I'm sure many readers are aware of the wildfires that ripped through northern California recently. It was quite a stressful time, as all of us in the area grappled with fear about where the fires were going, anxiety about homes, property and evacuations, the physical hardship of taking breath as smoke and ash filled the region, and the shock over those who didn't make it. Right in the thick of the damage were many of my cartoonist pals north of me in Santa Rosa- a number of them lost their homes and all their work (Eisner and Harvey Award winner Brian Fies drew a cartoon about it). As I continually refreshed websites for air quality and fire maps, I also kept a close eye on the Charles Schulz Museum and Research Center. One of my favorite places on earth, the museum is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting original Peanuts (and other) art, as well as educational workshops, events, and programs that support the community. I was once an artist-of-the-month there. The Schulz family lost their homes in the fire, but thankfully the museum survived! I'd like to recognize these events by looking back at my 2013 visit to see a special exhibit about one of our favorite topics here on Spy Vibe: Mid-Century Modern design.
I went to a special preview for members to see the new Mid-Century Modern exhibit at the Charles Schulz Museum on Saturday. The central rotating gallery had been transformed into a stylish walk through the post-war lifestyle that Schulz and so many others embodied. In partnership with the Eames family, Herman Miller, and local designers, they were able to display many vintage pieces. Mock rooms and artifacts from Schulz's family circa 1955 came together to illustrate elements of the growth of leisure culture in America during the period. The exhibit featured evidence of Mr. Schulz's hobbies, such as bowling, billiards, abstract art, listening to records, riding bicycles with the kids, and spending time by the pool. Schulz's first wife, Joyce, was famously enthusiastic about architecture and design. From the early 1950s through the later building of their Sebastopol home, Joyce had a keen eye for modern drapery, furniture, and what the Saturday Review called "simplicity amid sophistication." Here are two snapshots to give readers a taste of the room designs in the exhibit. One really has to be there, taking in the many displays and small collection of comics -all set to the sounds of Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, and Miles Davis- to truly appreciate what the museum has achieved.
The museum's gift shop featured some cool new products inspired by the exhibit, including retro-design Peanuts handkerchiefs, shirts, and coasters. Stay tuned to Spy Vibe for a chance to win free coasters! See the museum's website for details about all current exhibits here.
As a cartoon art teacher I always include a brief history of comic strips and comic books in my classes. Students are often amazed to see original sunday pages from the early days because newspapers printed the strips so large. Even if they don't know the comics, it's impressive to see an entire newspaper page devoted to the likes of like Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers. To them, the art seems more akin to comic books than the strips they knew growing up. I ask them why, and with a little prodding, they start to notice the details in the backgrounds, the figures, and in the shading. What lovely cross-hatching! Around the mid-century, editors wanted to increase readership by offering more strips without necessarily devoting more pages to the funnies. The solution was to shrink down the size of the art and put more titles on each page. Deprived of the full space, all that cross-hatching and careful detail blocked up and became obsolete. The design approach had to change to express not only the size limitations of printing, but to catch up with the sensibilities of the post-war. After all, this was not the era of pre-war parlors weighted down by heavy furniture and ornate decor. There was a new generation who ushered in aesthetics based on clean minimal forms and what Hefner called the personal utopia. Along with innovators in architecture and design, comic creators also needed to reflect this shift to survive (and fit) on the page. Two groundbreaking strips began in 1950 that were perfectly tailored for modern demands: Beetle Bailey by Mort Walker (my book about Mort Walker on Amazon here) and Peanuts by Charles Schulz. Between May 4th and October 27th 2013, The Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa ran a special exhibit called Mid-Century Modern.
In the museum's brochure, Trope Group owner Christina Pratt points out that Schulz's panels offer us a window into his home. In one cartoon printed for the show, she points out that we can see Bonet's BKF Chair (1938) and the famous Molded Plywood/Low Side Chair by Eames (1946). Pratt writes that the exhibit will feature other Herman Miller licensed designs by Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, George Nelson, and others. I think visitors will see not only a time-capsule of Mid-Century Modern design, but also how Schulz (and Walker) created comics in the same wave of simple and playful lines. Don't miss it! On a side note, I was the artist-in-residence at the Charles Schulz Museum in June. You can see a photo (Thanks to Brian Fies) of my boyhood dream coming true- to sit at Schulz's drawing table- here (image on "news" page, and link to an interview on the "about" page).
Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Agent Werewolf, Mata Hair Exhibit, Johnny Sokko 50th, Interview: Trina Robbins, Eddie Izzard, The Prisoner Capt Scarlet 50th, Hugh Hefner R.I.P., Jack Good R.I.P., Interview: Shaken Not Stirred, Callan 50th, Spy Vibe Radio 7, The Prisoner 50th Event, Spy-Fi Event, Kaho Aso 007, Two Million, Bo Diddley, Carnaby Pop, Le Carre Events, Billy Bragg Skiffle, Elvis 68, Jack Kirby The Prisoner, Casino Royale Concert, Review: The Prisoner Vol 2, Interview: The Prisoner Essential Guide, Maud Russell Mottisfont, Spy Vibe Radio 4, Batman Gallants, Adam West R.I.P., Village Triangle, Roger Moore R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio 3, Sgt Pepper 50th, Satanik Kriminal OST, 60s Overdrive, Make Love in London, Spy Vibe Radio 2, Spy Vibe Radio 1, James Bond Strips, Propaganda Mabuse, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview: Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review.
Special event: Design Within Reach in San Francisco is hosting a presentation about Paul Rand on June 10th. Rand was a leading force in modern graphic design, helping to define form, function, and corporate identity with his logos for IBM, UPS, ABC, Morningstar, Westinghouse and many others. The special event will feature design pros Bob Aufuldish, Eric Heiman, Stewart McKee, and moderator Michael Carabetta (Chronicle Books). 6-8PM. RSVP to sfassistants@dwr.com. Spy Vibers in New York can visit the Paul Rand exhibit at the Museum of the City through September 7th, 2015. Below: Rand's seminal text on graphic design, Thoughts on Design, reprinted last year by Chronicle. Enjoy!
Selected Spy Vibe posts: Fantomas Design, Jeremy Duns on Bond, John Buss interview, Diana Rigg eBook, Avengers Season 5 Titles, Saint Volvo, Mod Tales Interview, Agente Secreto Comics, Danger Man Comics 2, Danger Man Comics, John Drake Comics, Der Mann Von UNCLE, Golden Margaret Nolan, Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, New Saint Publications, The Saint Complete box set, Gerry Anderson Box Sets, Music For Spies, Thai Bond Design, Bond vs Modernism, Popular Skullture, Art of Modesty, Avengers Blu-ray update, Tokyo Beat 1964, Polaroid Spy, Feraud Mod Fashion, Green Hornet Manga, No 6 Festival, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.
Is your hollowed-out volcano looking drab? Tired of the old furniture in your undersea headquarters? Spring is coming, and what better way to usher in a new season than tweaking the design of your secret lair! Spy Vibe fans of Mid-Century Modern have a chance to pick up pieces by Eero Saarinen and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe on sale now at Design Within Reach. The Knoll Classics Sale ends Tuesday. Details here.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: DC Fontana Prisoner Video, James Bond Comic Event, Turkish James Bond Design, Edward Gorey's 1960s, Ipcress File cinematography, 007 SOLO cover designs, Batman Valentines cards, Saturday Cartoons: Marine Boy, Mary Quant, Patrick Macnee, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Shane Glines Batman.Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Spy Vibers with a knack for design have a chance to win a gift certificate to Design Within Reach- the company that brings you furniture classics like Knoll, Eames, Saarinen, and more! All you have to do is design a chair using only the label, foil, cage, and cork of two champagne bottles. Photograph your creation and send it in by January 14th. First prize is $1,000! Details here.
Hoping to revamp your secret lair over the holidays? Design Within Reach is currently running a Herman Miller sale. Spy Vibe recommends designs by Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and George Nelson. Sale ends December 10th. Details here.
