Gallery Shifts to Minimalism of a Different Medium

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They are listed in the catalogue of mid-century modern design as “the London Chairs,” sleek and invitingly comfy looking black leather, rosewood and metal chairs designed in 1962 by Martin Grierson. Currently posed at Peter Blake Gallery, they’re for looking, not sitting.

Peter Blake Gallery exhibits Martin Grierson’s 1962 London Chairs, an exhibit of mid-century modern furnishings.
Peter Blake Gallery exhibits Martin Grierson’s 1962 London Chairs, an exhibit of mid-century modern furnishings.

At the gallery’s recent opening for “The Tendency of the Moment International Design: The Bauhaus Through Modern,” guests with wine glass in hand gamely resisted the temptation to plop themselves down. For after parting with $25,000 for the pair, discerning buyers will be able to do just that. The show will close on Oct. 29.

Blake, known for bringing contemporary art and its accompanying sensibilities to Laguna Beach for nearly three decades, has taken an intriguing turn. From purveyor of paintings and occasional sculpture, he’s turned temporary proprietor of a showroom of mid-century modern furniture.
“It all started with my wife Stephanie and me acquiring furniture for the imaginary house we were going to live in some day. After the 10th lamp, we were no longer furnishing a home, we were collectors,” said Blake. “At this point, we have assembled a cohesive collection spanning four decades.”

Grasshopper lounge chair, 1968.
Grasshopper lounge chair, 1968.

What immediately stands out is the pristine condition of pieces acquired from auction houses such as Phillips, Bonhams, Wright 20 and LA Modern Auctions.
But, appearance can be deceiving, said Blake. “Some of the pieces were picked up in pretty sorry shape, with spider webs still clinging to some,” he recalled. “Most pieces have had decades of patina and wear and tear, but in their present state, the pieces allow one to see how they were built and manufactured.”

Peter Loughrey, founder of LA Modern Auctions, takes credit for helping establish renewed interest in mid-century art and design. “Our current show catalogue features a number of works similar to those found at Peter Blake’s,” he said.

Blake turned to Aaron Moore, of Moore’s Refinishing in Westminster, to restore his collection. “We began working with all sorts of antiques but specialize in mid-century modern pieces now since there is an ever expanding market for them,” Moore said.

Other examples from the Peter Blake exhibit, which spotlights the artistic design of mid-century modern furnishings.
Other examples from the Peter Blake exhibit, which spotlights the artistic design of mid-century modern furnishings.

edward-wormley-sculptural-sofa-1950s-walnut-leather-28-h-x-86-w-x-29-d-inches_2For this exhibition, Blake’s gallery walls remain intentionally blank. “There are no paintings out of respect for the design,” he said. “Otherwise, in the eyes of viewers, the design pieces would take a backseat to painting. Let the designs speak for themselves.”

They are indeed eloquent. A 1958 mahogany, laminate and steel cabinet from Cite Cansado, Mauritania, was designed by Charlotte Perriand, who Blake described as the first female European architect to break into an exclusive boy’s club populated by Walter Gropius (founder of the Bauhaus movement), Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, their proteges and successors.

Perriand also designed the table lamp whose lines presage magnifier desk lamps found at architectural and craft suppliers and the somewhat rough-hewn Les Arcs Chairs.

Van der Rohe’s 1960 MR Lounge Chair represents the group’s dedication to function and form and uncluttered lines. A small door handle and lever represents Gropius’ vision. Gerrit Rietveld’s 1969 Zig-Zag Chair, on the other hand, cleaves more to form than function.

Gallery regulars might remember a pair of low-slung Imbuia wood chairs designed by Sergio Rodrigues in 2002 as first hinting at Blake’s other passion besides minimalist art. “Those chairs began the collection,” recalled Blake. “But then I traded them with Ed Moses for one of his paintings, but never got over losing them.” On a 2015 visit to Moses’ studio in Los Angeles, he saw “his” chairs again, and Moses graciously offered them back as a wedding present, recalled Blake. However, they are now catalogue listed at $19,000.

Then there’s Blake the audiophile. A 1956 Charles and Ray Eames audio speaker’s angularity echoes the elegance of America’s premier design couple. However, the famous chair is not here. “When I inquired about the matching speaker, I was reminded that that was the era of ‘mono’,” laughed Blake.

Discerning connoisseurs of audio equipment will recognize the turntable among a set of British-made MacIntosh stereo equipment, similar to one glimpsed in Stanley Kubrick’s film “A Clock-Work Orange,” said Blake.

Laguna Beach architect Anders Lasater describes “Tendency of the Moment” as a conundrum between art and furniture. “All are designed to have a relationship to the human body, from the WWII vintage Leica camera raised to one’s eye, to a desk, to chairs we would normally sit on.

“Yet, we are asked to think of the design of the chair and its abstraction into an idea, much like one thinks about a work of art, rather than a useful object,” said Lasater.

As Blake continues to collect, he also must divest and has started selling design online. “Besides, by putting all this design online we will lead people to the art we sell,” he said.

 

 

 

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