a conversation with Todosomething

...
"I found myself drawn to minimalism, and more specifically to the West Coast finish-fetish guys, like John McCracken and Billy Al Bengston. A lot of those guys around that time were in one way or another influenced by car culture, either in the formation of their work—such as Richard Prince’s shields—or in the tools that they used to create it, as in Bengston’s sprayed auto-paint works. All that stuff just got me started obsessing, I suppose."

- Chad Petersen of Todosomething





Todosomething are some of the most talented guys I know. I met them through mutual friends, and eventually came to know their work, and appreciated how they approached their craft. A merge of conceptual art and beautiful woodworking, is there anything better?

In addition to working as an interior designer, I've started writing for my favorite design publications, such as Apartamento, Freunde von Freuden, Yatzer, and now Sight Unseen. I am lucky to be connected with these design publications & editors, as well as being invited into so many amazing studios here in L.A., such as Todosomething. - David John


Read my latest story on Todosomething for Sight Unseen.







"Todosomething is a Los Angeles–based design and fabrication studio that specializes in custom furniture and cabinetry with precise, exquisite finishes and subdued color palettes. But in the last few years, as their studio has grown, partners Chad Petersen and Dakota Witzenburg have begun producing their own products as well, which are extensions of their minimal design aesthetic—the ’60s-inflected, powder-coated metal (S)tool, the paint-tipped plywood A(+) Chair, a scorched-pine slab table with spindly steel legs. Between the two practices, which overlap in more than just appearance, they’ve cultivated a reputation as representatives of a certain Modern American style, one influenced by everything from Sol Lewitt to Shaker furniture."


(more on Sight Unseen)






All photographs by Marco Annunziata and David John


"My sculptural work explored the body’s relationship to objects and spaces. A lot of it had to do with my own size. I’m rather tall (6’5”), and standard doors can be a problem if I’m not paying attention. Tables and chairs don’t seem to work either. I started making my own furniture and objects to deal with these things out of necessity, though I noticed that they could really be Frankenstein-type objects and wouldn’t always work for other people. I think I’ve always paid particular attention to the relationships between things and it’s become an obsession that I’ve honed into a career."

- Dakota Witzenburg of Todosomething



more Todosomething here.








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a conversation with Blackman Cruz

"Style is a simple way of saying complicated things."

- Jean Cocteau

(all photography by Lendon Flanagan)

"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"


Adam Blackman and David Cruz begin in 1993 as a resource for adventurous collectors and designers who "share their passion for exceptional, idiosyncratic furniture and accessories." Their 9,000 sq/ft showroom is in the heart of Los Angeles on Highland. Their product line, BC Workshop, is produced locally by artisans and craftsmen. Both of their exquisite homes were featured in last year' s coffee table book, Dealer’s Choice: At Home with Purveyors of Antique and Vintage Furnishings. Whether you are a designer, collector, or a voyeur, their newly redesigned website is a perfect entry into what they find beautiful. Their palette is textural, masculine, full of shape-shifting shadows, utilizing materials of bronze, velvets, and glass. And if you are very quiet, you might just hear the whispers....







"Stay a while my inner child
I'd like to learn your tricks
Know what makes you tick...
Some universal elegance....

- Conor Oberst



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.
or perhaps, 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?

No, we don't do design projects. We are asked frequently..


Countries to travel to looking for items for Blackman Cruz?

Italy, Mexico and Belgium.


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 that was once featured in American Gigolo, is the LA headquarters for Blackman Cruz. I’m bummed I never got to go PROBE, 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 smell of 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.









Hard lines carved in your face
The sunshine's so cliche
Just like love and pain
You tried your best the rorschach test
But there's just nothing to see

- Bright Eyes, The Beginner's Mind


Blackman Cruz is a ride through a curated collection of intriguing objects and design — brought together by two adventurous minds. Adam Blackman and David Cruz created Blackman Cruz as a resource for collectors and designers who share their passion for offbeat curiosities. The ever-changing selection of unexpected oddities is housed in an equally offbeat location — a former infamous nightclub once featured in American Gigolo. The 9000-square-foot showroom is also home to Blackman Cruzʼs own product line, BC Workshop.

Visit: 836 North Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038

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a studio visit with
Stephen Kenn, L.A. designer






I spent this morning with Stephen Kenn drinking Handsome coffee (L.A.'s finest) while talking about Stephen's collection of interior inspired works at his home / showroom / cafe in a warehouse space in downtown Los Angeles. Stephen, who once designed fashion is now reflecting on art, object making, and furniture. At an accelerating rate, designers are launching companies with items produced locally in this city.

Stephen mentioned Max Lamb, and design icons VITRA as models of inspiration. He is attracted towards work that speaks of a story. It's also extremely important to Stephen that his products are made locally. His Inheritance Collection is from repurposed materials combined with a modern, comfortable design that is conducive to community and conversation. If you are in L.A., I suggest dropping by, drinking some coffee, and having old fashioned conversation. Get in touch. - David John










The Inheritance Collection is designed, sourced & crafted in L.A.
1250 Long Beach Ave Suite 120 Los Angeles, CA 90021

(Thanks Stephen and Bek for being so generous with your time....)








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Rose Tarlow

.
“(she) balances emotion and intellect as well as any designer now living … her rooms [combine] sensual pleasures with geometric rigor, and every one of them is simultaneously a lesson in design and a lesson in living.” -

Paul Goldberger on Rose Tarlow

"Buttercup Pendant" : dark rusty distressed iron finish with resin sleeve.

What is perfection, anyhow?

