Mr. Gehry, I Presume

Walt Disney Concert Hall Not since Paloma Picasso, some twenty-odd years ago, has Tiffany & Co. brought in a new high-profile jewelry designer. This fall, Tiffany announced that sculptural architect Frank Gehry would be designing an exclusive jewelry collection of precious metals, stones, and wood (!) to debut in April 2006. Lucky for you, that makes buying our birthday present easy. Kidding, but there’s nothing we like better than a good bit of overlap in the design fields. And a Gehry bauble would be so very much up our alley. With bated breath….

Frank Gehry’s Nationale-Nederlanden building

Lovely Lovely Things

Dear, if you’re going to sell out, do it right or Intersection Between Art and Fashion, Exhibit B

This may be old news to you, but we were waiting for pictures and here you go. MZ Wallace celebrated the fifth annniversary of their handbag design business by commissioning Marcel Dzama to design charms for them. (He is related by dealer to one of the principals…David Zwirner, husband of Monica, the Z in MZ.) And he did, as only Dzama could, one for each of the five years of the company’s life. For anyone who ever wanted shiny, but with an edge, and outgrew the old safety pin and razor blade thing, for anyone who grew up on Gorey, but can’t say she’s goth, for anyone who wants a piece that no one will mistake for grandma’s heirloom, these are the baubles for you.

The little octopus, she is our favorite, with her articulated legs in 18k rose gold with cat’s eye and single-cut off-color diamonds on an 18k white gold chain. Not as grim as the hanging bears, not as obvious as the bat, the octopus and crocodile have won our hearts. But the bat is sweet.

It’s brilliant work that the fashion press is having a helluva time wrapping words around–to our great pleasure–and will likely outstrip any further creative output from the bag purveyors. They are limited edition pieces, only 25 of each produced. Dzama may never be the Paloma rather than the Picasso again, but we’re guessing we’ll be seeing more of his dark genius, if only as directional influence.

MZ Wallace.

updated Sunday November 27 2005 23:23

ultra Q: Richard Speer

Willamette Week arts critic, author, and Beau Brummell and bon vivant, Richard Speer responds to the ultra Q in which ultra asks Portland’s movers and makers a number of pressing questions

Qualities you most admire in design:
Elegance, mischief, and the juxtaposition of energy and languidness — all of which are best experienced spatially and kinesthetically, as in hotels such as the Mondrian, the Standard, and the Delano; or clubs like Tantra, Privé, and Opium Garden. I like to be immersed in a cohesive design schema that specifically addresses each of the senses. More generally, I’m a huge fan of Philippe Starck, Arnold Chan, Tom Ford, and Pierre Paulin.

Qualities you most despise in design:
Populism.

Reading:
A collection of short stories and poems by Richard Brautigan.

Listening to:
A Klaus Schulze CD that Tom Cramer burned me the other night.

Dream project:
The novel I’m currently writing.

Favorite virtue in others:
Charisma.

Favorite vice:
Euphoria.

Tragic flaw:
There are four things I can’t say no to. One of them is pizza. The other three shall remain unnamed.

Secret superhero power:
I can draw blood from a stone.

That which keeps your afterburners firing:
Having substantive conversations with vital, idealistic people.

What you’d like to be when you grow up:
Grow up—are you kidding?

Portland’s best kept secret:
The pepperoni pizza at “It’s a Beautiful Pizza” on SE Belmont.

Portland heroes (sung or un-):
Architect Robert Oshatz (www.oshatz.com). Also: Lori Rose, a Portland animal lover who runs Free Range Whippets ( www.freerangewhippets.com), a rescue program for whippets, a breed of dog with gorgeous Art Deco lines, similar to the greyhound but smaller.

Interesting on the horizon (PDX):
Will the Portland Art Museum knock our socks off with the 2006 Biennial or leave us high and dry again? Also: Will Portland ever get a truly world-class restaurant, hotel, or club?

www.richardspeer.com

PDXPO

The Portland design community flexes at its annual Portland Design Expo at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Sponsored by the PDX chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, it goes down Wednesday, November 30 from 6-9 PM with keynote speaker Erik Kiaer of Doblin, Inc. (7:30) addressing the future of the design industry. Admission is $10 for members, $20 for non-.

PDXPO

First Friday, Eastside

Homeland has a new home, and with 3000 sf, you would think leisure boater Paul Middendorf had moved to the ‘burbs, but no, it’s really the perfect spot for a Paige (Saez)-style skate party, and it’s at 222 SE 10th, in the E Burnside aesthetic vortex. Artist Scott Wayne Indiana shows “Wallpaper”, a collage themed on chairs and nose rings, experiences and self-portraits, as a continuous 72 foot scroll…it’s sort of a graphic version of “On the Road”, without speed. “Wallpaper” runs from November 4th – December 4th open Sat and Sun 12pm -pm. Opening night starts at 7 PM , with live music at 8 PM. 222 SE 10th Ave. [ed note: Indiana tells us his scroll will be at the Wooley at Wonder Ballroom space on N Russell, other work will be at the SE 10th space.]

New American Art Union presents mixed media work by Ty Ennis. Ennis is a recent PNCA printmaking graduate known for his meticulous drawings. NAAU. 922 SE Ankeny. Opening 7-10 PM.

Newspace Photo presents Myron Filene and Jodi Boatman. Newspace

Small A projects closes their show of metal [music] inspired art. At 8 PM, Todd Haynes presents Velvet Goldmine. The filmspace holds about 50 people, so RSVP if you would like to see it. Small A Projects

Fix presents the paintings of outsider-artist style Jessie Reno. Reno and fix. Music and opening 7-10 PM.

food + shelter festival at Performanceworks Northwest. Improvisational dance and music fest kicks off Friday November 4 at Performanceworks NW. Performanceworks and food + shelter. PWNW: 4625 SE 67th Ave off Foster.

–Bob Wilcox