Architecture

Mayan Art Deco in San Francisco

January 23, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com 5 Comments

Mayan Art Deco at 450 Sutter, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier

I LOVE this Mayan Art Deco Building in San Francisco. I’m sure the locals already know plenty about it, but I had no clue it even existed until I was quite literally driving by it. The facade was unlike anything I’d ever seen and I immediately started looking for a parking space. Three blocks later I got lucky. I walked back to the building and started snapping photos. The doorman looked me over and said Wanna go inside? YES! He hit the button and the doors opened… I was awestruck. I felt like I’d just entered Oz! It was Christmas Day and I think the doorman was a bit bored since the commercial space, catering primarily to medical and dental suites, were closed. He was more than happy to share historical information with me and let me take as many photos as I wanted.

Built in 1929 by renowned Architect Timothy Ludwig Plueger, the 26-story building was recently cited as the most original of San Francisco’s pre-war high-rises and one of the city’s best buildings. The lobby features rare Napoleon Grande Melange marble walls, not to mention an elaborate bronze-finished Mayan ceiling with exotic bas-relief carvings. Some of the finish work also looks to be silver and gold leafed, however, I can’t find anything online to support my observations. A three year restoration was completed in 2009 and the building was also added to the National Register of Historical Places.

Mayan Revival Architecture includes Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, Ennis House and the Millard House in Los Angeles. Wright’s son Lloyd Wright created the Sowden House in the Los Feliz district of Hollywood. Additionally there’s the Aztec Motel in Monrovia California (next on my list to visit) by Architect Robert Stacy-Judd.

This style of architecture is so rare that the average person has never heard of it. Yet when you do see it, you have no doubt you’re seeing something remarkable and quite out of the ordinary. The tribal aspect of these pre-Columbian designs seems to resonate with people on such a deep level that it’s hard to ignore. You feel in your gut that you recognize even if it’s your fist time seeing it. I for one am so thrilled that I had the opportunity to visit 450 Sutter Street just off Union Square. I hope you’ll add it to your list the next time you’re visiting San Francisco.

Art

L A Art Show 2015

January 20, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Gino Miles Sculpture 'Over, Under, Sideways, Down', Photo Romi Cortier — Gino Miles Sculpture ‘Over, Under, Sideways, Down’, Photo Romi Cortier

Unix Gallery New York, Photo Romi Cortier — ‘Ring pop’ by Desire Obtain Cherish – Married to Success, Unix Gallery, Photo Romi Cortier

Axiom Gallery, Photo Romi Cortier — Balancing Sumo by Irina Daylene, Photo Romi Cortier

Lollipop Production, Photo Romi Cortier — ‘Meltdown, 2014’ by Desire Obtain Cherish, Unix GAllery, Photo Romi Cortier

CakeWalk, Photo Romi Cortier — Cake Walk (?) by Scott Hove, Photo Romi Cortier

Kim on Ice, Photo Romi Cortier — ‘Always Kim’ from the series ‘Refrigerator Dictators’ by Eugnio Merino, UNIX Gallery, Photo Romi Cortier

Andy Warhol Sculpture, Photo Romi Cortier — Andy Warhol Sculpture by Kazuhiro Tsuji, Copro Gallery, Photo Romi Cortier

Salvador Dali Sculpture, Photo Romi Cortier — Salvador Dali Sculpture by Kazuhiro Tsuji, Copro Gallery, Photo Romi Cortier

The 2015 L A Art Show just wrapped up at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The tone of the show has continued to evolve over the years. It seems sculpture and contemporary art are the big players that are drawing, delighting, and even shocking the crowds. I can’t tell you how many people I saw during the opening night gala taking selfies with Dali, Warhol and Kim. The Warhol and Dali silicone sculptures were almost twice the size of a normal head, and as you can see by these images, remarkably lifelike. I’m sure all of these men would love being brought back from the grave in such a grandiose way… except Kim. He’s basically in what looks like a Coca-Cola branded Machine, forever on ice, as part of the artists series Refrigerator Dictators.