Thanks to Design Within Reach, an interesting item showed up on our radar today. For Spy Vibers who are looking for the perfect lair, now is your chance to own the Goodyear house by John Johansen. The home is located near where I grew up in Connecticut. Some of you may know that my family started the New York School of Interior Design. The Whiton home was designed and built in Wilton, CT, and my grandfather was also part of a modern design community in the area. For many years, we lived in a modern structure with large glass walls. Sadly, all of the houses in our community were later replaced by McMansions. Just over the hills from us, however, were protected projects by more prominent designers, Phillip Johnson, Elliot Noyes, and John Johansen.
From DWR: "The only surviving member
of the Harvard Five, architect John Johansen settled in
Connecticut in the 1940s, along with Marcel Breuer,
Landis Gores, Philip Johnson and Eliot Noyes. Drawn to the New Canaan area for
its open landscape, the men experimented with new materials and construction
methods as well as open floor plans and indoor-outdoor living. The homes they
built for themselves and their clients attracted other architects to the area,
which resulted in more than 80 modern houses being built over the next two
decades.
The most famous is Philip Johnson’s Glass House,
now a National Trust historic site and open to the public for tours. Many are
still owned by the original families, and on the rare occasion that one of
these homes comes up for sale, the hope is that the buyer will be a passionate
fan of American mid-century modern architecture.
In the case of the
Goodyear House, built in 1955 and located on more than two acres in Darien,
Conn., the house is surprisingly large for its day, and nicely suited to today’s
way of living. Listed by Halstead
Propery, the house showcases Johansen’s use of spatial symbols, such
as the cave, bridge and labyrinth. I’m guessing that the “lower level hockey
arena” is not original to the home, but the structure appears to be unaltered." More info at DWR.
A new monograph focusing on the furniture designs of Eero Saarinen has been published and is available at Design Within Reach. From the DWR press release: "Pre-order your copy of EeroSaarinen: Furniture for Everyman by Brian Lutz. Available at
Design Within Reach, the first 50 copies of this book will be signed by the
author. You’re also invited to meet the author at our Flatiron
Studio in NYC on September 27.
One of the most celebrated, prolific, and
unorthodox architects and designers of the 20th century, Eero Saarinen
has become a beacon of American modernism. While famous for his sculptural and
bold architecture, such as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the TWA Terminal
at the JFK International Airport in New York, Eero Saarinen: Furniture for
Everyman is the first monograph to focus exclusively on his furniture.
Published by Pointed Leaf Press, the
book includes a preface by Florence Knoll and an essay by Saarinen’s protégé Niels Diffrient. Inside you'll find hundreds of rare and never-before-seen
archival photographs of Saarinen, his friends and family, as well as
advertisements, patent drawings and design sketches. It's a must-have for every
modernist's library." The book is also listed on Amazon. Spy Vibers may remember Brian Lutz as the author of Knoll: A Modernist Universe.
Spy Vibers looking to redecorate their pads and lairs this summer should check out the Herman Miller sale at Design Within Reach. Items are 15% off and include free shipping through Monday, June 11. From DWR: "This is the authentic Aluminum Group, designed by Charles and Ray Eames, and produced by Herman Miller. The 1950s collection was a special project for Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard, who were designing a house for the industrialist J. Irwin Miller." More at Design With Reach.
Ready to revamp your secret lair? Check out the Knoll sale at Design Within Reach, where you can pick up classic furniture by Eero Saarinen and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. For more Mid-Century Modern delights, check out our review of the Dieter Rams gadget exhibit at SFMOMA here.
Time to give your secret lair a makeover! Design With Reach is currently offering a sale on their living room pieces, including two faves: the Tulip Chair (designed in 1956 by Eero Saarinen for Knoll) and the Egg Chair (designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen- thought to be the first swiveling upholstered chair). Sale ends on January 31st. Details at Design Within Reach.
The special event and tour at the Phillip Johnson Glass House is tonight! Details here.
