Throwback: Alexander Calder at the Whitney Museum of American Art

Here's a look back at an event we did at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2008 to celebrate the opening of an Alexander Calder exhibit. While we were asked not to reproduce or imitate his famous mobile sculptures,  we went with a design motif that reflects 1920's & 30's Paris when and where his most iconic art was made. Using a neutral and natural palette with the museum's budget in mind,  Geoff based his designs on the understated elegance of silver, black, pewter and raw silk all around a circular theme. The orb shape was repeated in the votives, the vases for the flowers, and the oversize metal ball chain in the chandeliers.  The theme was also carried through on the entrance wall with little round mirrors behind the votives. And finally, theatrical lighting was used to underscore the spherical theme.

Throwback: Trustees Dinner @ The Whitney Museum of American Art

In 2005, Geoff was given to design and create the decor for the annual Whitney Museum of American Art's Board of Trustees. Having majored in art at Pratt, Geoff was thrilled to have the opportunity to create his own installation inside a major art museum, even if only for a night!  Using chartreuse Dupioni silk swagging back and forth over the table and "through" the windows and out into the courtyard, taking advantage of the very high ceiling and surrounding spaces.The table was dressed with a bright orange runner with a continuous water-filled tray containing floating candles and orchids blossoms in chartreuse and orange. Geoff worked his magic in creating sculptural scrolls at the end of each fabric swag. The result is strong yet whimsical.

LYONEL FEININGER DINNER AT THE WHITNEY

To celebrate the opening of the late German expressionist artist Lyonel Feininger's exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, we were asked to design the members only dinner party. Inspired by Feininger's frequent use of architectural imagery (in particular, arches), Geoff designed zig-zag folding screens made of homosote to create a whimsical architectural folly. The chartreuse tablecloths and soft pink palette of the floral centerpieces are reminiscent of his color palette. The next evening, the same decor was re-used for the public opening, an event for several thousand people.

 

Here's a look at a few of Feininger's paintings which inspired Geoff's design:

Lyonel Feininger: At the Edge of The World
June 30 - October 16 @ The Whitney

Paul Thek(nology) @ the Whitney

To celebrate the new retrospective exhibition of artist Paul Thek at the Whitney Museum of American Art, we were commissioned to design the opening party held at the museum. Paul Thek was famous for his unusually vibrant color sense, use of raw materials and glass boxes with surprising contents. Drawing upon this sensibility Geoff chose an offbeat and bold color palette. Glass Boxes were used to contain the candles and flowers of table centerpieces. The entrance screen shown below was made of stained 2 x 4's with hardware cloth holding a broad swath of hydrangeas, dramatically side lit. Below the screen is a collection of various sized glass boxes holding a variety of lit candles.

Like the Hydrangeas, an array of boldly colored plates adorned the tables.

(view from the street shows the Hydrangeas wall from the lobby and the dining area below)

PAUL THEK @ The WHITNEY Museum of American Art
Now thru January 9th, 2011

American Art Awards at the Whitney Museum.

The American Art Award Event at the Whitney Museum of American Art was sponsored in 2009 by Bloomberg L.P. One of the design prerequisites for this event is a patriotic color scheme of red, white and blue. In order to maintain freshness for this traditional color scheme, the entrance lobby was designed to showcase only blue. Enameled steel panels with magnetic LED stars greeted guests with brilliant blue hues.




After leaving the lobby, guests were escorted up the elevator and as the doors opened onto a wide gallery above, they were welcomed with a vibrant red palette. Floor to ceiling columns wrapped in layers of sheer fabric separated the entrance lobby from the dining area.







As focal points on the three walls of the dining room, floor to ceiling monolithic sculptural walls were built from many red panels on alternating planes, once lit, creating a visual illusion of geometric movement.

The tables and chairs, all in white, featured a low center piece of underlit White Peonies surrounding a 6 foot tall chrome standard holding a single bright LED star.

Many of the attendees said that the design of this event was one of the most beautiful!

(A few shots from the installation showing the red walls going up:)