From the Spoon to the City @ LACMA

Last night, JessyG and I had the pleasure of attending a private tour of the new exhibit, "From the Spoon to the City": Objects by Architects from LACMA's Collection. Thanks to Oliver Furth, Chairman of the Decorative Arts & Design Council (DADC), for the special invitation.

"From the Spoon to the City": Objects by Architects from LACMA's Collection (August 6, 2009–January 24, 2010)
When Italian architect Ernesto Rogers famously declared that he wanted to design everything from "a spoon to a city," he articulated the desire of many architects to design both buildings and their contents. In some cases, this meant design for specific commissions, such as Rudolf Schindler's furniture for the Shep family. In others, objects allowed the realization of ideas on a smaller, more viable scale, or were a part of a multifaceted career that spanned all realms of design, as in the case of Frank Gehry. The products of such efforts can function as miniature buildings, conveying the architect's ideals in a compact form. Or as Charles Eames put it when asked why he made furniture, "so [I] can design a piece of architecture that you can hold in your hand."

These new acquisitions were purchased with funds from the DADC. The Decorative Arts and Design Department has no endowment, and relies solely on donations, and membership dues to expand its collection. Curators have been spending wisely, and lately, they've been focusing on 20th Century pieces inpreparation for a big exhibition on California Modernism, which opens in the fall of 2011.

-S

PS to all you design enthusiast in L.A.- consider DADC!
The purpose of the DADC is twofold - to promote scholarship and interest in design, through an engaging series of lectures and events, and to raise acquisition funds for the museum's collection. Members enjoy a stellar series of lectures, tours, trips, and parties, scheduled throughout the year. This fall, DADC will tour Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, The Hollyhock House. The Decorative Arts curators have 7 lectures planned, October through April, including "A Case for Wine: From King Tut to Today", and "British and Continental Gold and Silver in the Ashmolean Museum".