BMW's Precision & Poetry in Motion

With over 300 events taking place as part of this year's London Design Festival, there is no getting away from the scale and brilliance of the capital's most important week for design. Nothing emphasised this more than the opening reception held, as always at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Raphael Gallery showcases Raphael's seven surviving tapestry designs commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Sistine Chapel. In to this celestial space, Adrian van Hooydonk, Director of Design for BMW Group [and apparent advocate for using a pencil a fashion accessory; check out his pocket] introduces us to Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby's awe-inspiring 'Precision & Poetry in Motion'. Two gigantic chrome aerofoils that slowly and independently rotate in the cathedral like hall.

Reflecting, distorting, and almost brushing the priceless artworks owned by the Queen [and also the heads of the guests beneath it!], the superstructure was assembled entirely on site and precariously swings from a superstructure that seems too dainty to support it. Make no mistake, if BMW's name wasn't firmly attached to the project I wouldn't have have stood anywhere near the gigantic flattening irons of doom; no matter how much the Belle Epoque flowed. Without doubt however one of the finest things I've seen in a museum since Brancusi's Bird in Space landed at the V&A in 2003. See it. See it *right* now.

Digital Damien is Picture Perfect

The argument typically goes like this. "It's a bunch of coloured spots on a canvas, I could do that!". "Yes, but you didn't". Argument over. A brief history of the art critique of the world's richest living artist, Damien Hirst then. His work is brilliant because it is simple, [usually] original, and provocative.

I was most pleased therefore when it struck me, in an equally simple and brilliant moment of inspiration, that Hirst's pickled shark, or rather, 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living' is perfectly suited to feature as digital art spanning three monitors in the study.

Unlike a digital print, mounted on canvas, or even aluminium, the TFT's emit a vivid light that renders the life aquatic just as it would on exhibition in the Saatchi Gallery. At night, the cool illumination is spectacular, so much so, that I'm considering upscaling the concept using much larger LCD televisions...

Grand Hotel Barcelona

There is no getting away from the fact that AirBNB is hammering a nail in the hotel industry's coffin. For far too long, hotels have had it easy; and especially so when it comes to design. Identikit decor, standardised room layouts, and soulless artwork have had Design Trawler often wondering if he's waking up in Beijing or Bermuda. With an almost Darwinian poetry, those hotels that fail to up their design game will die; to be outlived by only the strongest of species. 

Nowhere is this more true than Barcelona. Design Trawler is a big fan of the sail-shaped W Hotel perched at the top of the harbour, and the equally eponymous Hotel Arts situated next to Frank Gehry's 1992 Peix sculpture. But it's the volume and quality of the listings on AirBNB in the city that these two iconic hotels have to compete with. From modern penthouses, to luxury yachts, beaux arts apartments and classical townhouses; all display a design dexterity that's quite remarkable. 

Design Trawler chose to check in to an architect renovated, 1888 apartment in the heart of the city's Raval district to find out why the Barcelonés are on top of their design game, and what hotels could learn...

Read More »

The Relentless Pursuit of Acquisition

A recent invitation to the Mayfair antiques gallery Mallett was both refreshing and profound. One of England's oldest antique dealers, Mallett in 2007 sold their Bourdon House gallery to Alfred Dunhill and moved to Dover Street. Unlike so many other galleries and retailers where a price tag is never to be seen; the adage 'if you have to ask the price you can't afford it' being de rigueur and horribly bourgeois in this day and age; everything at Mallet has a description and a price tag. How refreshing!

Spotting an elongated fork, and believing it to be some kind of delightfully smart executive back scratcher, the accompanying tag informed me that the antique toasting fork was silver, and could be mine for £9,000. Fast forward to the pictured glass chaise; clearly more expensive than a luxury marshmallow holder; correct; approximately ten times more expensive at £90,000.

Read More »

Commissions for my Yacht

Three years ago in Rio, I was mysteriously compelled to buy a mammoth two meter mixed-media canvas and transport it the near 6,000 miles back to London. Two years later, in moving to Ultraloft, I finally had the space to display the modernist beauty in the dining room.

Only on taking delivery of this rather smart Americas Cup IACC race yacht, did I notice the striking resemblance. Like a Mondrian portrait of Prada's Luna Rossa, it's remarkable how the hues and balance are almost identical between sailboat and canvas. I've never commissioned artwork for the home, but it appears I've skipped a step, and have instead been retrospectively commissioning art for my yacht!

I wonder if my love of neon signs means I should pick up a Las Vegas casino or two...

Artful Resolutions for 2017

Go Forward. That's the title of the print that's now up on the wall in Ultraloft. An ink on paper edition by Tracy Emin that's simple and pastoral. No neon handwriting, no subtext. An unmade bed, it is not.

