Sueism1's Myth of Value #1

Myth of Value #1, a photo by sueism1 on Flickr.

While her job at Trader Joe's dictates that Sue creates art regularly, there is a difference in the art she does for work, and that of pure fun. Sue has created a number of pieces that are from her pure joy and desire that she has for art.

As I showed in her interview, she has multiple talents, and now you get to see here vintage influence Fine Art side. Hope you like it. If you do, stop by her Flickr and let her know.

Douglas Fir's 52 Plywood Home Storage Plans Book

All photos are from www.populuxebooks.com

With all that's going on right now, there's no better time then now to get that Mid-Century mindset. Why...you may ask. Well, here's a few reasons. 1) The economy is tight, and this is cheap 2) You can entertain yourself and get something mid-century all in the same time at little expense 3) you can better your coordination while decorating your home and save money

Facts of the matter are, many times we think that it's more cost effective to buy something instead of building it ourselves. In some cases that is very true. To buy a car is much more practical than to try and build your own. Sometimes it's also the way with Mid-Century furniture. If you find a great deal or know how to repair it yourself, there you go, more efficient to buy than build. However, that's not always so.

I think another misconception is that of:"I don't know how to build furniture, so I won't do a good job." This too is a valid thought. However, have you thought about the fact that a lot of the furniture in your home, or homes of the past are, in reality very simple shapes, with very simple assembly processes.

That's why I'm telling you about this book. It starts with one of the most basic of materials...Plywood. See I don't just like the way plywood looks (I really love plywood). I think that it is one of the best beginners materials on the market. Here's a few reasons why.
   1)Plywood comes pre-planed
   2)It has fairly straight factory edges
   3)It can easy be cut, molded, sanded, and formed
   4)Generally holds screws, nails, glues, epoxy's, and other fasteners well.
   5)Comes in multiple wood types
   6)With detailed drawings many home improvement stores can cut your pieces to size if needed.
   7)Easy to find large pieces for most furniture surface areas.
   8)Can be stained, or have fine wood laminates applied.
   9)Very strong with a fine line. Very sleek looking.

All photos are from www.populuxebooks.com

So, as you can see plywood can provide a lot of benefits for those who are either beginner woodworkers, or those who are experienced.

As I tried to show with my first Simplified Woodworking episode, today, you can be retro and original. How so? If you follow vintage methods and use vintage materials you can build a brand new Mid-Century piece. That's why I suggest you check out the 52 plywood home storage plans book by Douglas Fir, because it's a great book to start with. It's not the only one though. This book is hard to find. So, it usually begs a higher price. However, there are reasons why.

All photos are from www.populuxebooks.com

Back in the day, Douglas Fir was the plywood industry. Not just the leader, but for some time, they basically were the only player in the game. That didn't stop them from pushing the uses of plywood to it's limits. Being an enthusiast of vintage woodworking, I can tell you that I have looked at, and read about a bunch of the old woodworking books. However, by far, the Douglas Fir books are recognized as being some of the best mcm woodworking books out there. Plus, these books are collectors items.

You can get this book here from Populuxebooks.com
 

Lomo-Mo

Lomo-Mo, a photo by sueism1 on Flickr.

Here's another one of Sueism1's great vintage sign photos. I really like the warm tone to it. It's just so California Mid-Century feeling.

Kings Bowl Sign with Texture

Kings Bowl Sign with Texture, a photo by sueism1 on Flickr.

Just one more reason why I did Sue's photos. The textures she uses make them look even more like art.

Motel Capri iphone photo

Motel Capri iphone photo, a photo by sueism1 on Flickr.

Sue not only is a talented artist, but also has an eye for photography. I like here photos of old Mid-Century signs. With theses signs, she has a tendency for focus on the enough of the sign, that you know it's a Mid-Century sign, but she crops it enough to give a wonderfully larger than life or almost abstract feel.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. By using these links you can get what you need/want and help Amidst Mod to continue providing info and inspirations

Mid-Century Acquaintances. Interview: Sueism1

No matter if we are artists or just a very strong enthusiast, there is always something behind our interest. Sometimes, we don't even realize it. We just skip over that part and get on to the more "interesting" part of our lives. For me though, knowing why is very important. I'm just curious that way.

