Thoroughly Modern Tiny

All that spaghetti and just one meatball.

On a recent - and increasingly unusual - free day, we headed up to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to see California Design, 1930-1965: "Living in a Modern Way", an exhibit of everything modern from California in the middle part of the last century.  I am not sure who curated this exhibit; it was rather small and a little scattered, but it suited the wacky tacky sensibility quite well.  I must say, I felt a guilty satisfaction as we strode by the hoards of folks lined up to see the Tim Burton exhibit.  The feeling quickly changed to pure excitement when we walked into the gallery and came face-to-gleaming-face with this 1930's Airstream trailer.

Sadly, we couldn't get close enough to get photos of the interior.

"Take it easy!"

From automobiles to clothing to plastic pitchers, the exhibit was composed of everyday objects.  It was great to see utilitarian pieces transformed into something artful; of course, these objects were allowed an elevated level of distinction because of the setting and thoughtful installation.  It seems, however that mid-20th Century California was such a great time/place for experimentation in form and function.  Consumer products of previous eras, however artful, seemed to be exercises in adornment and decoration.  "Modern" designers, however, had the freedom to play with color, line, shape, material, texture, and even ergonomics.

I actually have a few pieces in this pattern...I might have to start my own museum.

A stellar light fixture/mobile

I loved this bookrack/lamp that diffused the
uplighting by way of the suspended moon pendant.

Before I took any photographs in the exhibit, I asked one of the docents if photographs were allowed.  He responded in the affirmative and warned me against using the flash.  When I approached the "Eames House" (a full-scale, case study/diorama), another docent practically tackled me to prevent the photo I was snapping.  Sure, she was 5'2" and an AARP member in good standing, but she was fierce!  Fortunately, I captured the shot before she tried to confiscate my camera by slamming my face into the concrete.

The "Eames House" - a forbidden photo.

I loved seeing the 1962 Barbie Dream House immediately after the Eames House.
It was a great juxtaposition of highbrow and low brow -cerebral design versus everyday living.

How could one avoid being vain seated before at a vanity of this magnitude?

I have a thing for chairs.

A great desk from 1947

Yep.

This 1930's era "Airline Chair," named for its aerodynamic lines was an IKEA forerunner.
It was mass produced and sold "ready to be assembled" by the consumer.

One of my favorite items was the Eames, bent-wood, toy elephant.

Every day objects were also included in the exhibit - radios, clocks, flatware, ray guns...
RAY GUNS?!?!?!
The "ray gun" (top-left) is actually an Opco Ice Gun, a personal ice crusher from 1935.

I saved my favorites for last.  I am a sucker for textiles and clothing from my favorite period in history.

I would like to order at least 10 yards of the hand-printed sombrero fabric from 1941.

  

Western wear!!!

I love western wear whether it comes from the 1930's (the dungarees and silk rodeo blouse on the left) or the 1950's (the ensemble on the right).

These 1940's hostess pajamas are indescribably cool.
Everything about them is pitch-perfect modern -
the color, the cut, the fact that the hostess is wearing pajamas!

The exhibit featured some incredible swim & play suits as well.

The his & hers lobster bathing ensembles by Catalina Swimwear (1941) were a highlight.

Some of my favorite items include this printed dress and this amazing, gathered, green-chintz, tiered skirt and midriff-baring top trimmed in white ric rac...that was actually A BATHING SUIT!!!  Coincidentally, Mary thinks a recreation of this ensemble should be my next sewing project. Hmmmm?

The Cole of California creation

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

5905 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA

(323)857-6000

http://www.lacma.org/

"California Design" runs October 1, 2011 through March 25, 2012.

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

This Ain't No Bull!

When surveying the wacky tacky landscape it is nearly impossible to miss the blood on the sand.  No, it's not from all those crazy gladiator movies; it's from the bullfighting.  Call them toreros, matadors, bullfighters or toreadors (if there are technical differences we aren't too concerned), these icons of machismo, in all their velvet, satin and spangled glory, wove their way into the cultural tapestry thereby enriching the wacky tacky lobe of our collective consciousness*.  In fact, bullfighting was one of the most prevalent and enduring themes throughout the formative years of wacky tacky.  Was this phenomenon the fortuitous result of The Good Neighbor Policy?  Was it because we as a society were vicariously purging our hostilities through the matadors themselves?  Was it because we found it so hard to differentiate between the customs of Latin cultures that we balled them all into one so we could exploit that now homogenized mixture for our own entertainment?  Is "all of the above" an acceptable answer?  Whatever the question, the answer makes for some swell wacky tacky - Ole!

Martha Raye as a toreador in the 1938 film Tropic Holiday

Disney's Ferdinand the Bull (1938) - one of our faves!

The arts, both fine and decorative, were a natural fit for capturing the essence (and sometimes anatomical correctness) of the bullfight.

The penultimate example of toreador-tinged wacky tacky is of course the infamous, black velvet painting.

Rather easy to come by and usually surrounded by a rough-hewn, wooden frame, these 

gems are not always executed at the same level of artistry as is clearly illustrated above.

Hollywood was not immune to the Latin craze either.  Really?...Esther Williams?...A Mexican Bullfighter?...Esther Williams...Really???

Fiesta trailer starring Esther Williams (1947)

"Lucy Goes to Mexico" from The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1958)

Don't forget the tunes...

And the toons - even Goofy gets in on the action!

Bolero jackets, toreador pants, satin sashes - a few of a matadors favorite things?  Definitely, but more so the staples of a well-appointed, wacky tacky wardrobe.

A 1950's men's shirt with a matador motif

A 1950's, hand-painted, circle skirt depicting the day of the fight

And last but not least, a few examples of matador mania from the wacky tacky archives:

Embossed tin & airbrushing create this masterwork

A matador statuary

Ironically, at 3x4', this is the biggest piece in the archives.

Maybe one day we'll figure out how to use a camera!!

 Another velvet painting, this one enhanced with glitter. 

Do you see what we mean about attention to anatomy??!!

*Please don't get all PETA on us and view this as the waving of a red cape.  This posting is neither an endorsement nor examination of the cultural significance of the act of bullfighting.

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny