Happy” and amidst the loud music, dirty martinis, and miniature burgers and chicken pot pies, much of the crowd seemed to get in the spirit of things, if dancing, drinking, eating, and reveling qualifies.

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October 22, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

When Gordon Drake died while skiing at age 35 in 1952, he accidentally ended an architectural career that was as meteoric as it was brief.  In seven years, he completed a scant dozen or so buildings, but his first two won national recognition in architectural competitions, and his reputation was such that his buildings, sketches, and writings influenced the postwar built environment, and inspired a book, “The California Houses of Gordon Drake,” published in 1956. 

Born in Texas, Drake served in the Marines during WWII and moved to the Wes...Read More