Over the years, I have asked myself these same questions, then when I got onto flickr, and later facebook, I started asking even more so, why...?  Mid-Century Acquaintances on www.amidstmod.com is designed to explore just that... Why you folks are enthused about the design, art, and life style of an era that left us behind more that 40 years ago. Still, these interests mold the way we act, what we do, what we watch, and how we view our own personal lives.

My interview today is with Sueism 1 of flickr. This interview was originally done (the question portion) 1 and 1/2 years ago (approx.), but I never posted it. So, I had to explain a story of sickness (nothing super major), physical injury (not fun), and earthquake relief work that took up a large portion of my year just after the interview. She was very kind though and seemed happy about the idea. So...Thanks Sue!


Many years ago, there were a group of artists that had a day job. Not surprising you say? Well, wait now... Their day job was as artist. Most of them didn't make money on paintings sold in galleries or designing products to mass produce, but they still made a living as artist. How? Well, they painted windows, walls, cars, billboards, and signs. These folks, painted all the necessary ads on every department store, drugstore, super market and restaurant in the land.


With the passing of time though, they were mostly replaced with cheaper, more economical options for advertising. I've read before that graphics, and sign designers are the ad painters of the past. But, are they really? I had actually started to believe they were, and to a large degree, I guess they are. One day though, floating around on flickr, I found a modern day ad/sign painter. I thought, wow! They still exist...and you know what? There's a company that encourages this industry. Trader Joe's is the name, and that's where Sue of Sueism1 (flickr name) works. So I decided to ask her about here day job and her Mid-Century Modern tendencies. Here's what she said...


Questions by Eric McGrew (JEM)
Answers by Sue


JEM: When did your interest in MCM signs and art start to develop?
Sue: My interest in Mid-Mod initially started when I was in Design School in the mid-late 1980s. I had an instructor who encouraged his students to research past design movements and artists to get a sense of the history behind Graphic Design and Industrial Design. 
Looking into the history behind Graphic Design, I discovered that Mid-Mod architecture - furniture design and industrial design - was important to 2-D design. And I was instantly attracted to the Mid-Mod style. It was clean and open, yet finely tuned.


JEM: I noticed that you have a lot of photos of vintage Vegas, and even more of vintage Signs. How have these subjects influenced your personal art?
Sue: I am intrigued by mid-century living – road signs, lifestyles and icons from the 1950s hold a fascination for me, in part due to the nostalgic and historic value as well the personal familiarity of these images. These images, these signs, are a part of my history (growing up, my family always had our summer road trips – these are the signs I remember from those trips).
Vegas is a bit different. I have only been obsessed with Vegas over the last decade. Las Vegas doesn’t directly work it’s way into my art, (yet), but the spirit is the same; Americana at a fast pace, the rewriting of history, the obliteration of the past.

 

JEM: My understanding is that you work for "Trader Joe's". How has working for "Trader Joe's" influenced your personal art style?
Sue: Honestly, I think it’s more of a case of how has my personal style has influenced Trader Joe’s – at least the Trader Joe’s that I work for. When we remodeled a year and a half ago, I came up with the theme and art direction for our store – 1930’s – 1940’s orchard crate labels vintage feel (the land that the store sits on was once vast orchards). Before the remodel, my work at Trader Joe’s had a very 1950s ad art feel. Trader Joe’s is such a great company to work for and an even better company to work for if you are an artist – they really let the artists at each store lend their style to the overall feel of the theme to each store. But, I do have to say that working as an artist for Trader Joe's over the last 6 years has improved my technical ability immensely!


JEM: If you could have any MCM/Mod object or piece (even furniture or house), what would it be?
Sue: I would love to have an Eichler Home, with just one starter piece – an Eames Folding Screen.


JEM: What are your favorite MCM/Mod websites to visit?
Sue: flickr has become my favorite site for finding anything and everything MCM. There are so many knowledgeable flickr-ites with amazing photos and history – it’s become my favorite place to troll for anything MCM! 




