BLACKMAN AND CRUZ, Los Angeles
"Adam Blackman and David Cruz founded the company in 1993 as a resource for adventurous collectors and designers who share their passion for exceptional, idiosyncratic furniture and accessories."
How would you describe the Blackman Cruz design philosophy & general vibe of Blackman Cruz?
Masculine.
Your work has level of detail in the fabrication process. What’s the attraction to working with metal, and bronze in specific?
The permanence of bronze. It will be around for generations to come.
Are your BC Workshop pieces fabricated in Los Angeles?
We are proud to say that all of the pieces that we have designed for the BC Workshop are in fact completely manufactured in Los Angeles.
If Blackman Cruz was a song or a musical group, what would it be?
Conor Oberst. "Bright Eyes" The Velvet Underground. Leonard Cohen.
How many designers are currently working on BC WORKSHOP pieces?
There are 3 of us.
How many pieces are created each year?
Depending on our inspiration....about a dozen each year.
Does BC do interior design projects as well?
No, we don't do design projects. We are asked frequently.."
Favorite country to travel to look for items for BLACKMAN CRUZ?
Italy, Mexico and Belgium.
Please, give me the story behind the bat incense holder?
The bat incense burner was based on a 19th century Japanese piece. As you very well know, bats are a symbol of good luck and bring happiness and peace.
PROBE. The gay dance club. I’m bummed I never got to go there, because there is a certain joy in seeing spaces transformed. Do you still feel the energy of that old gay dance club?
The feeling of our showroom is alive with the days of The Probe. The energy of our space is very fluid and every once in a while we get a subtle smellof sweat and poppers. Lol.
Any reservations when you first saw the space?
We fell in love with the space immediately. It has great provenance and all kidding aside, the feeling and flow is marvelous.
Any particular BC WORKSHOP piece that you have a particular fondness for?
We love all of our children just the same.
"And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow's parties
Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns
To all tomorrow's parties"
- Velvet Underground, "All Tomorrow's Parties"
Blackman Cruz specializes in extraordinary objects—the rare, the magnificent, the provocative, and the eccentric—in all their many forms. Instead of period or pedigree, a particular aesthetic sensibility unites the showroom’s far-flung array of antiques and contemporary production pieces. Blackman Cruz’s approach to great design celebrates the virtues of drama, humor, ingenuity, and sculptural brio.
Adam Blackman and David Cruz founded the company in 1993 as a resource for adventurous collectors and designers who share their passion for exceptional, idiosyncratic furniture and accessories. They filled the original showroom on La Cienega Boulevard with a heady mix of vintage treasures and alluring, offbeat curiosities from around the world. The partners soon began to complement the antiques with sympathetic contemporary objects of their own design, produced under the Blackman Cruz Workshop imprimatur. They cultivated their reputation as specialists in the exotic with signature pieces such as their bronze Op Table, Tri Ball Lamp and bronze Skull Lamp. By 2000, the BC Workshop collection had grown to encompass more than 50 pieces, ranging from chairs and tables to mirrors and lamps.
BLACKMAN CRUZ
836 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
thank you adam, david, and lika!