Pérez Art Museum Miami

Bronze sculpture by Ai Weiwei
at the Perez Art Museum, Miami.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.

Just one of the treats during the holidays in the Miami area was a visit to the new Pérez Art Museum, also known as PAMM, which had its official grand opening just this last December.  I was taken by my art collector friends Ian and Hector, who are Founding Members.


A rendering of the entrance elevation of the Perez Art Museum Miami.
Image:  Miami Herald.

Designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the building is hurricane-reistant with a wide, shaded deck beneath a three-story slatted roof ornamented with hanging columns of plants watered by recaptured rainwater.  The design is said to be an homage to early Miami structures built on stilts, and that may indeed be the inspiration.  However, The Devoted Classicist sees a clear reference to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi designed by Edward Durell Stone. 


A rendering of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi
by Edward Durell Stone.
Image:  EDWARD DURELL STONE . .

Construction work is still underway for a neighboring museum and a new landscaped park.  At present, visitors arriving by foot (there is a nearby stop of the Metromover, the free monorail system), taxi or limousine (and eventually, yacht) are directed to a vast paved cul-de-sac and may ascend a short flight of stairs to the main entrance.


The entrance plaza of the Perez Art Museum
as it appeared late December, 2013.
Photo by Hector Alexander for The Devoted Classicist.

The entrance is rather modest, as such things go.  The three pairs of wood plank doors are more like what would suspect from a contemporary church rather than a temple of art and beauty.  But that is one of the first hints that the building is designed to be democratic and accessible to all (there are some free admission times).


The main entrance to the Perez Art Museum.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

The main entrance doors at the Perez Art Museum.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

Visitors arriving by private car may park underneath the museum at a ground-level garage paved in gravel and limited areas of pervious concrete.  The parking is shielded by landscaped berms.  The available space is limited and relatively pricey, however;  it could never absorb the traffic generated by a special event.


The parking below the Perez Art Museum.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

A plan of the Ground Floor shows the parking, elevators for handicapped access, and mechanical space.


Ground Level Plan of Parking.
Herzog & De Meuron
via A F A S I A.

The main entrance, shown near the bottom of the Main Floor Level plan, opens into a relatively tight and unassuming space with the admissions desk to the forward right and an open-plan gift shop to the right of that.  A gallery space is immediately to the left, but access to the other galleries on this level is unassuming.  One might think he is going the wrong way; it could be argued that there is not a logical flow.


Main Floor Level.
Herzog & De Meuron.
via A F A S I A.

There is no grand staircase to the upper level galleries, but one can ascend the risers in the open theatre space or take a small elevator.  The building section indicates the theatre which can be used for various purposes.


Upper Gallery Level.
Herzog & De Meuron.
via A F A S I A.

Building Section.
Herzog & De Meuron.
via A F A S I A.

One of the galleries, currently featuring the natural vegetation of the area, displays a life-size representation of a conservator's van.  It is not a real van, but an artistic construction of a van.

Photography is allowed in the galleries if the camera
does not have a removable lens.  All these shots are by iPhone.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

One gallery displays what might be more thought of as traditional museum art, that is, oil and/or acrylic paintings on canvas.  In the photo below, typical construction details may be seen with the harsh interior concrete walls and florescent strip lights in the channels of the concrete ceiling.  The floors in this gallery end with a reveal at the wall and are slightly rough-sawn with minimal or no finish; this results with an effect that it is dirty, which it probably is.

Although the solar shade is down at the time of this shot,
this window overlooking the MacArthur Causeway
features a pair of perch-like seats.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

The museum building was named as a result of a $40 million gift of cash and art by Columbian-born developer Jorge Pérez, the son of Cuban exiles.  These naming rights have been controversial, to say the least, causing some of the museum trustees to resign in protest.  But there is no doubt that Mr. Pérez is a strong voice in the urban redevelopment of Miami, currently well underway in becoming a major international city.


A design of colored string decorates the wall of one gallery.
Photo by John  J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

Although much of the art has a Latin influence, it is obvious that there is an attempt to appeal to a broad audience, often showing art created from very humble materials and/or found objects.


An upper gallery at the Perez Museum of Art. Miami.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

Silk-screened figures on frosted plexi-glass make good use of the exterior walls of glass, covered as needed with solar mesh roller shades.

