Amanda and I went to a private view of Mark Rothko’s late paintings at the Tate Modern – and we loved it! From the huge canvases that both dwarf and draw you in, to the crude layers of matte acrylics in bold blocks, we began to understand the emotional reaction Rothko’s paintings are famed to evoke. No reproduction could ever capture the zeal and intensity of Red on Maroon. Alongside the exhibit are images of the paintings where ultraviolet rays have been cast through the canvas to convey the intensive layers and remarkable work that is not seen at first glance. We highly recommend you visit this amazing exhibit!
I popped down to the Truman Brewery to visit Tent London, a show which celebrates and sells the best in design. Now in its second year Tent has earned its reputation of a not-to-be-missed destination on the London Design Festival circuit. From the contemporary furniture and lighting at Content, to the 20 exhibits by 20 different design teams at Your Space, to the array of vintage design at Circa, I loved the eclecticism and imagination that this year’s exhibitors brought to Tent. One of my favourites was ‘Neo Neon’, high-gloss mahogany furniture adorned in neon by Lee Broom.
100% Design, the UK’s leading contemporary interiors event took place at Earl’s Court this September. Attracting key manufacturers and designers from the UK and overseas, there is no show quite like 100% for connecting the worlds of architecture and design. The show stopping piece which really caught our attention was The ‘Lomme Bed’. A bed of the future which provides a unique sleep experience using light, sound and massage therapies to remove all outside disturbances. Other impressive exhibitors included Tom Dixon, Bob Crooks Glass Design and Graham and Brown, one of Camron’s clients.
We love David Adjaye’s stunning pavilion, created for the London Design Festival, which is drawing admiring crowds to its Southbank location. Made of American tulipwood, the pavilion, entitled Sclera, consists of two circular chambers. First of all, you enter into a small round chamber and then pass through into the wider space which gradually opens up to frame a wonderful view of the Hayward Gallery. During the day, the sunlight streams in through the gaps in the roof while at night, interior lighting causes the whole structure to glow. Sclera is at the Southbank until mid-October.
After attending Sotheby‘s pioneering two-day auction of new Damien Hirst works “Beautiful Inside My Head Forever" one thing became very clear – the sale was a spectacular success. Against a backdrop of carnage in the global financial markets Hirst walked away with £95.7 million this week for two years’ worth of manufactured diamond displays, pickled animals, spot paintings and dead butterfly collages. But what the sale means for other artists and the art market in general is yet to be seen. However this offered a unique opportunity to see Hirst’s works, though the only thing we did go away with was the catalogue!
The view from the Punkt. office in Lugano, Swizerland
prima by zaha hadid for swarovski at vitra campus
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Party
18 Greek St
Swarovski Foundation and John Pawson - Perspectives - at the San Giorgio Maggiore Venice