quarta-feira, 22 de dezembro de 2010
terça-feira, 21 de dezembro de 2010
Jet Meets Heli: Rolls-Royce Powered Eurocopter X3
Eurocopter's ultra-cool X3 prototype (above), which combines the technology of a turboprop plane with traditional helicopter engineering, just attained an airspeed of 180 knots (207 mph) in level flight in testing in Istres, France. The X3, which was not operating at full power, is expected to break the official helicopter speed world record by the time testing is complete. Over the last few months of testing the X3 has performed such feats as reaching an altitude of 12,500 ft. and maneuvering with left and right turns at bank angles of up to 60°. Utilizing a Dauphin helicopter airframe, the X3 is equipped with two Rolls-Royce turboshaft engines that power a five-blade main rotor system, along with two propellers installed on short-span fixed wings. In terms of sheer speed it still may not topSikorsky's experimental X2 which we wrote about last month, but its stylish looks and jet-like features should more than make up for it.
Shaquille O'Neal Conducts The Boston Pops
Boston Celtics Center Shaquille O'Neal took advantage of playing in Boston to trade in Celtic greenfor a bow tie and tails to conduct the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall. The Holiday Pops season, under the direction of conductor Keith Lockhart, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
By all accounts Shaq had a great time in the conductor role. In a press conference before the concert he said that he was honored to be chosen to conduct a three-song set and he expressed appreciation for the conductor's art saying that the rehearsal gave his arms a work out.
Keith Lockhart stepped aside and let the the Celtics Center take the baton for the Christmas classic "Sleigh Ride," the Jackson 5 hit "Can You Feel It" and Queen's "We Are the Champions." As you might guess, O'Neal is the tallest guest conductor in Pops history but he is also the first pro-basketball player. Other famous guest conductors have included Julia Child, Rachael Ray, Angie Dickinson, Henry Winkler, Ray Romano, William Shatner and Senator Edward M. Kenned
By all accounts Shaq had a great time in the conductor role. In a press conference before the concert he said that he was honored to be chosen to conduct a three-song set and he expressed appreciation for the conductor's art saying that the rehearsal gave his arms a work out.
Keith Lockhart stepped aside and let the the Celtics Center take the baton for the Christmas classic "Sleigh Ride," the Jackson 5 hit "Can You Feel It" and Queen's "We Are the Champions." As you might guess, O'Neal is the tallest guest conductor in Pops history but he is also the first pro-basketball player. Other famous guest conductors have included Julia Child, Rachael Ray, Angie Dickinson, Henry Winkler, Ray Romano, William Shatner and Senator Edward M. Kenned
segunda-feira, 20 de dezembro de 2010
Nicolas Cage's Rhode Island Home Gets Another Price Cut
The Gray Craig home in Middletown, Rhode Island as been on my radar since it was for sale for $19 million in 2005 but it can now be had for a fraction of that price. It was bought by Nicolas Cage for $15.7 million. The home is on over 27 acres of land that extends to Nelson Pond and includes views of the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The grounds feature a pool, tennis court, fish pond, stone terrace and heated garages. The brick and stone home has 12 bedrooms and was built in a grand style. Public rooms include a library with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, a formal living room with water views, dining room, vintage conservatory, billiard room, and a kitchen with a stone fireplace, custom hickory ceilings, and antique terra cotta floor tiles.
Cage first listed this home in 2008 and since then we've seen the price fall. He's either sold or lost to foreclosure just about everything else on his plate but this Rhode Island home remains. A reader tipped me to the fact that it's now listed at just $7.75 million representing another huge loss for Cage who has taken it on the chin when it comes to real estate. His New Orleans homes went back to bank.
Cage first listed this home in 2008 and since then we've seen the price fall. He's either sold or lost to foreclosure just about everything else on his plate but this Rhode Island home remains. A reader tipped me to the fact that it's now listed at just $7.75 million representing another huge loss for Cage who has taken it on the chin when it comes to real estate. His New Orleans homes went back to bank.
domingo, 19 de dezembro de 2010
Anya Hindmarch Marano Suede Box Clutch
The Marano Suede Box Clutch by Anya Hindmarch is the perfect LBB (little black bag) to go with your favorite LBD (little black dress). Ultra-simple black suede in a round-box silver frame gives off a luxe, sophisticated vibe of glamour, beauty, and minimalism. It's black suede inside also, there's no shoulder strap detachable or otherwise, and the only adornment is a designer-stamped push-lock closure on top. Looks like a great way to channel old Hollywood and feel both pretty and cozy at the same time (a rare feat). $530
Silver Torah Finials Top Rare Judaica Auction
The beautiful silver objects shown above are a pair of silver torah finials, formerly of the Mercaz Avraham Synagogue, Rehovot, Israel. The finials, which date back to circa 1870 and are estimated at $35,000 to $45,000, are just part of the bi-annual Judaica auction being held by Greenstein & Co.'s Auction House on January 10, 2011.
