Ten years ago a group of Modernism architecture and design afficionados in Palm Springs started a February event called Modernism Week that has exploded exponentially in size and ambition.
This year there were over 250 public events, ranging from doubledecker bus tours to swanky parties at local Modernist homes...
...and free cooking demonstrations in a tented Bosch kitchen.
Modernism Week now extends over 10 days, and last Saturday the 13th I dragged my Palm Springs friend Steven Wibben above to the North Palm Canyon Design District.
Every art gallery seemed to be having an opening party, so we wandered in and out of them imbibing free cocktails.
Our favorite was at the Ted Casablanca Gallery (Ted is second from the right)...
...which was having an opening for a quartet of artists including Monica Orozco (standing above).
She was offering photographic self-portraits a la Cindy Sherman, but more fun, even when she's looking crazed on a lawn in Weed Wacker above.
Up the street was a huge crush of people inside a store devoted to the art and design of Shag aka West Hollywood/Palm Springs artist Josh Agle.
Shag's work is ubiquitous in Palm Springs these days.
The art is relentlessly commercial, reminiscent of a more sophisticated, Modernist Thomas Kinkade.
You are mean, but I hope the drinks were good. :-)
ReplyDeleteVery pretty pictures. The Mondrian tablecloths are kind of offensive, Mondrian being a god, and his paintings landscapes of heaven. But if the marinara splatter lands on red squares... zappo.
ReplyDeleteReally, very nice post.
Dear Jan: The drinks were great, particularly the signature ones that Monica Orozco created. And I wasn't intentionally trying to be mean with this post, except at the Shag finale.
ReplyDeleteDear Willie: The Mondrian tablecloths are actually tiles that are the facing of the various kitchen appliances. Glad you enjoyed the Modernism Week peek.
I'm not very nice about stuff like that either. It's just so insincere. Luckily, there is nothing like it in this town.
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