Lilly Reich
January 29, 2008 | Filed Under Art | 1 Comment
Years ago I used to do a lot of sculpture. Like, 20 years ago. The craft was pretty bad but my concepts were reasonable and occasionally engaging. This object represents my trespass back into the 3d world again and it was a real challenge: I found the third dimension so challenging to navigate that I wonder if I should be allowed drive anymore.
The incentive to create this was an invitation by the Design Council, a support group of the Denver Art Museum. Artists, designers of all stripes, tattooers, landscape architects and other creative folk were asked to make an object. Here’s the clever premise: in a blind drawing we chose an object from the design collection and also an ‘ish’ word. The task was to come up with something inspired by the DAM holding and the ‘ish’ word. The new objects will be auctioned and all proceeds will be acquisition funds for The Department of Architecture, Design & Graphics at the Denver Art Museum.
I was initially bummed when I drew the Barcelona Chair: I didn’t feel it was something I could work with, it’s such an icon. Veneration/Violation, it’s so complicated. The ‘ish’ word I drew was ‘Girlish’, double yuck I thought. I began researching the chair, whose origins I thought I was pretty familiar with, but then I found a couple references to a collaborator that I had not ever heard of. Her name was Lilly Reich. It’s been a long time since I was in school and they may be teaching this now, but given the amount of stuff I found in my searching, she’s still sort of a footnote.
For 10 years van der Rohe and Lilly Reich were collaborators in exhibit and furniture design. Their relationship was also a personal one. And they shared an office:) Apparently wasn’t unusual for a female creative partner to take a back seat, and often not get acknowledged in the creation of the final product. She was the detail person-the tactile person-in the design collaboration. When their relationship ended, so too did his furniture design. Until recently she was mostly forgotten; left as a footnote to discussions of van der Rohe. The good news is that she was recently given a small show of her work at the MoMa and hopefully her contributions will continue to be recognized.
The new object: Lilly Reich Book “12 Pearls”
I was only able to find a couple books concerning Reich’s contribution to design. Wishing to metaphorically add to the Reich catalogue, the new object is a book-like form. The materials, glass and stainless steel, are those that she and van der Rohe exploited to great effect in their furniture and exhibit design. The object has a kinetic aspect to it in reference to the inspiration for the Barcelona Chair, an ancient Egyptian folding chair.
The glass slabs are knit together by an unadorned hinge, the left side representing van der Rohe and the right, Lilly. This new object acknowledges the personal and creative partnership of these two artists. “12 Pearls” represents that fact that there are 12 buttons on each chair seat and back, it’s my assumption that the materials and details were influenced by Lilly. Pure speculation, that. The bird on the right stands in a thicket, holding a pearl. It’s a handsome piece, even if it needs too much explanation. I found this essay from Albert Pfeiffer, Vice President of Design Management about Lilly.
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bull with head resting away from his body, i like to think , temporarily.
January 15, 2008 | Filed Under Art | Leave a Comment
Here’s the most recent painting I’ve finished, it’s currently in the CVA show I mentioned below. My experiment using the golden ratio, it’s 48″ x 77″ 
Center for Visual Arts
January 14, 2008 | Filed Under Art | Leave a Comment
‘Story’ is a 3 person show in downtown Denver that I am included in at the Center for Visual Arts. The other two artists, Brent Green and James Surls are incredible and I’m so happy to be in their company. The connection between the three of us is the use of narrative in the work. The tools for telling the stories are all different; Brent is an animator, James is primarily a sculptor and I paint. My work looks a bit prosaic next to these guys whose work is layered and complicated in the best possible way. Always interesting to see one’s work in a different context.
The show was curated by Jennifer Garner and Cecily Cullen. Most of the work they chose from me had been sold in previous exhibitions and it was interesting to have the pieces assembled together again. The most recent painting in the show I finished in late December. It’s a headless bull. I’m still trying to work out it’s origins.
There’s a review of the show from Mary Chandler at the Rocky Mountain News. Attached is an image from the show entitled ‘Saturn Killing Time”. The image was my response to Goya’s painting “Saturn”
