Sitting Pretty Artist Talk
The weather decided to cooperate on the 5th of June for the opening reception of the latest show, Sitting Pretty, at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. The evening was able to proceed as planned with the group moving from piece to piece. Each artist was given an opportunity to talk about their work and answer the thoughtful questions from the audience. Douglas Thayer was the first artist to talk. His “Baseball” bench made of recycled Ipe from Coney Island boardwalk was the first of four pieces that Doug talked about.
Douglas Thayer and his “Baseball” bench
Terence Dubreuil and Vivian Beer were not able to make the opening so Joyce Nereaux, the curator of the show, stood in for them. Jack Larimore had car trouble on the way to the opening so Peter Harrison helped to explain his work. Lisa Fedon was in attendance and spoke about her work. I am glad I had a chance to tell Lisa how much fun our boys had with he OM-Cair (with gong).
Peter Harrison examining the work of Vivian Beer
I have included the video of my talk with the opening night crowd. Due to the logistics of moving through the gardens we moved from bench 1 to 4 to 3. I have taken the liberty of putting the videos in chronological order. I think it makes for a slightly more coherent presentation of my development.
We are looking forward to coming back to see the show again as the gardens go through there annual transformation!
AD Show In New York City
Architectural Digest Home Show in NYC 2010
Booth M81 Mar 18-21
The Architectural Digest Home Show will be taking place in New York City on Pier 94, March 18-21, 2010. Nico Yektai will be exhibiting his modern furniture in the Made section. The Made section was introduced a few years ago to showcase designer/Artist made objects for the home. Booth M81 will feature half a dozen pieces of furniture that will showcase the artists unique perspective on furniture. These pieces will be ready to move straight into your home or project or serve as a starting point for further discussions about a commission.
Thursday March 18 10am-6pm (Preview + Industry)
Friday March 19 10am-6pm
Saturday Mach 20 10am-6pm
Sunday March 21 10am-6pm
More Information on tickets, pricing, location and parking
Model Making For The AD Show And A Commission
I broke out my trusty model making tools today to help me design two new pieces. The tools include the hot melt glue gun and a tube of krazy glue. This session did not start out on the right foot. I had a defective tube of glue. It took forever to dry, about half an hour- thats not Krazy at all!
I got a new tube and I then stepped over tot he bandsaw to make some curves. I am a woodworker so the moquettes are made of the same hardwoods that i would use to make the actual piece of furniture. This should give an idea of how I cut the bent parts out of a solid block of wood. I wish the actual bend was as easy!
Here I have the curves that i will need for two different pieces. One of them is a commission for a major outdoor piece. The other is going to be a hall table.
Below you can see the hall table as it is evolving. The work is detailed and results in a certain amount of satisfaction. It is not quite as fulfilling as building the actual piece but it is pretty good feeling for sure.
Here are the results shot to make them look as if they were real pieces. This helps me evaluate them in a different way.
This hall table is being built for my own collection of furniture. It should bridge the gap while I wait for approval on the other piece. I have built one glass topped hall table which I just shipped to a gallery in Sarasota Florida, J. Kaplan Contemporary Art. I am beginning to think about the work that i will need for the Architectural Digest Home Show, Made Section, in New York City. I am going to build the table out of Maple, not the Sapele that the model is made out of. I think I want a lighter palette for the show in NYC.
This piece is going to be a challenge from start to finish. The people commissioning this piece had the vision to want me to adapt one of my best pieces for outdoor use. This is so gutsy that I doubt I ever would have come to this on my own. I am very excited about the project which will also include a stepping stool and concrete pads to make the transition to the ground.
I am waiting on materials for the hall table. Then it is off to the races.