When I go to this particular art show I’m usually looking forward to seeing remarkable paintings that will both inform and inspire my own paintings. However, on this particular night, that didn’t happen. What inspired me to lift my camera were the sculptures seen above, along with a few really great Korean paintings. Unfortunately, so many of the paintings that I did see, didn’t seem well crafted, which in my mind translates to they won’t stand the test of time. Dare I say that to the gallery owner who represents those artists? I simply look at the artwork and pricing and make my mental notes. Usually that mental note is I wouldn’t spend MY money on that… but what do I know? So I look, and I ponder, and do my best to understand what I’m missing. I’m not immersed enough in the art world to know what the current thought is regarding contemporary painting. And to be honest with you, I’m quite bored by this entire Street Art scene, where anything that looks like it’s been made with cans of spray paint qualifies as art. I believe it will be recognized in the annals of art history as a bonafide art movement, however, I have absolutely no interest in collecting it. Give me true technique that requires the thoughtful and skilled process of applying layers and layers of oil paint to create an image, whether its abstract or representational. Or the skill required to apply layers of resin and then sand away bits of it to create an image. Spray paint or acrylic paint thrown on a canvas or board with a high sticker price simply doesn’t impress me… I think there’s a name for it: THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES!

These are the reasons we should all go to gallery exhibitions and museum exhibitions, to educate ourselves and form our own opinions. Once you’ve seen a few thousand paintings you start to know what resonates with you and whether or not you’d like to live with it. Does it take you someplace when you look at it? Are you exhilarated or depressed by it? Would you want the energy of that artist living in your home with you on a day to day basis, especially if money were no object?

The Palm Springs Fine Art Fair is coming up February 12 – 15 during Modernism Week 2015. My experience with that show in years past has always been very favorable. I could easily drop six figures on paintings at that show and not think twice about it. I wish I could afford to support the arts in that manor. The quality of the paintings at that show always inspire me. Lets hope this years show is more of the same.

Lastly I find it very interesting that artnet News, an online publication that I subscribe to, singled out six of the eight pieces I’ve featured above, as newsworthy to write about…. I must be on the right track.

Art, Decorative Arts

Coit Tower Murals in San Francisco

January 17, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com 1 Comment

Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier

Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier

Plack at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier — Plaque at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier

I discovered the Coit Tower Murals in San Francisco by accident… I know, sounds weird, right.

It was Christmas Day of 2014 and I’d decided to have an anti-Christmas. Instead of spending time with my family, I opted for a road trip. It’s not that I don’t love my family, I do… no really, I do. It’s just that Christmas Day 2013 was spent in hospice caring for my mother who was losing her battle with lung cancer. It was a grueling holiday for all of us. So this year I decided not to put any pressure on myself, or my sisters, and simple travel where the wind took me. It was a day with absolutely no commitments to anyone, with the exception of dropping my boyfriend off at the San Francisco Airport at 6:30 a.m. I know it may sound selfish, but I wasn’t sure how much I could handle emotionally, and driving the empty streets of San Francisco was just what I needed. There’s so much beautiful architecture in the city, and I had a complete blast driving, discovering, and photographing what I found.

Towards the later part of the afternoon I found myself near Fisherman’s Wharf. I looked up the hill and saw the Coit Tower. How could I have not seen this before on previous visit’s to the City? I turned my car towards the tower, and wound my way to the top of Telegraph Hill. I easily nabbed a parking space in their very small parking lot at the base of the tower. It was a stellar cold and clear day, and the views from the grounds were breathtaking. I followed the other tourists towards the back of the building, snapping photos as I walked. I stepped around two tourists who’d stopped to photograph something. Then, as I looked back over my shoulder, I saw what they were looking at. It stopped me cold in my tracks. It was the most glorious orange and brown butterfly. You see, as my sisters were cleaning out our mom’s belongings last year, they were constantly discovering little glittery butterflies in her craft room cabinets and drawers. Thus, whenever they see a butterfly, they’re reminded of our mom. And here I was, standing on top of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, with this exquisite butterfly. Try as I may to escape the memories of my previous Christmas, I was faced with this elegant little reminder of my mother. I snapped a few pics and sent them to my sisters… mom was with me.

Once around the back of the building, I looked through the locked glass doors and discovered the Murals of the Coit Tower. As I researched the murals for this article, I discovered that there were several more that I wasn’t able to see… 27 in all. Each created by a different on-site artist under the auspices of the Public Works of Art Project in 1933. The murals of the first floor (shown above) are about industry and commerce, depicting people grim with purpose trying to make their way amid the struggle and strife of the Great Depression.

The second floor murals have been largely hidden from the public for nearly 80 years, until recently. Having undergone intensive restoration, every effort is being made to give scheduled docent tours of 4-8 people at a time. The viewing area is extremely tight due to the narrow stairway that is only as wide as the tower itself. I hope that on my next visit to San Francisco, I can schedule one of these tours of the second floor murals. By the way, if you’re ever photographing something through a window, press your phone or camera right up to the glass, and you’ll avoid getting the reflective glare from the glass… you’re welcome.