If I did New Year's resolutions, this would probably be it. Go Forward. Continue to do what you've been doing well. No rules, or alterations required. Go Forward. Quietly, confidently, with taste and unquestionable quality. Double framed white on silver, with two mounts, on a Quink ink blue board.

How to Steal a Kandinsky

Not satisfied with pinching Damien Hirsts from Mayfair couturiers, Design Trawler's next great art heist sets the bar a little higher. How about a grand master? Something like a Kandinsky; grand master indeed of modernism; having taught at the Bauhaus and being credited as of of the world's first abstract painters. A learned economist and lawyer, I'm sure old boy Wassily would appreciate this heist. So let's begin...

Read More »

An Attractive Portfolio

Regular readers of Design Trawler will know I have a fondness for the blurry world of art and enterprise. Where does the line between attractive folly and attractive investment sit? Does it exist at all? Well, that won't be answered here, but nonetheless, take a look at these attractive enterprise-themed follies...

My collection of antique stock certificates culminated last month with the arrival of a beautiful slice of the Société Anonyme André Citroën; or rather a share certificate from the ubiquitous French car maker responsible for gems like the DS. Dated 1927, it sits alongside an attractive portfolio from the era; ranging from real estate investments in the Cote d'Azue and Biarritz, to L'Autodrome automotive raceway, the Stadium de Paris, and Union Diamantifère diamond company. Art and enterprise in perfect alignment.

The Festive Collection

One of the wonderful things about the home as art gallery is that it makes your chosen exhibits very accessible. Well, at least to you, and those privileged guests that you chose to let through the doors at cocktail parties and celebrations [admission prices in 2015 are increasing to one bottle of Krug per visitor].

Christmas is almost upon us, and Design Trawler feels it only appropriate to allow Ultraloft's 20th Century Italian newstype sculpture to partake in the festivities. That's right, not even fine art will escape the decorations this Christmas. Expect the Hirst to decked in holly and Graham the springbok bathmat to don a suitably Rudolph themed red nose. Well, if you can't have a little fun with your collection...

Perucchetti Pop

Hovering, quite literally, in a style between Jeff the balloon dog, [named after king of contemporary pop, Jeff Koons], and Mauro Perucchetti's vibrant, translucent resin sculptures, is this gorgeous red balloon.

A store fitting from the window of Sir Terrance's Marylebone hangout that, in a rare move for any shop, was offered for sale ex-display to keen eyed collectors. A perfect and poetic addition to Ultraloft's first plinth, the gigantic perspex balloon floats above it's Koonsian companion in a display of poignant and equally iconic three dimensional imagery; a subtle nod to Design Trawler's favourite childhood novel.

Grand Apartment Budapest

I'll admit, I wasn't quite sure how to position this article on Design Trawler's recent visit to Budapest. I decided to check in to the curiously named Helen & Frank apartment in an ornate mansion block overlooking the 19th Century theatre of comedy; in search of a whimsically cluttered stage-set in which to draw parallels against Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel; which took home the Oscar for best production design in this year's awards.

What I found however was far richer than any staged theatre set. The apartment is filled with the collections of Dr Frank and Helen Ternovszky; avid adventurers and collectors who moved from the Hungarian capital to LA in the golden age of Sintata, where a transatlantic Lufthansa flight was something worth photographing. Indeed, the apartment is peppered with photographs of Frank and Helen's jet setter life; playing lawn tennis at the country club, sailing with friends, trips to the great pyramids, black tie galas and skiing in glamorous resorts. It's all very Slim Aarons, and the Budapest home which they kept is a museum of their global travels and life well lived.

Read More »

The Fine Art Postcard - Bird in Space

It was in 2003 that I visited the seminal Art Deco exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert museum. I visited for the streamline race cars and polished steel toasters, but stood for a lifetime when I first saw Bird in Space. A golden stroke of such purity and form, I stood and gazed at the marvel by Constantin Brancusi for perhaps 10 minutes, but it might as well have been ten years.

Never before had I been transfixed by something in such a way; and still am! Clearly I head good taste - Not only did Bird in Space set legal precedent what what can rightfully be called art, but also set the record for the most expensive sculpture in history at the time [$27.5m in case you'd like to make an anonymous donation to the Design Trawler Brancusi fund] .

Sadly, my chances of owning Constantin's masterpiece anytime soon don't look too likely. While I've often considered commissioning a robbery replica, for now, I have decided to frame a simple gift-shop postcard of the masterpiece from the Peggy Guggenheim collection in Venice. It's not the original sculpture, but it is an authorised and official likeness. The framed 'Fine Art Postcard' series henceforth begins.

George the Champagne Monkey

Now that Ultraloft holds a fair few bottles of the good stuff, it is only sensible that Robert's Bar puts in place adequate security to keep check on the Wine Room. Any good doorman gorilla understands the need to balance looking smart, with appropriate levels of foreboding menace.

