People always ask me where they can find interesting art without breaking the bank. I just checked out today’s sales on One Kings Lane and was thrilled to see a bunch of pretty great pieces from emerging artists on offer. A few of my faves are below but make sure to check out the sale for yourself and hurry- sale ends Thursday night!
I was talking to a friend today and Etsy came up. It got me thinking that I hadn’t really trolled through their groovy and diverse offerings in a while so I thought this week, we’d check them out together. For those of you who don’t know, Etsy is an online marketplace whose motto is “Buy, Sell and Live Handmade”. What that translates into for you is a wonderful opportunity to buy some beautiful, handmade items directly from the artist or artisan. It takes some patience to wade through the myriad pages of goods but I have found it is well worth it. Today, let’s focus on some art, shall we?
Nothing I am showing you is above $250. Most of these pieces are $75 and under and most are small. Imagine a wall hung with all of them! I am…
There is photography:
Spring, 8×12, Strawberry Skies Art
Barceloneta, 8×10, Bomobob
Cruz, aka Jalesa, Columbus, OH. 2007, 8×10, pigment print, Molly Landreth. I love Jalesa.
Colleen, Mills College, Oakland, CA. 2005, 8×10, pigment print, Molly Landreth
As I have been slogging through my ever-daunting inbox, I came across a One Kings Lane reminder and I clicked through to see what is currently on offer. I was thrilled to find a sale from the San Francisco based, Lost Art Salon. This company is new to me and I think their aesthetic and price range is going to make more than me smile. Naturally, since I came to the party a little late, a lot of goodies have been snapped up but as of this writing, there were two pieces that were still available that really caught my eye. Number one is this 1978 Dellard Cassity painting:
A while back, I did a post on multicolored lucite. After reading it, Rebecca (from The Reluctant Floridian) suggested I check out the work of Vasa Mihich and I am SO glad she did! He has been making candy-colored goodies since the late sixties and I can’t wait to get my hands on one. See if you agree:
A few years ago, I was in London and stumbled upon a stunning show of photograph’s by Malick Sidibe and Seydou Keita at the National Portrait Gallery. It was entitled “You Look Beautiful Like That” because that is what these commercial photographers would tell their subjects as they posed for portraits in Mali in the 60s. The photographs were an eye opener for a wasp from Baltimore – a window into an African experience that was so much funkier than I could have ever imagined. I was hooked. So you can imagine that I was thrilled when I heard the excellent M+B Gallery was having a Malick Sidibe show. Let me share what all the fuss is about:
During yesterday’s eye opening perusal of Lonny magazine, I came across an ad for a fascinating sounding show at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor and clicked on through to find out more. I am so glad I did! The title of the show is Pulp Fashion: The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave. I love the play on the term “pulp fiction” as well as the inclusion of the word “pulp” itself given de Borchgrave’s chosen medium of paper. That’s right paper. Feast your eyes on what one very creative artist can do with simple rag paper:
I had an absolutely lovely afternoon there on Monday. It all starting of with a boozy lunch (that rare treat) in the beautiful BG Restaurant designed by Kelly Wearstler. Imagine me perched here sipping a glass of rosé with some chic friends (rosé in the winter? I can’t imagine anything better In this room decked out in Ladurée macaroon colors…)
I have been in NYC for the past few days and man, it is a different world than sunny LA. It’s cold and icy and gray and incredibly stimulating despite it all. Highlights include a fun, sweaty Girl Talk show and the great Abstract Expressionism exhibition at MOMA. After looking at three floors of one of my favorites styles of art, all I could think of was how much I wanted one of these gorgeous pieces for my very own. Just one. Is that asking too much? Imagine the rooms you could build around any of these gems. The colors! The dynamism! The range! Why can’t I win the lottery? If you can’t make it to the show yourself, I have assembled a little pupu platter for you. Enjoy!
I had dinner on Friday night at the lovely home of my friend, Ruthie Sommers. While ogling everything in her gorgeous abode, I was struck by this enormous photograph by Patrick Tournebouef taken during the renovation of Versailles.
I had seen the show at the excellent M+B Fine Art gallery a few years back and was mesmerized by his work. Ruthie’s photograph is part of his “Museum Project,” during which he documented the renovations of France’s most exquisite museums. This image in particular got me thinking about the marriage of Versailles and contemporary art and how both the guilded ballrooms and the art benefit from the juxtaposition. Check out Jeff Koons shiny, irreverent work in situ in 2008:
Hey all. In the land of quick fixes, let’s talk art. How you display what you have (whether it’s a Picasso or a framed drawing made by your child) can really change the feel of a room. If you have a giant painting, lucky you! Just pick your wall, find a pleasing height and hang it. The challenge really arises when you have lots of art and limited wall space. I recently took all of my art down and rehung it. It really gave my place a much fresher and more interesting vibe. I am pleased with one wall in particular:
Hey people. I’m Molly Luetkemeyer (loot-kah-my-er, just so we can get that out of the way). I have been a practicing interior designer at my firm, M. Design Interiors for the past 10 years (for the full back story, check out my about page). My ongoing mission is to guide clients to create personal, comfortable, chic homes that reflect their needs and particular tastes. No one should live in a showroom or someone else's house. Period. I am inspired by a range of sources from modern and contemporary art to nature, fashion and vintage design books to stuff I see on the street. It’s always coming at me and I want to share a little of it with you.
So take a look and as always, let me know what you think at molly at mdesignla dot com!