Spy Vibe fans of architecture and design have a chance to meet at the Phillip Johnson glass house this month. The Phillip Johnson estate hosts "Conversations in Context" talks and Design Within Reach is a sponsor for the next event on June 16th. From the Johnson website: "Join a leading mind in architecture, art, landscape, history, design, or preservation and experience the Glass House campus through an entirely new lens. Listen to a personal narrative, interpretation, or inspiration by a special guest while walking the site with an intimate group of visitors. Continue the dialogue during a reception at the Glass House following the tour. Conversations in Context take place Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30pm."
The glass house is in New Canaan, CT. More information at Design With Reach here, info and tickets on sale at the Phillip Johnson website here.
Is your hollowed-out volcano looking drab? Tired of the old furniture in your undersea headquarters? Summer is coming, and what better way to usher in a new season than tweaking the design of your secret lair! Spy Vibers looking to add classic Mid-Century Modern furniture or Hi-Fi sound to their pad have many reasons to check out what's going on at Design Within Reach. They are currently running an "Upgrade Your Pad" contest with UrbanDaddy for Sony home theater systems and $5,000 worth of DWR furniture! Entries accepted until June 3rd. And if the recent bargain on Saarinen tables wasn't enough to whet your designer appetite, look out for a Herman Miller sale starting June 3rd. It's all happening at Design With Reach here. Stop in for design inspiration at one of their shop locations here. Learn about Herman Miller here. Spy Vibe wishes you a fabulous (and stylish) day!
Our friends at Design Within Reach are having a sale on tables designed by Eero Saarinen. Pick up a set of of his iconic Tulip chairs while you're there! I grew up with this furniture in my kitchen and wish we still had it around. Sale details here. Learn about Saarinen here. Learn about the school my family started in 1916, The New York School of Interior Design, here.
Spy Vibe recently highlighted designer Verner Panton, his collection at Design Within Reach, and Panton's influence on the films, The 10th Victim (1965) and Danger Diabolik (1968). Spy Vibers might enjoy this video from ESL music by Chris Joss, which uses an animated version of Panton's interior environments. It's groovy!
Our friends at Design Within Reach offer an exclusive catalog of Verner Panton creations. Adding to their current line of lights and a Panton chair, pre-sale of Panton furniture and rugs will begin in May. DWR recently spent time with Verner Panton's wife, Marianne, to discuss the designer's work and artistic process. Full interview here. Panton's designs have appeared on Spy Vibe's radar in the past, including our Top-ten Set Countdown #1 (Danger Diabolik). Designer Verner Panton's "total environment" installation exhibits, such as Visiona (1968) and Visiona II (1970), were room constructions of fluid, organic forms. Here is Panton's design followed by Diabolik's vault room. See how Panton-style furniture also appeared in our Top-Ten #5 film, The 10th Victim. For more information about Panton, check out the very cool Verner Panton Museum page here.
If you are redecorating your secret lair, the current sale at Design Within Reach includes pieces by Le Corbusier and Arne Jacobsen.
"To be modern is not a fashion, it is a state. It is necessary to understand history, and he who understands history knows how to find continuity between that which was, that which is, and that which will be." -Le Corbusier
"The key is setting out with a small sketch and seeing the whole spring to life. It may sound affected, but it is the act of creation itself, and it is equally exhilarating whether one is working on a teaspoon or a national bank." -Arne Jacobsen
Sale ends March 22nd.
Is your hollowed-out volcano looking drab? Tired of the old furniture in your undersea headquarters? Spring is coming, and what better way to usher in a new season than tweaking the design of your secret lair! Spy Vibe fans of Mid-Century Modern have a chance to pick up pieces by Eero Saarinen and others during the big Knoll Classics Sale at Design Within Reach. If you've been looking for a Tulip chair to go in the corner by your piranha pool, the sale runs today through March 6th! Details here.
The sale at Design Within Reach is slowly winding down. If you haven't yet, check out the many pieces that would put the "gerrr" in swinger for any pad or secret lair project. A dash of Our Man Flint or Matt Helm? Maybe a stylish recliner or a Saarinen? Info here.
Need help decorating your secret lair? Check out the gorgeous selections in the upholstery and rug sale at Design Within Reach here.
