What a great way to spend the afternoon at a panel discussion ‘Buying Design’ a collaboration between Salon 94 and Design Miami/ in celebrating the pop-up exhibition ‘Midtown,’ which the gallery has presented at the Lever House, and the upcoming Design Miami/ Basel, which opens this month. Moderated by Rodman Primack, Creative Executive Director of Design Miami/, this conversation came to explore the very basic questions that have occupied those engaged with this dynamic, influential territory, called Collectible Design. “Why we do it?” Primack opened this talk with a provocative question, and the panelists represented the type personalities engaged in this world. Lee Mindel represented the architectm, known for incorporating collectible design pieces in his stylish interiors across the globe; Jeanne Greenbert Rohatyn, founder of Salon 94 and Paul Johnson represented the dealers who enable the existing of the contemporary design market by discovering the talents of the future, showing them, and producing their work; Alexandra Cunningham Cameron represented the design curator; and 24-year old Dozie Kanu represented a new generation of designers who desire to create design for this unique market, who created a bench of concrete slab and car wheels which moved everyone in the room (above). The exhibition at the Lever House is a great exercise in weaving paintings, sculptures, design, and craft, demonstrating how in our age they all co-exist in the most natural way, without any rules, without any unity. And of course, the Lever House, this magnificent glass-box tower sits on a pedestal overlooking Park Avenue, which perhaps more than any other building signifies the magic of mid-century corporate architecture in this country, is just an amazing place to be (below in an images from the mid-century years). Always.