The auction takes place at the Radisson Martinique Hotel in Manhattan and will feature 200 rare and valuable objects including menorahs, Kiddush cups, silver torah ornaments, spice boxes, paintingsand much more. The auction is also open for phone bidding and purchase beforehand.
Greenstein recently launched the only Jewish Museum type of gallery in Cedarhurst, New York where collectors can buy select Judaica artifacts that are on display. Currently, the J. Greenstein & Co. Auction House is the country's only house completely devoted to the sale of holy Jewish ceremonial objects and has sold off celebrity Judaica including Sammy David Jr.'s personal menorah and items from victims of the Bernie Madoff scandal.
The auction takes place at the Radisson Martinique Hotel in Manhattan and will feature 200 rare and valuable objects including menorahs, Kiddush cups, silver torah ornaments, spice boxes, paintingsand much more. The auction is also open for phone bidding and purchase beforehand.
Greenstein recently launched the only Jewish Museum type of gallery in Cedarhurst, New York where collectors can buy select Judaica artifacts that are on display. Currently, the J. Greenstein & Co. Auction House is the country's only house completely devoted to the sale of holy Jewish ceremonial objects and has sold off celebrity Judaica including Sammy David Jr.'s personal menorah and items from victims of the Bernie Madoff scandal.
Kurt Geiger Egypt Scarlet Pumps
You can never go wrong with a pair of scarletpumps. Especially ones like the Egypt by Kurt Geiger ($300). They have an understated and relaxed silhouette with touches of lively accents that make Geiger's Egypt Pumps a timeless classic. First off, the color is vibrant without feeling off putting. This particular hue has dark undertones making them wearable and versatile. Second is the heel. A block heel not only provides stability and a more comfortable foundation when walking but they are just as stylish as skinny stilettos.
I love that they are designed in red suede rather than red leather. There is something unexplainable about suede that complements red even more so than leather. Heel measurements: 4".
Have tips or suggestions? Contact me @marsha71
I love that they are designed in red suede rather than red leather. There is something unexplainable about suede that complements red even more so than leather. Heel measurements: 4".
Have tips or suggestions? Contact me @marsha71
Holiday Shopping Guide: 8 Gifts for Book Lovers
In a world that increasingly favors digital and paperless technology the experience of reading books is not the same as it used to be, but no matter if you prefer turning pages by pressing a button on an e-reader or by hand the old fashioned way there will always be something magical and mysterious about real paper books. A new Kindle and a boatload of e-books is great for some reads (like working through the current New York Times best-seller list) but when it comes to true reading luxury and timeless, endearing gifts for the book lovers on your holiday shopping list we say go for good old-fashioned hardcovers and beautiful, well-made accessories.
Bee & Butterfly Bookmarks, $30
As pretty as antique jewelry these Bee and Butterfly bookmarks are handmade in the USA of brass and plated metal with colored Swarovski crystal accents, beautiful floral patterns, and long colorful tassels. Perfect for a gardener or nature-loving reader, unwrapping them will be easy but hiding them away in a book won't be!
Bee & Butterfly Bookmarks, $30
As pretty as antique jewelry these Bee and Butterfly bookmarks are handmade in the USA of brass and plated metal with colored Swarovski crystal accents, beautiful floral patterns, and long colorful tassels. Perfect for a gardener or nature-loving reader, unwrapping them will be easy but hiding them away in a book won't be!
sábado, 18 de dezembro de 2010
Lauren's Luggage
The one apartment in New York I am dying to see belongs to Lauren and Andrés Santo Domingo. The January 2011 issue of Vogue published the photo above which has me even more intrigued. I heard that Jacques Grange helped decorate it and another article mentions her Hippo bar from Lalannes. Maybe more photos of her home will appear as she promotes her new online trunk show Moda Operandi. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Carine Roitfeld Steps Down From French Vogue
Major news in the fashion world this week as French Vogue's Carine Roitfeld has announced that she will step down as editor in chief of French Vogue. Roitfeld, a former fashion model, joined the magazine nearly ten years ago when she was approached by Jonathan Newhouse, the chief executive of Conde Nast International. At some points there were rumors that Roitfeld might even succeed the indomitable Anna Wintour at Vogue in New York. Her style is characterized by a darkness and edginess that has remained perfectly French, often epitomizing the concept of 'jolie laide' focusing on interesting images more than just the merely pretty.
Roitfeld will leave at the end of January (completing issues through March) and has said that she is leaving to work on personal projects. Roitfeld spoke with the NY Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn telling her that she feels that it's time to do something different and that she has no problem with Jonathan Newhouse. "I have no plan at all," she said. Something tells me something will come up.
Roitfeld will leave at the end of January (completing issues through March) and has said that she is leaving to work on personal projects. Roitfeld spoke with the NY Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn telling her that she feels that it's time to do something different and that she has no problem with Jonathan Newhouse. "I have no plan at all," she said. Something tells me something will come up.
sexta-feira, 17 de dezembro de 2010
Frank Gehry Unveils "Wrinkly" New Building
Architect Frank Gehry has revealed his "crinkly, wrinkly" design for the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) business school in Sydney Australia. The new building is his first Australian design. Gehry expects the 11-story treehouse to "generate some questions" but he is hoping that the community will eventually embrace it. The 81-year-old architect is no stranger to controversy and to people hating his designs when they are first revealed.
Construction will begin on the university's campus in central Sydney in 2012 and the building is set to be completed in 2014. It has two separate facades, one of undulating brick and the other of angled sheets of glass. The building will be named the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, after the Australian-Chinese business leader who has donated $25 million for the project.
Construction will begin on the university's campus in central Sydney in 2012 and the building is set to be completed in 2014. It has two separate facades, one of undulating brick and the other of angled sheets of glass. The building will be named the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, after the Australian-Chinese business leader who has donated $25 million for the project.
quinta-feira, 16 de dezembro de 2010
"He + She" The Ceramics of Sergei Isupov
You can't just look casually at Sergei Isupov's stoneware ceramics at his show at the Barry Friedman Ltd. Gallery in Chelsea. They are spellbinding. In fact, they are so cryptic, so dreamlike, so unlike anything you have ever seen, you feel compelled to keep staring.
Each of the mostly androgynous pieces in this intriguing show are placed on pedestals with mirrors at their base so you can see the painted narratives on the bottom surface of each work. "HE + SHE" is a collaboration between Barry Friedman Ltd. in Chelsea and the Ferrin Gallery in Pittsfield Mass.
Isupov's work is totally ambiguous and to come up with any meaning for his dream-like vignettes you would have to plunge into the choppy waters of his memory and imagination. Isupov says he makes up a story while he is working, but by the time the piece is finished, he has forgotten it. His pieces seem to have a hidden narrative which has to do with instincts, sexual drive, and an uninhibited exploration of how men and women relate to each other in myth and in today's world.
Anatomically explicit and deeply anchored in Isupov's personal experience, they are illustrations of what one critic called the artist's id --- that is the part of his psyche that is anchored in his imagination, totally unfettered by convention. Isupov says that the essence of his work is not in the medium of porcelain or the creative process, but in human beings and their incredible diversity. "When I think of myself and my works, I'm not sure I create them, but they create me," he says.
Born in Ukraine in 1963, Isupov attended art school in Tallinn, Estonia, and emigrated to this country in 1993. Gallery owner Leslie Ferrin recognized his talent early on and helped him gain recognition and establish his career in the U.S. She has consistently shown his work at her gallery and at various artshows in Palm Beach, Miami, New York, and Chicago. Today Isupov is represented in numerous public and private collections.
Isupov's technique starts out in a similar fashion as other ceramic artists in that he rolls out the clay in very thin layers and then creates the form. Where he differs is in the next stage. Almost all the work -- painted images, surface color and texture --- is done before the first firing. He then fires a second time at 2300 degree F. The end result is an idiosyncratic sculpture with illustrative details that practically no one can figure out except the artist. But judging from his growing reputation, ambiguity does not not stand in the way of admiration. The show will be on view in Chelsea through February. Barry Friedman Ltd., 515 West 26th Street, NYC; www.barryfriedmanltd.com; Ferrin Gallery, 437 North Street, Pittsfield Mass; www.ferringallery.com.