In a recent article I read on Rose Tarlow, a Los Angeles based designer, she mentioned that 20 years ago, an ivy vine meandered through a crack in her home's window. 20 years later, the vine cascades down the walls, a testament to time passing. Stories like this leave a permanent imprint in my mind on "imperfection" and design. For Rose, homes should be imperfect, calm, and strive to be unpretentious.

Stories are told, and as the years pass, her work takes a deeper effect on my own design work. Designers such as Rose Tarlow and Ilse Crawford (to simply name a few) push simplicity, history, and elegance to a new height in their work. Utilizing recognizable forms, allowing the rooms to take on their own life, as if the rooms had always been there, (this is no easy feat friends.) Masters at work.

- David John

"Blotto Desk" : French Ash Veneer with six drawers in medium wood stain

“I am a solitary person. I like working alone and making my own design decisions.

I have an obsession for buying lovely things, so I occasionally consult on building a collection of antiques and art.”

"Chinese Ceramic Jar Lamp"
- Original Brown Round shouldered, ceramic in original brown finish.

Rose Tarlow is one of the most influential designers working in America today. She founded her company more than 30 years ago on once-secluded Melrose Place and has built a reputation for the finest furniture, textiles and accessories ever since. Working with local craftsmen who share her impeccable standards for the highest quality, Tarlow knows that creating a truly beautiful room is as much an emotional matter as it is one of color, light and products.

As an internationally-renowned furniture and fabric artisan, interior designer, antiquarian and author, her creations have enchanted the design community. According to New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger, Tarlow “balances emotion and intellect as well as any designer now living … her rooms [combine] sensual pleasures with geometric rigor, and every one of them is simultaneously a lesson in design and a lesson in living.” All the products are offered through the company’s flagship on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, and are represented by the finest multi-line designer trade showrooms across the country. " (text taken from here)


visit Rose Tarlow house here..

Read a piece on Rose Tarlow on Style Saloniste here..

Also, in the NY TIMES here...




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YHBHS Interview: WAKA WAKA, aka Shin Okuda

..
"“I waka waka waka – I go many places...."
"I walk; I march; I go many places."

Shin Okuda of WAKA WAKA, and Kristin, of IKO IKO live and work in the neighborhood. Kristin's intimate store is packed with books, ceramics, clothes, minerals, Apartamento (and other magazines), jewelry, photography, and WAKA WAKA furniture. It was here I first saw Shin's work, the cheese tables/shelves. If you haven't checked out Kristin's store, the time is now! They just returned from Japan with new goods for the Fall / Winter 2010.



IKO IKO 1298 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles,
CA 90026 Tues-Sat 1-7, Sun 1-5

the cheese inspired table...

What's the history of WAKA WAKA, and how long have you been making / designing furniture?

I moved to LA from Japan in 1999. I had many different jobs over the first two years here and then began working for a sculptor who also did furniture pieces. I absorbed a lot at his studio through various designers and wood-workers and during that time I started making pieces on my own--furniture pieces for myself and for my sister--from scraps at the studio. After 5 years I left the studio and have been doing freelance work for a few years now.

A year ago, I met Kristin at IKO IKO and she asked if I would want to make a table for the store. I made the cheese tables as a triangle concept (a strong IKO IKO motif) and then needed a name for my work. We happened to be listening to Fela Kuti a lot and the song WAKA WAKA suddenly stood out. It basically means "I walk; I march; I go many places." We decided it was a fitting name for my furniture pieces.

As a kid, you wanted to be ------------------ when you grew up?

A musician. I thought it was the perfect way to balance your mind, your physical body and your spirit/feelings to relate your work.












Any favorite wood to work in? Where is WAKA WAKA made?

It all depends on the project. I've recently done a few pieces out of redwood and like how light it is. The grain and color are beautiful, too. I have a small work space at my house.



When I was at IKO IKO, you mentioned designing the interior of a sushi restaurant on the west side of Los Angeles. Any other interior projects you are working on?

I don't have any full scale interior projects at present, but I have some bedroom and outdoor furniture pieces underway.

Favorite way to kill a lazy afternoon in Los Angeles?
Sitting outside eating popsicles.


Designers or Artists that inspire you?

Bauhaus architecture, Gerrit Reitveld, traditional Japanese architecture--sukiya and teahouse styles, the painter Soga Shohaku, Japanese shrine furniture


What is Japanese shrine furniture?

Japanese shrine furniture is furniture typical to shinto shrines. Sometimes the benches on the exterior are the most interesting--all one of a kind and very handmade.










Future plans for WAKA WAKA?

I'd like to keep expanding my body of work as mini collections and would eventually like to incorporate different materials to projects aside from wood--metal, glass, ceramic, etc. I hope that my pieces are used in someone's personal space and that they also reflect a personality in that space. I want to continue making pieces that can have a longevity, can function in a variety of interiors over someone's lifetime.


Where can we find WAKA WAKA furniture?

I have it at IKO IKO. I also work directly with people for custom pieces.

















Which musicians calm your mind?

I have been listening to Ennio Morricone, Krzysztof Komeda, Studio One's Rocksteady, Madlib, Arthur Russel, Simone..... I like to listen to Monk and Dolphy and that calms me down.

Does Japanese tradition plan a role or a part in your creative process?

Yes very much. In my work I aim to reflect simple forms and subtle detailing which I think is drawn from my environment growing up in Japan.

Do you miss living in Japan?

No, but I miss the food a lot.....













Contact Shin at: shindig616 at yahoo dot com
or visit IKO IKO, in Echo Park, Los Angeles.

IKO IKO 1298 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles,
CA 90026 Tues-Sat 1-7, Sun 1-5






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