The Object: A Powerful Agent of Transformation

Panel discussion at the Salon Art + Design at the Park Avenue Armory; Saturday November 11th. I hosted three collectors: Nazy Nazhand; Dr. Frank Moore; Brian McCarthy. The subjects of their collecting is different, but they share the passion for the object. The object has become a central figure within the curated interior—a powerful agent of transformation that stands at the core of the 21st-century revolution. Collecting design is the engine that drives the meaningful, sophisticated, and personal spaces that we all seek to achieve; but collectors do not simply look to fill their homes with beautiful things, nor do they collect for financial return. They are people of passion, taste, and generosity, who devote much of their lives to the pursuit of collecting. In this talk, I will be hosting three design collectors that also collect art, and for whom collecting modern and contemporary furniture and objects has become central to their living experience, expressing their identity, and connoisseurship. They will highlight some of their favorite pieces and speak on the way in which their emotional connection to the object have come to shape their lives and helped them to live in fulfilled, inspiring homes.

Nazy Nazhand is a New York City based art advisor, creative consultant, and a writer. She was born and raised in Tehran in the wake of the Iranian Revolution and the Iran/Iraq war, and emigrated to America as a young child. This generational trauma and the power of art as an engine for social change, have been central to her identity. Living with historic design from the 60s has been important to her in forging her own personal space. 

Brian McCarthy is an award-winning Interior Designer and Collector who founded his firm 30 years ago. In his commissioned residences across the globe, he is known for combining art and collectible design. His knowledge of both areas have led him to become an educator to his clients. His long passion for collecting art and design of various periods have turned him into a connoisseur and his own eclectic design collection focuses on the work of Claude Lalanne and various contemporary designers.   

Dr. Frank Moore is a neurosurgeon, specializing in brain and spine surgeries, and an Associate Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery at Mt. Sinai Hospita. A longtime collector of contemporary art and mid-century design, Moore was among the pioneer collectors of Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand in the 90s, before scholarship and the market was fully developed. His passion for the object and for living with good, historical design has defined his aesthetic choices and sensibility and has shaped his living spaces.