It's kind of funny really. I just happened to marry into a family that has retro collectable interest. No kidding, I had never even brought up the topic with my wife before we got married. We of course talked about out interest in vintage stuff, but never really talked about how far it ran in her family. Well, over the years the interest that my wife's had in the Retro/vintage style has grown into a business for them. Me... yeah... not so much. Still, I do get to enjoy their finds. And that's exactly what I'm doing now. I'm enjoying this cool lamp, and sharing the experience with you. So, take a look-see.  There are a number of other detail photos on the ebay page here.

Here's the details:

Studio ARTEMIDE MILANO, Designed By VICO MAGISTRETTI, Eclisse Model Lamp

This lamp is not in working condition. It has a dent at the top of both the inner shade and the red shade. There are scratches on the lamp as well. It can be used as either a wall lamp or table lamp. The lamp's height is 7".

Something New From Amidst Mod

Without saying what it is, I'd just like to give a heads up to all those blog viewers out there. Even though I've never lost my interest and love for Mid-Century/Retro/Vintage design, due to life, and trying to make a living in Chile S.A., I've not done the best job of keeping Amidstmod.com up to date with the awesome finds, artist, and galleries, that have made Amidstmod.com the place it is today. So, with that in mind, I am trying to do my best to push Amidstmod.com in a new and more interactive direction, while keeping the focus on what is the most important to all of us enthusiast. MCM design, art, and the preservation of it. So, please hang in there, and I promise to have some more info on how the project is going. Also, if you've been featured on Amidstmod.com before, watch out, you may be getting an email from me some time soon!

Functional Art: Mid-Century Modern Danish Lamps

Photo Source: www.1stopretroshop.com

From the very first moment that I looked at a Danish modern lamp, I was in awe. That's been some 15 years or so ago now. In fact, this incredible appeal hit me before I even knew what Mid-Century Modern was. At the time, I just knew what I liked, and what drew me. Over the years, I've seen an extensive display online of incredibly designed mid-century lamps. In fact almost all of my preferred lamps are Danish modern. So, I thought it might be good to look at why these lamps are so captivating to me and so many others.

Photo Source: www.rocketcentury.com

Texture
One of my favorite aspects of design, in any form, is the texture that is considered, developed, and then applied to each creative piece. Danish Modern lamps from the mid-century era have a large range of textures that are employed with elegance and grace. As with many lamps, the shades typically are textured. However, different from most other lamp styles, the shades themselves are primarily translucent. Not using a solid card or paper backing to reflect light up/down, and not trying to hide the light bulb completely. Allowing the light to pass, but not allowing for a clear affirmation of what lies inside creates a sense of dimension that can draw you in. Use of these textured materials in a screening capacity creates a high contrast effect on the textured materials use within the lamps design. Magnifying the already notable texture to an almost unreal proportion. By using meshes of different materials, loosely woven strongly textured fabrics, frosted glasses, fiberglass, or thinly molded ceramics, in the lamp design almost always helps give these textured lamps shades a very light visual aesthetic. Mixing a soft feel amongst the harder feeling materials such as woods and metals.

Uses of different woods, ceramics, metals, and glass, are another aspect of these lamps design that contribute to their textural appeal.

Photo Source: Fab.com

Visually Light
Danish Modern lamp shades are not the only aspect of the lamps that give them their light or airy visual look. Selection of the right kinds of materials also help in this effort to minimize their visual weight.

Wood, in it's varied options are probably the most evident of materials used in Danish Modern Lamps. Using hardwoods, such as the commonly thought of Teak, in the lamp construction is one way in which the lamps maintain there light and airy visual appeal. Such hardwoods allow for thin surfaces,  sharp angle changes, load bearing at irregular angles, long sweeping curves, and hardware fastening without any major compromise to the structural integrity.

Choosing wood also allowed for very fluid and soft lines in the design of the lamps. Creating points, edges, and curves that fold and fade into various angles helping to keep the light visual appearance that makes these lamps a truly sculptured piece of home accessories.

Metals of different styles are also commonly found in the construction of these lamps. Being used in various facets. Metals are found from the finest details, such as custom made dowels, screw nuts, lamp shade banding, and light bulb stands, thru decorative ornaments, and right down to the structural aspects, such as legs that plant the lamp firmly on the ground and their vertical supports.  Metal, needless to say, plays an integral part in the visual appearance of these inspiring lamps.

Use of metal is a very important aspect in the overall design of these lamps. Do to the use of metals in the various details and construction, these lamps can maintain strong but thin lines. Using metal also facilitates ease of color palette options, allowing for a more tailored and specific overall look.

Photo Source: liveauctioneers.com

String and wire are two more materials that allow these lamps to have a light, but sculptured appearance. While neither of these two materials are the norm, there are many examples of these beautiful lamps that have been designed with these materials as an integral part of the artistic pallet.

Wire and string are typically used to create a unique and custom shade, or to fill a spacial void for  balance, these materials also lend to the visual appeal of these lamps.

Color, while not being the most prominent aspect of the these wonder lamps design, also plays a very important part of the overall effect that these incredible lamps have on the space they occupy. Use of highly contrasted tones on carefully selected pieces allows for these lamps to convey looks of being firmly planted, floating effortlessly, or look as though they are in motion. While the lamp shades may include the heaviest portion of the lamp, a white translucent shade made of glass or ceramic may appear to be light and effortlessly held in space by the much darker and visually heavy wooden base. These visual effects are very precise and create a beautiful balance in the art.

Photo Source: www.1stdibs.com

When colors other than white or wood tones are chosen, they tend to be brighter and well contrasted. Most metals are coated with, or are of, specific metals types/colors that flow well visiually with the overall design. While sharp, strong toned metals, such as Stainless Steel or cold steel are used, Copper and Brass and Gold are generally preferred. Not only are these colors of these metals more subdued than standard cold steel or stainless, but they've always been more luxuries in look, and held in higher artistic value.

In the end though, I guess what makes me find these lamps truly great is that they are adequate for just about any setting or design style. Mid-Century Danish modern lamps offers styles, designs, and textures that will match everything from your velvet couch, to your brass Tiffany candelabras, right down to your favorite lounge, whether it be Eames or not. So, if you in the market for a new lamp, you might want to check out whats available in the Danish modern.

Just below, you will find 10 personally selected Danish modern lamps that I found on Ebay.com*.

The items in this Ebay.com* app are temporarily available. After these items have been sold or the bid time has ended. Ebay.com* will propagate search term listings. 

*Note: Ebay.com* is an affiliate of Amidst Mod. For more information on the affiliate programs that Amidsmod.com participates in, please see our income page.

Signed Karl Benjamin Prints

One of my favorite California Cool/ California Modern artists is Karl Benjamin. I just find his work incredible. So when I found these 2 pieces for sale, well...I just had to let you know about them. So here they are:

This Karl Benjamin "Abstract Landscape" is available here*.

The other signed print from Karl Benjamin, oil on Canvas, can be found here*.

First Influences: El Gato Gomez

Honestly, I do not remember the exact time in which I found El Gato Gomez*. By the time I had found her, I was already searching heavily on the net for Mid-Century Modern, or "Mod", as I thought it was called at the time. It must of been around 6 months in that I found El Gato Gomez's* works. But, WOW... how happy I was to find them.

In fact, while I appreciated all the MCM art* that I was seeing, original and revival, I was really blown away by her work. I mean, the textures, and colors, not to mention the themes... It was incredible, I mean, I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! I couldn't get enough of her works. They fit so well with all the things that I loved to look at. They were all about all the same things that inspired me.

At first, I thought that they were original vintage art. How happy I was to find that El Gato Gomez* was, and is, alive and painting. Since that time, I have yet to be disappointed. As is the case with many of my favorite artist, I had the fear that El Gato Gomez* would get a bit bored and change styles. Thankfully, that has yet to happen.

Till this day looking at El Gato's* works makes me want to pick up a brush and paint with Gouache. By the way, I REALLY DON'T LIKE PAINTING IN GOUACHE. Don't miss understand. It's not that I don't like Gouache paintings. I just don't like to use it. Even still, while I know that, looking at El Gato's paintings inspires me to pick up a brush and try. Now, for me, that's powerful inspiration.

Not only do I respect the styling and texture of the paintings by El Gato*, but I also appreciate her consistency. She never runs out of ideas it seems. Plus, El Gato* has a ton of paintings, and she turns them out so quickly. It's just so hard for me to be able to image having that kind of endless imagination.

On top of all of this, she does great sculptures too. When I just thought El Gato* was doing paintings, I was jealous enough, but then to run across an incredible sculpture and read that it was by El Gato*, that was just to much. I mean, excuse the pun please, but... then I really thought she was the cats meow.

Even after these years, I  continue to be awed by El Gato's* works. She is a painting machine. El Gato* is also very generous, in my opinion. She has always asked a fair price for her works, and continues to do so even until today.

Today, El Gato Gomez* has a number of ways that you can pick up one of these cool pieces of art. You can check out her website, check out her Ebay* store, or stop by her etsy. If you friend her on facebook, you'll also get a first hand look at the latest works, and know when they are going up on the block for purchase.

Believe me, by not checking her work out, you ARE missing something. No matter, if your interest are vintage looking head shot/portrait paintings, abstract, or sci-fi, she's got the right thing for you. She even does some still life's. Then there are those sureal, but very cool, paintings of her own paintings. I really dig those.

So, before I make to much a sap of myself, I should just say, check out El Gato Gomez's* works.

Mid-Century Modern Organic Sculpture

While working on another post, I ran across this beauty*. So, until my other post is up later today or tomorrow, I leave you with this wonderful piece of Mid-century Modern sculpture to look at. When I see pieces like this, it just makes me want to go out and sculpt. To bad it's raining today... Oh well, I can dream can't I.

If you want to check out more about this piece. Price, size, and so on, you can see it all here*.

Abstract Sculpture, Wayne State University--Detroit MI

Abstract Sculpture, Wayne State University--Detroit MI, a photo by pinehurst19475 on Flickr.

Just a little something to try and keep your creative juices flowing on the last day of this weekend.

A little Hawaiian Art Inspiration

Vintage ALOHA Luau Invitation, a photo by hmdavid on Flickr.

As summer is starting soon, I figured you might just like a good dose of Mid-Century Hawaiian Inspired Art*. Courtesy of flickr of course. HM David has huge collection of information, and photos.

At HM David's flickr, you won't only find Mid-Century Hawaiian Art*. You'll see numerous sets of matchbook covers, ads, antiques, and even themed sets for different area's. You got to see it to believe it.  It's definitely a Mid-century flickr account to remember. So swing by and check it out now.

 Note: links with an (*) at the end are affiliate links that help keep Amidstmod running. 

Practical Sculptures

Changing it up a bit, April 2013, a photo by sandiv999 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
New art bumps the ball clock and other pieces to a different room. Painting isbby Jan Danziger, 1970. Kinetic sculpture still a mid-century mystery and bronze piece is by Elizabeth Kohler.

If you recall, yesterday we were talking about practicle objects to have in that mid-century/retro house of yours and it double as a piece of art. Yesterday, I showed you a few cool items for the kitchen, but there are ton more of those out there. Today though, let's look at the living room.

Here you see Sandiv999's flickr stream photo.  I put her photo up because her selection of object sculture selection is amazing. She has a wonderful selection of pitchers, vases, lamps, bowls, and candle holders that really could (if she chose to) be used, but at the same time, they look wonderful on this mid-century shelving system.

With this single photo, it's very easy to see the practicle application of using vintage/retro/Mid-century objects as necesary house hold items and art. Now, once we've bought them, we have to make the decision as to weither or not we really will use them as such. That's a whole different story.

However, you need to find the items* first. So, let me help you a bit. Here are some vases* that can serve as art, and be functional.

Vintage Retro Atomic Heavy Amber Vase*

German pottery small RED ceramic vase BAY 536-11 midcentury fatlava retro kitsch*

 Jopeko Red West German Pottery Modernistic Mid 20 th Century Vintage Retro Vase*

Don't forget to check out her flickr account here. Also, you can see her interview with me here. Plus, if your looking for more Vases, Check out the links and ebay app below.

Google search- Retro Vases
Etsy.com search - Retro Vases

Please note that each link that has an (*) at the end is an affiliate link. These links help provide income to Amidst Mod so that we can keep this blog going.