Tourists at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier

Butterfly at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier

Architecture

180 – 190 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco

January 12, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

180 – 190 O’Farrell Street in San Francisco seems to defy an architectural category. I fell in love with the building while walking down the street and couldn’t wait to get home to research it and learn more about it. After 2 hours of research, the only firm thing I can tell you is that it was built in 1919, period. I can’t find the architect, and it doesn’t seem to come up on any of the architectural/historical web sites. The only other thing I can find out about it is that it’s a St. Moritz Hotel… one that isn’t well reviewed online. The kind of a place you might stay between homes, one that may or may not have bed bugs. You can tell by looking at the window draperies that it’s not a short term sort of residence… it looks very lived in.

Anyway. The reason that I loved this building is because of the motifs in the angled/slanted bay windows. Additionally, the vegetal pattern at the top of the bay window, just under the cornice, screams Art Nouveau. However, that period technically ended in 1910, before the outbreak of World War I. The types of buildings in San Francisco with angled bay windows and oversized cornices are usually referred to as Slanted Bay Italianates, a period that ended in the 1870’s. Another period that comes to mind is the Viennese Secessionist, again, a period that pretty much fizzled by 1915. Who knows, maybe our architect was German and brought decorative nuances from his home land to San Francisco.

So, what’s an architectural geek like myself to do? I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of research and have come up empty handed. I will say that the paint job on the building is superb. It beautifully emphasizes the decorative details of the cornice and angled bay windows. If by some chance someone finds this Design Diary entry and has an answer, please please email me!

Architecture, Art

The South Rose Window of Notre Dame

January 9, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com 9 Comments

Rose South Window, Exterior, Notre Dame, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier — South Rose Window, (Lower Right) Notre Dame, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier

Notre Dame Interior, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier

South Rose Window, Notre Dame, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier

South Rose Window Detail, Notre Dame, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier

The Prophets, Notre Dame, Paris, Photo Romi Cortier

The South Rose Window of Notre Dame is a Jewel in the Crown of one the most well known Gothic Masterpieces in the world.

Constructed in 1260, yes it’s nearly 800 years old, the South Rose Window was a gift from King Saint Louis. Designed by Jean de Chelles and Pierre de Montreull, it’s the central element that thrones over the transept facade, and is the counterpoint to the North Rose Window. Who knew there was a second Rose Window, right? There’s actually 3 rose windows, but because the sun moves in the southern sky, it’s the South Rose Window that’s lit up by the sun during the day, thus casting it’s remarkable glow into the transept of Notre Dame. As you may or may not know, a gothic church, when viewed from above, is shaped like a cross. The long part is known as the nave, and the shorter part that crosses over it, is the transept.

Over 42 feet across (12.9 meters) this Rosette, as it’s sometimes called, is dedicated to the New Testament. Below it are the sixteen prophets representing the heavenly court. The four great prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, carrying the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The South Rose Window symbolises Christ’s triumphance, reigning over heaven, surrounded by all of his witnesses on earth. The three rosettes of Notre Dame are considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces of Christianity.

So, what if you’re not a religious kinda guy or gal? It doesn’t matter. If you’re fortunate enough to ever visit this awe inspiring cathedral, I guarantee you’ll be moved. On one of my visits to Paris, I spent 8 days there during a very cold February. My hotel was just two blocks away, so I decided to start every morning with a little ‘quiet time’ or meditation at the Cathedral before beginning my daily adventures. It touched my soul in a way that I couldn’t possibly imagine. The soaring ceilings and the vastness of the space, combined with nearly 800 years of history, candles being lit in prayer, mass spoken in French… it was humbling to say the least. I feel honored to have touched a part of living history, and I make sure to return there with every visit to Paris. For the life of me I can’t understand the tourist who circle around the nave in a matter of minutes, taking photos and selfies, and then head back outside. The space needs to be felt and experienced. It’s not just a photo op to add to your instagram or facebook profile. It can truly be a life altering experience if you’ll give yourself the time and the opportunity.

Where Art Inspires Beauty

Mayan Art Deco in San Francisco

L A Art Show 2015

Coit Tower Murals in San Francisco

180 – 190 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco

The South Rose Window of Notre Dame

A Design Diary by Romi Cortier