JEM: Do you have a favorite Flickr group or account to visit?
Sue: I have a few (quite a few) – here is a sampling:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/shopsigns/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/50smotels/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/mid-centuryscript/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1209069@N25/


   
JEM: Who are some of your favorite modern day artist?
Sue: I just recently saw the Wayne Thiebaud – 70 years of Painting show at SJMA (San Jose Museum of Art). His work is so lush and inspiring. And so much more impressive when experiencing it “in the flesh”.
Another fantastic painter here in the SF Bay Area that I love (and I own one of his paintings) is Nathan Madrid. Great brushwork and mood to his paintings.
www.nathanmadrid.com


JEM: Who is your favorite MCM/Mod musician?
Sue: Have to say, not too into the mid-mod musician, but I do love a bit of Dean Martin every now and then. And Bobby Darin too!


JEM: What is your favorite MCM/Mod movie?
Sue: Hands down, the original Ocean’s Eleven – the scenery, the music, the over-all vibe of the film – SO much fun!              




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Ice Cream with Pinhole app for iPhone

Ice Cream with Pinhole app for iPhone, a photo by sueism1 on Flickr.

Here's something to get your brains working on. What connection does this photo have to do with anything? Clearly it's a cool photo of a Mid-Century Modern sign, but why? Wait and find out.

Here's what the slab is all about.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a short post called "Perfect Slabs, What's it all mean?". So here's what it all means...

As an artist, designer, and craftsman, I find joy in many different styles. However, of all the styles of art that I enjoy, things made of wood always attract my attention most. Of all the different styles of wood objects and furniture, live edge or natural slab are my favorites.

One of the strange things about live edge furniture though, is that it is hard to find many that by look like they are clearly Mid-Century. Clearly, anyone who has been around for a while instantly knows George Nakashima's work. Because of knowledge, one associates his work as Mid-Century. However, as I've looked at many live edge pieces I see that many of the contemporary pieces have the same characteristics of Mid-Century live edge works.

Mid-Century or not, a well finished piece of wood is something that I find extremely beautiful. Not more beautiful than my wife, but still, something that inspires awe. In the near future I will building a few things with live edge wood. I have a bed in mind, an end/coffee table, and at least one desk. As I'm a very visual person, I generally like to get my creative senses going by looking at truly inspiring live edge furniture. So, I hope you like the following photos. To start off with, I'm going to feature a piece from J.Rusten Furniture Studio's. All other pieces shown after that are piece from different designers.

Sandpiper Indian Wells

Sandpiper Indian Wells, a photo by Chimay Bleue on Flickr.

Talk about 2 in 1. Here I've found a great fickr photo stream that has cool MCM photos. Then along the way comes this very cool Mid-Century illustration of a William Krisel building. Now that's cool. Hope you enjoy it too.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. By using these links you can get what you need/want and help Amidst Mod to continue providing info and inspirations.  

City Center Motel

City Center Motel, a photo by Chimay Bleue on Flickr.

One thing is for sure. In the world of tearing down old things, a number of people are working to document these places before they die. Darren Bradley is doing his part, and beautifully. Like with this cool Mid-Century Motel.

Anaheim Convention Center Arena

Anaheim Convention Center Arena, a photo by Chimay Bleue on Flickr.

You don't get to much more Space Age Modern than this. So, enjoy! I'm off to bed.

Fairmeadows Eichler

Fairmeadows Eichler, a photo by Chimay Bleue on Flickr.

Keeping up with the month of Chimay Bleue. He never stops amazing. Click the pic and see his photo stream. You won't be disappointed.

Villa Savoye

Villa Savoye, a photo by Chimay Bleue on Flickr.

Got a little behind, but here's something while I'm cutting more edits into that never ending part 2 of Simplified Woodworking that's due.

Fireplace

Fireplace, a photo by Chimay Bleue on Flickr.

I don't know why, but I dig this cantilevered fire place. There are so many textures and really well designed aspects to it. I really like the detail of the grill to put a pan or pot on. If I could have a large fire place of my option, this would be it.

Architects: Vilhelm Wohlert and Jørgen Bo (1958 - 1991)
Location: Humlebæk (Øresund), Denmark 

Why Not Digital?

Art of Edwin Wade

Digital art is becoming, by in large, a huge part of our lives. We see it on TV. Many times we save some card or ad that was originally created by someone via graphics programs. In fact, in many schools, digital art is the primary focus for graphics design programs. I know that in Art Institute it was back in '99. So how much more so today! My question then is, why is it so hard for people to except digital art as fine art?

No art field is easy. It's always hard to make a living selling art. In the MCM genre, many enthusiast are very design oriented and are willing to buy art and decor for their homes. True, some only want authentic Mid-Century, or vintage art. Others though, have really seen the importance of helping the community by buying, what I call "Mid-Century revivalists" art. However, would you buy digital?

As an artist, I have to say that digital art is no less difficult than other forms of art that I create. I sculpt and build furniture. Having done many of these things, I have found that all have there difficult points. For instance, the time it takes to make a digital graphic is something to consider. Why? Well, the artist must draw/sketch their design, then they must process the design to modify it in the graphics program. After that, all textures to be used in the image must be created. Something of interest is, that many times the textures used have been hand painted or manufactured. These textures then have to be uploaded and modified to a usable format for the graphic. After all of this, the artist must select the correct settings and materials to produce their art on. Once all this is done the artist get to try and sell their works in a widely apathetic industry.

All said and done. Digital art is, in fact, art. It is a very challenging and difficult art. So, the next time you want to buy a piece of art, at least consider a Digital created piece.


Some of my favorite digital artists

Michael Robertson

Edwin Wade

 

Simple, but Sweet. Mr. California Clothing

"Classic Leisurewear For The Modern Man."  

Photo Source: Mr. California

I have to say that my order of design and style list goes as follows:

1. Wood: Sculptures, furniture, paintings
2. Clothing of Swing, Lounge, Mod
3. Architecture

Then the list goes on from there. As you can see, my #2 favorite design subject is clothing. When we lived in the states, I was always looking for that perfect suit, leisure shirt, pleated swing/leisure slacks, loafers, chukka boots, fedora, or Ricky jacket.  Some of these I found with time. Others I found, but just did want to spend the money. Even today, while not living in a place that I'm willing to where my vintage stuff, I still love clothes. I don't know why, but I do.

In my interview with Chimay Bleue I asked where he shopped for Mid-Century/Vintage styled clothing. He answered with many of the brands that I personally wear like Ben Sherman, and Original Penguin. He also mentioned Brooks Brothers, which I know about, but have never purchased from. I have had a few of there pieces from thrift stores and found them comfortable, but I always found a vintage suit that I just liked better. 

During the interview though, he mentioned another company that I had never heard of. He named Mr. California. So, as I was prepping the post for publishing, I had to get the site address to Mr. California. While there, I took the time to look around a bit. What I found was very nice.

While Mr. California doesn't have, what I would call, a very large selection, the options are very complete. You can find a shirt for any occasion. Their pricing wasn't really out of line with the other companies that you may buy from like Penguin or Ben Sherman, but you are limited to just shirts, and a jacket. Not jackets, just a jacket. At least online. One cool thing about Mr. California though is that their shirts and jacket do have cool chevrons, crest, and like designs embroidered on the chests. 

Since I've never owned a piece by Mr. California, I can't vouch for the quality.There are few factors that make me confident though in their product. First, the site makes it very clear that the product is select, and not for every man. Second, the emphasis they put on their originality, and their following the original design. Third and final, all the products are made in California. Generally speaking, if a company goes thru some much effort to let people know that their product isn't for just anybody, they stick to original design, and they only produce product in a domestic setting, they probably watch the their produce quality control pretty tightly. Now, I'm not saying they're all that, but they just might be. So, go check them out, and let me know if they are all they say they are.

MCM/Googie Los Angeles Evening

Photo Source: Chimay Bleue Flickr

One thing that has always amazed me about the Googie/MCM style is the ability to make a solid, weighty, or stagnant object look as though it is weightless, moving or airy. This is even been accomplished with the right kind of photo.

Here you are seeing both those aspects put into practice. A great design, and a great photo.

Architect, Gin Wong (William L. Pereira & Assoc.)
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Mid-Century Modern Restaurant in Palm Desert

Mid-Century Modern Restaurant in Palm Desert, a photo by Chimay Bleue on Flickr.

Almost any design that has a single shed roof, post and beam construction, and a rock wall is going to be on my favorites list. Then, if you through in some a cool font and some polished metal finishes, well, let's just say it's a sure deal I'm going to feature it.



Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. By using these links you can get what you need/want and help Amidst Mod to continue providing info and inspirations.   
 

Fairhaven Eichler

Fairhaven Eichler, a photo by Chimay Bleue on Flickr.

One of my favorite Eichler home photos that Chimay Bleue has on his set. They're all good, but I really like this one. His composition, the wall sculpture, that futuristic roof line, and the contrast of the colors with the shade and sky. All of it makes for another great photo by Darren.

To see more photos of Mid-Century Modern/Atomic ranches and contemporary modern architecture and design check out his Flickr photo stream by clicking his name, or clicking the image above.

Mid-Century Acquaintances. Interview: Chimay Bleue

When the idea reoccurred to me to interview my flickr and facebook contacts. I was a bit at a loss of where to start. If you're like me, then you probably have quit a few "contacts" and "friends". While pondering over this conundrum that I had, I decided to do a quick and interesting post to fill the time. So I did. I went over to my contact photos page and decided to post the first photo that caught my eye. It was one of Chimay Bleue's photos. Well...that happened 2 times in a row. Then I thought, here's the interview I've been looking for. Remember though, this was just the beginning.

Flickr contacts and facebook friends have always intrigued me. I mean, don't you ever wonder who they are? Why they like, or are part of, the Mid-Century community? What they do for a living and so on? Well, I do. From what I've found out, it's interesting.

Many times I look at someones photostream, or wall and start to build a character of what I think they might be like. Sometimes your right and sometimes your not. You'll never know though until you interview them for yourself. Now, don't get me wrong. With these realitively few questions, there's no way of truely knowing someone. So I'm not saying that I am probing into the depths of their being, but rather, giving you a general overview of one, or possible many aspects of their lives.

So here we go with Chimay Bleue.

Interview via email; Eric McGrew: Questions
                                 Chimay Bleue: Answers 

Q: Just to get us started off, would you like to share your name with us?
A: Sure. I'm Darren Bradley

Q: What is your profession?
A: I work for a large, multi-national defense and aerospace company, where I'm responsible for strategy and planning in one of the divisions.

Q: Is this your dream job?
A: I have a great job and feel very fortunate to have it. But I'm not sure that I'd call it my dream job. Growing up, I originally wanted to be an architect but was dissuaded from pursuing that avenue because I was horrible at math. Ironically, it seems most architects are bad at math so I'm not sure why that seemed so important at the time. Anyway, I then decided I wanted to be a diplomat because I liked politics and traveling, etc. I never ended up doing that, either. But what I do requires me to use a fair amount of math.

If I could decide today to do whatever I wanted, I'd probably be a photographer.

Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but I moved to San Diego when I was little. My dad was in the Navy. He retired in SD so we ended up staying here. I also spent a fair amount of my time in France - originally as an exchange student in high school and then for most of my college education.

Q: When did you start to get interested in Mid-Century design, and what influenced your interest?
A: I've always loved architecture and design of all kinds. I'm a city person and appreciate how buildings can change the vibe of a place.

I used to spend my summers in Toronto, Canada and that had a big influence on my admiration for modernism. I have snapshots somewhere that I took with a toy camera - I must have been about 10 years old at the time - of things like the Toronto City Hall, Eaton Centre, Canada Place... Later, visiting Expo 86 was also a seminal moment for me. I have very vivid memories of visiting all of those pavilions and the architecture of them made a huge impression on me

So I've always preferred modern design but also appreciate different styles, such as Craftsman, Art Deco, Secessionist, Art Nouveau...

When we first moved out here from France, my wife and I already had an appreciation for Mid-century modern but were more interested in Art Nouveau, and also sleek, European contemporary modern. But in San Diego, we intentionally sought out a style of architecture that embodied the character of southern California. We wanted a low-slung house with glass walls and a pool, with more of an organic feel. My wife, as a girl living in an apartment in Paris, had dreams of Ava Gardner and Greta Garbo lounging poolside in Hollywood. So when she ended up moving here, she wanted some of that. When in Rome...