A gallery at the Perez Museum of Art exhibiting part of the
Ai Weiwei retrospective.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

A pile of plastic crabs is part of the retrospective exhibition by the Chinese artist-activist Ai Weiwei.  The twelve "Zodiac Heads" sculptures on the entrance deck is one of this writer's favorites.  Previously exhibited at the historic Pulitzer Fountain at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan, the inspiration for the sculpture is an 18th-century Qing imperial fountain whose bronze heads were looted by the invading Europeans during the Second Opium War.  The recreated figures are intended to raise issues of China's ongoing relationship with its own history and national pride. 

An upper gallery featuring a concrete floor and ceiling,
but painted gyp board walls.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.

Besides the traveling exhibitions, many of the exhibited art objects are loaned and/or promised by local collectors.  At present, it is intended that the entire installation will change every six months.  The Miami area must be one of the highest concentrations of artists and art enthusiasts in the world.  With the base of locals plus an ever-increasing influx of wealthy international tourists, there is a climate hungry for culture.  The location could hardly be better, on the mainland end of the MacArthur Causeway that leads to South Beach, passing the luxurious island villas on one side and the constant traffic on cruise ships on the other.

The "A" marks the location of the new museum.
Image:  Google Maps.

Any home dedicated to art is appreciated and the effort to give a nod to local environmental forces and vernacular buildings ranks high on The Devoted Classicist's architectural scorecard.  It will take more time to evaluate how well it works, however, but a visit is encouraged so Devoted Readers can decide the success for themselves.

Merry Christmas, 2013

Best wishes for a very

Merry Christmas

and a happy New Year!

My special thoughts go out this time of year to my Devoted Readers and those who just happen upon The Devoted Classicist blog.  2013 has been a year to remember, with as many ups as well as downs.  But that is life.  Although there is still a lot in store for me during the remainder of the year, I can hardly wait for what 2014 will bring.

The sketch for this year's card is from studies done for a series of new house designs for 'Empty Nesters' and those wanting a smaller residence but still one with architectural features to coordinate with their artwork and furnishings.  Sizes would range from about 1800 square feet to 2800 square feet.  Although the project has yet to really get off the ground, I feel that there is still great potential in many parts of the country.

Again, many thanks for your readership.  You are all greatly appreciated.

__ John J. Tackett

Brian J McCarthy's Luminous Interiors

Brian J. McCarthy brings Hollywood glamour
to an Entrance Hall with a pair of Serge Roche
plasterworks flanking the doors to a
chic lacquered library.
Image from LUMINOUS INTERIORS.

In this season of so many particularly fine, newly published design books, one that really stands out is LUMINOUS INTERIORS by Brian J. McCarthy.  Brian, who was recently named to Architectural Digest's AD100, and I are friends from our days as co-workers at Parish-Hadley.  He launched his own firm Brian J. McCarthy, Inc. in 1992 and this, his first book, features his interior design for nine spectacular residences.

A detail of a photo of a Powder Room
from LUMINOUS INTERIORS.

Brian J. McCarthy is a decorator and designer in the true sense, a big step above the standard in the field who is essentially a salesperson/expediter, and only orders factory-made furniture from catalogues and sells fabric from swatch books.  For example, Brian didn't just paper the walls of the Powder Room of a 1930s Regency Revival house but had them Venetian plastered and stenciled in gold and inlaid with mother-of-pearl and abalone.  The desk was commissioned especially for the space and the chair is from the 1930s.  The Bagues chandelier dates from the 1940s.

The book consists of Brian's interesting story of each project accompanied by lavish color photos, many full page, none of which are done justice here.  It is one knock-out image after another.  Although difficult to pick a favorite room, one of the most memorable is glimpsed in the first photo of this posting.  The turquoise lacquer paneling with gilt bronze banding was fabricated in the U.S. and then sent to Paris for finishing.

An Empire Style Library for a new Long Island house
from LUMINOUS INTERIORS.

Brian had the mahogany Library boiserie for a new 30,000 square foot chateau on Long Island Sound made in Paris by Feau & Cie and finished by Atelier Meriguet-Carrere.  The painted ceiling, better viewed in other images, was also produced by the famous Meriguet workshop.

A Long Island Dining Room
from LUMINOUS INTERIORS.

The Dining Room of the same Long Island mansion also features paneling from Feau & Cie.  The Wedgwood-blue and ivory scheme is accented with panels of mirrored glass painted with neo-classical motifs.