Enter George the Champagne Monkey. A Canadian cousin of Jeff the Balloon Dog from Toronto, George sits atop of the cellars and monitors the comings and goings of Ultraloft's precious fizz. As for foreboding menace, Jeff Koons famously dropped his suit against the likes of George after a court ruled that the balloon form was part of the public domain. Not bad for a blue ceramic monkey... you have been warned!

Like a Moth to Neon

I am utterly and hopelessly addicted to neon. A colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas, with about two-thirds the density of air. Pass a high voltage current through it, and the resulting glow from gigantic typographic letters and logos draws me in like a moth about to get it's wings burnt.

It was a former ammunition factory in Warsaw that got me hooked, and no matter how strong the gift shop offering is [exceptionally strong], it was only a matter of time before the museum came to Moses Design Trawler. This masterpiece of restored marquee lettering is my first neon. It relates to Ultraloft's building name, and features beautiful italic serifs, loops and eyes. Stay tuned for more neon acquisitions.

The New Ming Vase - Dutch Alchemy in Delft

The cosy city of Delft in Holland is known for it's iconic blue and white ceramics. Since the 17th Century, Delftware was being produced to cater to European demand for highly prised Chinese porcelains being imported by the Dutch East India Company. It's classic tin glaze has always therefore responded to the times, and De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles [Royal Delft 1653] continue this tradition today.

New Delft is a collection that combines hand made contemporary forms with modern patterns that are inspired by the historical markings and initials of Delft's original designers. The enigmatic symbols are surrounded by a cartouche, that echos the mark left at the bottom of pottery after being fired. New Delft is available from the Rijksmuseum and is currently on exhibit at Ultraloft's first plinth.

How to Steal a Damien Hirst - Part II

Back in May, I wrote about how I stole a priceless Damien Hirst butterfly print from an Alexander McQueen store in Mayfair. Various accomplices later, and the delicate silk butterfly print, almost two meters in height, features as the flagship canvas in Ultraloft.

The steal of the decade, certainly. But here's the story of how I avoided spending time at Her Majesty's pleasure. For this heist, not only required careful planning, entrepreneurial zeal, and the right connections, but crucially, was done without breaking a single law. And you can do it too.

Read More »

How to Steal a Damien Hirst

Not content with only one Damien Hirst in the Ultraloft, Design Trawler set out to acquire a slightly larger masterpiece by the enfant terrible of the contemporary art world. Here's how he did it.

The artwork in question is a limited edition butterfly design on silk released by Damien Hirst in late 2013. A combination of delicate butterfly wings with four skulls arranged in a kaleidoscope of intricate pattern. Its location? Mayfair, naturally - The flagship Alexander McQueen boutique on London's Old Bond Street. Accomplices? five in total, starting with the sales assistant...

Read More »

Calling Time on Taxidermy

Monochromatic fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld famously said that "trendy is the last stage before tacky". Well, taxidermy has certainly been trendy for a while, and whatever your opinion of plywood deer heads on gastropub walls, this homage from Maison & Objet in Paris made me chuckle.

Perfectly straddling the lines between trendy and tacky, the Jean Paul Gaultier inspired mâché walrus bust is topped off with a kitch cap from the French Naval Marines [complete with obligatory red pom pom]. Mounted on an equally J.P.G. striped background, I'm not sure it'll be featuring in forthcoming artist's Barbican retrospective. That said, animal forms have an enduring and iconic place in design. So, is taxidermy dead? By definition, it always was. And it isn't going anywhere soon.

Every Dog Has Its Day

If the battle of Trafalgar taught us anything, it's that podiums for displaying ever changing whimsical works of contemporary art are of pivotal importance to the nation. This applies in equal measure indoors, and particularly where Ultralofts are concerned [the tall, black and shiny variety are recommended]

Introducing the First Plinth! A space to precariously perch a seasonally curated selection of fine design finds from Design Trawler. Glossy and substantial podiums instantly elevate anything placed on them to artefactual superstardom and encourage a gallery-like rotation of environment. As for the honour of the first exhibit; it has to be Jeff the Balloon dog; the subject of Design Trawler's first article back in 2010.

Triple Glazed Provocation

Sometimes you see something that needs a second take. Other times, the impact of a first impression blows away the need for even a second glance. That's the effect of graphic artist Patrick Thomas's brilliant target prints. Thomas screenprints a fluro heart over discarded Braundruck shooting range targets - playfully, poignantly, and perhaps alarmingly, marrying the two iconic forms together.

Using a canvas that has been pierced by a bullet creates a work that is violent and thought provoking. Framing it required equal levels of consideration. Mounting the print between two sheets of glass allows it to float; fragile, it's captured and suspended in time and space. A third pane of glazing with a mount and gunmetal frame completes the metaphor.