 
Q: Who designed the house you live in?
A: William Krisel in 1959. Krisel was then partner with Dan Saxon Palmer of the firm Palmer & Krisel. Krisel designed many, many mid-century modern homes throughout Southern California - everything from modest tract housing and apartments to the homes of Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and others.

Q:Did you look for a MCM home before you bought, or did you get into MCM after you bought your home?
A:We knew we wanted an MCM home from the beginning. We had plenty of time to research before we could finally afford one and we focused on this neighborhood, specifically. It took more than two years before the right house came up for sale. We bought it the day it was listed.

A few years before we finally bought a house, we had rented a vacation home in Palm Springs that was designed by William Krisel and we loved it. We realized then that this was what we had been looking for. With a little research, we found that the same architect had also designed homes in San Diego so we found those neighborhoods and focused our search.


Q:For decor in your home, do you try and stay authentic vintage, or just good quality MCM design?
A:At first, we had a more eclectic mix of contemporary modern, vintage MCM, and reproductions (and a fair amount of IKEA mixed in). But the fact is that the design and even the scale of MCM furniture and decor works the best here. And the more we learned about it, the more interested in / obsessed with it we became. So eventually, the newer pieces got swapped out with vintage pieces as we found them. That's been ongoing... and even now, if we find something we like at an auction or a yard sale, we'll find room for it and perhaps swap something else out.

Q:I noticed that you have a lot of photos of Krisel homes. Is there a particular reason why?
A:When I became interested in Krisel's designs in Palm Springs and was looking for a home in San Diego, I started researching his work and just found a treasure trove of incredible homes and other buildings that he had designed throughout the region, and I began taking pictures of it to record what I was finding. I eventually tracked him down to ask for some additional information, and that started off a close friendship that continues to this day. I still take every opportunity to find and photograph intact examples of his work because I have a strong admiration for his work.

Bill is one of the few designers or architects who was able to successfully deliver on the promise of modernism - to provide a better way of living and making it accessible and affordable to everyone.

Q:In your photos, you have a lot of "modern" architecture, and MCM architecture. Is this your favorite genre of design? If not, what is?
A:Yes, it most definitely is. MCM is my first love, and I appreciate contemporary modern design - especially when it demonstrates a clear lineage with MCM. But I do appreciate pretty much every sort of architectural style, and will take pictures of it if the mood strikes me.

About the only styles I really hate are post-modernism and the pseudo-historical stuff - like so many of the Spanish/Tuscan/Georgian/Colonial McMansions and tract homes that have popped up all over the place in the past decade.

Q:I find your photography to be very good. How did you pick up photography?
A:Thank you! I grew up loving photography as a child and took lots of courses on it in high school and college. I received my first SLR (a Yashica FX-7) when I was twelve. I was photographer on our school newspaper and spent a good part of my high school years in the darkroom. I also worked briefly in college as a darkroom tech.

But for a period in the 90s, I had stopped taking pictures entirely and didn't pick up a camera for years. When I moved to France in 1994, I didn't even bring a camera with me! But it was my interest in documenting MCM architecture that drove me back into it after a long hiatus.

Although I had a lot of previous experience in photography, I found I had to relearn a lot. Digital cameras behave quite differently from film. Also, architectural photography is a very precise field with its own set of rules and even subculture, which also requires a lot of specialized photographic equipment.

Initially, I was just taking snapshots of buildings. But the work of photographers such as Julius Shulman and Ernie Braun had such a big influence on my own perception and appreciation of modernism that I decided to teach myself architectural photography and acquired the tools to do it properly.

Q:In one of your comments, you mentioned that you don't like to use HDR, is there a specific reason why? Just curious...
A:Yeah, I understand its a matter of personal taste but I personally find that most HDR looks awful. It hurts my eyes to look at. If its done right,I do appreciate the extra dynamic range it can provide to a photograph. But most HDR photos I see don't look natural, and I really don't like the explosion of weird colors and surreal lighting that is the usual result.