A Master Bedroom from
LUMINOUS INTERIORS

The Master Bedroom of the previously mentioned Regency Revival house features a Serge Roche-inspired, mirrored canopy bed.  The curtain fabric is better seen in other photos in the book; based on a design by Balenciaga, the motifs are appliqued and embroidered on voile over taffeta.

Brian's Master Bathroom in the country.
Image from LUMINOUS INTERIORS.

The Master Bathroom in the Ulster County, New York, weekend home that Brian shares with his partner Danny Sager follows the casual theme of the rest of the house.  But it also reflects his great appreciation for art and craftsmanship.  The chandelier crafted from plumbing parts was made by Thomas Blake.

Brian J. McCarthy
photographed by Fritz von der Schulenberg.

Brian J. McCarthy will be making a much-anticipated appearance on Saturday, January 18, 2014, to speak at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art at 10:30 am.  Sponsored by Decorative Arts Trust, Brian will present a talk, "A Grand Tour of Design: Collecting for a Personal Home," giving advice on how to scout for objects while traveling and to collect pieces with great impact for one's own home.  A book sale and signing will follow.  The event is free to the public with regular museum admission and no reservations are required.





A Visit to the Dowager Duchesse de Mouchy

The orangerie in the garden of the
dowager duchess de Mouchy.
Image:  French Garden Style.

A garden design class for architects way back during my university days continues to be a great influence in my work today.  In addition to studying the history of garden design, my class visited a number of private, truly remarkable gardens in the Ile-de-France region with the tour of each site led by the owner.  All the gardens were memorable, but none more so than the enchanting garden created by the dowager duchesse de Mouchy, Marie (de la Rouchefoucauld) de Noailles, as her country retreat about an hour outside of Paris.


Chateau Fleury.
Image:  Wikipedia.

After the death of her husband, in 1950 the dowager duchesse acquired the cottage adjacent to the 250 acre Fleury estate, next to the parish church of the village of Fleury-en-Biere, once the chapel of the chateau.  Her son lives in Chateau Fleury while another member of the family lives in the nearby Chateau de Courance;  we visited both in the class.  (For a relatively recent event at both to benefit the American Friends of Versailles, see the story in New York Social Diary here). 


The path from the herb garden to the pool
passes through a formal area with a
lawn decorated with geometric designs of
colored gravel and two yew obelisks.
Image:  French Garden Style.

The large garden surrounded by a high stone wall had long been neglected but the old magnolias and cedars gave evidence that the landscape had once been carefully considered.  It was thought to be the original potager (kitchen garden) for the chateau which dates from the sixteenth to eighteenth-century.  Although not as well known to the public as some other gardens in France, the garden of the dowager duchesse was the standard by which all others were measured, in some circles of residential garden design.


The Koelreuteria paniculata (golden rain tree)
with pale yellow blooms is outside the garden
 but visually brought inward with a gap
in the hedge filled with an iron fence.
Image:  French Garden Style.

Using the premise that each area of the garden was an outdoor room, the spaces followed various themes and functions.  A magnolia-filled Persian garden contained many unusual varieties, a very unique feature in France.  Another garden contained herbs and another area provided flowers especially grown to cut.


A wall of yews are clipped in the form
of buttresses define the herb garden
which also contains aromatic flowers
and foliage.  Note the unforgettable
topiary 'confessional' in the garden beyond.
Image:  French Garden Style.

As the dowager duchesse led us through garden, she might stop briefly and take clippers out of her pocket to snip an errant twig.  Design is crucial, but after all, it is maintenance that makes a garden legendary.


An arcade of trees trained on cables (1) and
a screen of pleached trees (3) provide garden
architecture.  A bench of stone slabs is backed
both a hedge of clipped yews and unclipped branches
to give contrast (4).  The tumbling naturalized
plantings against the cottage are in the English style,
in contrast to the topiaries bordering the terrace (2).
Images:  Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

The immediate area outside the cottage comes to a horticultural climax with a life-size sentry box or confessional and a row of enormous fleur de lis topiaries.


The duchesse's 'confessional' carved from
Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens' (giant arborvitae).
Image:  Derry Moore.

The cottage, and that term is relative, is just as charming as the garden.  Like the garden, it carried the dowager duchesse's personal touch.  She said that many of the furnishings had come from her family but she had bought some things at the flea market.


The fleur de lis topiaries on the terrace
at the entrance to the house.
Image:  Derry Moore.