Each of the mostly androgynous pieces in this intriguing show are placed on pedestals with mirrors at their base so you can see the painted narratives on the bottom surface of each work. "HE + SHE" is a collaboration between Barry Friedman Ltd. in Chelsea and the Ferrin Gallery in Pittsfield Mass.
Isupov's work is totally ambiguous and to come up with any meaning for his dream-like vignettes you would have to plunge into the choppy waters of his memory and imagination. Isupov says he makes up a story while he is working, but by the time the piece is finished, he has forgotten it. His pieces seem to have a hidden narrative which has to do with instincts, sexual drive, and an uninhibited exploration of how men and women relate to each other in myth and in today's world.
Anatomically explicit and deeply anchored in Isupov's personal experience, they are illustrations of what one critic called the artist's id --- that is the part of his psyche that is anchored in his imagination, totally unfettered by convention. Isupov says that the essence of his work is not in the medium of porcelain or the creative process, but in human beings and their incredible diversity. "When I think of myself and my works, I'm not sure I create them, but they create me," he says.
Born in Ukraine in 1963, Isupov attended art school in Tallinn, Estonia, and emigrated to this country in 1993. Gallery owner Leslie Ferrin recognized his talent early on and helped him gain recognition and establish his career in the U.S. She has consistently shown his work at her gallery and at various artshows in Palm Beach, Miami, New York, and Chicago. Today Isupov is represented in numerous public and private collections.
Isupov's technique starts out in a similar fashion as other ceramic artists in that he rolls out the clay in very thin layers and then creates the form. Where he differs is in the next stage. Almost all the work -- painted images, surface color and texture --- is done before the first firing. He then fires a second time at 2300 degree F. The end result is an idiosyncratic sculpture with illustrative details that practically no one can figure out except the artist. But judging from his growing reputation, ambiguity does not not stand in the way of admiration. The show will be on view in Chelsea through February. Barry Friedman Ltd., 515 West 26th Street, NYC; www.barryfriedmanltd.com; Ferrin Gallery, 437 North Street, Pittsfield Mass; www.ferringallery.com.
quarta-feira, 15 de dezembro de 2010
Dragon Jar Sells For $7.658 Million At Bonhams & Butterfields
A blue and white porcelain Dragon jar had a huge result at Bonhams & Butterfields in San Francisco at the Fine Asian Works of Art sale on Monday December 13th. The 14-inch high jar was described conservatively as Qianlong Mark, Late Qing/Republic Period and given a pre-sale estimate of $10,000-15,000. But bidders who felt the dragon jar was a unique treasure pushed the bidding sky-high. It eventually sold for $7.658 million.
Dessa Goddard, Vice President and Director, Asian Works of Art said, speaking about the sale: "The jar proved to be a puzzle for several clients with whom I spoke who all declared it to be unique. Without a consensus of opinion we felt obliged to be cautious with our attribution. Needless to say, we are elated that the jar achieved such a spectacular price. Its sale provided a fantastic slice of auction drama that our clients and staff will remember for many years to come."
The jar is decorated with bands of plantain leaves, waves, and a cloud-collar at the waisted neck and broad shoulders. The sides are painted with six dragons emerging from crashing waves and flying amid stylized clouds and flames. The sale brought in more than $19 million total.
Just last month an 18th century Chinese porcelain vase from the Qianlong period stunned the world when it sold for £43 million ($69.3 million) at Bainbridges Auctions. The vase was only estimated to sell for £1.2 million but fierce bidding among Chinese would-be buyers drove up the price. The vase sold to a Chinese bidder who turned up to bid on behalf of an undisclosed buyer.
Dessa Goddard, Vice President and Director, Asian Works of Art said, speaking about the sale: "The jar proved to be a puzzle for several clients with whom I spoke who all declared it to be unique. Without a consensus of opinion we felt obliged to be cautious with our attribution. Needless to say, we are elated that the jar achieved such a spectacular price. Its sale provided a fantastic slice of auction drama that our clients and staff will remember for many years to come."
The jar is decorated with bands of plantain leaves, waves, and a cloud-collar at the waisted neck and broad shoulders. The sides are painted with six dragons emerging from crashing waves and flying amid stylized clouds and flames. The sale brought in more than $19 million total.
Just last month an 18th century Chinese porcelain vase from the Qianlong period stunned the world when it sold for £43 million ($69.3 million) at Bainbridges Auctions. The vase was only estimated to sell for £1.2 million but fierce bidding among Chinese would-be buyers drove up the price. The vase sold to a Chinese bidder who turned up to bid on behalf of an undisclosed buyer.