Maybe it's because I learned the old fashioned way in a darkroom, but I much prefer dodging and burning to HDR. I think it looks a lot more natural and pleasing to the eye.


Q:Back on subject. Do you have any other artistic outlets?
A:I also paint on occasion when the mood strikes me. There are several examples of my paintings that can be seen in my house - notably the picture of the bull in my bedroom.

Q:Who is your favorite Mid-Century Designer of any genre?
A:Well, I've already talked about my admiration for Bill Krisel - as both a person and an architect. I'd have a hard time narrowing it down to just one, though. In architecture, my favorites are simple post & beam designs with lots of glass that have an almost zen-like, japanese sense of calm and peacefulness. Some of my favorite examples of this are Buff & Hensman's Thompson / Moseley Residence and their collaboration with Cal Straub for the Bass Residence (A&A Case Study House #20), Mies's Farnsworth House, Koenig's Stahl House (Case Study #22), Ellwood's Rosen Residence... Actually, about 30 or 40 houses come to mind but I won't bore you with the complete list.

My wife loves concrete brutalism and her list of favorites includes Le Corbusier, Lautner, etc.

Furniture and design-wise, I tend to favor Scandinavian designers, apparently, because my house and wish list contain a lot of Saarinen (ok, he's Finnish-American, I know), Jacobsen, Juhl, Wegner, Kjaerholm...

Q:If you could have any Mid-Century/Mod/Retro object (house, art, furniture, you name it), what would it be?
A:Another hard question, but while we're at it, why not shoot for the moon? I'd say Ossipoff's Blanche Hill House in Honolulu... alas, it's been demolished so that's never going to happen.


Q:Do you have any website's or blogs that you love to visit?
A:I have a list of websites and blogs I try to hit regularly, but don't get to them as often as I'd like. Certainly, yours is on the list, but also:
www.modernsandiego.com
blog.ounodesign.com
deedee914.blogspot.com
www.apartmenttherapy.com
myvintageaddiction.com
www.eichlernetwork.com
www.realphotographersforum.com
www.digitalrev.com

Q:What/Who is your favorite Mid-Century?:
A:Tv series: The Prisoner
A:Movie: Mon Oncle or Playtime by Tati
A:Musician/group: Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman

Q:When you want Mid-Century, or Mid-Century inspired clothing, where do you look?
A:Mr. California, Ben Sherman, Penguin, Brooks Brothers

Q:As an avid skater of the past, do you still look at places and things and see their potential for skateability?
A:Yes, in fact, although I haven't been on a skateboard in years now. But just today, there was some nice concrete banks in the playground of my daughters school that I was eyeing while we were there for a picnic and I kept thinking about how fun they would have been to skate.

Thanks Darren for taking time out of your weekend to answer a few of my questions. It's been a true pleasure to get to know just a bit more.

I have to say that the interviews that I have done with people (for different reasons) are one of my favorite things to do. Especially when they are very informal, and no one is trying to trick the other person. It's with that in mind that I will continue to bring you interviews with different ones who are interested in all things Mid-Century. Also, because I have enjoyed the outcome of this interview, and because I had so many more questions arise, I will be doing a part 2 of Chimay Bleue's interview in the future. So stay tuned for that. I mean, I never would have thought that one of the answers would lead to him saying he had become friends with the famous architect William Krisel, who also just happened to build his house. Cool right!

If you'd like to get to know Darren and his lovely wife (Darren, I mean that with all due respect.), check out this video below. By the way, I think she should have had a bigger part in the interview. Her accent is just so cool. Know what...? Maybe I won't do a part 2 with Chimay Bleue... Maybe, I'll interview Mrs. Chimay Bleue and get her thoughts on "life, the universe, and everything..." oh yeah, some on Mid-Century too.

If you folks are looking for some information on William Krisel and his architecture, here are some links.
http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-krisel14feb14http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-krisel14feb14
http://www.palmspringslife.com/Palm-Springs-Life/February-2009/Masters-of-Modernism-The-Butterfly-Effect/
http://architechnophilia.blogspot.com/2010/03/william-krisel-architect.html

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