The space known as the Servants' Hall provided a cool, welcome transition from the garden.  It served as a casual reception room.


The Servants' Hall.
Image:  Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

The adjacent room which also opens onto the terrace is the dowager duchesse's dining room which also served as a casual sitting room.  One of the distinctive features of this room is the tapestry wallcovering, hanging but not fully attached to let the stone walls 'breathe.'

The Dining Room.
Image:  Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

A slightly more formal sitting room follows in progression, the tone of the room set by the eighteenth-century paneling.


The folding screen illustrates the 17th century
poem Le Lutrin by Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux.
Photo by Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

The use of miniatures adds to intimate character of the Sitting Room.



Another view of the Sitting Room.
Image:  Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

A guest bedroom with papered walls and a papered dado of an architectural paneling design displays colored engravings of gardens.


A guest bedroom with a chimneypiece
and hearth of rouge royale marble.
Image:  Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

Another bedroom, with rich red walls, is filled with photos and drawings of family members and other personal mementos.


A bedroom having a view from the bed
to the garden below.
Photo:  Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

The Duchesse acknowledged getting advice from her brother-in-law, the Vicomte de Noailles (whose exemplary garden was also visited and will be featured in a future post), and her Danish cousin Mogen Tvede, a landscape designer.  But she clearly developed her own taste and skills to become an incomparable gardener in her own right.  The Duchesse de Mouchy died in 1982, and it has been said that her beloved garden, though briefly in a period of decline, is now maintained as a tribute to her remarkable spirit and talent.


A park-like section of the garden.
Photo:  Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

The photos noted as being from Architectural Digest were published in the June, 1982, issue of the magazine.  The additional images here by the photographer Derry Moore appear on his own website.  The other photos are from FRENCH GARDEN STYLE, now out-of-print but used copies may be purchased through The Devoted Classicist Library.

The Pink Suit

Arriving at Love Field, Dallas,
November 22, 1963.
Photo via NY Magazine.

November 22, 2013, marks a very sad 50th anniversary in the history of the United States.  Devoted Readers around my age and older most likely remember the day and where they were when they heard the horrible news of the assassination of the President in Dallas.  Even for those not particularly interested in fashion, an iconic image of that day is 34 year old Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in a pink boucle wool suit.


The Kennedys preparing to begin the
motorcade from the airport.
Photo:  Associated Press.

In 1963, when most people usually saw only black & white images of the fashionable First Lady, it was first reported that the crowds in Dallas were particularly enthusiastic to see Mrs. Kennedy in a custom-made suit of what has been described alternately as raspberry or strawberry pink.  The Chanel-style suit in a classic cardigan double-breasted form was trimmed with navy blue and worn with a navy blouse, shoes and handbag.  The ensemble also included JBK's signature pillbox hat.


Image via Steven L. Brawley

Although Mrs. Kennedy was known to be a Chanel fan, it was felt that the President's wife should wear only American-made clothes.  With a clothing allowance provided by her father-in-law, Joseph Kennedy, and wardrobe supervision by Oleg Cassini, JBK enjoyed specially-made 'knock-offs' of high fashion.  But it was not pirated designs.  According to Steven L. Brawley of the Pink Pillbox site, Mrs. Kennedy's  dresses were made in cooperation with Chanel by Chez Ninon, a small dress-making shop that was popular with the ladies of New York society, owned by Nona McAdoo and Sophie Medrin Shonnard (with silent partner Alisa Mellon Bruce).  Brawley reports that it was common to have fabric, buttons, trims, etc., imported from France along with an actual Chanel garment to be copied for three or four garments.  Average prices ranged from $800 to $1,000 for a suit, which was very expensive at the time, but a fraction of what a suit would cost to be made at Chanel on rue Cambon.  The hat was made by the millinery boutique at Bergdorf Goodman, Marita, presumably by Halston. 


Architect John Carl Warnecke points out some
of the features on a model of Lafayette Square.
Photo:  Google Images.

Although the visit to Texas was an important trip, the kick-off for the re-election campaign, it was not the debut of the pink suit.  Photos show JBK wearing the suit on several previous occasions, including a viewing on September 26, 1962, of the model made as a presentation of the plans to renovate and redevelop Lafayette Square across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House;  it was one of the First Lady's many projects to beautify and improve the culture of our nation's capital.


The motorcade slowly traveling through the
streets of Dallas on November 22, 1963.
Image via Daily Mail, MailOnLine.

