Mario Dal Fabbro at Maison Gerard
Maison Gerard in New York is exhibiting the sculpture of Mario Dal Fabbro from February 22nd to March 30th. I wasn’t familiar with his work (or so I thought) when I came across it on Mondo Blogo last week, but there was something about it that I felt an affinity with.
So I did a bit of research. It turns out he was born in Italy in 1913 to a family of furniture making craftsmen. He studied art and design and worked in the family business before immigrating to New York in 1948. An accomplished woodworker and furniture designer, he went on to work for Knoll, J.G. Furniture and Paul McCobb Design Associates, and wrote several books on furniture making. If you frequent vintage bookshops as I do, you may have come across “Modern Furniture: It’s Design and Construction” or “How to Build Modern Furniture”, two of his more popular books.
He dedicated himself full time to sculpture in 1968 until his death in 1990. As a woodworker and furniture designer, I find it impressive and inspiring how he adapted his craftsmanship and design skills from functional objects to sculptural works of art with such seamless grace.
Chic & Cozy
This room by French decorator and furniture designer Jean Royere is a stunner. From the 1950’s, his use of textural materials and simple graphic contrast create an environment that is both chic and cozy.
From Galerie Chastel-Marechal via You Have Been Here Sometime
Amsterdam Bound
A Wallscape resting in the garden before the long journey to its new home in Amsterdam.
Ghost in the Screen
This is a wonderful example of a simple, inexpensive and clever way to create an interesting and functional environment in a non-descript space. For a salon near Tokyo, designer Tetsuya Ito installed hanging screens of semi-transparent mesh fabric silkscreened with ghostly images of classical European building facades. The screens define areas and lend the all white space some architectural detail while maintaining a light, ethereal feel. I also like the chandelier made out of fluorescent tube rings.
Rescue Mission: Accomplished
These oak chairs were a sorry sight when I spotted them abandoned on the sidewalk outside of someone’s house. Although battered (broken stretchers, dents, worn out finish) it was obvious that they had beautiful lines and good bones. Made by “The Marble & Shattuck Chair Co.” of Cleveland, their original home was probably a library, but they had lost their way and fallen on hard times.
A rescue mission was in order. After extensive gluing, sanding, filling, a coat of primer and three coats of milk paint, they’re just like new and ready for many more years of use.
Mission: Accomplished
