Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter

The new documentary, Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19th on PBS - American Masters. If you didn't have a chance to see it in theaters this year, this is your opportunity to catch it on TV. More information about the film can be found at the PBS website.

Watch Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter on PBS. See more from American Masters.

Ice Cube on Eames

In case you haven't heard, Southern California is currently playing host to Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945 - 1980. This ambitious six-month long exhibition celebrating mid-century design and post war art opened in late September and runs through March 2012. More than 60 institutions in Southern California are participating in the event, which will also include a ten-day Performance and Public Art Festival in January. Their latest promotional video features rap artist Ice Cube (confession time - I think 'Straight Outta Compton' is one of the best records of the '80s) who briefly talks about studying architecture drafting before he turned his attention to music and discusses L.A. landmarks. Ice Cube's sincere appreciation for the design of Ray and Charles Eames is apparent in this great video.



If you happen to live in Southern California or are planning to visit there soon stop by the Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945 - 1980 website for information on where you can see some of the exhibits and attend events.

Jason Statham's Mid-Century Home

I'm fond of the handsome British action star, Jason Statham. He's appeared in a lot of lackluster films but I get a kick out of The Transporter movies and loved him in films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and The Bank Job. Apparently his taste in architecture is a bit more refined than his ability to choose a decent script. Statham's Los Angeles home has recently gone on the market and it's a real beauty!

I couldn't resist sharing some photos of this beautiful mid-century gem (originally built in 1957) that I swiped from the Redfin real estate site after reading a news headline about the sale. The actor is supposedly shopping around for a new home right now but I can't imagine why he's giving up something like this. Maybe his next house will be just as spectacular? Statham's decorating style is a little too sparse for my own taste and it's definitely got a masculine edge. It's easy to imagine the star of The Transporter films relaxing here after a hard day at work.

The following text is from the original listing: "Reminiscent of the famed 'Glass House' by Phillip Johnson this meticulously manicured home boldly displays fine lines with its post and beam motif throughout. Outdoor and indoor blend harmoniously as from all aspects natural light flows through the countless floor to ceiling panes of glass. Crisp uber chic finishes in the interior, complement the Jay Griffith designed landscaping throughout the whole property. Culminating with the essentially private pool and bathing area presenting the finest home of its kind on the hill today."

 

Interested in purchasing Statham's home? It will cost you a whopping $2,749,000! More details available at the Redfin site.

Sascha Brastoff

Apologies for the lack of updates. I've been really busy lately and every time I decide to post an update Blogger starts acting up and I can't seem to log in or post anything. Today things seem to working just fine around here so I thought I'd quickly share a link to an article I recently wrote for TCM's Classic Movie Blog titled "In Search of Sascha Brastiff" where I discuss the life and work of this talented mid-century artist & designer.

- In Search of Sascha Brastoff


I really admire his work and I've started looking for Brastoff pieces when I'm out thrifting and antiquing. Below are some pictures of the Sascha Brastoff items I own.




I also decided to start a Sascha Brastoff Collectors Group over at Flickr where I've uploaded a lot more photos of Brastoff and his work. If you're a Flickr member please consider joining! At the moment I'm the only member but I know there has to be other Brastoff fans out there.