Since the weather that day in Dallas was predicted to be cool, it has been said that the President recommended that his wife wear the wool suit (which had a matching coat that was left on the plane when it was clear that it would not be needed) with the intent that the bullet-proof bubble roof would be removed from the dark blue Lincoln Continental limousine that had been flown in from Washington for the motorcade. Tragically, one of the last color images published of the pink suit was Mrs. Kennedy as she instinctively scrambled onto the trunk deck to retrieve bits of skull and brain tissue before a Secret Service agent pushed her back into the rear seat and the motorcade sped to Parkland Hospital.


The swearing-in of Lyndon Johnson
aboard Air Force One with
Mrs. Kennedy as a witness.
Photo via Yahoo.

Despite arrangements made for Mrs. Kennedy to change clothes on Air Force One, she reportedly refused so that all would see the evidence of the crime.  The whole contents of the hospital operating room where the President was declared dead are stored in a stable-climate cave at an undisclosed location along with the suit the President was wearing.  The 1961 limousine was leased (for only $500 per year despite the cost estimated to be $200,000) from the Ford Motor Company who retained ownership rights;  it continued in service until 1977 (although some say it was not used by an acting President) and is now on display in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.  The blood-stained pink suit, blouse, stockings, shoes, and handbag were placed in a box by JBK's mother, Janet Auchincloss, before being donated to the National Archives and Records Administration in 1964 and kept in a climate-controlled facility in Maryland.  In the chaos at the hospital, the hat was removed and there is only speculation of its whereabouts today.


Happier times.
Photo via Image Zone.

Recently, daughter Caroline Kennedy, currently in Japan serving as ambassador,  confirmed her 2003 stipulation that the suit would be kept from public view until 2103.  At that time, Jacqueline Kennedy's heirs can decide if the clothes can be displayed without causing the hysteria that is felt would ensue with exhibition today.

For a previous post of The Devoted Classicist presenting Jacqueline Kennedy's efforts to furnish the Green Room at the White House, click here.  For the post on the creation of the upstairs President's Dining Room, click here.  The post on the Aaron Shikler portraits may be read here.  And the post on the island of Scorpios (or Skorpios) may be read here.

The Apartment, Part III

Although being published out-of-sequence, this post will be the third of a series to show how an Upper East Side Manhattan apartment has been furnished by different owners.  This shows the current incarnation, as decorated by interior designer David Kleinberg as his own residence.  Except for the images noted as being from DKDA, the photographs are by Eric Piasecki for Architectural Digest.


Another view of David Kleinberg's Living Room.

David retained the Living Room's handsome paneling but painted it cream and white to provide a more contemporary background.  The suspended spiral light in the first image was designed by Swiss architect Max Ernst Haefeli in 1937.


The end of the Living Room.

David uses the end of the Living Room as a library.


The Entrance Hall.
Image:  DKDA.

In the Entrance Hall, the barrel vault ceiling remains but the recessed downlights of the previous owners are replaced with a new linear light designed by David's firm, DKDA.  Also, the smoked glass mirrors are removed.


The Dining Room

David uses the coromandel paneled library as his Dining Room.  The rug is made from squares of cowhide.


The Master Bedroom.

A custom-made bed is the dominant feature of the Master Bedroom.  The walls are upholstered with the same striped fabric as the curtains.  The mirrored shutters from the previous owners remain.


David Kleinberg's Dressing Room.

Folded shirts and sweaters are stored on shelves in the oak Dressing Room.


The Bathroom.

In the Bathroom, the striations of the marble provide pattern and color in the otherwise primarily white space.  The iron chair from the 1930s was designed by Jean-Charles Moreux.


The Study.

The walls of the Study are covered with upholstered linen panels decorated with nailheads.  Vintage armchairs by Edward J. Wormley are upholstered in leather.


The Kitchen.

The Kitchen shimmers with cabinet doors and appliances of stainless steel.  Countertops and backsplashes are Calacatta marble.  The floor is faux wood tile from Ann Sacks.


The Breakfast Area of the Kitchen.

A Breakfast area features a classic modern Saarinen table.

David Kleinberg.
Image:  DKDA.

More of David's work may be seen in the book TRADITIONAL NOW: INTERIORS BY DAVID KLEINBERG available at a considerable discount here.  Part II of The Apartment which shows the Robert Denning decoration of the previous owners may be seen here.  Part I will be shown in a future post.